....
E
•
~
t
0')
-
I:'
0')
~
0
~
e-,
~
~
Kent Howerton 16 far left! didn't get the best starts, but when it was all over but the shouting, Team Suzuki's top 250cc class rider had broken Hannah's win streak
,
-
-
A MA 250/500cc National Championship M X Series: Rounds 5/1
Howerton, LaPorte roost Southwi
Hannah's winning streak broken
By Jim Gianatsis
Photos by John Waaser and Gianatsis
SOUTHWICK, MA, MAY 20
Pulling off their first race victories of the season,
Team Suzuki's Kent Howerton and Danny
LaPorte scored double moto wins in AMA National Championship MX -com p etition at
SouthwickSSd Motocross,
6
HOwerton took his Greg Arnettprepared works RH-250-79 Suzu -
I
ki to the overall win in the 250cc
class and in the process brought
Bob Hannah's 15·moto winning streak
to a crashing halt.
In the first event of the 1979 500cc
National Championship Series, it was
LaPorte who put his recent. European
training to test as h e tack led
formidab le opposi tion in what look s
like will be the most competitive class
this year. Da nn y took the win aboa rd a
new RN -400 ·79 Suzu ki wre nched by
Pat Alexander.
250ec National
Chances for -a competitive race in
the 250cc class looked bleak at th e
beginning of the day. Honda's Many
Tripes stayed home because he felt he
wasn't competitive and wanted to put
more development work into his bikes .
Reign ing champ Bob "Hurricane"
Hannah appeared slated for yet
another victory despite bike problems
which kept him ou t_of the morning's
p ractice session .
_
Kent Howerton and a number of.
local stars had other ideas.
In the opening la ps of the first
rnoto , it was privateer Suzuki rider
Fred Vertucci and Husky su pport
team pi lot Mike Guerra out. fro nt
bauling for awhile amid the enthusiastic
chee rin g of t hei r home town fa ns ,
