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/126340
r==========:=::;t a M ike Bell J immy Ellis Bob Henneh. Gaylon Mosier J immy We inert. Tony D. Finale favorites Added attractions Wheelle King Kawasaki's newest rider, Doug "Wheelie King" Domokos, will also ride at Anaheim - not in the final round of the AMA /Toyota Supercross Series but as a "halftime" special attraction. As.you can see from the photo, Domoko's specialty is not motocross but wheelies. He's the best. Not on ly can the Michigan MX rider take his KX250 well past the balance point , touch the rear fender to the ground and (here's the tricky part) r~cover and continue his wheelie on almost forever, but he has a remarkable collection of other tricks, too . Like riding up and down. steep hills , turning with the finesse of a World Class trials rider and assuming a va riety of awkward postutes - sidesaddle, foot -on -the-bars, peace sign - all while . unicycling along in complete control. Domokos' act originated at the Red Bud Track N' Trail track in Buchanan, MI where he and two other stunt riders performed wheelies and close -formation riding tricks for the MX fans . Discovered recently by Kawasaki's wandering talent scout , road manager and P.R. ace Steve Johnson. Domokos now enjoys partial sponsorship from Team Green . His act seen at the Kawasaki new model dirt bike presentation by members of the motorcycling press and more recently at the Sears Point Trans-AMA is absolutely unbelievable. Don't miss it. t the Coca -Cola Bot tler's Motocross Finals there will be 25 of the coun t r y's best riders A lined up to do battle for a no- holdsbarred 20·!ap finale . The following are the current race points leaders and the pre-race favorites . Bob " Hurricane" Hannah He 's definitely the crowd -pleaser. Hannah has already clinched the 1978 Su percross Series title, yet he 's ready to ad d anot her win to his record b reaking season , R id in g for t he Ya ma ha facto ry , H an n a h is the AM A's most successful p rofessional racer wit h more career wins th an any previous rider. Marty "Typhoon" Tripes Tripes and his Honda were Hannah's main competition throughout the season. The duo battled each other right out of reach of the pack. Tripes has sewn up second place in the standings . but wants to : win at Anaheim to end the season successfully. Shotgun Showdown Kent Howerton There will only be four or possibly five riders in the Q u aker State Oil Shotgun Showdown , but they're goingto be the very best of the 1978 season. Any rider who has won a Supercross event will be in this race, a winner-take-all $5000 purse. Whoever crosses This Texan is a scientific-type rider. He 's not commonly leading the pack, yet he always finished higher in the results list than yo u 'd suspect. Howerton rides a Suzuki factory ba cked motocrosser. the finish line in the lead after six laps takes all the cash; the others will be left with empty pockets and the memory of the winner's rear wheel roosting away with the win. Bob Hannah, Marty Tripes , Jim Ellis and Mike Bell have qualified for the six lap fight to the finis h , If another rider wins the Coca -Cola Bottler' s Mot ocross Finals, he too will be entered in this showdown grudge match. All these riders know tha t they're the best and without anyone on the track to slow them down, it will be the kind of race that wil) have you on your feet screaming for m ore. Hundred-foot high Penny Nicola i an d Melissa McLaughlin a t Concepts Unlimited , the PR firm that keeps Pap a W eal ey on his toes wit h Coca -Cola Bottlers Motocross Finals info, have good news for Papa arid ot hers who enjoy imbibing in an occasional snort of joy juice. On 22 the Cocktail Club Level of Anaheim Stadium, promoter Mike Goodwin has seen fit to station a portable bar every 100 feet or so . Papa says he'll attempt to complete more laps than the riders in the main event - with a pause to refresh every 100 feet or so . M ike Bell Hannah's teammate successfully won the Superbowl of Motocross this year , on basica lly stock machinery against exotica . Mike Bell has also been victorious in the 500cc National wars. He's the tallest rider on the circuit at 6'4" and the only man capable of beating the top three consistently. Jim "Captain Cobalt" Ellis A Honda teamster, Jimmy Ellis has previously won four Supercross events and has at times , been an obstru ction for Hannah's winning streak . Ellis ha nd ily won th e premiere event thi s year a t Seattle, and wants to end th e season with a win . J immy " The Jammer" Weinert A former Superbowl of Motocross winner, Jim Weinert is a veteran of motocross, with an abundance of knowledge, experience and racing talent. When inspired he can "show the kids a thing or two" by beating them at the finish . Marty Smith He's already won the 125cc Na tion al Championship twice, was 1977 500cc National C hampion , a nd has joi ned just a handful of riders in winning a n Interna tiona l Grand Prix. Alt hou gh he 's had an injury-plagu ed season , Sm ith is back in top sha pe and ready to prove he can still win . Jim "Bimbo" Pomeroy Another Team Honda rider, Pomeroy hails from Washington state and was the first American rider ever to win a G ra nd Prix event. Although he constantly plagued Hannah in last year's Su pe rcross series , Pomeroy has had an up and down season in 1978 . Pom ero y had almost won the 1977 Superbowl , when in the last lap, he dropped his bike and lost the lead. Tony DiStefano Tony D is known as the master of 250cc National championship competition. He won the title for that class in 1975, 1976 and 1977. He was chosen by the AMA as the 1977 Ahtlete of the Year. When Tony gets up front , he knows how_ to keep the other guys be hind - he hates bei ng in second place. J Tommy Croft Smith's Honda teammate, "Tomahawk" Croft is known for his "go for it " style a nd come-from -behind wins . If Croft gets a good start, the other guys can go home - he'll do anything to keep from being passed . ) Gaylon Mosier • Mosier is currently sponsored by Kawasaki and finish ed the 1977 Supercross seri es in th ird place . Usuall y' picked as a " d a rk horse" winner. Mosier's victories are always pre-planned and thought out. •