Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Cycle News 1979 07 25

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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, IAbove) Jeff Ward (26) led the charge before 76.~ fans.IBelow) Donnie Hansen scored top privateer honors.. . Kent Howerton now leads the Toyota Supercroa Triple Crown stIIndings. banners wrapped up in the rear wheel, and he had to be content with a commendable fourth place. Mosier and Bell went at it, swapping . the lead again and again. until the final lap when the race was decided in a crash behind the L.A. Coliseum's peristyle. "There was a small berm - too far to the outside to use, really - because someone could pass inside you," Mosier explained later, "But I tried to use it to pass Bell. It was muddy, and I just slipped right over it." With Mosier down, Bell rode to a secure win which pleased his own 'special cheering section no end. '~My mom brought 100 tickets," Mike said, "and then sold them to all our friends so they'd all be sitting together. She wrote 'em a check for $1,500." Mosier remounted to finish second. Yamaha's 500cc National Champion Rick Burgett finished third, as Suzuki's Darrell Shultz and Scott Gillman completed the top five transfer positions. ' In the first of two semiflnals, Bob Hannah led Can· Am's Tony DiStefano to the flnish line. In the second semi, Donnie Hansen and John Savitski took the two transfer spots to the final. Yamaha's Rex Staten scored the flnal berth on the flnal event starting line by winning the consolation race. Final 16 For the second time that evening, Kawasaki's Teeny Meanie Jeff Ward found the quick line over the backward·falling starting gate and led Barnett, Howerton, Mosier and Jennings through tum one, this time at the start of the money· paying event. Ward held flrm as they came around for the completion of lap one,. and Barnett kept the leader in striking distance. But Howerton had bobbled, dropping to fifth, and it was Kawasaki's Gaylon Mosier taking his place behind Barnett in third. Jenning moved up to fourth ahead of Howerton, Jimmy Weinert, Mike Bell, Rich Eierstedt and Donnie Hansen. Gary Sernics rounded out the top 10. Mosier began an early sprint for the lead on lap three when he got around Barnett and wedged in behind Ward. The top three were extremely clOle with fourth place Jennings only a second behind, and he was at the pressure point in a four·way race for fourth with Weinert, Howerton and Bell. Rex Staten, trying to better his out· of-the-top-IO position, crashed in the whoops just before the flnish line and was shaken badly enough to call it quits after receiving attention from track medical attendants. On lap flve, one-quarter through the 20-lap event, Mosier held flrm, but Barnett was harassing Ward' and trying to take over second place. Bell had gotten past not only Howerton and Weinert but Jennings as well, and the eventual secon.d placer rode in fourth. Marty Tripes, 14th at the completion of lap one, had just broken into the top 10. On lap six, Tripes suffered a setback when he touched Hansen's rear wheel and dumped the Honda. He remounted quickly losing little time and started charging again.· Lap seven saw Barnett discover the weak spot in Ward's defense and slip his S~zuki past the Kawasaki rider into second place. The order at the end of lap nine had Mosier in the lead with Barnett second. Ward was being challenged by Bell for third, and Howerton held a semi-stable futh place. Completing the top 10 were Jennings, Hansen, Gibson, Tripes and Weinert. Bell wasn't willing to settle for fourth, and as they approached the halfway mark, he slipped past Ward into third place. Howerton, too, was thinking about putting together a lasthalf rally, an4 !Ie followed ~Il past Ward on the next lap. Mark Barnett and Mike Bell began their tire-rubbing battle just past the halfway flags, and the entire second half of the moto kept spectators on their feet and yelling. Finally, time ran out. With two laps to go, Barnett decided the time had come to go just a little bit harder, and he put the move on Mosier. As the two wound through the Toyota Tornado, Barnett tucked his wheel inside Mosier and pulled alongside as they shot up the steep incline. Gaylon saw the blur of yellow ,:at this side and tried to close the door, but it was too late. Barnett had the controlling line, and Mosier' front wheel just bounced off as Mark jammed past. The cheering was deafening. Bell was as determined to win as was Barnett, and he also gave that extra' inch of effort, finding a way past Mosier on the last lap. He ~ .n the Suzuki rider again, and for a moment, it was a Suzulti/Yamabal Kawasaki race with any marque Iikey to win. Bell closed on Bamett again. &ad the pair pulled a slight lead on Mosier. As they left the last tum on the last lap, both were 100% wide open, ad they sailed acrosa the jump/finish line with Bell's front wheel at Barnett's rear! Mosier kept a secure third ahead of Howerton and Ward. Marty Tripes had worlted his way up to take sixth place ahead of Donnie Hansen. Jim Gibson took eighth place. Marty Moates' LOP Yamaha rolled in ninth ahead of 10th placer Jimmy Weinert, a remarkable ride for Moates considering he'd completed lap one in 20th place. • Resu~ ANAl: 1. lSuzI; 2. _ . . CYomI; 3Geyton _ 1KN; 4. It.- _ _ (Suzl; 5. JIll Word 11Cawl; 8. Mooty T , - I _ ; 7. Dannie _ IC-AI; 8. Jim _lHan); 9. Mooty _ CY....k 10. Jim W _ llCawl; 11. DomIlI Shultz lSuzI; 12. Ri:Il E _ IC-AI; 13. _ Gftgoon CYom!; 14. S_ w.... lHon); 15. RicIt Bu

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