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/125983
T ons of sand h ad b ee n sp read o n th e co urse and it had bee n manicu red to perfection - th en th e rai n s came . T hc sand absorbe d wa t er un til it was the co nsiste nc y of fresh-po ured c e m e n t in pl aces - "j h ic k th o up " in othe rs. A fte r a h it o f tra ffi c it a ll slo pped away to expose the ro cks be ne ath . Go ggle s we re useless after the scrat ch. Pra c t ice was held Saturdav afte rn oon and on ly a parade lap was 'allo we d on Sunday prior to t he fir st m o to in e ach class., Conditions were such that some b ikes watered out in the parade lap. Chains were a majo r problem. too. 111e Am a teur Support classes were for the m o st p an dominated by one rider in each class. The first 12 5 S up port rac e was restarted a ft er a pile up. On the restart Ed T herria ult (li o n ) we nt wire to wire. In the second race he took o ve r after various others we nt down in fron l of him and hel d on a ll th e way . M a r k Bur key (Ya m ) fin ished secon d with a th ir d and seco nd. R o g e r Sha rle m {Bu l} n eve r wa s headed in th e 250 Suppo rt class. Bob C o li i n s a n d Ed Bre we r ex changed secon ds an d t hi rd s a fte r h im. T he Open S up po rt cl a ss wen t to Steve Ellis (lIus). Ron Long {:\Ia i} led th e firs t ra ce u n til h e became a c ha in vic tim. li e ca me b a ck to win th e seco n d m oto with E llis ni p p ing a t hi m a ll th e way . Th ere we re severa l first lap crashe s t ha t pu t s o m e of t h e 1 2 5 Pro co ntenders on th e be nch for th e d ay. Gary Potts (lIus) led o ff the lin e with T ad Richards [Suz ) and :\li ke Ki n n ear {lI us} o ut with him . Potts he ld o n o ver ha lf the way wh ile a lot o f scuffling beh in d hi m brought Ra nd y Lim b ec k {Powroll} up on h is ta il. Limbeck go t the lead brie fly before h is c hain ca me off an d Bucky Mu rp h y {Ya m} inher ited the lead which he held to th e end. Com in g fro m w ay back in the p ac k Doug Rai nes {Ka w} followe d close behind fo r second and Gord on Faulkn er {H o n } w as third. Fa ul kne r led th e seco nd race until th e 00 < Chuck Sun we a rs the gr in and holds the loot at the Preston Petty 3000. At Straddle Line: "I can pass h im , I know I can !" . . . la st five m in utes whe n M u rph y took ove r. Lim bec k wa s push ing hard for th e le ad m id way through w hcn h is c ha in wen t again - th is time taking th e case wi t h i t. Raines dro pped o u t with me ch anical woes. to o . Kinn ear added a third to h is first m o to e igh th for third overall. Dave We lch (Bu l) led to the corner in the fi rs t 250 Pro race b u t Blaine Ell edge soon go t aro u n d h im and led a ll thc way. Todd Sn yder foll owe d. and Dan Brown {Bu l} worked up fro m a mid p ac k st an to fini sh thi rd . Alex Raphael {lI us} le d th e second m o to with Chuck Sun (lIu I). Snyder and Welch a ft er him. In th e se cond la p Su n took the lead , By th c fourt h lap Sun disapp e are d wi th a recurren ce o f his f i rs t mo to c ha in trouhle . Mit ch Simm o ns to o k ove r but his first m o t o pro bl e m s re turned. to o . Jim Pa lm (lI us) fin all y wo n it b u t his first m oto wa s a lso a [)l': F, Bro wn ro dc fro m th e m iddle agai n fo r second and E lledge's t h ird gave him th e o ve rall. Micah Rap hael (B u l). Bu cky :\Iurph y (Ya m) a n d Mitch Simm ons Icd th e Opcn Pro s. By th e seco n d lap Rick Bu rgett (Yam) m o vcd o ut in front b u t he wa s havin g sh ift ing p rob le ms which so on drop ped him b ack in the pa ck. Murphy took o ve r wh ile Simmo ns and Chuck Sun c ha rge d up behind. In th e final laps Burge tt must have give n up o n sh ift ing . li e rode lik e he 'd stuck it in fift h gear c o rn ers a n d a ll - as he b lew by ot h er riders. 1\1 oto tw o foun d Bu rgett o u t fron t. Sun an d Simm ons w ere behind him. Bu rge tt he ld o n for t hree fo ur ths o f t h e wa y before his ch ain ca m e o ff. T he - sproc ke t wa s dama ged beyon d fu rt her use . Simmons led with Su n ni b blin g at him un til Simmon s spun out in the same corner where Bu rge tt lost th e lea d, Sun fin ishe d first foll o w ed by Simm ons with a p ip e th at had flopped loose fro m the seco nd lap o n . Murp hy ca m e in third fo r a thre e W.J y tic in p oi n ts. Ju st a n ot e o f ap p recia t io n. T he amb ulance c rews at Straddle Line are probab ly th e mos t ale r t a n d efficient we've ever enco untered, No wait ing for so meone to summo n them . The y even m ad e several " d ry" TUns w he n they only th ou g ht som e on e m ay he down. Thanks ! • Results in Re sults Se ction. -- .... -29