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/126308
Phoenix, Arizona's Chappy Blose leads an unidentified competitor at Sprockets. Blose went 1·1 to win the 125cc Pro class. Kenny Zahrt is chased by eventual 250cc Pro winner Tracy Oswell. In a topsy·turvy event, Oswell's 5-2 card w~s good for first. Blose, Oswell, Shultz top By Lee Taylor BAKERSFIELD , CA , APR. 16 A beer-thirsty, race-hungry Bakersfield wel- , corned the American Motocross Enterprises Coors Trans-AME with open arms. Despite heavy competition from Southland tracks , Sprockets Pa rk d rew some of California's m ost exciting Pros. With the track in primo condition, challenge was the na m e of the ga me . 22 Chappy Blose , in from Phoen ix , AZ, too k the top money in the 125cc Pros on a Suzuki. Tracy Oswell of Canyon Co untry, CA , also Suzuki mounted , won the overall in the 250cc Pros and Darrell Shultz of O ra ngevale , CA, too k co ntrol of the 500cc Pros on a Maico. In addition to the total $3,000 purse, Bosch and Elec t ro added contingency money . Mike Brown (R&D Raci ng Suz) started things rolling in the 125cc Pros in the first qualifier by battling his way into the lead over John Oswald and Tim Locey . Mark Lawrence was keeping the heat on in fourth . By the end of the q ualifier, Bro wn emerged the winner . The top five 'rid ers transferred to the mai n. The second 125cc Pro qua lifier got off to a rocky start with a huge pile -up of riders landing over Can -Am Hill. Cliff Lett emerged out of chaos and took over. T im Worth swung into the lead by the end, wit h a ba tt le for third going down between J im Holl ey and John O'Mara , Worth held his lead to the end. Coming back for th e con sol at ion mota , David Lynch and Bob by J ones batt led side -by-sid e until J on es slipped on by. Don Draz moved int o second and heav y di cing went down between Jones and Draz . By the end of th e heat Jones was back in command with Draz ru nning seco nd and Lynch in third. When they met on the line for the main, Jones started off th e action with Mike Bro wn in second. Brown a lmost went down but made a beautiful recovery and he ld his ·position . With Mark La wrence in third the heat was on and all three were right on top of each other. Brown, crossing in mid air, passed Jones but finally had to relinquish his lead to Chappy Blose (Halls Precision Wo rks Suz) . With Tim Worth on his heels, Brown was flying and m a int a ined second at the end of the mota with Blose holding onto the lead. The second mota once more proved to be a Brown /Jones batt le at t he start with Brown again making a m id -a ir pass at J ones for second . One of the most spectacular rides of the day had to belong to Tim Locey (DG Suz ). Surrounded by Mark Law rence , Blose and J ones, Locey had a fight on his hands. Not on ly did he stay in th e center of the action he was making tracks and moving into third . held his position to th e end of th e moto with Blose, the leader and Brown in second . W hen the winni ng checkered flag came out Blose took home th e lion 's share of th e $1 ,000 with second overa ll going to Brown and third to Locey. One of the fin est ra ces of the d ay had to be th e 250c c Pros . Their first qualifier found Jeff Vidi c (C ole Brothers Ma i) battling against Tim L oc ey and Mike Br own . Brow n Tra~s·AME worked his wayan into the lea d wit h Vidic a nd Locey right on his tail. Bro wn held firm and carried his lead to the end of th e mo to. T he second q ual ifier found Kenny Za hrt ( Bo m ba rdier C ·A ) in full control. Tracy Oswell hold ing down second and a heavy battle for third between Gary De n to n and Sco tt Gillma n (Orange Co . Cycle Ya m) . By the end of the heat