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/126041
made a slip. DiStefano rocketed past and Weinert. DrStefano, Eierstedt , Danny Turner. and Steve Stackable rounded out the top five. Howerton was seventh behind Jimmy Ellis . Second mota Each moto in AMA Championship competition is a separate race with points on the line so no one withdrew, because of a bad first moto, and no one was expected to give quarter. At the one minute sign the engines were screaming in readiness when an airplane flew over and dropped coupons for free pizzas. sparkplugs, records and promotional gimmicks, The wind blew the majo ri ty of this airborn litter onto the track. With only 30 seconds to go until 40 of America's meanest machines would roar off one thousand people j umped the fence and started grovelling for the goodies in the middle of the track. The AMA was stunned. hesitated. and finally stopped the countdown. Engines were killed and as the roar of two-stro kes died the voices of complaint rose. The track was cleared. but a mood of urgency had been planted in the points hungry riders. When the gate dropped all forty riders wicked it up the hill expecting the other guy to shut off. Nobody shut off and almost everybody went down. Howerton. DiStefano, " Savits kl, Ke nny Zahrt, Warren Reid, Gary Semics and Gary Chaplin were among t he n o t ables. Amazingly t hey all got up. except for Chaplin who became 'part of the track. Amid the dust and mayhem Jimmy Weinert slipped around the high line with Gaylon Mosier in his wake. That should have been it. Weinert and Mosier took advantage of a dream holeshot and were gone. long gone. Mickey Kessler got through the mess in third with the Suzuki duo of Bob Elliot and Danny LaPorie in pursuit. As Weinert 's Kawasaki and Mosier's Maico went down the lon g straight abo ut a third of a lap away Tony D. untangled his Suzuki from the p ile-up and set off in , 21st place. Wit h in five laps he was in the top ten and the crowd sudde nly became aware' of what was happening, All arou nd t he trac k t he sound of cheers could be heard whenever To ny D, made a successful pass. On the e igh t h lap he was in fifth behind team mate Danny LaPorte, on the nin th lap he was in fourth and on the tenth lap he passed Kessler for third. With 20 minutes plus two laps to go he wa s o n ly 20 seconds behind a surprisingly tight Weinert/Mosier battle. Immed iately after passing K essler a collective sigh of 4,000 people could be heard when Tony D. left the gas wide o pen exiting a soft sweeper and ricocheted . off the ' c o u r se centerpunching atree, The impact of his . landing was felt throughout the amazed ' audience. Kessler, Rick Burgett, Billy Grossi and Danny Turner blasted past while DiStefano remounted. For three laps he cleared his head and regain ed his senses .; then he started to charge. DiStefano came back past ' Grossi. Burgett , Turner and Kessler arid locked in his draft was Tommy Croft and Steve Stackable, With DiStefano lead in g the 'way t he two Suzukis and' Honda started a move on second place. But Weinert and Mosier were safely o ut of reach for a 30 second lead , . For Jammin' Jimmy it was a great ·day as he cleanly swept to victory and into the · points lead. For Jimmy Ellis who held the lead going into the Arizona round ' it was a bad' day as physical problems slowed him in the second moto, and he dropped to fourth in the standings. For Team Suzuki, it was disappointment in no t winning, but joy in Tony D.'s amazing journey through the pac k. Fo r Arizona it was a good eventva beginning of .th e highest caliber . ' (Above) Chuck Sun (661) grabs the clutch while Arlo Eng lund and Steve Wise pursue. (Below) Mark Blackwell leads the Support class charge. Support-class The 500 Suppo rt class was a local racers' deligh t :and those local racers came from Arizona, California, Texas Nebraska· and Florida. Veteran Mark Blackwell gave the youngstersa starting lesson by leading both motos, but youth will out. and the fastest youth was Arizona's Bobby Blose whose come from behind rides had the partisan crowd cheering. Jim O'Neal ran consistently for second, with Gary Murphy and Mark Blackwell going to the wire for third. • Results ' 2 5 0: J immy Weine rt (K aw) I- I: T ony D iSte f ano (Suz) 2- 3; Steve Stackable (Suz ) 5-5: Ri c h Elerstedt (H o n) 3-7 ; Kent Howert o n " C u s) 7- 6 ; Ga ylon M o sier ( M ai ) 12-2; B ob H Ha n n ah (Yam) 8- 8; Rick B u r ge tt (Yam) 9-9 : Gary Semics (Kaw) 1 0-10 : D a n n y Turner (Yam) 4-21; Rex Staten (H O) 15-1; Wayne Boy er (CZ) 14-14; C huck Su n (Hus) 13-15; Jimmy Ellis (CA) 6-23 ; Bo b Elliot (5 uz) 20-13; S t eve Wise (Kaw) 11-27; Roger Jones (CA) 2 5·1 7; Tom Croft (Hon) 40-4; Ch uck Lampe (Mal) 22-22: Mickey Kessler (Yam) 33-12; 500 SUPPORT: Bob Blose (Hus) 2·1; J im O 'Neal (Ma l) 4-3; Gary MurPhy (!:tus) 6-2; Mark Blackwell (Suz) 3-5; Dan Farley (Hus) 1-7; Joe Ferrin i (Mai) 7·4 ; Bill Oerd ing (Ma i) 5 -6 ; Ron Junkert (Suz ) 1 0- 8 : Je ff Shaw (Hu s) 7 -9; Brad Benoy (Suz) 8-11. (ll o (ll - ;... . . " : -. ~. . o :> fo- o ... - ". ~ L":"_£-':~~~~~:=::'.:.l!!~~::::':::E~~:!:! ~ 7