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/126310
(Above) Jeff Wa rd. fourth 125cc classer. (Below) Sue Fish. (Above) Bob Hannah gasses it out of a, Mosier scored a 4-4 third for Team Kav , Th e j oy of w inning: Mark Barnett takes the advice of the Oma ha M oto Park trophy lady and has a PiBB , M ister. AMA/Mr. PiBB 125/250cc National Championship MX Series - Rounds 4/4 Barnett holds off Glover again, Hurricane ren By J im Gianatsis HERMAN, NB, APR. 30 T he riders of the AMA National motocross circuit are in bitter despair . Can no one stop the onslaught of Yamaha's Bob Hannah as he steamrolls his way across the country? Apparently not. At least not at O m a ha Moto Park where Hannah continued his unbeaten streak in the 250cc . . class of ~he ~r. PIBB Nat1!mal Championships. 6 In the 125cc class , Mark Barnett and Broc Glover continued their battle, Barnett, for the second week in a row, came out on top and continued his slim ho ld on the series points lead. Hannah's immaculately prepared OW Yamaha, tuned by Keith McCarty , wasn't missing a bea t. O t her factory riders were consoling themselves wit h second place on down . Even the Hurricane's two closest competitors, Honda teamsters Jim Ellis and Jim Pomeroy, were close to throwing in the towel. "Pomeroy and 1 are the only riders that can even get near him ," explained Ellis. "Perhaps if we try to keep the pressure on , something will happen to him or his bike. All the inj u ries we (the Honda team rid ers, including Ellis who suffered a hurt shoulder, knee and ribs) had during the Supercross Series are now slowing us down ." But while everyone else reserved second place behind Hannah . there was one new face who wasn 't about to - Marty Tripes. " I' m just here to take it easy this first race - to see what I can do. I'll get down to business next week ." In his first return to racing since his Pontiac Su percross knee injury, Marty Tripes - the New Marty Tripes - the only rider who could really stay close to and perhaps whip the Hurricane , was out to try and put a stop to a legend in the making. He proved it was possible during the morning as he led his qualifying moto off the line and wheelied to easy victory. Tripes was ready despite the month -long layoff without rid ing or training so his knee could heal. 250cc National The Hurricane blasted down the starting gate and charged the first turn dog leg with the lead. Right on his fender was Kent Howerton. The Rhinestone Cowboy had his Suzuki holding its own as they completed the first lap . But soon all the determination in Texas and a new pair of Scott plastic boots couldn't make up for the injured ankle which had held him back the last two weeks and now , on the second lap , left him grimacing in pain as he collapsed on the side of the track . It looked like another weekly Hannah benefit as Ellis, Eierstedr, privateer Tad Gumbmann , then Bassett's Jim Gibson , Karsmakers and Pomeroy ragged-in behind. Marty Tripes was making a Hannah- like charge up from 10th place to move into second position by the fourth lap. The fans went wild . One more lap and Marty had caught - then unbelievably - passed the Hurricanel Then Bob repassed Marty . Things were unreal. Tripes hung behind , looking for another opportunity to repass Hannah despite a persistent popping sound everytime Marty shifted the stock Honda CR engine in th e works RC chassis beneath him . Marty closed in from the outside berm of a downhill off-camber turn , reeling-in at the same time on a lapped rider. Tripes later commented: "We were next to each other , almost side by side. Bob went inside and forced the lapped rider over the berm and into me , knocking me down . At least 1 let him know I was there and I'm not going to let him pull that stuff on me next, moto." By the time he got running again, Marty was still in second place ahead of teammate Ellis, but too far back to try and catch Hannah . "I don't " tell those lapped riders where to go ," said Hannah . "There's no way I was near Marty. He rode well enough, but this ain't baseball , either. Motocross isn 't a sissy's game." The first moto fin ishi ng order ~as Hannah , Tripes , Ellis, a hardcharging R ich Eierstedt on the fac tory Can-Am , Ka rsm a kers, Pomeroy , Gumbmann, Omaha's Greg Theiss and Tony Wanket. Rounding out the top 10 was Bill "Sugar Bear" Grossi on the factory Carabela, Chuck Sun liad been running sixth when he lost .the