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/126423
• ECe.lI'aI PipeliDe • ~ E 0') t"- O') l !") .rn ... So =' « ~ IAbovel Ronnie W....... I3&1 aIInphota off the 8tart but radlcel Mel Newman 11201_ too hot to top.lBeIowl P8rry K....n at speed. Newman, Klassen, Howerton share $10,000 Spring Valley MX * By John Rannikko. Jr. ABILENE, TX,JULY 21·22 Mel Newman (Suz), Parry Klassen (Mai) and Kent Howerton (Suz) went home with big chunks of the $10,000 Expert purse at . - 36 the Spring Valley Motocross in Abilene, Texas with overall wins in the 125cc, 250cc and Open classes respectively. Howerton and Klassen padded their pockets with extra purse money by swapping second places in the two classes they didn't win overall. As well as the purse money he earned, John Day deserves a special endurance award for riding six 55 minute motos, as well as practice, in two days. For many, even one moto in the Abilene heat and dust was too much. Mounted on Yamahas, Day earned a pair of thirds for third overall in the I25cc Expert class; 6-11 finishes in the 250cc Expert class gave him seventh overaJl;_and 5-6 finishes in the Open Expert class was enough for third overall. Texas minibike ace, "F1yin'" Bryan Taylor, came back strong after a poor 11 th place finish in the first molO for Senior Minis. Taylor rode a TC Racing/Yamaha sponsored minibike to a first place in the second moto to combine for fifth overall, and followed that up with a pail: of first place motos in the IOOcc class, also on a TC Racing prepared Yamaha. Many riders were unprepared for the .unusually long starting straightaway and desperately searched for a change of countenhaft sprockets to regear a little taller. The Spring Valley MX track was originally laid out by Rolf Tibblin with one section having been rebuilt for this race. The new section included a double jump with a pair of steps after the second jump, which preceded a third sky£lying jump with a smooth approach and landing. Most of the riders could leap the first pair of jumps, but the dOQble step at the bottom made for a rough landing which sent them into the third jump with too much speed to easily maneuver the left hand sweeper on the other side. After several injuries -during practice, it was decided to shave down the second jump and smooth out the steps, as well as put a grassy chicane into the approaching straightaway to make it a section requiring skill, not speed. This proved to be safer. . Spring Valley was fortunate to have the very capable services of the TES (Texas Emergency Services) and Dr. Howe, who volunteer their time to provide emergency medical care at motocTOllS races. The totally volunteer service is a veteran of six years and has one of the best equipped ambulance rigs around, which treated everything from sunstroke, to broken bones, to sunburn during the weekend. Mel Newman has been smoking everyone in Texas very regularly and Saturday'S I25cc Expert moto was no exception. Newman rocketed his RM Suzuki into the lead off the start with Dennis "Max" Brand (Hon) an~ 14· year-old Kawasaki mounted, San Angelo MX wizard, Ronnie Warman on his heels. Jerry Surber (Hon) fell in turn one, with a multitude of motocross machines barely missing him, remounted, only to throw a chain a few turns later, earning a DNF. On the first circuit around the track, Newman led with Max Brand putting on some pressure. Honda of Austin sponsored Keith Davis had taken over the third spot ahead of Warman, Mike Brownlee (Suz), Alan Spry (Suz) and John Laney (Hon). Team Honda's future hopeful, Shawn Kelly, found himself back in 12th after a miserable start, but first place was his goal as he began a charge for the front. John Day (Yam), who also sat in traffic on the first lap, began to work up from a first lap position in ninth. By lap three, Day and Kelly began breaking into the top five places as Warman faded slightly. Just before midmoto, Newman and Brand controlled first and second place ';th a lot of daylight showing between third place rider, Brownlee. Kelly had just moved ahead of Davis and Brownlee into third when he fell. He got back up but lost several places as Davis, Brownlee and Day packed in behind the leaders. From there, Day challenged Davis for third and took it from him five laps