Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

AMA Supercross Series - Round two Hannah's dirty dozenth By Charles Morey DAYTONA BEACH , FL , MAR . 12 "It's OK if he.wins his lIth one." Tony DiStefano remarked as the Daytona International Speedway announcer explained how Team Yamaha's 20 year-old wizard 'Bob Hannah might bringhis early season tota l to 12 con- >: counts ." the 250cc National sec utive mow wins - and no Champion added with a grin. losses. " It's the 12th one that In the 1977 AMA Supercross format 10 where traditional motocross scoring is set aside in favor of the faster moving elimination heat system. "H u rr ica ne" Hanna h's l Lt h victory his qualifying moto - was worth nothing in prize money or ad value (except to keep his winning streak unbroken) . The win served only to qualify him for the final moto. That's where the money was. That's where Yamaha Motor Co rporat ion , USA would p rove its investment in the young Ca liforn ian to be a worthwhil e ven tu re . And th a t's where th e H urrica ne would b low to yet a nother overall victory on his Keith McCa rty·t u ned p ro d uctio n model YZ250D Yama ha motocross machine . But it wouldn' t come easily , " I t hought today was go ing to be the da y." George Ellis consoled his son when it had ended. J im had taken a fair start (fifth at the end of lap one) a nd worked it int o a seemi ngly solid lead in th e firs t four laps of th e 12 lap fina l moto . Then he dropped sudden ly from the front to a spot ba rely within t he top ten . "Front brake cable caught," J im responded to the question , "it hooked ove r the fork top at the jump nea r the finish line. " When the Can-Am's forks co mpressed , the cable looped over a tube , and when the forks extended again, the from brake locked up . Determ ined , the Connecticut rider renewed his forceful charge a nd was able to blast back up to take second place by the end of the short moto. Ossa's Marty Moates had been another serious challenger, hounding holeshot artist. Team Bu lta co's Kenn y Zahrt, in the early laps. Then on the third time around. Moates was forced out with a dislocated sho ulder. And he had n't crashed! Pull ing alongside in an effo rt to pass Za hrt over a jump, Moates got th e a lmost over Ossa straight up backwards - in mida ir. When it h it, th e fro nt end snapped do wn viole nt ly. inj uri ng h is lef t shoulder. "It pulled out of the socket," Marty said, rubbi ng the shoulder. " But I pu t it back in ." he added m a rrer -of-fa ctl y. His forced retirement cost Team Ossa all hopes of a good Daytona showi ng, with teammate Greg Robertson out with the flu . Equipo Bultaco experienced mixed results. While early leader Ken ny Zahrt gave up only two spots - to Hanna h and Ellis - for a ha rd -ea rned third place overall. his teammates weren 't as fortunate. Ignition p rob lems kept Rich Eierstedt out of the running while gearbox difficulties ("something in the transmission - a selector pa rt " ) sidelined W ayne Boyer. "One of these days you're goi ng to come over to say Congra tul a tions !" instead of 'W hat happe ned ?' " Bevo Fo rt e, tuner of Joh n Savitski's FMF Suzuki shook his head. J ohn. as he's done so often before, got a decent start (t hird) bu t this tim e his bid for a fro nt ro w fini shing place ended when he "laid it down" in Gary Ba iley's token mu dhole o n the co urse , a t ig ht leftha nder. Kaw asak i's Terry C lark overcame vision problems (" I got roosted co u ldn't see after th e sevent h lapl") a nd a bout with the flu to score fifth p lace. " I didn't re all y fee l li ke cha rging bec ause I've had the flu all week," he said des pite p utti ng on a hard ride. Add to those prob lems on e good hard get -off where the course crosses the paved road race stagi ng a rea. and fifth seems like a rem arka ble placing. • Teammate Gary Sem ics, who had led most of last week's Mr . PIBB Superbowl of Motocross at Atl anta Stadium before his chain broke. had nothing but a hard time at Daytona . Bogging the motor off the line, Ga ry was back around 30th on the opening lap. Hard riding on the tight track brought him up to 12th by the end of the short event. Holding u p Team H usqvarna's honor. 500cc National Cha mpio n Kent Howerton staged an unbelievab le co me -from -be hi nd run u p to fourth place. " I got off t he line slow, then went to the ou tside because I figured everyone else would go for th e inside . Bu t I was wro ng and go t forced out over th e co rner of a jump (a no ther sec tion of track ). T he n, somebody kn ocked a haybale into th e track a nd I hit that ," Kent explai ned. He was in 23 rd place at th e end of lap one. tenth a t th e hal fway ma rk, and fina lly fourth . Team Suzuki 's best placing went to Danny LaPort e who rode to a stea dy seventh place. Jeff Jen ni ngs left the

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