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/126303
Ron Pierce (971gave Hansford a fight ran out of gas two laps from the end. Australian Gregg Hansford won the International Ughtweight event. Randv Mamola (261pulled a last lap pass on Anton Mang for second. oJ l International Lightweight I Hanslord halts Yamaha dominat-ion By Gary Van Voorhis DAYTONA BEACH , FL. MAR . II In one of the best International Lightweight events in recent years, Australian Gregg Hansford put Kawasaki in the winner's circle to end a I3-year domination of the event by Yamaha. Hansford was followed to victory by American Randy Mamola . h AM f W G ' W it n to.n a~g 0 est . e rm any ta king third. Amencans Ted Herner and Jo hn Long filled out the top five places, However, the listing on the tally sheets does not convey the true excitement of the race which had three separate battles raging during the entire event for the top six spots. 8 --_... . . .. ... ~. N?tably ~bsent from the action were previous winners Ken ny Ro berts and Steve Baker who chose not to ride . Bu t the racing without the two superstars did not suffer. In fact , it gave the rest of th'e field a chance to show wbat they could do . Hansford , aboard a Neville Doyleprepared Team Kawasaki Australiasponsored mount , waged a momentous duel with Ron Pierce. aboard a Yamaha tuned and - ~ sponsored by Bob Wor k which had bee n ridden to victory in this race by Steve Baker last year. Pierce saw his chance of victory come to a halt when he ran out of gas with two laps remaining. With Pierce out, the battle for second fell to Mamola , on an Erv Kanernoto-prepared , Jim Doyle sponsored Yamaha, and Anton Mang, riding for Ka wasaki of West Germany . Mamola swooped Mang at the flag by two bikelengths. If that wasn 't eno ugh excitement, Ted Herner a nd John Long carried the batt le for fourt h right to the finish line, and it took the service of the finish line camera to decide th e winner . Herner, aboard his City of Savannah-sponsored Yamaha tuned by John Guest came out on top in the photos by a mere four inches over rI. nr OJ ')~ H 11 , Long's Longevity-sponsored and sci ~ prepared Yamaha . H a nsford left little doubt of his intent at the start of the race as he sped away, leaving heat race winners Pie rce and Mamola to play catch up.) Gary Nixon made his move early an!! , overhau led Hansford before theA pair exited the infield onto t!if. banking. Ni xon led through the chicane, but just as quickly began t? slow with the engine seizing in th.c;l infield horseshoe tu rn d uri ng t~!; l second lap. m "Hell, I was luc ky that t here was no one around me when it tied up " commented a disgusted Nixon . "That was the fifth time that has happened with the 250cc bike and makes a total of 10 sc;!zures on my bike since I gOI' here. ,Pierce quickly recovered from his