later as Newman, Brand, Day, Davis and a very close .Brownlee crossed' the finish line at the end of the moto. Kelly finished seventh, behind sixth place Kirk Dillon. The second 125cc Expert moto was run on Sunday with Newman and Brand copyin.g theiT previous day's start. This time, however, David Jones (Hon) came from the outside with an apparent holeshot, but got the door closed on him by Newman, Brand and Day. As Newman and Brand continued to fill the one-two spots to the finish, Day and Jones rode the fust half of the moto in each other's shadows till Kelly moved into fourth at midmoto. Kelly c011ldn't muster any more of a charge to overtake Day and eventually fell behind Jones into fifth, just ahead of Keith Davis. At the finish, Day had a five second cushion on his shadow rival, Jones, as Kelly and Davis followed across the line in the top six positions. Brownlee, Jerry Surber, John Laney and Kirk Dmon followed. The I25cc Expert overalls went to Newman (I-I), Brand (2-2), Day (3·5), Davis (4-6) and Brownlee (5-7). Colorado's Boo Stichter, riding for KTM America, made believers out of everyone that holding off Hannah at a recent AMA 250 National in Colorado was no £luke - he got the lead from the start and took it to a 250cc Expert win. Fourteen-year-old flyweight, Kawa· saki rocketman Ronnie Warman followed Stichter off the start with Howard Racing sponsored riders Roger Brown and Derek Weddingbattling their Hondas for third. Wannan's super start came to a speedy halt when mechanical difficulties forced him to retire. Kent Howerton not only got a so-so start, he was also T-boned by another rider during the first lap, breaking his right shock off its lower mount. Hower· ton was able to continue, with with a distinct disadvantage, with only one shock, somewhere" back in 20th place. Maico rider Parry Klassen took over Warman's place in second as Stichter continued to lead. Brown, Weddinx, Kirk Spencer (yam), Steve Staclr.able (Yam) and Maby Mcintyre (Yam) followed in the hot Abilene sand. The order of riden remained the same 'till the ninth lap when Brown fell in a sandy turn, dislodged his plastic gas tank, and was fOKed to DNF when his hot pipe burned a hole in the gas tank. One lap later "Short Stack" Stackable was forced to retire from fifth on an LOP Yamaha when something mechanical went foul. After Brown and Stack stepped out, the order became; Stichter, Klassen, Wedding, Spencer and a hard· charging John Day, who had come from a first lap 15th poIition. By the 12th of a I7-lap race, Day was fifth . and Howerton was bulldogging his damaged RM in seventh. The finish line flagman watched Stichter cross in front with Klassen, Wedding, Spencer, Howe~on and Day rounding out the top six. After a hour-hour plus delay of the second 250cc Expert moto (for a stuck watering truck in the first tum) Parry Klassen crossed the cable starting gate and led Kirk Spencer, Darren Rhoten (Hon), Nick Cordova (Hon) and Roger Brown (Hon) through the first turn. Howerton moved into futh on the first lap and into third on lap two as Rhoten copped the lead from Klassen. First moto winner Boo Stichter was in fifth behind Cordova when Howerton began reeling in Rhoten . Howenon did a lot of reeling and spent most of the race looking for a line around Rhoten's Honda. The "Rhinestone Cowboy" passed Rhoten in a straightaway on the 14th of 17 laps, but lost the lead again at the end of the straight as Rhoten held it on a bit lo.nger before braking. On the following lap Howerton had the lead and Rhoten faded slightly, settling for second at the finish ahead of Klassen, Stackable. Stichter and Monte Anderson (Mai), who had worked up from an early 10th place. Klassen took the 250cc Expert overall with 2-5 finishes, while Howerton, who earned second with 5· I finishes, found it much easier to win the second moto ~ith complete suspension. Stichter took third (1-5), Derek Wedding fourth (5-8) and Kirk Spencer fifth (4-9). Parry Klassen was outstanding early on in both Open Expert motos, but Team Suzuki's Kent Howerton rolled over him midway through both motos for perfect wins, giving Klassen the runn.er-up role in the Open Expert winner's circle. Klassen led Roger Brown (Suz). Mitch Milson (KTM) and Moto·X Fox's up and coming speedster Randy