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/126062
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ; M -= ~ Kansans victorious in AMA Qualifier! " I I '. 1 I E <.0 C- By Dick Ainsworth Ol ..... LAKE KANOPOLIS STATE PARK, KAN., AUG. 8 ..... Gary Lawrence, Dennis Byrne, Chad Olin ger and Mark Kumle beat the out-o f-to wn aces on the well-prepared Kan opolis IT track ..... c<"l '" < :::l 0() . .J in this AMA Qualifing Am ateur Series event fo r TT and flat track racers. The only non-Kansans to be victorious were Illinois flyer Tim Mertens and Texan Bob Elliott. Florissant, Mo.'s Ken Kraemer jumped into a quick lead in the 100cc final bu t on lap four was passed by 1975 Expert Mini Ch amp Gary Lawrence. Dodge City's Tony Rehmert came from last place t o take second from Kraemer. 14 riders ,lined up for the 125cc final but to nobody's surprise it was KMSA No. One Dennis "Th e Burner" Byrnes taking th e lead righ t off and running away with the win . Gary Maier took second with Gary Garrison coming from last to finish third at the e nd. The 175cc final was a battle b etween "Bad Chad" Olinger and Danny Clarke with the lead changing hands four , times. Olinger shook free o n lap e ight and went on to win. Belleville, Illinois, ace Tim Mertens was gone like a ro cket in the 200 final and led the fath er-son team of Mont O . and Mont G. McAl lister a ll the way. Texan Bobby Ellio t t took the 250 lead with C.D. Martin in close pursuit. "Burner" Byrne was buried back in the p ack and threading his wa y through the . slower traffic. By lap four he was in third and for th e n ext six laps and t he en d o f the race , he and Martin would b attle back and forth for th e runner-up spot. At the end it was Martin by a b ike length. Tim Lindfors too k the 36 0 lead but by lap three Mark Kumle horsepowered by with Cliff Cr ites moving up later to tak e second. Besid es these regu lar classes, a 500cc and Open m otor supp ort class wa s held as KMSA/Kansas is reall y "big mo tor cou ntry". Tim Newby won the 500 and KMSA Vice-President, wh o rode his first motorcycle ra ce in 1946, Stan Eng dah l _ won the Op en . Rio Bravo holds GNC opener By Ji m Gianatsis HO USTON, TEX., AUG . 8 T ogether with two othe r tracks in th e state , Austin Cycl e Park and Lak e Whitn ey Cycle Park, Rio Bravo Park kicked off th eir regularly scheduled races with the openin g round of the new Grand Nati o nal Championship series. The goal is picking up enough points to race at the GNC series fin al to b e held at the Astrodome on Sunday, March 20, 1977, the day after the AMA Houston Super Series event. . . The ex a ct process has GNC members earning points at th eir local t racks to qualify them for a State Championship. The top twenty riders.in each class from . their State Championship will qualify for the National Semi-Finals at Rio Bravo on Mar ch 18 and 19 , 1977 . The top 100 riders in each class ad vanc e to the fin als held the fo llowin g day in th e Astrodome. The purpose o f th e Grand Na tio na l Championsh ip is .. . .. to give th e enthusiast th e Na tio nal recognition th ey want. " Con side ring th at over 70 percent of th e some 30 0 riders at Rio Bravo shelled o u t th e S l5 requi red to join the (A bove) Californ ian David T aylor suffere d me chanicals at Rio Bra vo t o post a fifth in 125 Expert. (Bel ow) 100 Novices go for it. GNC , it se em s th at ~ee k end riders want a goal to wo rk towards that does . provide some so rt o f glory: Whether or n ot it's deserving is questionable sin ce the AMA alrea dy has existing National programs for Amateur and Professional riders which h ave to be c onside re d the ultimate in des erving National recognition because the y're suppose to be made up of th e be st riders in th e country. The fact that th e GNC picked up such strong support at its first san ction ed event (and sanctioned it is ru les but no with memberships, insurance) shows that th e MIA is definite ly lacking in' their program s for rid ers o n the local level. National Ho pe full y the Gr and Championship ser ies won 't cloud eve n more, t he alread y co n fusing si tuat io n of mo to cr oss in America th at has so far preven ted an exciting sport fro m attaining the reco gn itio n it d eser ves. • Resul ts in Res ults Section. ·1 5