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/125984
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By Steve Castillo
PLYMO UTH , CALIF., APRI L 5
Over 550 riders braved heavy rains
and thick mud at todays Seventh
Annual Hangtown Motocross.
Plymouth, a small town located
a bo ut 3 0 m il es eas t of
S a cr am e n t o, w as ' co m p lete ly
drenched in rain. At some po in ts
the co ld rain tu rn ed t o h ail. Th e
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t r ack was in relatively good sh ap e
considering t he deluge th e n ight befo re
and d u ri ng the race.
Dan ny Ch an dler (Ho n ) was one rider '
who had th e m ud d iale d in. In th e firs t
1 2 5 Expe r t rn o t o , Ch andler was
involv ed in a firs t turn pile -u p and at th e
restart was d ead las t.
Eac h lap " Magoo " as he is called by
his fri en ds , p icked up five or six
positions. On t he last lap he moved in to
second pl ace and was still cha rging hard.
It payed o ff, wh en the checkered ca rne
out - :'l agoo was th ere fo r the win.
Moto two, Gary Racca (Hon) from
Washingt on grabbed the lead. Foll owing
close behind was AI Hall also on a
Honda. Running in the third sp o t was
Chandler, wh o was really get ti ng on the
gas in pursuit of the leaders.
Rac ca wh o lost his chain in th e first
moto and didn 't finish that race, was
long gone in the second m o t o . No one
in the 50 rider class was able to close in
o n the Honda rider and he motored
away with the win . Ove rall, Ra cca
picked up eighth , but the star of th e day
was Danny Chandler who put a 1·3
score together for t he first place trophy .
Al Hall also on a Honda finished second
and Eric Harvey (Hon) was third.
Several riders down from Washington
had things pretty much their own way,
as track conditions were said to be
ab ou t par fo r the Washington area .
Among the wet state riders wh o looked
good was Dan Brown on a Bultaco.
Brown go t the jump on the field in
mot o o ne a n d was never headed
throughout th e r ace. Mark Franklin
( H us) was runnin g second. Charl ey
Halcomb from Santa Cru z, riding a
Hu sk y , was holding down th ird spot.
Brown was untouchable and won the
race with eas e. Franklin fin ish ed seco nd
and Halcomb was third.
Brown again go t the st art in moto
two, followed by another Frankl in,
Mark 's brother Jim. Brown stret ched out
his lead and was long gone. Franklin
(Hus ) co n ti n ued in second spot until th e
finish. Charley Halcomb was holding
down third in th e glop and finished that
moto in third place .
Overall Dan Brown from Puyallup,
Washington picked up the first place
trophy, with Charley Halcomb from
Santa Cruz taking second and Rick
Howick on anot her Bultaco taking
th ird.
Dick Smith (Pe n) was ano ther rider
who had put the m ud on his side. Smi th
picked up the win in t he 125 Ama teur
class . Mike Hersman (Hon ) from the
Livermore area was up battling with
Smith but had to settle for a well earned
second overall. Mike Marquez (Bus )
another rider from the Santa Cru z ar ea
made up for his only so so finish in th e
first moto by winning the second moto
Second 250 Expert Charle s Halcomb.
with apparent ease. Marquez finished
th e days racing with a third overall .
The Dirt Diggers did an exceptional
job of race promoting today .
Overcoming bad weather, they made a
gra y day bright for many people .
Results
125 NOV D IV I : L C hu ck Cummings
(Bul). 2. Bob Shoreen (Hon). 3. Tom Gahart
If you weren't out front at the start you just closed your eyes and gassed it.
(Hon ) .
125 NOV D I V " I I : 1. Dan D o b b in s (H on) .
2 . M i ke Stewa rt (Suz). 3 . Jerry Will iams
(Hon) .
125 AM : 1. Richard S k ith (Pen). 2 . M ike
Sh er m an (Hon) . 3. Mi ke MarQuez (HuS).
125 EX : 1. Danny C hand le r (Han). 2 . AI
Ha ll (Han). 3. E ric Harvey (Hon) .
250 NOV DIV I : 1. Jeff Goodell (Mai) . 2 .
C ra ig Be lttar i (Bul). 3 . A lan M cG ehee (Bul) .
2 5 0 NOV DIV I : 1. Fred Fu lton (Bul ). 2 .
Joe Cody (Ma i) . 3 . Ton y Gatt (Pen) .
250 AM: 1. Greg Hebard (Hus) . 2 . Randy
W ing (Bul) . 3 . Rodney Pogue (Vam).
2 5 0 EX : 1. Dan B r o w n (Bu1). 2 . Charles
Halcomb (Hus) . 3 . R ick Hawick (Bul) .
500 NOV DIV I: 1. Bob Salvatore ( H us ) . 2 .
Peter Lowis (Hus) . 3 . Dan S ullivan (Bul).
500 NOV DIV II : 1. Kent Higginbotham
(Ma l). 2 . Larry Ha ns en (Hus) . 3 . J im vtakos
Dan Chandler (No. 26) winner of the 125 Expert class
gassing it through the fin ish area.
(Bull.
500 JR: 1. B ill G r igg (Bu l). 2 . T e r ry H i c ks
(Bul) . 3 . B ob Torna ir (Bul).
500 EX : 1. D an n y L ee t (Bu l) .
If you didn't keep mov ing
the mud sucked you in.
o
.J
.J
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