Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

The start of the first 12&cc motu finds Jim Gibaon 1511 and 8(ien Myerscough (31 getting good S18rtS while Mark &.nett f9land Donnie CenteIoupi 13381 almo8t filii victim to a pIle-up. . AMA 125/500cc National Championship MX Series - Rounds 6/7 Glove~ tops 125cc class: Staten scores Open victory By Jim Gianatsis HOUSTON, TX, AUG. 5 In what seemed like a torture test the rid€rs ran their motos amid near 100 degree temperatures and a solid blanket of humidity that kept their goggles constantly fogged, but those who w~re in good physical shape could endure. That included Broc Glover and Rex Staten of Team .. Yamaha who won the bake off 16 for overall wins in their respective classes at the Yamaha sponsored Rio Bravo Nationals. Glover was clearly superior in the 125cc National class as the reigning champ and current series poin.ts leader ripped off back-to· back mota wins from poor starts with his Jim Felt wrenched OW-42 Yamaha factory machine. In the 500cc National class Rex Staten traded sweat and mota wins with current· series leader Danny LaPorte on a Suzuki, with Rex bringing his Tom Volin prepped Yamaha OW·41 into the winner's circle the first time this year. Winner's circle ceremonies were sweet as Penthouse cover gir~ Debbie Zullo .was on ~and to trade ktsse5 and trophies for a httle of that hard earned on track glory. 125cc National After his perfonnance at the United States 125ee Grand Prix two w~ks earlie~, nearly everyone was expecung Suzuki's Mark Barnett to take control of the Nationals this week after the mid-summer break. And it was Suzuki teammates Brian Myencough· and Barnett blasting off with the start of the day's first mota amid a huge pileup in turn one. That crash took down a number of riders including Honda's Warren Reid and new Team Suzuki rider, Pat Jacobson. Jacobson's outstanding perfonnance as a privateer the first half of the 125cc Nationals Series had earned him a factory ride on an RA works bike. But it only lasted from the starting line to the first tum as Jacobson was taken to the hospital with a severe back injury. R~id, with his jersey torn to shreds, remounted and rejoined the race in last .place. "I got a really bad start behind that crash," said Broc Glover. It wasn't long though before Brae had terrorized his way up through the pack. Passmg Moto-X Fox's Donnie Cantaloupi for third place, he then set his sights on the two Team Suzuki riders out front. At the halfway point in the moto Glover sandblasted his way past Barnett with nary a fight, then two laps later did the same to Myencough as they charged through the signal area to give Brae the lead. Brae kept his steam up the rest of the race and continued to pull away for the win with a huge lead. . Myerscough held onto second position ahead of Barnett; Cantaloupi turned ~ fooM to the determined rider from Kawasaki, Jeff Ward, just before the finish line, and Warren Reid turned in a spectacular ride after his first tum crash to claim sixth ahead of Steve Martin and Jim Gibson. Shawn Kelly and a group of other privateers gassed themselves out front at the start of m~to two and continued to 1O?k good even after Honda's Jim Gibson moved into the lead at the end of the first lap. Brae Glover got another bad start. "I must have been dumping my clutch too hard on the concrete starting pad and not getting aflY traction," Glover guessed. But o.ce again he came from the back of the pack, this time with MyencOllgh, Barnett and Cantaloupi in company. It was Brae who woried the hardest to make up for his lost ground as he diced past Kelly at the lO·minute mark for second place and then found himself reeaught by both Kelly and Jeff Ward for a battle which lasted nearly five minutes. Finally Brae shook them off and went after Gibson, passing to take over the lead at the 15 minute mark. Gibson and Kelly would burn themselves out and drop back into the pack as Barnett moved up to claim second ahead of Ward, followed by Reid, Myencough and Cantaloupi who was again top piivateer on his Chuck Tannlund prepared YZ Yamaha from Moto·X Fox. "I 'worked my butt off the last two weeks for this win," said Glover in reference to his defeat by Barnett at the U.S. Grand Prix. He had come early to Texas to work out and ride in the heat and it had paid off. He was obviously the fastest 125cc rider at Houston and Barnett wasn't able to run off from Glover when National Championship points were on the line. 500cc National In an unexpected surprise Rex Staten had his main jets wide open at Rio Bravo as he holeshot both motos in the heavy metal c1aas. The first race saw Rex waltzing his 425cc works Yamaha out ahead of Danny LaPorte, Gaylon Mosier, Marty Moates, Bell, Semics, Theiss Stackable, Croft and Ellis. For "Captain Cobalt" Ellis, this was his first National race of the season since his February Supercross injury. . Staten held the lead for 45 minutes as LaPorte hitched his Suzuki on

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