Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Kurt Chandler. l,G-yeer--01d brother of N8tIone1 Champ Doug Chandler. ~pped the 86cc. 7-',' Stock clan on his KX80 Kawasaki. double Porterville up, in the Sierras, but by Sunday, the weather was fabulous and in the high 80's·low 90's. With lors of hard work, the track was trick with the first two corners quite smooth for the big bikes ' to play on. Over 200 entries was still down from prior years but With inflation and gas worries all around, just having' the event seems great. It was nearly midnight when they began to line up the first main event, but some excess water caused some conste~ation among the 100cc rid~rs, and it was midnight when they finally got started. Vance Sherfield had won the fast heat but must have gotten spooked by the slippery surface 035 he c.ouldn·t hook up well while Chris Carr had a change of rubber and hooked everything with Goodyear DT-ll's and ran off and hid the Jorgy's Suzuki from Vie res,t of the crowd.. ' It was a fitting win for Chris, who has two IT titles to defend at Ascot, after getting off in a 'semi last night and suffering a slight concussion and not competing in either main. Greg Wagenknecht took second with Rich Hager in for third and Keith Gregoire fourth oyer Doug Davis and Sherfield. Once again, the local boys came out to do the showman thing as D·3S's II rider~ike Garrison had a good battle with Bob Land and Mearl Barn.tt for the 12Scl' title. Land was hoping to make his mom happy with a third win but settled for second after... a close battle with Mearl Barnett both riding Vislilia Yamahas. . Dan Vanderpaol made a hard left off the line in the l75-200cc main but it was Chad Bettencoun who made all the right turns for the' win over Mark Hanley out Of Newport News, VA., and BillyJenkins from Baytown, TX. The 2S0cc class was the super main event, and 'it seemed that also the heavy hitters from across theU.S. were on hand. Mike Garrison proved that being the local 11 boy is a help by winning the. show, wire to wire. It was not without action, though, as Pete Hames showed why he is called the .semi flash by knifing through the pack to take second on the fifth lap from Jeff John· son and Doug,Chandler, take bead on Garrison on the next lap, and then crash down the front straight on the next lap taking out Johnson with him., Garrison still had a pretty good lead on th~ ,start of the seventh lap when Hames rode off tum four on his Bill's Pipes Yamaha. He was riding hard and very wide, so wide that when the rear wheel lost traction, he kept tlte gas,on hard'to keep off the fence but also lost more track and threw it away into the fence, giving Johnson no place to go while Chandler got underneath fo" the pass. As Garrison and Chandler came around for the eighth tour, the red went out to clear the straight and call it a race with Randy Green taking third over Ted Davidson and Ross Klatt. I-nother rider had gone off the track down the back straight· causln's' a~other delay as both front 'straight ri4ers got up and walked away OK. Chandler was content with his second ~n the NO-sparked Salinas Kawasaki, Champion frame mount and can't wait until he is 14 next· month so he can ride real' Sportsman stuff. Washingtonian Green held off. Davidson and Klatt and the rest of the.. pack was st~etched, far back. Chris Cannon led most of the 360cc clas but not the important pan. Jeff Springman waited until the appropriate moment and passed in the closing laps for the win while Dave Boyles caught up for the third over Dwayne McCaslin and Brian Pe:eore, but still needed one more gear tooth change for the'Spinetti Honda. Ted Davidson won a restarted SOOcc class over DOllg Chandler and Danny Moore after a first lap incident put Joel Green out with a collarbone injury and .defending champ Hunt out for the night. It was a blessing in disguise fQr Chandler though as the electrics died o{f the line in his lime-green, IT SOO Yamaha. He got enough help to make the restart and finish in fine style ,to the controversial Davidson who was running in the Pro Rookie ranks in_ 19?7 but does qualify for the Amateur status according to existing rules. . Chandler 'and Moore rode great races behind the veteran Expert on their own with Billy Scott in for fourth over Chuck Bowles still keeping the best in the West in the front for all mains: • Moore' and the Cal Cycle Supply/Champion Hondi' led going, into the first corner while Chandler rode a brilliant race from 'fifth to second on his NO/Champion Yamaha .• The 4O·inchers were quite a sight on the quarter mile with some fancy rooster tails and it was Randy Griffith holding onto lirst over Tom Walton and Larry Bird to give SoCal's '0-37 a 1-3 sweep: And to cap off the late hour, Hack riders pave Hill and Mitch Hinker won that title at about 1:30. Yawn .. ' • ,Results Aug, 18, 1979' ~lcc !HI VRS: 1. .-on lSuzl; 2, JeIll Roed_lIUI); 3, Larry Pegram ISuz), o.66cc 7-11 VAS: 1, Randy Turben ISuz); 2. Scollie Scherb lVom); 3. John Kodnoki lVaml, I)«icc 7-11 STOCK: 1. Kurt Chandler (Kawl; 2. Aaron HiIIIKawl; 3, GeOrge R _ . Jr, lSUZ), I)«icc 7-11 VAS MOO: 1, Randy Turbett ISuz); 2, Curtis Cannon lVaml; 3. Aaron Hill (Kaw), I)«icc 12·14 VRS STOCK; 1. MikB Mecado lSuz); 2, Mike lalM'ance 1Vam); 3. Duane DUVBlllVaml, ~ 12-14 VRS MOD: 1. Bob Land lVam); 2. Riel< HoI_lSuzl; 3, Doug ChandI8' IKawl. l00cc SCHOOLBOV: 1, Chad Benancoun IVaml; 2, Grog Wegn.nechllVaml; 3. Den BennettlVliml, 125 SCHOOLBOV: 1. Bob Land IVom); 2. Danny v......, Moore (Yam); 3. Mike Weuon (Yaml. • Aug, 19. 1979 l00cc: 1. Chris Carr ISuz); 2. Greg Wagenknecht (Vam); 3. Rich Hegor IVaml, , 125cc: 1, Mike GarrioonIVam); 2, Bob Land (Va,,"; 3. M""" BamettlVam), 200cc: 1, Chad B-.coun (Vain); 2, Mark Hartlev IBul); 3, Billy Jenkins IVam). 250cc: 1, Mike Garrioor:l lVam); 2. Doug Chand!_ IKlWI; 3, Randy Gr_lVam), ' 2IlOcc: 1. Jeff Springman lVaml; 2. Clvis Cannon lVam); 3. Dave 80yIes lHon), • 500cc: 1. Ted DaIridson IVam); 2. Doug ChIoncl8 (Kawl; 3, Danny MooreIHonI, OPEN: 1. Randy Griffith lVam); 2, Tom Walton IT.il; 3, Larry Bird ITn!. SIDEHACK: 1, Dave HilIIM~ch Hink_ lHon); 2, Jim (If John Sherman tNor). • • J ~ ;. ~! L 9.') .t:J\)

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