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; .._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._..._.-._._._._._._._._._._._. I: Western hotline . . ' ~ Brooks, Gillman, Murphy master CRC Saddleback E MX By Keith Clemons ORANGE, CA, FEB . 25 One of the hottest local races to happen so far this year developed when Team Suzuki members Scott Gillman and Jim Gibson Double Racing World winner Ross Learn leads Gregg Toya ma. Tarantino, Learn sweep Racing World's KawasakI! Weinert tinale By Keith Clemons TRABUCO CANYON, CA, FEB. 25 Fred Conover, Dale Lewis, ..Phil Thorstensen, Chip Vogel, Joe Stroud, Hrja· Spa rks, Steve Morita, Dave Clement, Mike' 40 Ca ruso, Kirk Chandler, Ken Dunlap. Phil Davy, Jim Freeb u rn , Rich Ga la tio ro , Mark Hambelton, Steve Jugan. Steve Redding and Curtis Rough, who also won a pair of Steve Stackable leathers, were the winning names in Racing World's Kawasaki! Jim Weinert Series. Each of these completed the contest with highest overall points in their class and will receive a one day private lesson in the Jim Weinert School of Motocross which , if it's possible, will make them even tougher competition in upcoming races . In addition, Don Turk , Jr. of Yorba Linda went home the happy owner of a brand new I25cc Kawasaki compliments of Kawasaki Motor Corporation for just showing up and being lucky enough to win the drawing. Ross Learn didn't enter the first race of the series but if he had he may well have won the overall because in this race he plunged in and won four motos, both of the 125cc Pro and 250cc Pro races. Fourteen-year-old Learn has been racing since he saddled his first mini at age II . Since then he has held AMA and . national titles in both flat track and motocross. Learn's main problem is that he lives in Spokane, WA , where in winter. motocross is done on sleds . It's lucky for Lern that his dad is behind his racing 100% and to that effect moved down to southern California just so Ross' could race. Learn's sponsor, Dick's Suzuki, who gave Ross his bike, stayed behind to sell snowmobiles but Ross' mechanic, Gary Garver, brought his own son and . moved to California with both Ross and his dad. Fortunately for a lot of local riders , Ross and company plan to -move back come spring when the thaw makes the northern tracks visible once again . Ross, of course, is setting his goals on future National Pro championships. Second for the day in the 125cc Pro race was Gregg Toyama followed by Dave Crawford in third ; in the 250cc Pros second overall went to Mark Marinez and third to Phil Thorstensen. . Jim Tarantino pulled a brand new Suzuki out of the crate, got mechanic Tom Martinet to do some fine tuning and jumped on it to win both motos of the Open Pro race for Cole Bros . . his sponsor. Tarantino's win went unchallenged as he led both races from the holes hot to the checkered flag. Dave Foltz ran second in both races for the two moto payback in that position and unsponsored Dale Lewis, who describes his nine month old bike as "burned out" and "just plain not able to keep up with all the power produced by Tarantino's new machine," picked up third. I wouldn't feel too sorry for Lewis though, burned out or not, he was still able to pick up first overall for the series in the Open Pros . Results OPEN PRo: 1. Jim T",antino IS ~ ; 2. 0..... Foltz {Mal : 3. Dale lewis !Yaml. l . OPEN INT: 1. Dean Waskowiak {Mail: 2. Phil Davy (Mall: 3. Steve Morita {Suzl . OPEN JR: 1. Kirk Chandler. l OPEN BEG: 1. Mark Hambe~on {Mal : 2. Bob Charnpini (Yam). 250 PRO: 1. Ross learn ISuzl: 2. Mark Marinez IHonl: 3. Phil Thorstonsen (Hon). 