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/126042
Spanish 250 GP One race doesn't make a season, but. •• By John Huetter SA BAD ELL-T ARASA, SPA IN, AP RIL 4 With two fierce come-from-behind rides, Finn Heikki Mikkola gave substance to the _ previously skeletal threat he posed to the 250cc World Championship . His 1-1 finishes for th e maximum 30 GP points carne at the expense of Swede Th orli ef Hansen (Kaw), the las t Japan ese -sp onsored rider in the 25 0cc cha mp ionship GPs. Jim Pomer o y finished th ird overall. _ Thorlief lI an sen had commcnted ov er pre-race coffee th at he had a fast bike . In de ed, th e wo rks 250 Kawasa ki [wi th a - green nine-lit er fu el tan k odd ly rem in isce nt of a 903cc Z- I ) looked imp ressive . He d emonst rate d its -cap abili ties alo ng with h is own by blasting in to th e first tum in third, behind lI ans Maisch (Mai) and Jim Pomero y (Bul) and o u t of t he first lap in firs t posit io n . Pomeroy had go tt en an excellen t sta rt on a Bult aco finish ed on ly the night before. He believed it migh t be under-powered. It was d efinit el y t he heav iest factory bike. Mikkol a had arrive d a t the first hairpin sligh tly back in fourth p lace but pas sed Jim o n th e firs t lap to m ov e into third. Two lap s later, Heikki had passed Maisch a nd Hakan Ander sson, on a largely unproven Montesa , had mo ved up behind Jim. Thorlief, me anwhile, was s tretc h ing out a lead at a pace th at seemed uncat ch able, His bike absolutely flew , gra b bing traction two or th ree tim es on th e ste ep, bumpy uphills and flyin g alm os t into the next corn er from every jump - thumping down o n the fro nt wheel mo st o f th e tim e. Han s Maisch passed Heikki back o ne lap lat er . Har ry Everts (Due ), rei gnin g Wo rld Champion, sta rte d mo vin g up fro m a p oor start. Dan iel Pean (Mai), t he mo st co mpe ti tive Frenchman in GPs , m oved up behind Pomero y and An ders son wh ile Gunnad y Mo isseer scrapped ove r sev enth wi t h Vlad imir Kavinov, th e n ew member o f t he 25 0cc KTM team (an d so methi ng o f a So vie t myst ery to many riders an d GP follo we rs). The ga p between the fir st five of II a nsen- 1\laisc h - Mi k ko la- Po m e roy Andersson gre w as th e rest of the 42 starters began ge tt ing lapped . Jim wa s doing a good job of holding off Hak an eve n as Moi sseev starte d dropping back. Mikkola u sed an inside line to re-p ass Maisch and Pomeroy sta rted to close on the German. Hans was one o f the many "pilotes" wh o had miss ed most of his (Continued on page 30) TIIY USBD TO SIOOT ·B1S01••• Re membe r the bison? They were killed in great numbe rs on the plains. Pretty soon there weren 't many bison left. Now if bison had had any brains at all. they would have organ ized. They would have gotten someone to represent them who would have see n that laws we re passed which ins ured their survival. And· we would have so me bison a round today. The motorcycle industry is sma rter' From a ll areas of the industry people have given their support to us and we have become a st rong voice for them. In a world wo rried about pollution, concerned about the ~- - - - - - ---- - I energy cr isis. we make sure I I that the ind ustry gets a fair break From federal, state and local legislato rs - as well as the public in general. We 're the Motorcycle Industry Council. We're strong. but to grow stronger we need you. I Motorcyc le Industry Council. Inc. Dept.C 1001 ~on nect jcul Avenue. N.W. WashIngton. D. C. 20006 Please send me the membe rshi p package. I I ...... Irs a matter o f surviv al! I I Send fo r the MIC membership package today. company 1 - .... I Mfc:1 I ew I ..... ' .. Heikki , the wo lf, chewed up the wide open Spanish GP. Ie. Agajanian presents Half Mile Night Races AMA National Numbers Experts Juniors Novices . Every. Frida Night 8 ~ , Fnday, Apnl 23 . See Alex Jorgensen Gene Romero & many others f or . f 0 In 2 13 - 321 -1100 213-323-1142 FREE parking for motorcycles 18300 S. Vermont, Gardena, California " • •Ijunction Harbor & San Diego Freeways) _ _. . THE FINEST IN COMPETITION DIRT BIKE RIMS Mike Patrick 's YAMAHA af CORONA r , 1101 E. 6t h Street, Corona, CA (714) 735-7721 ' ~I • FROM YOUR HI-POINT DEALER 11