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/126293
Jeff Vidic ISOI and Steve Stackable 1911 lead a wild pack of 500 Pros down the new Saddleback start hili. redesigned for the CMC - - . Eventual winner Rex Statan 1941. Goat Breker IBY). Darrell Shultz 1331 and Donnie Hansen 1101 give chase. CMC/Suzuki Golden State Series - Round one Myerscough, Mosier and Staten score at Saddleback By Brian George ORANGE, CA .JAN. 8 What do you call a Saddleback Park event that hosts motocross enthusiasts from all over the U.S., holds 28 races and offers several thousand dollars in prize money and contingencies? The 10 Continental Mote-sport Club (CMC) called it the opening . rou~d of the Suzuki Golden State Series, a complete day long pro· gram of Pro and Sportsman action. Two or.more elimination motos had to be run I~ each Pro class followed by a Consolation race before a final moto was run for the money. R&D Suzuki's Brian Myerscough came out on top of the 125cc segment of the Pro program . Team Kawasaki's Gaylon Mosier topped the 250cc event following a long battle with teammate Jimmy Weinert. And Bassett Racing Products-sponsored Rex Staten, riding a Yamaha , topped the 500cc class. Most noticeable in the pits was the "full factory" effort of Team Kawasaki. Oddly enough , U.S. Suzuki Motor Corporation, the main series sponsors, did not field a factory backed effort. 125ce Pro Three elimination motes were a must to get the bumble bees sorted out. The top eight riders from each heat race and the top eight from the Consolation transferred to the crowded lineup for their share of the $3.000 purse. The first qualifier was dominated by Radical Ron Turner. but Brian Myerscough never left him any breathing room . Team Honda 's Warren Reid took honors for the second race . and in th e third division, Kawasaki put their water-cooled 125cc machine under Gassin' Gaylon Mosier for a winning performance . Mike Brown rode the wheels off his machine to c a pt u re the top Consolation transfer spot with Cliff Lett in second. As darkness closed in on the radically-rebuilt track at Saddleback, 32 Pros went flying up the start hill and into the cut-off first tum. Jeff Ward took th e lead , and Brian Myerscough came down in second when the most spectacular crash of the day erupted right behind. Warren Reid tangled with another rider as they fought for position off the hill. When the rider went sideways, Ron Turner was left with nowhere to go but into the tangle. Turner and his Suzuki went end over end, finally getting off the track after becoming traction for five other riders. Myerscough. in the meantime. had taken command of the lead which he would never relinquish . Danny Turner came ou t from in the midst of the first turn action to grab second awa y from Ward on th e very last lap. Reid worked his way in to fifth behind Gary Dirks . As th e c hec ke rs new Myersc ough grabbed th e 300 first place money with a comfortable distance on Turner. Aft er the ra ce Ron Turner was taken home, where he sta ted he felt "bett er. " but was heading for th e hospital Monda y mo rni ng. 250ee Pro In capturing the first of three qualifiers to separate th e deuce-and -ahalfs, Jammin' Jimmy We inert came from a dead-last start to pass Radical Ron Turner. Rex Staten and Marty Moates. Dennis Brand brought his Maico into the to spot of the second race with Jim Gibson and Steve Bauer goin' for second. Gibson put his Bassett Yamaha ahead of the DG Yamaha' of Bauer. Gassin' Gaylon Mosier kept the Kawasaki banner flyin high as he rode away with the third qualifying rnoto . Darrell Shultz brought up the show spot with his Maico. Bob Elliott came back from a crash in his qualifier to take the Consolation ahead of Andy Kirker and Arden Hadley. Dave "W orks" Miller also overcame a qualifying crash to transfer by way of the Consy. Showing the last green banner before going to Japan for testing was Team Kawasaki. Jimmy Weinert grabbed the holeshot over Milan Garrett and Ron Pomeroy. and Gaylon Mosier came out in fifth before another big pile up erupted in the first tum . Turner slid out at the top of the hill while a Ifl-rider crash cluttered the Webco sweeper. Also getting caught in that mess was Rocket Rex Staten. Mosier made his presence known on the second lap when he quickly and quietly rode right behind Weinert. Looking like a Kawasaki PR race, Mosier and Weinert went bar to bar for three laps until Mosier held his KX wide open and bounced around the Jammer. Staten was doing his own gassin' back in the pack as he began picking off riders every la p until he grabbed third away from Garrett. Marty Moates. who ran second off the line, soured the engine of his Husky, dropping way back. Steve Bauer pulled off on the third lap with