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/126433
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• CeDlI'a1 PipeliDe Short tr8ck winner. Ronnie Jones. Bubbe Rush (241 and Joe Wilson shake on It after a fine race at OK City. of town Ex~ns, getting primed for the regional AMA points race Oct. 27, spurred Rio to bump the purse up but the hometown team of Jerry Surber Jr. and Shawn Kelly kept the cash at home. When Honda mounted Kelly yielded to a sticky ring, Surber, on the Howani·Hunziker Honda, bussed his 125cc to the win. Close on his tail was Honda mounted David McClain. The 250cc Ex~rt class saw the Kelly parade from wire to wire in both motos. Surber now C!nn~teing in the 250cc class was third, behind McClain who finished second overall. The 250cc Intermediates have always been a hot class at Rio. Many good riders who don't want to fight the likes of Kelly, com~te regularly and today the leaders traded moto crashes and wins during the close running. Randy Choat (Yam) came out first over Byron Chism (Hon) and Jeff Ellis (Hon). Bringing up fourth was Paul Beavers (Yam). _. Results MINI MINI: 1. Tr~ Doh....om; 2. J.R. LMooe; 3. HeiIh Pork.... MINI JR: 1. Mort< Cochran; 2. DUS1y ~ 3. Mike MINI SR: 1. Jell Giboon; 2. CIwd Porker; 3. Rocky Myers. . 10lla:: 1. JOlOn Elder; 2. Jemeo 11ey; 3. Chns Welio. 125 BEG: 1. Mike _ ; 2. Ken Mungle; 3. Roy StIhl. _. 125 NOV: 1. John R _ ; 2. Wevne _ ; 3. Joy Mitchell. 125INT: 1. Von n.o.-; 2. John Miller; 3. Deweyne W~ 1. J..,., Surber; 2. Devid McCIIin; 3. John NOV 250: 1. Glenn Mueh_n; 2. Tom Kennedv; 3. lilly SorIdiIer. 250 INT: 1. Rondv Choele; 2. Byron Chiem; 3. Jell EJioo. 250 EX: 1. S ' - ' Kelly; 2. Devid McClein; 3. J..,., Surber. 500 INT: 1. Tom Konnedy; 2. Glenn _ ; 3. JemeoS-. OVER 30: 1. JOl'r( W_; 2. IIobbv Vtloreel; 3. John Schmidt Felice, Crabbe, Rush grab OK State Fair Half-mile By Frank H. Harrison OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, SEPT. 29 From the start of the Expert main event, you could tell Houston's Bubba Rush wasn't going to settle for any more , I' 36 "dead heat" finishes like he and Ted Boody had at the recent San Jose National trophy dash. With a full tum lead on the field, Rush, on his Klaus S~worlts Edwards Motor Co. Jemco Harlqr, kicked off the Oltlahoma State Fair three race weekend in grand style. A small but enthusiastic crowd of only 1200 faithfuls watched as riders from 20 states lined up for 'the program. With the best of all classes, which included regional champions from east and west in attendance, it was fast and hot racing right down to the final events. The Novice final was bound to be a real thriller with western regional points leader Jim Felice and central leader Scott Adams both on the line, but as the flag dropped Gerald Bowman zapped the field into turn one. Bowman was streaked down the back· stretch by Adams on his Dennis Latimer tuned Yamaha with Felice in hot pursuit on his Klotz MXL Champion Racing Yamaha. Tom Colson, on his Vi~r racing Yamaha, also passed Bowman while Felice continued to pressure Adams, but back in the pack Lome Wofford was coming on strong from a bad start and picked his way through the pack to fourth place. Lap five saw Felice finally winning the battle over Adams, but it was still anybody's guess for the finish. Felice, Adams, and Colson put a big gap ahead of Wofford, leading the rest of the pack, and that was the finish at 10 laps - Felice, Adams, Colson, Wofford, Tommy Potter and Phillip Culver. The Junior Main was also met with great expectation as central high point leader Don "Bubba" Shobert and eastern leader Robert Crabbe were both in the lineup. The start was . disasterous, however, as a three rider pileup occurred in tum one which included former Novice regional champ Larry Beale, Jr., in his fIrSt AMA event in two years. Fortunately nobody was eliminated and after the riden straightened their handleban and composures a good restart was in order. Crabbe grabbed the fint tum on his family sponsored/Lancaster Harlqr· Davidson special followed by Shrevepons' fast Freddie. S~ncer in one of his few flat track appearances this year, and Bubba Shobert on his Valvoline Scott Machine Harley of Lubbock. Crabbe set a comfortable lead while Spencer and Shobert battled for second place with Tim · Mertens in fourth and Tim Cartwright leading the rest back in fifth. On lap five Shobert passed Spencer and started clOling the gap on Crabbe. With four laps to go, the crowd forgot about the rest of the pack as east and central battled side by side down the straights, in and out of the groove in the turns, to an almost photo finish. Crabbe took the win over Shobert by less than