Throwback Thursday: Triumph’s Don Castro Leads at the Columbus Half-Mile (1971)
Larry Lawrence | May 11, 2023
The Charity Newsies Was One of the Most Popular Stops of the AMA Grand National Championships
Dan Mahony photo
In this week’s Throwback we dial back the Wayback Machine to 1971 and the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds where the Columbus Half-Mile AMA Grand National, popularly known as the Charity Newsies for the charity the race supported, took place. This photo was taken late in that day’s Semi where factory Triumph rider Don Castro (No. 5), who made a bad start, came all the way back and made his move to the front around the outside of BSA’s David Aldana (No. 3) to take victory. Also in the photo are Royal Sherbet (behind Castro), Rex Beauchamp (34E) and John Weaver (No. 52). Castro went on to finish runner up in the national to Bart Markel.
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