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/126426
(Above) Mark Barnett (9) and 125cc Nations. Champ Broe Glover (1) finished Ake this in both motos. (Balow left) Gary Denton (779) took fourth In the.125c~ race. (Below right! Mickey Kessler scored a third In the &OOcc event. . ( the title by three points.. place as Bell disappeared with the lead over Sun. Stackable, Ellis, Arlo Englund, Ke5!ller and Parry Klassen. LaPorte wasted no time in making up lC\St ground and within 10 minuteS he had clinched eighth place which assured him of the 500cc National title. From that point on LaPorte rode conservatively and safely, but improved hiS positioJ;l by moving up t fifth by the end of the race behind Englund, Stackable. and Kessler. Mike Bell, meanwhile, had nearly a !I0-second cushion over the strong tiding Kessler to claim the moto and - the overall win as well. Front runners Ellis and Sun. 'who receittly returned 10 'the circu.it after a' period of recuperating from injuries, were still not u{' to the heated ,pace for two full motas; Sun dropped back to sixth 'and, Ellis to 20th, . It was cert~inly a fitting end to the 500cc National Championship Series with Mike Bell taking the race win and Danny LaPorte claiming the title., After just missing the 125cc title in .1977, amid the three-way battle with Yamaha's Glover· and Hannah, LaPorte left DO doubt this time just who the best rider was. 125cc National "I finally put two motos t-ogether, even if it took me all year '.to do it," beamed Team Suzuki's Mark Barnett, His Doug Grant prepared RA·125 Harry Everts signaturc model ran away with back· to-back motp wins to give Barnett another overall win. although it all came too late to put a stop to Broc Glover's third' I25cc National Championship titk, clinched the week before~ The d;lY'S surJ'rise performance' came in the I25cc class as privateer· Gary Denton from Chino, California, took the opening moto start over'. Moto-X Fox's Donnie Cantaloupi and Warren :Reid, It was nearly the halfway point of the race before Barnett and Glover moved up from • their poor mid-pack starting po.o;itions to help displace Denton back to fifth by molO'S end. Barnett cl:!arged his way into' the lead at. the I5-minute mark and disappeared, while Glover h~d to battle for second with new .teammate Cantaloupi. This was Cantaloupi's last race for Moto-X 'Fox: he has signed a multiyear contract with Yamaha and will ride the Trans-USA Series aboard the injured Bob Hannah's Yamahas, Both Barnett and Glover pulled good starts in'moto two and battled for the lead, back and forth, i.n an exciting clash which lasted 20 minutes and determined the overall win. In the second half of the' moto Barnett maintained his speed at the heat slowed Glover's pace and dropped him back. Glover had to settle for another second behind Barnett, with third going to Honda's Warren Reid who was followed by local Florida ace Steve Manin -on 'a Yamaha support team bikc. Martin's fourth moved him to third overall beh'ind Barnett and Glover. " . Results 12s;,c: 1. Mark Barnett ISuz) 1-1; 2. Broc' GIovelIVam) 2-2; 3, Steve' Martin (Yam) 4-4: 4. Gary Denton IVam) !HI: 5, Richard Coon (Yam) 9-5; 6: Pat Moroney ISuz): 6-8: 7. Donnie Canuoloupi IV..,) 3-15; B. David TayIoJ IVarn) 8-7; 9. Jeff Ward IKaw) 7·12: 10.. Kris Bigelow (Yam) 11·10; 11. Warren Reid IHen) "-3: 12. Ron Tu.- (Yam) 18-7; 13. Choppv Blose IKaw): 17·11: 14. Jeff SutW811 (Yarn) 15-14; 15. Brian Mverscough ISuzl 12·17; 16. Anlhonv Masciarelli ISuz) 10-"; 17. Keith Watson ISuzl '-13; 18. John Gu__ lHenl13-"; 19. Carlo MussoIKaw) 19-16;20. David Hollis IVam) 14- "Denot.. placing out of top 20. 5QOcc: 1. Mika Ball IV..,) 2·1; 2, Danny laPorta ISuz) Hi; 3. Michael ~ (Yarn) 6-2: 4, Steve S_1a IVam) 5-3: 5, Chuck Sun lHua): 4-6: 6, Marty Moates (Y..,) 7·7; 7, Ar10 englUnd IVamI12~; 8. Greg Thiess (Yam) 6-8: 9. Randv Kirschbaum ISuz) 9-10; 10. Jim E1l1s(Hon) 3-20; 11, Monte Andarson lMaillo-14; 12, Mark Rakeotr8w I_I 16-9:· 13. Goat Stolcar IHusl '-412: 14. 'DennY"Swartz IMei) 15-13: 15. John Jovnar (Yarnl 13-16: 16, Roaa Wotliams IHus) 20-11: 17. John Reinholt IMeil17·15: 18, Marvin McDanielIVamll1·"; 19. Sean O'Bri., ISuz) 19-17; 20. Wayne Boyar ISuzl "1& . FINAl POINT STANDINGS 125cc: 1, Stoc Glover 13691; 2. Mark Barnett 12991: 3. Brian Mvarscou9h 12691: 4. Warran Reid 1244); 5. Donnv Cantalo6pi (225); 6. Jeff Ward (210); 7. Jim Gibson 11n!; 8. Ron Turner 11491: 9: Pat Moroney 11461; 10. David Taylor (124). , 500cc: 1, Danny laPorta 1399l; 2: Mika Ball 13961; 3. Gary Samica 1233); 4, Arlo Englund (219)' 5. Rax Staten (217); 6. Gayton Mosier 12131; 7. Da,,8iiiji\ultz (205): 8. Mickev Kessler 1201 I; 9. Martv Moates 1188); 10. Greg Thiess 1161). 9