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/126415
STOP NORTHERN DATELINE Red Cycle News Jacket 'Sizes S. M. L. XL $25.95 Satin quilt-lined jacket with Cycle News patch. Knit collar, cuffs and waist in red, white and blue. Hat . $5.95 Red and white with a Cycle News patch. f~EE 1 each large & small Cycle News stickie with order Cycle News Products P.O. Box 498 L()Og Beach, Ca. 90801 MX at Watsonville: keeps· you in close touch with your friends. Giants on tiny bikes cause. excitement at Watsonville Name Address --::-- _ ~ CitY State • Zip _ By Gerry Reagan Credit card limit minimum $5.00 Please fill in your complete account number and expiration date -I 1 I' Card expires - - - - - 1 1 Signature 1 1 ------ _ Item Size Quanity Jacket f 'U"~' 1 ul lh" ~."I "'"""""" ""~ IOn "$ Ca lif. I .,...., '. fOTAl 'I' ..... ",,,,, feSI'd ents I L- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . .::".. . I ! $5.95 tU 1>IO.lh. ""'''''''' Itlllwn II·"~"'H"",," ! '"'''''''''' "I"'" '''vP4I' Total $25.95 Hat fl'lc ~",,,,,,,,.,, Amount . .. :;:~~~,,:~"l:~=~,;, :,'~.~ ,:;~~~,:;.,:;~: ,::.~;., ':~: "<1'.""''''''''''''''''''''4,,,.....·,,,.,,1'''''''<1_ (J '1 I d ( I 61'0 sa 1 fax '" f'S ' . ' Grand Total .... SOONER OR LATER YOU'RE GONNABUY THIS BOOTI MXL & "\,ORON CYCLING PRODUCTS Notional Hydron Incorporated ~ • 46 ~ 'RACING MOrORCYCLES . PO Box 222-Eost Petersburg, PA 17520 Sdrl1111V Tdflllt·r Cooper Parts V.SA DISTRIBUTOR Dealer Inquiry Invited 20872 Cumer ROlId (714)598.1986 Walnut,CA 917l1!! - (714~91 00 • DI',trlhut1llq lUBRI-IECH .' 1 1 9;1 .' 1 , 1 .- I I I J WAT:;ONVILLE, CA,jUNE3 Racers crouched low on their machines, blipping throttles as the starter held up the 15-second sign. The rubber band snapped and they popped their clutches, charging wildly towards the first turn. First gear; second; third, some riders shifting into fourth gear' before the corner. Then, heavy braking, sliding sideways, up on their back wheels exiting the turn, they looked more like a strange swarm of insects than motocross racers. This was the scene at the beginning of the .Expert Pit Bike Race held during the intermission at the Ridge Runners motocross race in Watsonville. The giants 'of northern California motocross, the Amateurs and Experts of District 36, actually looked like giants as they dwarfed their little minibikes. They were racing a seven-lap, one moto race which turned out to be one of the biggest crowd pleasers ever run at a local motocross event. It was just about as thrilling to watch the race as it was for the riders to be in it. Spectators lined the shortened course, cheering fdr their favorite and waving him on as the racers thrashed their way around the corners, over the jumps and off the drop-offs. Larry Wosick (Suz) got the holeshot and held on for the first two laps but dropped out with engine trouble, giving the lead to Mike Holmes who also rode a little Suzuki. Tom Rapp came out of semi· retirement to race his hopeed up Kaw,,:saki and moved into second place to chase Holmes throughout the moto, but he never got close enough to slip by. Most of the riders had their' problems, racing over their heads or over the bikes' abilities - but all of them had a fantastic time. Another feature of the Ridge Runners' Watsonville event was an exhibition four-stroke race which pitted a group of Honda thumpers against a lone Yamaha TT500. Mike Van .Lienden got the lead off the start on the Yamaha but underestimated the slippery first turn and ended up watching from a prone positioQ. as the horde of Hondas roared past. Jim Ricci took the early lead but was passed halfway through the race by eventual winner Mike Brumit. Ricci hel~ on for a close second place finish. It was an interesting contrast to hear the roar of the four-stroke machines compared to the buzzing of the twocycles and it gave an idea of what motocross may sound like in the future as four-stroke development improves and two-strokes are legislated out of existence. The most exciting race of the regular·program was the first moto of the 250cc Expert class which featured appearances of 29 .of the district's top riders. Larry Wosick grabbed the early lead on his Moto-X Fox Maico with Jerome Heib.erger (Hon) running a close second.' Wosick seemed to have the race in hand by the third lap but, as he passed the checkstand area, he slowed down and purpos.ely let Heiberger go by into the' lead. Wosick then took off again after the new leader, passing him a lap later to regain the front position. A couple of laps later Wosick went wide in a corner and got his rear wheel tangled in the snow fence surrounding the track. Heiberger blitzed by a1 Wosick tried to pull back onto the raCf course but the Maico rider was a little too anxious and only tangled the fencing even tighter around the back >yheel. Three more riders passed him up before Wosick was able to untangle himself and by then he was a quarter of a lap down on Heiberger with only three more circuits to go, Heiberger raced on to an easy victory while Wosick charged past the other riders who had gotten ahead of him, On the last turn Wosick turned on the gas at the right moment to outjump Jim Ellis (Suz) and crossed the line only inches into the second place spot. The seconli moto saw WosickjUmp to the early lead and run away, perhaps making sure he would not be passed if something else happened as it had in moto one. That left second place up for grabs and Heiberger and Ellis had themselves a good dice trying to determine who would take the runner-up spot. As it turned out, Ellis got the second moto and Heiberger took second overall. . Another good race took palce in the 250cc Novice Division One event, Brad Stoke (Hon) took the lead in the first moto and held off a last ditch effort by Al Burke (Hon) who charged into second place on the last lap. In moto two it was Stoke again with the holeshot and early lead but this time Burke didn't waste any tiD'\e moving up to challenge for the lead. The two