Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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einer uner There's no place like 'Dome Saturday. (He was disqualified for receiving outside assistance following a crash over the cross-over jump.] Pickard picked off fourth ove dul for the two nights work. By Jody Weisel ass Friday 250 super session HOUSTON. TEX.• MAR. 12-13 Like the "Thrilla from Manila" or -the first Ali-Frazier rematch, two earth-shakers Tony Difitefano and Jimmy Weinert were the main event in the second round of the five-race AMA Supercross Series. With a two night Houston crowd in excess of 50,000 cheering each flurry of action; J ammin ' Jimmy too k the win on a ' split decision. The Astrodome motocross track was a tight and twisty one minute serpen tine that offered few passing opportunities to the timid. The least timid of the 30 National stars, Weinert and DiStefano, came out "smokin and they weren 't jokin'." The $20,000' purse would go to the two-wheeled pugilist who could poke, prod and spar his machine fast est around the indoor dirt ring. For Jammin ' Jimmy Weinert and his Kawasaki three holeshcts ' out of the four motos (paired with a c ouple TKOs to his opponents) was the key to success as he went 7-1-1-2. The unique four moto program was divided into two motos on Friday night and two motos on Saturday . Weinert's t -win breaks the Tony D. hammerlock on first place that had extended to eight out of the last ten races. Texan Kent Howerton took a solid second place by running behind the strife and turmoil up front to go 2-3-3-5. In the 500 Support class Rich' Eierstedt wan ted to . prove he belonged in the National class and did so by proving he didn't - belong in the Support class. Eierstedt took his factory RC Honda through, around and under the pack to win three of the four motos convincingly. Gary Chaplin made up enough ground with come-from-behind pushes to secure second overall while an inconsistent Arkansas farm boy, Tony Wynn, came back from a poor Friday night showing to win the third moto wire to wire and garner a third overall. Texans Keith Duffy and .Bobby Pickard showed flashes of brilliance during the two nights. Duffy from Houston ran way up front in all four motos bu t tired out Friday night and crashed out on Weinert held his line and the win. Howerton was third, Hannah fourth and Semics fifth. ' Saturday under the Dome 30,000 people filed into the world's largest Therrnador as word spread through the local papers and shops about the resumption of battle. The drop of the gate and Jammin' Jimmy's holeshot brought the crowd to its feet. Weinert put his head down and pulled away to win without pressure. Jimmy Ellis moved up past Don Kudalski and closed ground, but it was too little. Ellis crashed and DNF'ed the second Friday moto, but points were being paid by. moto for the overall series payoff. Kent Howerton again ran a clean, steady third to set up the final moto as a Wernert-Howerton showdown. Tony D. thought he jumped the gate, slowed for a restart, got going again, crashed three times and spent some time picking haybales off his body. The big D finished 14th. Marty Smith. on a new model works bike. finally got unrailed to finish fourth. The best he could do all weekend. Bob Hannah took his Bill Boteka-tuned Yamaha ' to fifth ' with Mike Runyard sixth. The tension on the line was short-circuiting the two million dollar electronic scoreboard as Weinert (7-1-1) and Howerton (2-3-3) consciously avoided looking at each other. Hannah (54-5). Stackable (3-7-8) and DiStefano (1-2-14) all had a shot at third. Jimmy Weinert took his third straight holeshot with DiStefano wearing his knobbies. down in pursuit. Howerton over-braked going into the first comer and Runyard went down with Bob Hannah landing under Jimmy Ellis ' front wheel. For half the mota it was Weinert and DiStefano several interlocking turns ahead of the