Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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I NOmERN DATELINE ~ E ()pen Cafe winner Rendy Skiver I32J trans Gus Denzler at S.I.R. Loose on the· loose atS.I.R~ By Bruce Scholten Photos by Martha Young KENT, WA,jUNE24 Fast Bobby Loose returned to Seattle road racing today: He blitzed Open Production, took founh overall in Open Cafe, and. 44 a fifth overall in 250tc GP. On May 4, a drunken driver had sent him critically injured to the hospital which destroyed his chances of winning the annual Seattle Six Hour Endurance Race with Californian Harry Klimmann. But Loose is fast in the hospital, too. Healing in record time, he returned to his sponsor's (Everett Suzuki) shop in three weeks, and raced in Portland june 17. In the combined 750cc/Open Production events, Loose and his carefully prepared Everett Suzuki GSlOOO found big holeshots. Ray Baker's GS·IOOO slowly worked its way around Loose to seize the lead' for a few laps as Portlander Keith Pinkstaff (usually Suzuki moullted) wrestled behind them on a brand new Laverda 1200. Although his ~ed jota handled fme, its brute horsepower plateaued at 6500 rpm. The Rose City Motorcycle Sales pit crew tried any number of carburetor jeuing and .ignition treatments, only to emerge with strong suspicions of gremlins in the EPA approved air-box. Despite his blunted motor, Pinkstaff carved some nice lines to third overall. Loose hung onto Baker's rear fender unul the last lap where be drafted Baker out of tum 10 and beat him to the checkered flag. Loose led into tum one in heat two and DeftJ' looked back as he wobbled Chris Patterson (7) and Cal Frey (12) mix it up at Kincaid Park. were undefeated champions in this all the way to the win. While he's in class last season, but winless so far this winning form after rolling his truck in the May mishap, the Suzuki 1000, year. Heat one was fairly mundane, as Gallagher scooted to the fltlg well which was strapped in the back, still ahead of the pack. His motor was runsuffers from a bent front rim, stock ning soundly and the suspension on his shocks and perhaps worse. WASCO frame seemed dialed in. The Ray Baker again .rode to second, second heat was the crowd pleaser. joe watching Loose wobble d01:"n the Rodger's strong RE·5 Suzuki led the entire front straight_ More accustomed first lap until jerry Whitlow's better to flat· tracking, Baker prompted handling TD-!l·RD·400 Yamaha much interest, as this was his first ever reeled him in. Gallagher's Kawasaki road race sprint. also got past the rotary, chasing the In 750cc Production Rocky Phoenix Yamaha 100 feet ahead. Hard riding smoothly rode his Honda F to first Whitlow seemed assured of a win until overall ahead of Brian Sutton he ground a hole in his left expansion (Yamaha 750). Suzuki mounted Nils chamber. His lost 'power allowed jorgensen had a "Big Mac Auack" in Gallagher to snake past him. the second heat. In sweeping turn Gallagher had tried so hard to catch eight, he suddenly left his bike, and is him that spectators witnessed both of reputed to have downed two his wheels flying several inches into the hamburgers and a coke as his bike air off the bumps in the back chicane. motored without him toward the Whitlow quickly proved road racing is concession stand and came to rest indeed "tbe ballet of motorspom" as upright against the fence! Apparently _ he plugged the hole with his foot. This satiated, jorgensen remounted his 750 gave him enough power to repass the and returned to the fray for seventh Kawasaki, but when downshifting for overall. tum two on the sixth lap, he almost Northwest flat track star and twolost it,. allowing the Kawasaki by time S.I~R. Six·Hour Marathon again. Somehow Whitlow caught him winner Randy Skiver blasted Open on the backstretch and led at the white Cafe on the Bellevue Suzuki 1000. Far flag. The Yamaha obviously had . behind him. Gus Denzler's J(.awasaki power on the Kawasaki, so Gallagher's beat Dan Freeman to the flag. In the next.move was a sacrifice. Coming out next heat, Freeman finally got his own of turn 10 onto the front straight, J(.awasaki by Denzler for second. By Gallagher drafted the Yamaha and, virtue of his better second heat by keeping his motor pegged about 12 performance, the scoring system grand in fourth gear, muscled ahead awarded Fn;eman second overall. Bob of Whitlow. !l00 feet from the win, the Loose was fourth to the flag in both maltreated Kawasaki seized.~ races, for fourth overall, ahead of Gallagher pulled in the clutch and Rocky Phoenix. coasted to the checkered flag, just feet ahead of his rival, jumping up and PerhaPs the best race of the day saw down on his footpegs with joy. the Gregg's Greenlake Kawasaki KH400 squeak to a 550cc Cafe win. Pilot Bruce Lind snagged two Open GP Garry Gallagher really had to sweat to . healS.composed of mostly Superbike Canadian Peter four-strokes. win this one. Runner-up jerry Whitlow later said, "He just plain Puhakka's TZ·750 gave Lind a tough wanted to win more than I did."' time in the second sprint, with lap times down to I ::54, (just one or two Gallagher and his totally cafe'd bike seconds off the track record). Puhakka pulled ahead on the back straight during lap six but Lind got him back on the next lap and took the overall win. While the Yamaha GP bikes are usually superIor in this class, the outstanding performance of many Superbikes (like Chris Michak's J(.awasaki and Randy Skiver's Suzuki) seems to mandate more AMA recognition_ Surprise of the day came in the 125cc GP money class, which Gordie Vanskike has dominated for the last year and a half, while jay Burchell has slowly nursed his Honda to fruition. In .the first heat, Vanskike's Honda won by quite a margin. Next time things were different when Burchell beat him by no more than a bikelength. Insiders fear a horsepower war of monumental proportions between the two. Again ,the motocross type point system determined this u,pset victory. The day's worst injury was a sprained' ankle. spectator'oS Uncommon sunshine and. great traction made it seem like a racing picnic. Another event is scheduled for july 29. Results 125 GP: 1. Jav Burchell lHon); 2. Gordie Vanskike lHen); 3. Pat Wilber lKawI. 126 SPORTSMAN: 1. Pete Jacobson (Han); 2. Phil_ Kessler (Yern); 3. St... Elmer IHen). 250 GP: 1. Bruce Lind (Yam); 2. Stewart Graham lYaml;.3. Deen Paterson (Yam). OPEN GP: 1. Bruce Lind lTZ-75;); 2. Peter Puhakka lTZ-750I; 3. Chris Michak (Kaw). 410 PROD: 1. Floyd Fortin (Yernl; 2. Chris Hobbs lYam); 3. Joe Davis (Yam). 'OPEN PROD: 1. Bob"Loose lGS 1000); 2. Rev Baker IGS 1000); 3. Keill\ P.inkstafllLav 1200). 750 PROD: 1. RockV Phoenix (Han 750F); 2. Brian Sutton (Yam 750); 3. John Westphalen (Due 7501. 560 CAFE: 1. Garry Goltegher (Kaw K~); 2. Jerry Sh_ lYam TD-3-R~); 3. .Joe Rodgers CRE-6 Suzl. .oPEN GP SINGLE: 1. Joe Rodgers IRE-6 Suz); 2. Nick FIemin; lSR-600 Yernl; 3. KOYin Davis lSR-6OO Yoml. 250 SINGLE GP: 1. John Mollet C_); 2. ~ Sc:oIIlYernl. OPEN CAFE: 1. Rondy SIci.- IGS 1000 Suz): 2. Don Fr...-IKMl; 3. Guo o.m. lKawl.