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/126008
James Martin (43) momentarily leads Mike McGowan (31) who had some brilliant come-from-behind rides until he found a rag in his airbox. Pacific region qualifiers windup By Jerry Mathe! PUYALLUP, WASH., SEPT. 14 This was the last chance for west coast. Amateur motocross riders to qualify for the AMA Championships next month, and everyone had one single thought, win. Only 15 riders in each division make it to the finals. The 125 division was without a 26 doubt the class of the day. The Open bikes were cutting lap times of 1:47 and the 125s were clocking in at I :43 on the tight, twisty Puyallup track. The combination of John Tessitore , Yamaha YZ and Ward Ring at the wrenches, proved to be unbeatable as they not only won the class for the day but also came out with high points for the series. Tessitore's win was by no means a runaway however, as thewin in the first moto went to Honda-mounted Ed Davis and the second to Gary Potts (Suz). John 's win in the third moto plus a second and a third scored him the class win. The most exciting rider in the 125 class had to be Yamaha factory rider, Danny "Magoo" Chandler. Magoo came out of the gate poorly but soon began gobbling up the pack wherever he came across them as he worked his way up to second place in the first moto, At the 20 minute signal the white flag came out and Magoo made a charge for first but in a bumpy back sandwash took a DNF as his rear wheel disintegrated. A spectator offered the loan of a wheel and as they worked to put it on, the second moto went off without the tiny red-haired rider on the line. The third moto, on his borrowed wheel, Magoo charged up from the back of the pack to third but got carried away as he tried to pass Potts for second, dropped it, and recovered to take a fifth. Mike McGowan (BuI) certainly found Puyallup to his liking as he threaded his way from well back in the pack, to pick up wins in both the first and second 25l1cc motos. When the gate dropped on the third moto, Mike's bike didn't seem to have its usual punch and by the end of the first lap was loading up badly. The second lap saw the Bul lay down and die as a very upset McGowan discovered a rag had been left in his air box. Meanwhile, dark horse Dave :M ~ pri.~,J·~ ~.b o ~ ~,~ .• n.qt.....tiel'te".. ~well Do y ou suppose first Open mota winner Kris Morgan is doing this on purpose? Gary (26) Potts leads 125cc overall winner Tessitore in the second mota. previously , had grabbed the lead which he never gave away despite the pressures of Todd Snyder (C·A) and Ken Archibald (Yam), The fight for these qualifying points was super serious business for these riders. TIm Sarian dropped his Husky ir the first 250cc moto and came up with a badly bruised arm which would h ave , without a doubt, put the average horse out of the running. Th e second moto :1:"tm. c!r~l_e? ~e ~:~ ~ ~i?~ _ ~t~ . ~~e arm till he had completed the required laps to be scored a finisher. By the third moto, "arm be damned" Tim wicked it up and finished with a fifth but unfortunately not good enough to give him his qualifying points. The firs t Open moto went to Bultaco-rnounted Kris Morgan, with the second and third belonging to Ken Frost on his Suzuki. The class win , however, went to Husky-mounted Gerald Howell who . finished , with . a _secon d and .two . . . . _- . .!: ~ . - .. . . - o; ~ ~'" thirds. Gene Tom and his Maico were also to be reckoned with in this class as there never was a time that he was out of the hunt. . For those of us who have been around a few years, there was no mistaking the rider in the "convict's shirt." John Rice 's striped jersey has long been his trademark and despite more gray hair than I remember John having, he still put his Yamaha into the . .• qualifying points. . .. . . . . , .. , ~ " I • 1 • • ~" . "I.. ~ • • \. ~ 1 " • 1 r- • !- 1- I