Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Keener uncorks Black Hills regional half mile . , By Richard C~e~d STURGIS, SO, AUG. 12 The whole··week of races, tours through the Black Hills, and partying wound down to a finale on Sunday afternoon. The Western Regional half mile, with rider points and $4,000 in cash up for grabs, played to a record crowd of almost 7,000 that packed the grandstand and lined most of the fencing. Although the rider entry was down from previous years, the event was anything but boring. . Because of a rapidly approaching cloud cover, the Expert feature race was moved ahead of the Novice and Junior mains. The feared rain didn't show, but temps did cool down. Expert Corky Keener needed two shots at it, but he got the lead ~ing into tum one on the restart of the feature after the officials ruled a jumped start. Keenei had been third the first time, but made good on the second attempt and was never headed. Keener got to the final after following fastest qualifier Sonny Burres and Joey Perdue borne in the first of two Expert heat races. Burres' ITO time of25.9!l1 bested Saturday's Expert winner, Phil McDonald by .017 of a second. McDonald was out for a repeat performance on Sunday and looked to be on his way as he won his heat race over Joe Wilson and Frank Word. McDonald's heat was the fastest at 2:40.7!l!l, Burres' winning ride had been almost two seconds slower. The stage was set, but the feature was anticlimatic after Keener took the lead on the restart. The slick, almost concrete like surface of the track made' comer passing out of the question and with the entire field covered by a less than two second blanket, horsepower, or at least usable horsepower was ahout even down the straights. Not that Keener was allowed to stroke it home. Frank Word 'of Gresham, OR, was never more than a few lengths back and Phi! McDonald was pressing Word throughout the race. Joe Wilson made a la~e race charge past. SonnY Burres and Joey Purdue to take fourth after mixing it up with Burres, Purdue, Thomas Berry and' Mickey Fay (Hon) for much of the race. Fay wowed his new found fans with more of his slashing style and topped his ride off with another wheelie down the back straight at the end of the race which ended in -a beautiful sliding donut which turned into another wheelie and a jump into the pits. If nothing else, Fay should have received points for style. James Filice (Yam) scored more points toward the Novice crown with another win over Brett Miller and Scott Adams. Filice ran off and hid while Miller, Adam~ and Lonne Woffard "strapped- for the-scraps. -Mi1fer fma'lly got into second and Adams edged Woffard. The Adams-Woffard race was a repeat of the second semi; both riders transferred to the feature from the semi in which Adams had defeated Woffard. Although the Novice race was good, it's hard to match the sound and speed of four stroke 750's with the scream of the two strokers. The final race of the day, and of Classic week, was the best as David Jones, Don· Shobert and Robert Crabbe, all Harley mounted, and Jeff Haney aboard a Honda 500cc single fought for the Junior feature win. Jones· had defeated· Shobert on Saturday, while Crabbe was 'back in the pack and Haney was totally out of the running. But Sunday was a new day and Jones had to get past Shobert and Crabbe to win with Hane.y hanging in just a few lengths back. It wasn't easy and resulted in some wheels within wheels in the turns and finally some elbow smacking on the front straight between Robert Crabbe and David Jones which Don Shobert took advantage of on the last lap to get past Crabbe. At the finish it was Jones, . Shobert, Crabbe and Haney in that order. Results EXPERT FINAL: 1. Clif! Keener IH-D); 2. Fronk Word (H-D); 3. Phillip McDonald IKow); 4. Joe Wilson IH-D); 5. joey Purdue (H-D); 6. Lewis Burres (H-D); 7. Thomos Berry (H-D); B. Mlckoy Fay IHan); 9. Earl Roloff. Jr. (Yom); 10. William Brown 11-1-0); 11. Buddy Robinson (H-D); 12. Rendy Hinez (H-D). NOV FINAL: 1. James R. Filice (Yom); 2. Brott A. Millar (Vom); 3. Scon A. Adams IVom); 4. Lome Wolford (Vam); 5. H.S. Teytor WhOe IV IYom); 6. Benjamin J. lake,ien IKow); 7. Cliff T. Allen (H-D); B. Dian E. Dulaney (Yom); 9. Stephen F. Burroughs (Kow); 10. Brian D. Andofson (Vam); I 1. Scon f'od.ele. Anyone slipping off the line immediately found themselves sliding in the dust; impressive looking, but not the fast line around the Sturgis Fairgrounds half mile. Finishing well back of the leaders were Corky Keener and Team Honda rider, Mickey Fay. Saturday's program offered $2.000 in prize money and had all three rider.... classes hammering away. Only 121 riders made it to Sturgis on Saturday, an entry smaller than normal. The high cost of traveling is taking its toll on the number of events riders cal1 go in a season, and the Classic races felt . the pinch. Texans in particular were noted as missing as they have won the last two years running; Mike Kidd in 19'17 and Terry Poovey in 1978. As a prelude to Sunday's regional points thriller, David Jones and Don Shobert finished 1-2 although Shobert had to take the runner up slot from Gene Church on the last lap. Jones had a relatively easy time out front. Pressing in on Church at the,finish was Jeff Marramore. In the Novice race, James Filice continued the domination of his opponents he had started at Friday - .". (eOlitinuel! tet pdt~ J4) ~?II

• Cover