pack. Tony D. got a wheel under coming into the right hander over the cross-over jump. Side by side the Suzuki and Kawasaki took a left. right and a jump with Tony D. securing the lead. The Jammer gave chase , but didn't need to beat Tony to win. Meanwhile, Stackable and Steve Wise were welded together in third and fourth with Kent Howerton moving into fifth at the end in an all-Texas effort. An ecstatic Jimmy Weinert collected champagne. wreath. trophy and a giant chunk of the $20,000. Kent Howerton took a disappointed second place with double moto winner Tony D. in third, Stackable fourth and Bob Hannah fifth. For Team Kawasaki it was the first win in a long time. For Team Suzuki it was the first loss in a long time. Team Honda's new bikes were a long time coming, but not right tonight. For Team Can-Am it was a long weekend. Team Yamaha looks like it will have a winner in the long run. and for the moto-fans it's going to be a helluva season. • When the $700 worth of electricity that it takes to tum the Astrodome lights on for an evening had been spent, Tony D. (1-2) and Kent Howerton (2-3) •shined on. The constant turn-gassit-turn layout of the Harold Murrell prepped course demanded aggressive bump and run tactics. No one. passed without touching the other guy and heated duels looked like mechanical boxing demos. Suzuki's Tony D. .and Steve Stackable led the first moto to the flag. but Husky's Kent Howerton. with a briUiant dive-and-drive move in the last ' corner, / actually flew past Stackable in the air as . they crossed the checkerboard nylon. Jimmy Ellis (CA) took fourth after leading early and going down in the hairpin. Promising Yamaha rider Bob Hannah was a strong fifth. Weinert was back in seventh after having been as high as fourth early in the moto, The second go was motocross at its finest as three national champions probed and prodded every conceivable line on what many called a "one line track." For 19 minutes out of the 20 minute moto Weinert led with Marty Smi th charging under him in every corner while Tony D. constantly pulled in next to both of them. Smith 's tranny blew with two laps to go and the stage was set for a repeat of famous past Tony D.-Jimmy Weinert clashes. DiStefano tried to dive under; when that didn't work he tried to slingshot; then he tried to out-jump Jammin '; but Tight-i:Oiled Astrgtrack favored fast startIIn and heavy bumpen, like Ellis and Big 0 in this scratch (below) . Opposite page, a berm's eye view of the Jammer. Inset, Rich Eientedt had a point to prove; '-'-2-'. ! Results 250 FEATURE : 1 . Jimmy Weinert 7 -1 -1-2 (Kaw) . 2. Kent Howerton 2·3·3·5 (HuS). 3. Tony DIStefano 1·2·14·1 (Suz). 5. - Bob Hannah 5·4·5·7 (Yam) •. 6 . Marty Tripes 11 -6-9·10 CBuII. 7. Gaylon Mosler 6-15-11 -8 (Mal) . 8 . Pierre Karsmakers 8·8-10·16 (Hon) . 9. Martr Smith 10-23-4-9 (Han). 10. Terry Clark 6-11 -15-.6 (Hus) . 11. Gary Wise 9-23-13-4 (Kaw) . 12. Gary Semlcs 12·5·22-12 lKaw) . 13. Jim Ellis 4·23-2-23 (C-A). 14. Mike Runyard 14·13~·23 iC-AI. 15. Mike Kessler 21·9·17-15 (Yam). 18·12·19·14 (Kaw). 17. 15-18-23·11 22-14-18·23 13-16-16·23 . (Kaw) . (Bul). (Hon). 18. 19. 6. Doug Raines Arlo Englund 20. John Savltskl Tommy Croft Jim Turner 17-17-20·17 (5Ull. O P E N (5UPPORTI, 1. Rich Elerstedt 1-1-2-1 (Han). 2. Gary cna oun 7·2-3·2 (5ul). 3. Tony Wy nn 6·4.1-3 Pickard 4-3-8·10 (Pen), (Suz ). 4. BObb y 5. Wayne Boyer 11-11-4·4 (CZ). 6. Trey Jorskl 5 -6-5·15 (Kaw). 7. Bob Harris 3-9·19·11 (CZ). 8 . Ricky Kidd 12-5-12-14 \HUS) . 9. Dewitt Kn ox 14·15·11·5 13-8·10-16 6 (Vam. 10. Danny Weir (But) . 11. Mike Mc intosh 17-14·14-6 (5ull. 12. Mike Jones 25-13-7·7 (Kawl. 13. John Ayers 9-30-9-12 (Mal). 14. Chris Dublin 18-10-12·13 (Mal). 15. Barry D u n ca n 16-20-13-17 (Vaml . 16. Keith Duffy 2-7-30-30 (SUl) . 17. Bill Green 8-16-18-30 (Bul). 18. t>at Richter 30-3lHi-8 (KTM). 19. Tracy · Knlghtton 20-30-17·9 (Sull. 20. Stephen FlOyd 21·21-15-19 (Bul).