Zahrt was still in the lead and transferred to the ma in with Oswell, Den ton a nd Gillman . T he 250cc Pro consolation heat brought a ' battle between Mitch Musgrave . Sherma n Schneller and David Williams tha t carried these ride rs three abreast through mos t of the heat. Musgrave emerged their lea der with Schneller taking second and third going to Williams. Gathering on the line for th e main , Denton grabbed the ho leshot with a huge pack of racers on his ta il. Zah rt held seco nd p lace with Gi ll man running third and Brown in fourth. The pack was unbelivably tight with three and fou r -abreast racing the rule. Darrell Shultz and Denton settled into a duel for fourth as Brown too k over , bringi ng with hi m Za hrt who was just barely holdi ng off Dent on . Zahrt went down and Shu ltz moved into second , closing on Brown . Coming in for th e checkered flag Brown held firm. Sh ultz had problems shortly before the finish and d ropped to 18t h. De nton and Gi llman battled right down to th e wire with Gillman holding ' a narrow lead in secon d . Bobby Kline and Oswell rounded out the top five. The second time off the line Locey was t he re a nd grabbed th e holeshot over Vidic and Denton. Denton moved by Vid ic as Oswell , making tracks. was closing on Shultz. Bob Klin e was ca ug ht in the middle and busting loose . Denton , closing fas t on Locey, mov ed into the lead. Shu ltz a lso closing. ed ged out Locey a nd went to work on Denton . Battling side by sid e. Shultz pulled a head a nd Locey waged a despera te fig ht against Oswell in third . Denton went down but regained control in time to hold his position only to later be force d ou t of the ra ce wi th the inside te e t h of his co u nters h aft sp roc ke t stri p ped. Oswell , sti ll flying , took over seco nd a nd set out afte r Shultz. Locey, ho lding his grou nd . st ayed up in third and the b attle fo r supremacy co ntinued down to the wire with Sh ultz ta king the mota win, Oswe ll finish ing second and Locey ho ldi ng third. Oswell rode into t he win ner's circle for to p money of the day ; Kline , who finished bot h motos in fourth . took seco nd overa ll and third went to Locey. Darrell Shul tz took back-to-back wins in the 500cc Pros. In the first moto , he started off in control with Gillman right behind hi m followed by Ken Morgan and Mark White . White moved in to th ird , leavi ng a cr azy duel for fourt h between Morgan a nd Da vid Williams. Co m in g in for the checkered flag was Shultz with Gillman ta king down second and third going to White . T he second time arou nd , Shultz repea ted his winni ng ride by ta ki ng cha rge off the gate with Scott Ca vn ess on his heels followed by Morgan . Wi th Shultz opening up a superior lead, the battle was in fourth between W hite a nd Cavness. Com ing in for t he checkered flag , Shul tz crossed over to top mo ney for the class. Gillman too k second overall with third going to Will iams. • Results 125 PAO: 1. Chappy Blose (SUIL 2. Mike Brown (Suzl. 3. Tim Locey (SUII. 4. Jim Holley (Yaml . 5. Cliff l ett (Yaml. 6. Danny Thompson (Suz). 7. J erry Shore (Suzl. 8. Tim W ort h (Suzl. 9. John O'M ara ISUI). 10. Edwin Ar net ISUII. 250 PRO: 1. Tracy Oswell lSuI ). 2. Bob Kline tHonl . 3. Tm Locey lSUI ). 4 . M ike Brown (Suz). 5. Pat W ilson (Hool. 6. Mi ke Wi ckersham (M ail. 7. Scon Gillman (Yam), 8. Darrell Shul tz (Mail. 9. Don Franklin IM ail. 10. Sherman Schneller ISUI ). 500 PRO: 1. Darrell Shultz (Mail . 2. Scott Gillman (Yam l. 3. David W illiams (Mai) . 4. Mark Whi te (Husl. 5. Ken M organ (Yam). 6. Bill Hag en (Yaml. 7. Jon M illet' (Mail. 8. Sh erm a n Schneller (S UI) . 9. M ike Sixberry (Yam)1 10. Chuck Lanzar one (Mai l.