Throwback Thursday: Kel Carruthers Makes His Move at Road Atlanta (1972)

Larry Lawrence | February 10, 2022

Former 250 Grand Prix World Champ was the winningest AMA 250GP rider of the early 1970s

(Gary Van Voorhis photo)

We dial it back 50 years for this week’s Throwback Thursday. In the AMA Expert/Junior Combined Road Race at Road Atlanta in April of 1972, Ron Pierce (No. 97) led most of the way and might have thought he was in a good position to win the race. Unfortunately for Ron there was a former World Champ named Kel Carruthers (No. 73) on his tailpipe. As the final lap began Kel made his move, went around the outside of Ron in the first turn and held on to take the victory. Cycle News East Editor Gary Van Voorhis captured the key moment on Kodak Tri-X film. Kel, the 1969 FIM 250cc Motorcycle Grand Prix Champion, won a ton of what would later be known as AMA 250 Grand Prix Road Races in the early ’70s, more in fact, than any other rider. He would have been a multi-time national champion, but the AMA did not recognize the 250cc class as a national championship until 1977.

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