250 INT: 1. Curt McCuiston IKawI: 2. Duane Mapes (Mall: 3. David Clement !Yam). 250 JR : 1. Rocky CasweillSuzl: 2. Blaine Seidenberg (Henl: 3. Jim Devi, CHonI. 250 BEG: 1. Steve Beumgartner !Yom): 2 . J im Freeburn !Yom): 3. louis WeddeiIIHon). 125 PRO: 1. Ross L.eetn (Suzl: 2. Gregg Toyema !Yom): 3. 0..... Crewford {Suzl. 125 INT: 1. Curtis Rough CKawI: 2. Normen Nilsson (Kow): 3. Cede Cat. {Suzl. 125JR: 1. Seen Gilboy ISuzl: 2. Chip VogeIlYaml: 3. Robert OmeItin ISuzl. 125 BEG: 1. Scott Hewatt ISuzl: 2. Steve Red ding IHonl: 3. Andrew Buck ISuzl . 100INT: 1. Ron OunfeeCYaml. 100 JR : 1. Ernie Becker (Suzl: 2. Mark Caruec (Yam). 100 BEG: 1. Mike Senchez ISuzl: 2. Joe Stroud !Yam): 3. Tommy CornislSuzl . MINI INT: 1. Scon Hewett IKowl: 2. Kenny Dunlop (Kaw): 3. Ti Swertz !Yoml. . MINI JR: 1. Todd Hewett !Yem): 2. Todd CIImpbell {l(ewl: 3. Ken Morton lSuzJ. MINI BEG: 1. Chris S perks {l(ewl: 2. John Gersjes !Y_I: 3. Scon Yeung !Yoml. met head-on at a California Racing Club Motocross and diced their way through the turns leaving the other twenty- odd 250cc . Pro racers so far ~ be h i nd they may as well have been standing still . It was Gibson who aced the holeshot . in both motos with Gillman right on his heels. But both times around Gillman was able to outride Gibson and got by for the win . 'T he Suzukimounted pair pulled clean four seconds each la p and finished more than half a lap in front of third overall John Atwood. yet there 'n ever seemed to be much more than two bikelengths separating them at any time. Open Pro winner Mark Brooks , who did his own heap of hard ridin' , later mentioned he was glad that neither Gillman nor Gibson chose to ride in his class. Brooks ""ho recently picked up Wheelsmith as a sponsor. ran his Maieo around the tr ack for a twomoto win and the big overall first. The first heat had to be re -started to pick up the pieces from an earl y tangle but once underway again Brooks jumped into an early lead and sta yed way out front to win . Yamaha rider Jon Derhammer picked up the second place spot in that race followed in by Greg Draskovich. The second moro cropped up a few problems for Brooks . Beginning with a fourth place start behind lOp talent like Derhammer, Scott Cavness and Draskovich it took Brooks consid era bly longer to get to the front. After he did finally make his way to the top his bike began to feel funny which caused him to hold back more than he would have liked , winning the race by only a straightway rather than the half lap lead in his first moto, Draskovich ran second most of the race with Joe D. Price putting the pressure on. Draskovich was riding an unfamiliar machine as his own bike blew up several weeks ago and his sponsor, DMG temporarily replaced it with a Maieo 450 Enduro which gave him a slight handicap under the grind so in th e final lap he let Price by and settled for third. Unfortunately for Price his fifth place in the first moto put him out of the money and Draskovich still collected second overall. Third for the d ay went to Derhammer. The 125cc Pro winners were Tim Murphy who rides a Honda for Q&E Engines in first place. Suzuki rid er Jim Gibson in for second place pay and Bobby McGregor taking overall third . California Racing Club is present ing the Dr. Pepper/Yamaha Series in April with a $10 ,000 purse for Pros and Yamahas to be given away each week to the sportsmen . Details upcoming . Results OPEN PRO: 1. Mark . Brooks (Mail: 2. Greg DrBskovich (OMG); 3. Jon Derhernmer (Yam). OPEN INT: 1. Greg Smith IMail: 2. Mike Said IMail: 3. Oan Moore (Mail, OPEN NOV: 1. Gary Ra mirez (Ya ml; 2. John Pincon (Yam); 3. Mike G~nninosio (Yam). 