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/125996
Gary Semics leads the second mota at the start with Pierre Karsmakers and Tony DiStefano running dose beh ind. At the back of the pack, Billy Grossi is having problems. Rocket Rex Staten leading the first lap of the first mota. Brad Lackey was stunning . b umped ea ch o the r co min g out of the uphill hairpin but both riders remained upright and held onto their positions, bu t Lackey ha d gained a spli t secon ds ' time. Finall y , o n the las t lap, Lackey put it all on the line and blazed past b oth Wolsink and Staten to take second be h ind DeCo ster. Th e 30,0 00 plus cro wd came apart. Furthe r ba ck , Heikki Mikkola (Hus) had been making smooth progress through the field until he came up behind Texan Kent Howerton (Hus) who p romptly scooted past Gary Semics (Ka w ) and left Mikkola behind for one lap . Mikkola was soon on the young Husk y pil ot's rear wheel again and finall y passed Howerton on lap 21. J im Weinert (Yam) go t aw ay in lith spo t o n th e first lap and slowly wo rked his way up to seventh at the end of the mo ta. Weinert said lat er th an he had no excuses an d no comp laints, but that he needs to get better starts. The "Jammer" was doing some heavy moving o n the uphill parts of th e co urse. HI went up o ne place and I came o ff an d looked down at my foot, and, I swear, I saw it tum around three times." During the in termission, which featured an air show, me cha nic s and team managers checke d over their '; mounts an d go t set fo r the second ro und. Pierre Karsmakers had h is rear shoc ks ch an ged as did Bengt Aberg (Bul ). In the Su zuki p its every thing was humming along like a well oiled ma chine as me chanics tightened spokes and did routine maintenance on the team bikes. Lackey looked co n fide nt and said so and worried only that the afternoon temperatures might become a problem. At the start of the second ro und Gary Semics pulled the holesh o t on Pierre Kars makers (Hon) an d Gerrit Wolsin k to lead th e first lap , b ut Karsmak ers was soon by Semi cs and Wolsink was right behind. Semics fell to Wolsink 's pressure an d soo n af ter dro pped back to fourth be h ind 25 0 National Champion Tony DiStefano (Suz) . Semics' problems weren't over yet as Roger DeCoster was right behin d DiSte fan o and soon after he p assed Sernics, Semics stead ily dropped back an d was finally o ut o n lap 18. Pierre Kars makers continue d to lead the race until lap seven when Wolsink passed for good and was never ap proached again. Karsmakers soon had to co n tend with DeCoster , but o n t he II th lap DeCoster p assed the signalling are a and poin ted to his rear wheel to signi fy t ha t so me th ing was wrong. Foll o wing th e mo to it was learn e d that DeC oster 's rear shocks had lost all t heir dampening. DeCoster fin ished ninth in the second moto . The second mo to leaders stayed the same, except for DeCoster dropping back steadily, from lap eight to the finish, with the only major change being th at of Mikkola who, after falling on the firs t lap , steadily picked off p lace after place until he o nce again found himself behind Texan Kent Howerton (Hus) . Mikkola stayed there from lap eight to lap 20 before he passed Howerto n to take ove r fo urth . Howerton later st ated that he was j us t gelling over the flu an d still felt a bit ro ck y . The other m ajor change occurred in seventh p lace on th e last lap wh en Billy Grossi shot past Steve Stacka ble . When Gerri t Wolsink crossed the fin ish line, with his fist raise d h igh in a victory salute, t he crowd was standing on the co urse cheering. It was t he second U.S. Grand Prix win for the popular rider and proved, once again, that flash and dash doesn't always wo rk . Results OVERALL·S OOcc INTERNATI O N AL : 1. Gerr lt Wolsl nk (Suz) . 2 . Ro ger DeCo ster (SUZ). 3. Pierre K arsm a ke r (Hon) . 4 . He ik k l M ikk o la (H us ). 5 . Ji m Weinert ( Y am ). 6. K en t Ho werto n (H us). 7. Re x Staten (CZ). 8 . To ny D IStefano (SUZ ). 9. Gaylo" M OSier (Mai ). 10 . Billy G rossi ( Suz) . 11 . Steve St a cka b~ (Ma l ). 12 . J im Wes t (Mal) . 13 . Ri ch Thorwaidson (Mai). 1 4. Pete r La m p p u tczr, 15. Ma r k Bla ckwell ( Hus ). 1. 8 OV E R A L L STANDIN GS -2 S0cc CLASS , Marty Sm ith ( H on) . 2 . T ommy Cr oft (Hon) . 3. Wa yne Bo ye r (CZ). 4. T im Hart (Yam). 5. Ron Pome ro y (Bul). 6 . G ary Wise (Kaw). 7 . Jim Turner (Ya m). 8 . B r uce McDougal (Yam). 9. M ilan (;arrett (Mon). 10. Kev in Henry (Bul) . UNOFF ICIAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS : 1. Helkk l M ikko la 131. 1. Roge r DeCoste r 1 3 1. 3 . Gerrit Wolsink 83. 4 . Ake Jonsson 75. 5 . Brad La c ke y 58 . 5 . Jaak van vennc ve o 5 8 . 7 . Be ng t Aberg 31. 8 . Ch ris H ammar gre n 28. 9 . Arne Kring 23 . 10. F ran Sigma ns 15 .