Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125874
Killer 500cc motocross GP: Oneeach to H eikki and Roger again, a bad day for Brad,and aworse one for Gerrit By Martin Christ ie NAMU R , BELGIUM , AUG . 4 R ei gnin g c ha m p io n R o g er DeCo ster is giving this · year's 500cc title challenger Heikki Mikk ola a real ru n-off for th e cro wn. And Su nda y 's GP, on the hor rific ci tadel circ uit in Roger's native Belgium pu t the decision off once again with both men winning one mota and com ing second in the o t her. Now, at t he last round in Luxembo urg, Roger has to win both races an d th e two men will tie on po ints - the net total of t he best t welve rac es in the series. The tie breaker will then be a rid er's largest nu m ber of seconds, and then th ird pl aces , etc. At the mo ment bo th . men have an equal number, so all Heikki has to do is finish in the first three in either race to ma ke sure of the title. But a nything can happen - and certainly if the Belgian battle was a c urtain raiser, there'lI be some mean racing. Luxembourg always produces some shock winners. The track is so tig ht and dusty, t he first starter can often hold everybody else off. So anyone could get in a mongst the two series leaders as a spoiler anyone, t hat is, except DeCoster's team mate Gerrit Wolsink. The amiable Amsterdam dentist suffered a terrible crash while lea di ng the second race on the first lap. He was edged off the t ra ck an d int o a tree, and was rus hed to the hospital with a co ncussio n and with what were then a .' Second turn of the first moto: Wolsink leads Raymond Heeron (121. Bengt Aberg (5 4), Arne Kr ing (50). He ikki Mikkola i44I, and Brad Lackey (60). On th is course. only a true champion like Roger DeCoster (2) could move up f rom his start position into second by the end. Wo lsink broke in the first moto, was seriously injur ed in the second . suspected broken leg and ribs. Latest news is that injuries are internal. It was a shocking incident which should never have been allowed to happen. The fact that it was, is a condemnation of t he most appalling m ot o cross circuit I have ever seen. Husky's Roland Arrehn, represen ting the Swedish Federation on the international jury . made an official protest that the track d id no t conform with F IM rules - in particular the width varied between 2.5 metres and four Ro ger DeCost er won t h e seco nd mota as the Ch am p io nsh ip race tight ened u p f or the second week in a row. metres, when the rules insist on a minimum of five metres . But the track could not be made any wider, because it cut through a heavily wooded hillside, twisting in and out of the thick trunks, up and down for 300 feet. Apart from the trees, other hazards included sections of public road, rock faces, and a stretch in front of a local hotel. The Belgians are proud of their circuit at Namur. It is one 'o f the o ldest motocross tracks in the world, in use for more than 25 years. But just like Continued on page 42 Moisseiev closes on 250 World Championship By Martin Christ ie . HYVANKAA, FI N LAND , AU G . 4 Ru ssian Gunnady Mo isseiev on the super-q uic k KTM loo ks all set to take this year's 250cc Mo tocro ss World Champi onsh ip after winning ano ther round in Finl an d . Though J ar oslav Falta (CZ) , fres h fro m h is Superbowl success, and elated at his ri des in America, is closing still, he has pro ven t oo erra tic to secure his ne t total of points Overall. Second in the firs t race in Finl an d he retired from t he second wi th an aggrava ted inj ury, suffered the previous week pract icing. Young Belgian Harry Everts is clos in g o n th e leaders fast, afte r winning his second Grand Prix mo t a , an d c ursing th e fact th at Pu ch h a s him o n a fo ur-year co n tract. Jim Pomero y was eigh th in t he first race, an d got a good start and a third in th e secon d, b ut has still n o t re all y • se ttled d own this season. Resu lts F i rst M oto: 1. H arr y Everts, Be lg ( PUC ): 2. Fa lt a , Czec (eZ): 3. Ha ka n Andersson , Sw ed ( Y am); 4 . Tara o Suzuki , Ja p ( V am); 5 . K ale vl 'v en k cnen , Fi n (Hu s) ; 6 . Her be r t SCh m i tz. Ger ( PUC) ; 7 . Ja rosla v Hat rn, Czech (eZ); 8 . J i m Po meroy. U SA (Bu l); 9. Gaston Ra hler, Be lg (SUl); 10. Gunnady MOisseiev. USSR (KTM). Secon d Moto : 1. Moisseiey; 2 . Andersson; 3. Po meroy; 4 . E ver t s : 5. Jil'i ChuravY. Czech rcz» 6 . Suzuki; 7 . Jo Lammers, D utch (Bul) : Jar osl a v 8 . Haka n Car lqvist, Swed (OSS); 9 . Ha ka n Sundstrom, Swed (Hus) : 10. Oue Pettersson , Swed (Kaw). en a mplonship positions: 1 . Mctsseev (135); 2. Falta (121); 3. Everts (113); 4. Ra hier (83); 5. Pa ve l Rulev & Torlief Hansen (66); 6. Miroslav Halm (62); 7 . Joel R o b e r t (60) . 37