250 PRO: 1. Scon Gillman ISuz): 2. Jim Gibson IS"z) : 3. John Atwood IMail. 250 INT: 1. Brian.Ellis (Hon): 2. Men Zigeler ISuz): 3. Alen Pointer IHenI. 250 NOV: 1. David Webon IHonl: 2. Todd Simmons IHon): 3. Henbent Pe nlegua ICon Am). . 250 BEG: 1. Rick Winekun {Suzl: 2. Buck Lohmeyen (Honl: 3. Jeff Bene IKTM), 125 PRO: t . Tim Murphy IHon); 2. Jim Gibson ISuz): 3. Bobby McGregor ISuzl . 125 INT: 1. Rick Jeckecn ISuz): 2. Men Z'tgeler (Suzl: 3. Darel Francis (Yam. . . 125 NOV: 1. Mike English ISuzl: 2. Vaughn Butlen (Suzl : 3. Howley Hell (Suz). . 125 BEG: 1. Cindy Duma (S uz); 2. Mark Revncids ISuzl: 3. Buddy Foster lSuzI . 100 BEG: 1. Chris Fleming !Yom): 2. VellJoyd lSuzl . VETS SA: 1. Bob CrOSla (I(TM): 2. John Wileen {Vaml: 3. BillBurkhert {Meil. VETS (NT: 1. Dudley Duncan (Hus!: 2. Asker larnk· jaer 15uz) 3. Dwain Jarren (Suz). ; VETS JR : 1. Williom Miller (Suz): 2. rKO Fitzpetrick ISuzl: 3. Deen Saunders {Honl. Yam l. MINI EX; Denny Sanchez C MINI NOV: 1. Steve Ven Ouzen !Yoml; 2. Seen Johnsen {Suzl. . MINI BEG: 1. Parry Sh ields {Yaml: 2. Tony Orone {S uzl: 3. Manuel MUfgvie {Kewl. Breker, LaPorte, Gibson win at SSMMX By Terry Whytal O RANGE, CA, FEB . 24 Team Suzuki sent three of their big guns out to Saddleback this week in the persons of Danny La Porte, Scott Gillman and Jim Gibson . In spite of Gillman's DNF it was a pretty nice da y for the Zook riders ja s both La Porte and Gibson took home the top laurels in their respective classes. Starring off th e day's action were the 250c c Pros featuring a talent laden line-up of local stars. Gillman , timing the gate right, quickly jumped into the lead followed by Yamaha mounted Tim Lunde, LaPorte and Vere Butler on a YZ250. La Porte soon passed Lunde 10 move into second and challenge Gillman for the' lead. Steve Banning slipped his Suzuki past Butler and Ron Blanton charged up through the pack to move his Honda into fifth spot . Just as the race for the lead really began to shape up . ' Gillman crashed heavily while trying to pass a lapped rider who moved into his path. LaPorte inherited the lead and Gillman was out for the day with a gearbox that refused to shift. Lunde made a big effort to stay within striking d ista nce of La Porte but was unable 10 ' really close in and . slowly faded back as LaPorte seemed to gel faster with each lap. Koji Masuda kicked his RM250N into overdrive and passed Blanton, Banning and Bu tler I to finish third behind a distant Lunde and even more distant LaPorte. La Porte wasted no time in grabbing the lead at the start of the second moto . Banning held onto second place ahead of Suzuki rider Tony Gomez and Lunde. Out in front though . La Porte was really flying , giving no on e a chance 10 make a race of it. Lunde meanwhile had put the move on Gomez and Masuda had moved up into fourth. Gomez wanted second back, staying hot on Lunde's rear fender and looking for a way around . Lunde must have felt the pressure as he quickened his pace, hoping 10 lose the less experienced rider. Gomez hung on tenaciously , however to 'no avail as Lunde never made any mistakes. Masuda dropped out with bike problems and Blanton moved into fourth as the race was coming to an end . With a huge lead . LaPone took the checkered flag and the overall victory . Second place money went to Lunde and Gomez pic ked up the third place honors with a 5·3 score. The 125cc Pro class received a free riding lesson from Suzuki ace Jim Gibson . After disposing of early first moto leader Steve Wiseman (Suz), and holding off the charge of Yamahamounted Andy Kir ker , Gibson pu lled