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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126422
Reigning 250cc Champ Guennady Moiseev (1) leads Bob Hannah (21). Kippy Pierce 1371. Ron Sun (28) and Kees Van der Ven (9) through a choppy Unadilla turn. ~,Carlqvist clinches Hannah - threw his chain, giving Hannah and Moiseev an easy pass. Hannah lit the afterburner and set out after Howerton who was trying to do the same to Tripes. However, Marty would have none of it and rolled to an easy win. "J c~n take the heat," said Tripes between motos, "It's the. track that's beating the hell out of me." MQiseev and Kavinov rounded out the top five with Guerra and LOP's Mark Gregson sixth and seventh. Van der Ven, Georges Jobe and Hi-Point sponsored Frank Stacy rounded out .the points paying positions. Howerton, who had vowed to make up for getting caught in traffic on the start of moto one, did just that. The Rhinestone Cowboy got off the line first with Kavinov studt to his rear fender. Van der Ven, Moiseev, Carlqvist and Tripes followed. Hannah was about 12th. By lap three Carlqvist had moved around Kavinov for second and Hannah had steamrolled his way into fourth. Howerton was already in overdrive. Tripes, instead of charging as he had in moto one, was slowing. Stomach cramps were the cause of his distress and by lap six he was in the pits being examined by an ambulance crew. At· about this same time, Kavinov crashed hard on one of the downhill sections on the back of the course and spent a good portion of the remaining laps allowing his head to clear. Hannah moved past Carlqvist on lap eight after a bit of close quarter racing and set off after Howerton. Sometime in the next few laps, according to Hannah, a rock smashed into his brake cable near the hub and cut into the cable. Within a few laps, Hannah had lost the use of the brake. To those watching, there seemed to be little.change in his riding style. By lap 12 Howerton could feel Hannah's hot breath and was rudely awakened by him stuffing a wheel underneath at every chance. Hannah picked a bumpy downhill section t.o move by - no need for brakes - and it was the Rhinestone Cowboy's turn to follow. The duel was watched closely by those in the mechanic's area. Greg Arnette, Howerton's tuner, flashed signs on consecutive laps reading Stay close - time; 16 minutes push; charge NOW and then the interval time between the pair. At this point Howerton needed to be within three seconds of Hannah at the finish to take the overall win. Keith McCarty was flashing time left in the moto and an occasional interval time to Hannah. The duel w.as on and what a duel it was. The pair played rubberband over the entire track as the roar of the crowd at each move echoed off the hillsides. Howerton was pushing in every corner, trying to make Hannah bobble a bit or slip off his line. Instead, it was Howerton who blew it. Charging into an easy corner, he went down. Although up quickly, the action lost title him approximately nine seconds. There were less than thTee laps to go. "The crash was the worst moment of my life," recalled Howerton when it was all over. "It was an easy corner, I_ . just turned the wheel too hard and down I went. Luckily, I didn't lose my concentration. "Talk about being bummed," said his tuner Greg Arnette, "When I gave Kent a minus six (seconds) pit signal, I didn't think we had a chance." But Howerton gobbled up ground at an amazing rate - to the delight of .the crowd - and with one lap to go he had Hannah close at hand . "The advantage was mine," said Howerton, "I knew how close I had to be to win (overall) and I just kept the distance to about six bike lengths on the last lap." "I knew he was there," said Hannah without reference to his brake problem, "It was difficult to tell how close. 'Behind all the action, Carlqvist had ridden tp a steady, unspectacular third place. It was enough to clinch the title. "I am very happy to have won the title," said a beaming' Carlqvist, "I wish I could have wrapped it up in the first moto then I would have given the American riders a run for it." Moiseev and Van der Ven dueled for most of the moto for fourth with Moisseev holding the position at the finish. It was good for third overall. Raymond Boven led Guerra who took fifth overa\) and top privateer. Erik Sundstrom, Stacy and Jean Claude Laquay rounded out the top 10. II II • 500cc Support Pat Maroney almost didn't win overall in the Support class. His engine seized just as he crossed the finish line behind winner Fred Vertucci at the end of moto one. A quick rebuild job cured that. While Maroney had charged his way to second, it was Mickey Kessler who had the crowd roaring as he came from a pair of crashes that left him charging from dead last up to fourth in motoone. Hard luck in moto one went to Maico supported. Ken Adams who led all laps except the last two when a crash tweaked his handlebars. The final moto saw Kessler leave everyone in the dust hoping that Maroney would not place second. But Maroney,' after sorting out Vertucci and Adams, did just that. • Results 250cc INTERNATIONAL: 1. Kent Ho_on ISuzl 22; 2. Bob Hannah IVaml 3-2; 3. Gennady Moiaaev IKTM) 4-4; 4. Kees Van der Ven IMai) 8-5; 5. Mike Guerra IHusl 6-7; 6. Raymond Boven IHusl 12-6; 7. Frank Stacy IKTMI 10-9; 8. Jaak Van Vatthouen (KTM) 15-11; 9. Jimmy Ellis (Honl 16-12; 10. John 5avilSki IVam) 17-13; 11. Marty Tripes IHon} 1-30; 12. Hakan Carlqvist IHusl30-3; 13. Vaughn semmens (Mai) 20-14; 14. Darren Rhoten (Honl 19-15; , 5. Vladimir Kavinov IKTMI 5-30; 16. Jay Kimber IKawl 21-16; 17. Mark Gregson IVamI7-3O;'18. Erik Sundstrom IHus) 30-8; 19. Georges Jobe ISuz) 9-30; 20. Jean Claude laqueye ISWMI30-10. 500cc SUPPORT: 1. Pat Maroney ISuz) 2-2; 2. Mickey Kessler (Yam) 4·1; 3. Med Vertucci (SuzI1-4; 4. Ken Adams (Mail 5-3; 5. Gary Pustelak IMail 3-5; 6. Pierce Law ISuz) 6-7; 7. Gary Shipley IMaiI9-7; 8. Glenn Gacey IM.iI11-8; 9. Gary DunklebergerlMai) 10-10; 10. Jeff Hicks ISuzI7-14. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS: 1. Hakan CarlqviS1 (218): 2. Neil Hudson (154); 3. Vladimir Kauinou 11181; 4. Gennedy Moiseev 1961; 5. Ro" Dieffenbach 1891; 6. Kees Van der Von 1811; 7. Georges Jobe 164); 8. Ja,oslav Falta 148); 9. Jean Claude Laquaye (45); 10. Jaak Van Vatthouen 1431. 7