Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Here's a rare photo: Anyone (In this cue Marty Tripes) leading Bob "Hurricane" Hannah. The two had a thrilling second moto bash. eback, claiming ru le suspended ! there. I think the fork tube got caught in it, you know the part that sticks down below the axle. , ." Gibson held the lead followed by Myerscough, Reid, Pat Jacobson . Chappy Blose. Glover, Ron Turner , Gregg Toyama. David Taylor and Mel Newman. Denton rode in 12th; Cantaloupiwas right behind him. Glover moved from sixth to fourth in the first few laps. The top five riders charged along at one-second or less intervals keeping the crowd on its toes and cheering. Lap four saw new leaders as Myerscough , then Reid and Glover, found weaknesses in Gibson's game and passed. Glover's momentum , along with his more comfortable second moto form . less tense .carried him up past Myerscough and into the lead on the fifth lap. Reid followed suit , but it was obvious by now that Myerscough was fading. Brian would eventually drop to 16th place in the rnoto suffering stomach cramps. According to team manager Mark Blackwell, Myerscough had been having problems since mid-week . and had gone to his nutritionist for advice. He had been advised to alter his diet to include less fruit and more protein foods. but apparently that wasn't the total answer. Myerscough , usually stubborn and determined enough to ride under any condition, had to drop back. That moto may be "his moto," as Blackwell put it, the one he'll look back on at the season's end and label it the one that made the difference in his final series results . For Glover. the main concern was lapped riders. He established a lead that ranged anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds during the moto , depending what ,Part of the course he was timed • t " .. .,J I .~ J ) I " , I ( .. : I' on, and Yamaha's 125cc National Champion cruised to his second moto victory of the day . his third out of four so far in the '79 season. Likewise, Reid enjoyed a relatively secure second place , challenged during the second half by Gibson but holding firm. And Pat Jacobson kept his fourth place. In the closing laps, Jeff Ward put the wraps on an excellent recovery ride from his lap one crash. With only minute remaining. he showed Ron Turner the "Teeny Meanie" lettering on the back of his leathers and picked up a fifth place for his trouble. Cantaloupi held back another great recovery ride Barnett's for seventh place. Pat Moroney and Gary Denton rolled in ninth and 10th . 250cc National Maico's newest factory acquismon was definitely ready for the card drop at the start of hte first 250cc National moto , Danny " Ma goo" Chandler blasted to the crest of the Banzai downhill leading " H u r r ic a n e" Hannah , "Typhoon" Tripes, Suzuki's Scott Gillman , privateer Jeff Jennings , John Savitski and Steve Wise in a mad hatter chase around the rough Saddleback circuit. Chandler, taking the far outside line , dropped off the hill and out of sight as he pulled away . slightly, from Hannah and rounded the Webco sweeper. Magoo seemed to pick up speed in anticipation of the dou ble lip jumps leading into the tight uphill hairpin and completed the difficult section in spectacular fashion - much to the delight of the spectators who were urging him on . Hannah , taking a slightly more conventional approach. I starte~_IQI clp~ ¥ .ag<;)o .a,n.d passed, '. pr. the stylish NorCal rider on the next lap. Tripes maintained a solid third. followed by Gillman, Savitski , Serrano, Jennings, Mark Robillard and Kent Howerton. Ron Sun and Mike Guerra led the ensuing crowd around a quickly-drying track that was starting to slick-up in some of the faster sections. DiStefano and Weinert were noticeably absent in the front runners and seemed to be having trouble even bringing up the rear ranks . Hannah , picking up speed , stretched his lead over Chandler who appeared to cut back on style and tone down a bit to maintain speed . Suddenly. in one of the almost-out -of sight ra vines . a slower rider dived into Hannah as the Hurricane was completing a pass and ran the leader off the track . Hannah momentarily lost control and Magoo took advantage of the unfortunate incident to regain the lead. Hannah , visibly upset over the ill -timed accident , quickly got back onto the track and attacked the course viciously to make up lost ground. It only took one la p for Hannah to catch and repass Chandler as they engaged in a super-duel over the hairpin jumps. Meanwhile. Savitski and Howerton were engaged in their own war tactics in a battle for fifth behind Tripes. who was solid in third, and Gillman , who was keeping pace for fourth . Hannah was stringing out his advancing lead as Magoo came to a rolling halt at the far end of the course. Magoo simply dismounted. pulled off his helmet , and headed for the pits. A fantastic ride by the young Maico rider had just gone down the [Ub~i ') , J J I • - I ~ • . t • , I 1 , i' I I C. I " Yamaha's _factory ace, Hannah , Honda's factory ace , Tripes. Suzuki's Scott Gillman and Kent Howerton, privateer John Savitski, the Husky of Ron Sun. Maico -mounted Carlos Serrano. ·H u sky-m o u n t e d Mike Guerra, and Mark Robillard and Suzuki privateer Jeff Jennings topped off the top 10 positions at the end of . the first moto . The second 40·minute-plus·two-Iap moto was holeshot by Honda mounted, Las Vegas rider Lenny Giger. Unfortunately , Giger probably didn't even see Hannah as he waltzed by. defying gravity on the incredible Banzai downhill. Hannah , not usually found in the front three positions at the start of any race . d ecided he better start caring about whether he started off in front , rather than ha ving to come -from -behind to pull off his specta cu la r wins . He sa id , " It just makes it easier on me . I don't have to work as hard wh en I get a good start , so I decided to concentrate on my sta rts, and it's working for me ," Hannah quickly disposed of Giger as did Chandler. who was able to make things work on his machine for the second moto: Gillman and Tripes had a great show going behind Jeff Jennings who was lying in third during the second lap of the final moto . The duo picked up speed as they rounded the bumpy. rutty circuit, and eventually Tripes locked into third ahead of the quick Suzuki specialist on the fifth lap. Howerton was a distant fourth and Jennings settled into fifth ahead of Weinert, who definitely looked better in this round than he had in the first. Tripes was closing. no doubt about it , on lap six . By the seventh circuit Hannah , Chandler and . Tripes ,were. . 9 •,

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