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/126428
.. (; III • ~ E ~ I:' ~ ~ ~ GJ ""' ..c 8 GJ ..., p.. GJ en , Richard Buford 16661 end Den Freemen 117lleen into e Portlend tum. sewed up. Whatever power Lind had on him couldn't make up for lost traction and he led at the wire. Heat two was essentially the same as Lind's Dunlops continued to deteriorate. This time Draper grabbed a firm lead at the halfway point on his Dave Garoute Racing DKG framed TZ250 and took his second heat win for firS[ overall followed by Lind, and Dwayne Chung. Dan Freeman sewed up his '79 championship in Open Cafe. To Dan's chagrin, however, his special cylinder head was damaged; sporting stock cams, carbs, and head, Freeman's Zl came in second in the day's racing as Randy Skiver (Bellevue Suzuki) blitzed both heats. Richard Basford's (Frisco Racers) Kawasaki took third. In 850cc Cafe, Wade Boyd of Frisco Racers pushed his potent 650cc Kawasaki to two wins over Pat Marinacci (Honda 750·F) and Larry Stickles (Kaw H-2). Seettle Sunday dawned a bit too early for the hundreds who'd journeyed from Portland the night before. But, tightened pre-grid procedures kept everything on schedule. In l25cc GP money, Fred Winters (AFM II) surprised local favorite Gordie Vanskike with a win. Gordie wasn't too unhappy - today's finishes counted double in season points and his local rival and points leader, Jay Burchell, was out with engine problems. Flat track star Diane Cox, now of S &: W Moton in Longview, Washington, rode well in Open GP single. Her fint road race at S.I.R. found her White Bros. equipped TT-500 in second place behind Chris Michak's Honda. Trailing Cox was Joe Rodgers' rotary Suzuki suffering ignition problems. Garry Gallagher got points on rival Jerry Whitlow in 550cc Cafe. Whitlow's Yamaha refused to start in the first heat which Gallagher's Kawasaki handily won. Whitlow came back with a vengeance in heat two. He won it ahead of Gallagher but Gallagher still got the fint overall trophy. Open Cafe saw Randy Skiver blast to two more wins. When will it end? Behind Skiver in heat one, John Nelson fought to stay ahead .of Mike McLoughlin and Richard Basford but he ran off turn seven on the sixth lap where his bike caught fire. Pat Marinacci eventually grabbed second ahead of Basford as Rocky Phoenix took founh ahead of McLoughlin. In the second heat Roben Lount's GSIOOO held off Richard Basford's Kawasaki for six laps, when Basford took second for good. Marinacci took fourth iii this heat for third overall behind Basford and Skiver for the day. Of course the day's premier race was 250cc GP money. As soon as Bruce Lind reached home country, he headed straight for his garage where he found two brand new Dunlop slicks - one of which was a very wide, triangulated, experimental front tire. This might have given Bruce the edge on Doug, but the picture was further complicated by a number of very competitive Canadian entries. Twenty·nine riden entered the class and a five lap qualifier determined starting positions in the 20 lap main event. Draper w'on the qualifier. followed by Lind, Ken Botham of Vancouver, B.C. and Dwayne Chung of "Team Turtle." At the green flag Draper got his usual good start and led up to the second lap where Lind (having changed his tires before the main) stuffed it under him in turn two. Lind dropped to third on lap four as Draper took the lead with Ken Botham in second. Steve Schaefer held an early third, but a sputtering ignition slowed him to an eventual 10th place. Canadian Alan Seddon pressed on to pass Botham for fourth on lap eight, and briefly held second on the next go· round. But unlucky Botham had to pull out of the race with a flat rear tire. Halfway through, Draper and Lind got serious. With Lind in first place, the pair began gaining two seconds a lap on the field. By lap 14, Lind had 50 feet on Draper when they ran into backmarkers. Draper, somehow, took the lead on the next lap while Lind shadowed him, probing the best spot for a last lap strike. He briefly took first at the end of the 19th lap, then Draper again tried to out-brake him going into turn two. For a second, Draper had it. On the brakes late, he still managed to slow down while stuffing it to the inside. But now his own tires showed their age. Just barely' ahead of Bruce, Doug gassed his TZ250 a bit much. His tires let go, then caught, highsiding him. Lind missed his helmet and made tire tracks over Draper's lower back. Lind highsided in the weeds, his windscreen, front brake reservoir were mashed, and right footpeg gone. Turn -9lrA"'EWSSB fiSHEh\ HusQvarna MOTORCYCLES PARTS - SERVICE Cycle Rider Stores Offer Discount Prices 7 Days a Weeki 605 Frwy. at Carson 11747 E. Carson St. Lakewood. CA 90715 213-860-1354 714·521·7112 n - Racing Frames Flat Track Specialties 4904 S. 164th 12061 242-8878 SEATTLE, WA 98188 205 N. H.rbor Sont. AM. CA 714·839·554' 1520 W. Holt On..OO. CA 714-983-8210 rn!1iE"'70 Vi"'" A .. '1 fI I • I LUBE~ P..,.den8 CA91107 12131796-7828 41 -