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/126314
National MX (Continued from pag e 10) 400 looked smoot he r t ha n a ny other rid er /b ike combin a tio n on the track . The wor ks Yamahas hung in th ere as well and Mike Bell tried to stay with Da nny a nd ge t by Sm itt y. Only the chec kered flag prevented it as La Porte took the win by six feet ahead of Sm ith , who tu rned in a determined last la p bid to retake the lead. Sta ten and the H onda team used th e int ermission to have th eir suspensions repla ced . Bell had h is wri nkled and broken Ya ma ha repaired. La Por te j ust laid ba ck in th e shade as Pa t Alexander top ped up th e gas tank a nd cha nged a ir filt ers on the Suzu ki , " I ha ven 't raced an ou tdoor event since last yea r's Trans ·AMA Seri es. All I've been working a nd training for since then is th e 500 cc N ationals. I want to win th e championsh ip bad !" sa id Danny, who narrowly missed out on winning the cont ro versia l 125c c National Championship Series last year. Mike Bell wasn 't playing a round either and looked invincible as his Dave Osterman -tuned Yamaha grabbed the holeshot ahead of Croft , LaPorte , Steve Stackable , Bu rgett, Swartz and Summey and began pulling away as th e final moto left th e line , But where was Marty Smith? Smith came around at the end of the first lap in last place , hardly riding as fast as he could. "T he .back end of th is gu y's bike bo u nced over a nd right int o me as we reached th e first tu rn . H is rea r wheel got stuc k u p under the rea r fender of m y bike and we bo th went do wn! When I tried to pull his spi n ni ng rea r wheel free , it flew out a nd nea rl y smashed m y face . It really seared me!" said Sm it h la ter. Bell continued to hold down the lead a t th e l Ovminute m ark by a good margin . LaPorte moved up and passed Croft for second . Cro ft's H onda had new forks for this moto , but mech anic Alan Hahn d id n 't h ave time to ch ange engines a nd Tom my was h aving to figh t increasi ngly d iffic u lt shift problem s tha t were on ly slig htly bothersom e in the first m ot o . Rex Stat en would move up from 10th to sixth place , but his suspe nsion still wasn 't working well eno ug h to allow him to ca tc h th e leaders, At th e halfway point , just whe n it bega n to look like Bell was on his wa y to win n ing , his Yamaha suffered a flat from tire that bega n peeli ng itself off the rim. Bell pitted for a new wheel assemb ly as La Porte danced his Su zuk i into th e lead . The overa ll win of th e first 500cc Na tion al of th e year belonged to Suzu ki and th e kid from Yucca Valley, CA. Croft held on for second plac e in the moto ahead of Bu rgett , Sta ten , Sra cka ble , Boone , Da rrell Shultz a nd Sm ith . For Mickey Boone , who turned a 7-5 day into a sixth overall , it was his first ever race on a wor ks Su zuk i as a full factory member. The claimin g rul e co n troversy d ays are now lon g • forgo tten. ATTENTION Amouncing a Blow 'Em Out The Door, Stock Reduction 4OOx18 35OxI8 on the following sizes - Results 25Occ: t . Bob Hannah (Yam) 4·1; 2. Kent Howerton (Suzl3-3; 3. J im Ellis (Hon ) 24; 4. Chuck Sun (Hus) 8-2; 5. Pierre Karsmakers lYaml 6-5; 6. J im W einert IKawI 7· 7; 7. John Savilski (Yam) 11-6; 8. Mart y T ripes (Hon ) j , ONF; 9, Mont e Ande rson 10-9; 10 . J im Pomeroy (Han) 5--1 6; 11. Parry Klassen (Mail 12·10; 12. -Wi lliam Gumbma nn (Ma il ONF-8; 13. Denni s Brand 17·12 ; 14 . Don Kudalski (H·D) 9-DNF; 15. Scott Lest er 1a·13 ; 16 . Charles Cooper (Penl 16-15 ; 17. Gregg Theiss IHon) DNF·l 1; Rick Lupp 13·19; 19 . David Boles (M ail 2()' ia 14; 20. Pierce La~ ' ~ -DNF . SOOcc: 1. Danny laPorte ISuz) ' ·1: 2. Tomm y Croft (Hanl 6-2; 3 . Rick Burgett (Yam) 8-3; 4. Rex Staten (Vaml 4-6; 5. St eve Stackable (Kaw l 9-4; 6. M ickey Boo ne lSUl) 7-5; 7. Darrell Shul tz IMail 5-9; 8. Marty Smi th (Honl 2·15; 9. Gary Semics IC-A) 12-8; 10. M ike Bell (Yaml 3-DNF; 11. Pat Ma,oney (Suz) 13-12; 12. Denn y Sw art z 15-11; 13. Teerv Clark (M ail DNF·7; 14. Ken Ada ms 14-14; 15. Frank Stacy DNF·l 0; 16. Tony Summey 1G-ONF; 17. Roger Brown 11·0NF; 18. Bob Pickafd 16-17; 19. Mockey Kessler (Yaml DNF·13; 20. Tim Ridd le (Mai) ONF-16. SALE $15.00 + $1.05 FET $13.00 + $ .95 FET ~hile they last! MICHELIN MOTOi""iCYCLE I FEB 325 xI 9 $19.27 + s .90 FET We also have all the other sizes of Michelins, Pirellis, and Dunlops available at regular prices. 350x19 M 45's are here in standard PZ 2 & PZ 4 compounds To order call CYCLE TIRE DISTRIBUTORS 213-597-0339 Dealers & Jobbers pleas~ inquire 17