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/126331
.. Preview: Subaru International Motorcycle Olympiad II (Above) 19n w inner Kent How erton . f lanked by Mike Bell and Gary Semics. accepts a handshake l!l f rom t he trophy girl. (A bo v e right) Flat tra ck er Dave Aldana lets it all hang out. (Below) John Hateley flew in the TT. q At t he Subaru International Motorcycle Olympiad II , the spectators who gather Sept. 17 a t Saddleback Park in Orange, CA , will get to see some sights they will never see in-traditional forms of motorcycle competi tion . Like observed trials champion Marland Whaley putting his foot down-on purpose . O r , like . speed wa y stars Ron Preston a nd Bobby Schwartz" wh o have ea rned th ou sands of dollars in th e left -ha nd broadslide biz, actually spending som e ' time tu rning to the rig ht. The O lym piad forma t, ' conceived a n d made a re ality in 1977 by Saddleback Park owner Vic Wilson , puts 40 or so rid ers in competition through five events - short tra ck , TT, hillclimb, cross country/tria ls and mot oc ro ss. The guy or gal who ha s th e mo st points aft er it' s a ll over uses th e phone in th e office to arrange for a n a rmored ca r to pick up a ll th e loot ; about 10 grand for first place . So let 's take a look a t some o f th e rid ers yo u ' ll see a t th e Sub aru Motorcycle O lympiad , a nd a qu ick pee k a t th e event itself. . 24 Motocrossers " Next yea r I'm go ing to Will th is thing or I'll he mad ," sa id Bob " H u rrica ne" Hanna h a fter t he 1977 Ol ympiad . Bob hadn't fa red well in Saturd ay's drag race a nd ro ad ra ce (e l i m i n a t ed f rom t h is year 's competition) , and had a flat tire in th e short track and TT competition. But Bob bounced ba ck to blitz the two remain ing events , th e cross country/trials and the motocross. H e ended up fourt h in the ove r a ll standings behind fellow motocrossers Kent Howerton , Gary Sem ics and Mike Bell. W ithout q uestion, Team Yamaha's " Hurricane" Hannah is the favorite coming into this year's O lym piad . Bo b 's hot. H e 's won the 250cc A M A / Mr. P iBB Na t io n a l MX Cham p ionship and the AMA /Toyota Supercross Series. In the process of winning those two titles, he ra cked up an AMA record of 22 straight moto wins .. Bob will donat e all prize mon ies he wins to Muscular Dystro phy Founda tion . If he finishes fifth or below, Ya maha will match the prize money, Wh o's go nna sto p the Hurricane onsla ug h t? l ook for th e blood -red Hond as of Brad lackey a nd Marty Tr jpes. l a ckey com pe ted in th e 500cc W orld Ch ampion ship Ser ies a nd cam u p seco nd behind three-time World Cha mp Heikk i Mikkol a . " Bad Brad " has three G P victories to his cred it , th o n ly Am e ri ca n to ever win o n t he 500 cc circ uit.