The American squad at the 1977’s Match Races. Pictured are (from left to right) David Emde (Yamaha), Ron Pierce (Yamaha), Skip Aksland, Kevin Stafford, team captain Kenny Roberts (Yamaha), Pat Hennen (Suzuki), Dave Aldana (Yamaha), Steve Baker (Yamaha) and Gary Scott (Yamaha). (Jim Greening photo)

Another in the Jim Greening Collection— In April of 1977, Kenny Roberts led the American squad out of the gate winning four out of the first six races at the Transatlantic Match races. Roberts was on a major roll coming into the Match Races that year. He’d won both the 250GP and Formula 1 AMA Nationals at Charlotte in March. He then went to Italy and won both legs of Italy’s Daytona – the Imola 200. He then took the first four legs of the six-race Anglo-American Transatlantic Match Races to give the American squad a nearly insurmountable lead.

The Brits and Americans left the first pair of races at Brands Hatch tied in points, but led by Roberts’ domination of both legs, the Americans took a commanding lead at Mallory Park. The Brits were known for their rain racing skills and Roberts’ performance in the rain that day left the British fans looking on in amazement.

When Roberts’ fortunes turned sour in the final two legs of the event at Oulton Park, it was teammates Pat Hennen and Steve Baker who stepped up to save the day for the Americans. Roberts had a bike blow up in the first leg at Oulton and then crashed out of the second leg on a bike borrowed from Baker. Hennen was the leading scorer for the American squad with 83 points. Baker was close behind with 82 points. In spite of his problems in the final two races Roberts was the third-ranked American (fifth overall) at the event with 64 points. Barry Sheene (78 points) and Mick Grant (70 points) led the way for the Brits.

The victory for the American’s in 1977, by the score of 305-280, was only the second time the U.S. left victorious in seven tries.

This photo by the legendary photographer Jim Greening shows the American squad at that year’s Match Races. Pictured are (from left to right) David Emde (Yamaha), Ron Pierce (Yamaha), Skip Aksland, Kevin Stafford, team captain Kenny Roberts (Yamaha), Pat Hennen (Suzuki), Dave Aldana (Yamaha), Steve Baker (Yamaha) and Gary Scott (Yamaha).