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/126418
three days oFWFO racing. Hrld in the Sherwin Bowl just outside Mammoth Village. the race attracted thousands of spectators who lined the track and filled the tree-covered hillsides. The beauty of these high Sierra mountains has to be seen to be appreciated and the scenery in the pits is nearly as , good. IAboveJ T.... ~•• W8nWl ReId copped both the Open 8nd 2&Occ Pro d.1 I •• He'. pictured here on . . RC4&O. (BeIowJ Compledng the _too"..-p. T _ Suzuki'. BrIM Myeracough won the 12&cc Pros. - Reid takes two, Myerscoug 0 e at Mammoth Mountain By Terry Whytal MAMMOTH LAKES, CA, JUNE 22-24 "It's too hardl" replied Team Honda's Warren Reid when asked if he would ride the 125cc class also. Reid had just become the first rider to win 16 tw9 classes on the tough Mammoth course. Featuring huge berms, monstrous whoops, a killer downhill and 80oo·£oot elevation, the once a year race has to rank with the rough~t, most difficult tracks in the world. Over 700 riders showed up this year to make the race a week long event of . practi~ and Ftting culminated by Because of the good turnout of riders and spectators. the Mammoth M.e.• with help from the 10cal Lioos Club and resident volunteers. put on an exce1lent three days of racing leading off with the Open c1a1SeS on Friday, 2501 on Saturday. and capping the event, the 125cc cIasa loaded with top National talent ran on Sunday. Friday Mounted on a new Honda factory bike with a 450cc motor. Reid was looking good all week in practice and he promptly won his qualifying moto. Reid looked to be the favorite but sitting in the spoiler position was LOP Yamaha rider Marty Moates. also riding very fast. When the qualifiers were all finished and the field of over 100 Open Pro riders had been narrowed to SO. the riders lined up for the first of the fmal motos. Coming to the starting gate were. in addition to Reid and Moates. Yamaha rider Donnie Hansen. Maico·mounted Danny Turner. Roo Tumer on a Yamaha and Tony Wankel. riding another of the fast YZ400s. When the gate dropped it was Reid, Hansen and Dan Turner racing up the stan hill. down the treacherous, shock-packing downhill and out into the back pan of the course. Completing lap one. Hansen had moved into the lead with Reid c10IIe behind. Dan Tumer was still in third with Ron Tumer plllshing from faunh. Reid repassed Hansen on the second lap, using his bike's incredible power to stretch out his lead on the up biR. Ron Turner fell allowing Bill Ouellette to move his Yamaha into founh just ahead of Maico rider Mike Wickersham. Halfway through the race. Reid had opened up a safe lead as Dan Turner passed Hansen for second. Moates had gotten a terrible stan, finishing lap one in 26th position and was.charging his way up through the pack at a dizzying pace. As the moto came to a close Moates danced his bike up into third behind Turner and Reid. a truly remarkable showing of determination. Reid was about founh over the gate as it dropped for the stan of the second mota but 100 feet up the hill he was already three bike lengths ahead of the wave. Behind Reid came Moates, Tony Wankel. Dan Turner, Wickersham and Ron Turner. With Moates pushing from behind. Reid was really working his bike to the limit. Dan Tumer IIIOft'C1 around Wanket as Alan Berlutti bounced his Maico up into the top five. passing Ron Tumer and then going after Wankel. At the halfway point it was still Reid in front of a tiring Moates while Berlutti bad moved into third. The two Turners were having a battle over fourth place with Dan getting the nod at the checkered flag. Reid finished well out in front to capture the. overall win and $1000 in prize . money. Moates ended the day with a second overall and Dan Tumer took home the third place money. Berlutti was founh overall. Wickersham futh and Wanket sixth. Hundreds of sportsman riders battled for trophies and glory throughout the day and filled the town Jacuzzis at night. Taking top honors in the Open Intermediate class was Suzuki rider Chris Lowiu who looked good all day. Two Maico riders finished second and third with Cunis Johnson in the 1