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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126073
On the Green scene a bearded Jammin' Jimmy was
quoted in the L.A. Times as saying that he was going
to go after DeCoster and beat him. Between Semics
and Weinert they almost did. but it would have
required Weinert to hold Roger off while Semics tried
to win the last moto. Neither one succeeded, but they
gave it all they had. KTM factory rider Pat Richter
gave it all he had in practice when he went down with
Gary Ogden and had to retire for the day with a thigh
injury.
First privateer for the day was Mickey Boone, the
notorious bike claimer. who finished 13th. His RM
.-Suzuki was fitted with works forks. They were a
present from Suzuki for failing to claim one of the
factory bikes. Firs] Japanese rider was Akira
Watanabe in 14th and first Italian (discounting Tony
DiStefano) was Alberto Angiolini in 12th .
In Support class action Team Suzuki's Danny
La Porte turned in two superb races to take the overall
away from Honda privateer Warren Reid and Suzuki
teammate Jeff Jennings ; The Support class was. a
knock-down drag-out affair all day with Reid winning
the first moto and then suffering a bad start in the
second . La Porte won the second rnoto to go 2·1 for the
win. Jennings was 8·2 and had several intense dices
with Jeff Vidic, John Savitski, Reid and La Porte,
First mota - Suzuk i, Husky an d Kawa
get to lead
..
(A bov e) Gary Sem ics and Tony D lead the 500 International class. (Below) Don't look now Jimmy,
but laPorte is coming.
'
The gate dropped at one p .m. with Billy "The
Bear" Grossi taking the honors down Banzai Hill and
looking like the "Sugar Bear" of old. Grossi opened up
to a rapid lead of over ten seconds. which he held for
S"X laps before throwing it away on a back section, just
· like the "Sugar Bear" : of old. Lackey and Weinert
steamed on by to' engage in a battle of former national.
number ones. Weinert was putting the pressure on
Lackey, but he had little choice since Roger DeCoste.r
had worked up from a sixth place start to begin
dogging the Kawasaki's rear fender. Lackey was about
to succumb when Weinert joined Grossi on the
ground. At the halfway mark it was Lackey , DeCoster,
Sernics , Mosier, Wolsink, Grossi, Weinert and
Howerton .
DeCoster" dispatched Lackey ' with a smooth inside
move and that was the story up front. Gassin' Gaylon
Mosier continued a long, hard drive on Bad Brad, but
it ended up short at the checkers. Semics had fallen
back behind Mosier, but was safely ahead o.f Wolsink
who had his hands full of a hard charging Kent
Howerton . Howerton slingshot the final corner, but
missed nipping Cerrit by two feet for fifth .
Karsmakers blew a hole right through his cases
when his transmission . gave out. : Marty Smith
circulated slowly for most of the moto, "It runs good
for about a lap and then all the power goes away. It
has -been·this way the whole series," said Marty while
Dave Arnold rebult the top-end between motos.
Hannah's shock had gone flat, DiStefano couldn't "get
my rhythm going." DeCoster" Lackey and Mosier were
all smiles. Weinert had finished seventh after his
miscue and knew the only way to save the day now was
to go out and win,
Second mota - winning t hrou g h
intimidation
. up and over Saddleback's sixth gear starting hill it
was Gary Semics pulling another holeshot, at the top
of the hill Tony D jammed it under him. but coming
down the airborne Banzai Hill Semics was back in
charge followed by DiStefano, Weinert , Karsrnakers,
Howerton, DeCoster, Lackey and Gary Ogden, The
first shock was that Ogden passed Lackey on the first
round, but it was a short-lived move.
Gary Semics led for 16 laps and during his reign he
' built up a lead that -took him totally out of the sight of
. his pursuers. With six laps left in the race Semics
began to slow and the man who -Inherited the lead
from Semics was Roger DeCoster. For 40 minutes the
· R .D. had followed and' passed Howerton (who
crashed), Karsmakers, Weinert, and DiStefano.
Weinert was the next person past Semics, who
dropped back to 11th with tire trouble. The race now
was Weinert and DeCoster. hey were a hairbreath
apart until the two lap sign when DeCoster kicked his
Suzuki into overdrive and disappeared. Weinert was
second, Pierre Karsmakers third , Lackey fourth,
· Marty Smith fifth , Tony D sixth. Bob Hannah seventh
and Gaylon Mosier eighth. It was Ro ger's fifth win in
•
seven races and by far his most convincing.
Results
.
. 1. Rog er DeCos' er I -I ISul. 2. Brad Lacl