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/126417
team manager Gunnar Lindstrom over Marty Tripes' weekly see-saw performance and the turning of the second moto win over to Hannah. "He knew he was going to get passed so he pulled over. He doesn't like the bikes. He doesn't think he can keep up with the other riders. " But the week before Tripes had thrashed Hannah, Howerton and Weinert with the same "uncompetitive" bike and proven he could do more than keep up. Both '250cc class motos proved excitingly wild for Denver fans as local rider "Boo" Stichter grabbed the starts with his stock KTM and held the lead in the first moto for 20 minutes before Hannah was finally able to press his way by. Later in the moto Honda"s Steve Wise got by Stichter as well, and was then in tum passed by Suzuki's Kent Howerton. Stichter finished the first moto in fourth. A huge battle had been going on during the entire race over fifth position between Savitski, Weinert, Guerra, Wosick, Pomeroy, Chandler and Tony D. As they circulated the track in b'ar bending formation, finally Team Mota-X Fox rookie Larry Wosick pulled his Honda out front . away from the others for what seemed a secure fifth place. Victimized by a poor start, Marty Tripes threaded his way through the riders behind Wosick, but then had to spend the next three laps trying to deal with the 17-year old hotshoe from San Jose, before he finally got past on the checkered flag lap. The second moto saw Tripes getting a much better start, in second behind Stichter, with Stichter holding Tripes off for four laps. Then quickly, Hannah and Weinert went past Stichter on the next lap. Hannah then fell, giving Weinert second for a lap before the "Jammer," who had dropped out wit" bike problems the first mota, was pushed back to third again. Kent Howerton had been running fifth after the start just behind Hannah and was intent on passing to narrow the margin between the two in the 250cc point standings. 'But Kent was forced down in a sweeping turn by another rider which dusted· the Rhinestone Cowboy back to II th place and playing catch up. Howerton battled all the way back up to second place behind Hannah near the final la'ps, but the charge up and a four lap fight with Weinert had left him totally exhausted. Even when Hannah fell again, just two laps before the finish, Howerton said, "I had pushed so hard I just burned out." He trailed Hannah by not more than 50 feet the last two laps to the finish line. Weinert collected third as Tripes allowed himself to coast back to fourth position at the end ahead of Stichter, Team Husky's Mike Guerra, DG Performance's John Savitski and Carlos Serrano on a Maico. Problems with his box-stock CanAm dropped Tony DiStefano -from suong top 10 placings both motos to a distant 23rd overall. 500cc National The Open class was a Yamaha show from start to finish, particularly in the opening 45·minute moto. Teammates Rex Staten and Mike Bell pulled off the start side-by-side on their OW-41 works bikes and traded the lead three times before the first lap was completed. From there they began pulling out a freight train lead with Bell in front of Staten right up towards the end of the mota. Gassin' Gaylon Mosier ~uickJy pushed his Uni-Trak KawasakI past Maico's Denny Swaru into third aDd tried to stay with the leaden. Suzuki's Danny LaPorte, Steft Stacbble on his LOP Yamaha, Darrell Shultz also 'on factory Suzuki, and .Honda's Smith and Semics were right behind. With 10 minutes to go in the moto, Mosier began to close on the two Yamaha leaders. Staten felt the pressure and dropped his bike, allowing Mosier into second as Rocket Rex remounted in fourth but quickly passed LaPorte to reclaim third behind Bell and Mosier for the finish. Mike Bell blasted his Yamaha