an wheel with Spencer way back in third, Mertins fourth and Cartwright futh. The Ex~n main was documented with some guest comments by former · National announcer Bob Robertson. "If you are 18 yean old and riding here today, Sonny Burres was an Ex~rt when you were bom." And there he was, in the Expert main, coming from a second place finish in the first semi, doing what he does best. At the start it was Bubba Rush with Joe Wilson in hot pursuit along with Sonny Burres until Wilson jumped his Santa Fe, NM Capshaw Enterprises Harlqr in front. On lap five the battle heated up between Rush and Wilson and again Wilson pulled out a bare lead as Rush tried everything on the straights and turns. Wilson hung on to it, But Rush finally got under and into the groove as Wilson drifted wide. Scott Drake zapped by Burres and Wilson on lap eight but the finish found Rush way out front ahead of Drake, Wilson, Ronnie jones, Willie Crabbe, Burres, Tommy Duma, Dwayne Houghton, Phil Darcy, and last year's Oklahoma State Champ, Danny Cartwright. Results NOV MAIN: 1. Jim Felice; 2. Scott Adorno; 3. Tom Coleon. e.-; 2. Don ~ 3. ~ S _ ; 4. Tom _ _ 5. Tm e:.-ight. JR MAIN: 1. _ EX MAIN: 1. Ilubbe 1luIh; 2. Scott er.ke; 3. Joe WoIoon; 4. Ramie Jon.; 5. WiIie e.-. Adams and Jones take Oklahoma St. Fair short track wins By Frank Harrison · OKLAHOMA CITY SEPT. 29 Former regional NoVice champion Ronnie Jones put on a tremendous show of racing talent as he picked off riders one by one to win the Junior Ex~rt main event at the Oklahoma State Fair short track. At Oklahoma City, you never know how many riders may show up at the AMA event. So many riden from Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico and other states have to go so far to gel points that some don't have the money to get back home. But this track, famous for names like Dusenberry, Nixon, Nix, Pressgrove, and Cleek, didn't lack talent tonight.. The grandstands swelled as referee Don Lohman read off the program; eight novice heats with the fIrSt three going to the semis of 12 men each, and the same for the final. The Ex~n juniors would run eight heats likewise. The stage was set for a fast evening and last year's winner Bubba Rush was ready to keep his crown tonight, after winning the afternoon's half·mile event. Despite a late start, the heats went quickly and it all boiled down to Novice semi wins by western regional highpointer Jim Felice, and Terry Bird. Junior Expert semis were won by Oklahoma City's Ronnie Jones and Dallas's Steve Gulledge and the program was set for the main events. The Novice main with Western Regional champ Jim Felice and Central champ ScOtt Adams both in the lineup. was a cliffhanger from the start. Felice was quickest off the stan but the race was red flagged after a pileup in tum three. The resta~ saw Scott Adams taking advantage and by lap two Adams had a demanding lead over Phillip Culver and Dian Dulanqr. By lap three Felice, on his Klott Champion MXL Yamaha, was coming on strong in third whlle Culver was losing his seat which was mounted to the rear fender. Culver made a valiant ride, with feet on foot~gs and fender flapping in the wind. Trying to keep his dignity he just started motocrossing, to hell with the seat, but it was to no a vail. Felice had passed him by lap seven with Thom Colson in fourth and Dulaney in fifth. Lap nine saw a battle between Colson and Dulanqr down to the wire, but the finish saw Adams on his Dennis Latimer Yamaha take the flag first followed by Felice, Culver, and Dulaney. The junior Expert contingent was ready for a knockdown drag-out and it was Steve Gulledge who jetted into tum one with Oklahoma City's Ronnie Jones hot on his tail. The red flag came out when a three rider pileup in tum one took down Ronnie Edgins, Willie Crabbe and Davidjones. On the restart, it was once again Gulledge on his Bultaco of Dallas mount with Ronnie Jones (Vi~r Racing) flying too wide as Bubba Shobert tailed Gulledge down the back stretch with Willie Crabbe in third. Shobert kept the pressure on Gulledge as Crabbe, Jones and Joe Wilson followed. Funher back, Tim Cartwright led the rest of the pack. Ronnie Jones suddenly started coming on strong. He picked off Shoben, then started working on Gulledge as Wilson and David Jones battled back in fifth. Jones finally grabbed the lead on lap eight and at the finish it was Ronni~ Jones, Steve Gulledge, Bubba Shobert, Willie Crabbe, and David jon~. And whatever became of Bubba Rush? He seized in practice. • Results NOV MAIN: 1. Scott Adorno; 2. Jim Felice; PhiNip Cu,"-; 4. Cion ~ 5. Thomeo CoIoon. MAIN JR EX: 1. _ Jan.; 2. _ Gulledge; 3. Bubbe S _ 4. Willie e.-; 5. Bob ~; 6. Joe W1Ioon.