into the holeshot of the second moto only to be pushed aside by Darrell Shultz as he slammed his Suzuki past and held the lead for a lap before bailing off in a tum when he caught his foot. He remounted in sixth behind Bell, Rich Eierstedt, Ken Adams, Mosier and LaPorte. Running eighth behind Rick Burgett was Staten who tried a daring pass on his teammate that knocked him forward hard on the cross brace of his handlebars. Rex had the wind knocked out of him so hard that he collapsed on the side of the track and was taken by ambulance to the hospital for X-rays. From that point on Bell put his , Dave Osterman tuned Yamaha into an ever increasing lead that' would eventually clinch the win. Danny LaPorte moved up and battled Mosier for second position for some 10 minutes before he finally got by. "I wanted to catch Mike," related Dynamite Danny in the pits afte,rwards, attempting to hold on to his points lead in the Open class, 'but by the time I finally had worked my way up through uaffic, Mike had just built up too big of a lead and couldn't be caught." Behind Bell and LaPorte, Gary Semics exploded his RC-450 Honda into a secure third place as Mosier dropped all the way back to a tired seventh. A heated battle over fourth place lasted nearly the entire race between Darrell Shultz, Rick Burgett and local hero Arlo Englund on his Vickery Yamaha YZ_ At times Englund was ahead of the factory stars, but at the finish line it was Burgett and Shulu doing the leading when it counted. Mike Bell was more than elated over his first win of the year as he moved into a tie for second in the points standings with Suzuki's Darrell Shultz. ' "Things went great. The only problem I had all day was when Rex and I were dicing in the first moto. He stuffed me on an uphill jump and crashed. I missed making it up the hill and had to ride back down to the bottom to get a running start back up it again. I never lost my lead, though." • Results 250cc NATIONAl.: 1. Bob Hennoh (Yamll-1; 2. Kent _ _ lSuzl 2-2; 3. Mlwty Tripes (Hanl !>-4; 4. Boo Stichter (KTMl4-5; 5. S _ W .... lHonl3-10; 6. John Sevitoki (VI.,,, 7-7; 7. Merk Gregson (Yam) 8-9; 8. C.1os Seneno (Maill~; 9. Danen _ (Han) 912; 10. ~ W _ (Kaw) DNF--3; 11. Clerk.lone lHonlll·15; 12. Michael GuenICHusl DNF--6; 13.l.arry Woeidt (Han) 6-ONF; 14. Mike ~ (Hua)16-13; 15, Ron Sun CHus) DNF--ll; 16. Milte Tw;gg (YamI15-18; (Vaml 17. ~ J. Rice (KawI14-19; 18. Ron 12-21; 19. DereIt Wedding (Manl 13-DNF; 20. St""" Rhyon (SuzI31-14. 500cc NATIONAl: 1. Mike Bell (Yamll·1; 2. Denny lJIPorte (Suzl 5-2; 3. Gayton _1Kaw12-7; 4. Denell Shultz (Suzl 4-5; 5. Gory Sernics CHonI 8-3; 6. Arlo Englund (yaml 6-8; 7. Mlwty Smith 1I'lonI1-8; 8. Rick Burgett(yamll~;9, MerttRak_CMoillG-10; 10. Galt _er (Hue! 13-9; 11. R... SlBten (Yam) 3-DNF; 12. Bob Myers (Mail 12-11; 13. MichMI Keuler (Vaml 14-12; 14. Mickey Boone (Kaw) 17·13; 15. Denny Sw_ IMoiI15-15; 16. Rich Eierstedt IC-A) 9-32; 17. Ken AdemlCMoilll-DNF; 18, SI""" Staekable CVaml 31-14; 19. DlIIIid Gerig ISuzl 19-17; 20. Monte Andereon CMoiI DNF--16. AMA 250cc NATIONAl CHAMPIONSHIP MX SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Bob Hennoh 1363l; 2. Kent _13411; 3. Mlwty Tripee 12251; 4, Jim W_(217): 5. Mike Guerra 11851; 6. Merk Gregson 11 741; 7. John _ i (UI3I; 8. 1.JIlTy Wooick 11 451: 9. S_W_114Ol; 10. Ron Sun 11101. AMA !iOOcc NATiONAl CHAMPIONSHIP MX SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Denny LaPorte 11 72); 2.lT1EI D e n e I _ . . 11401; 4. Gayton_ 11231; &. ,... (1151; 6. Gary Semice 110l11: 7. Mlwty SmitIlIl7l;" Mike ~ llI5l; 9. Denny $ - a . 1 0 . T_Cloftm~ -ov s-. !Top) Yamaha's Mike Bell won both 500cc motos.lAbove) Arlo Englund was top 500cc privateer. (Below) Howerton put on his race face and scored 8 2·2 second place behind Hannah.