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/126434
IAbovel Suzuki'. Trana-USA &erie. winner Kent Howerton and tuner Greg Arnette,lSelowl Shultz. Moet.., Sun and l..8ckey bettie. he was aware that he needed only to place 12th or better. If nothing went wrong ... Bell passed Shulu on the fifth lap, shooting past on a steep downhill and into the lead. Shultz stayed on the Yamaha rider's rear fender ahead of the duelling duo of Moates and Sun, Brad Lackey in fifth, then Ward and Howerton. By lap eight, places two through five - Shulu, Moates, Sun and Lackey had formed a fast-moving freight train, bouncing and bumping around the Sears Point course. Places swapped as Lackey got past both Sun and Moates, then slid out while trying to get past Shulu. Both Moates and Sun repassed as Lackey recovered and returned to test them again. The foursome reduced itself to a threesome as Sun's front wheel found a la~ clump (;If Sears Point clay and dumped the Husky on a tricky off· camber tum. Pit signs came out telling the story: From- Lackey's mechanic Steve S :uiefski came "TRY." Jeff Ward's pitboard said "GET BRAD." "LOOKS GOOD" Arnette told Howenon. "GREAT' said the board drill Darrell Shultz's dad held up. Marty Moates closed on ShuJtz on lap 12 and pursued him 'until finally finding a line around the Suzuki rider on lap 16 much to the delight of Laurens Offner's crew. Team Honda's Warren Reid - who had been following Howerton - got past the series leader into sixth place on lap 12, passed Lackey for fifth on lap 14, then inherited fourth place when Jeff Ward dropped out. "I broke my thumb two weeks ago at Unadilla," Ward explained. "Then today I hit a tire with it. It's really jammed. 1 can't hold on; it won't bend." Reid then ovenook Shulu at the finish line just as the two· lap sign came out. But his glory was shon lived. On the last lap, when riding in third place, Warren Reid's rear tire went flat, and he dropped back to 10th place. Mike Bell crossed the finish line a double moto winner followed by Many Moates, Darrell Shultz, Kent and Brad Lackey. Howerton Rounding out the top 10 were Arlo Englund, Rex Staten, Parry Klassen, Goat Breker and Warr~n Reid. A jubilant Mike Bell thanked Yamaha, Malcolm Smith Products and other sponsors from the announcer's tower while Kent Howenon went back to the Suzuki truck to try on his new "1979 TransUSA Champion" T·shin. "We've got a chance to win the Triple Crown, too'" Greg Arnette said of the AMA/Toyota Supercross Series 'sub-title.' "We're leading thatt" Howenon leads the Triple Crown standings with 42 points, but several riders are actually in contention for the title. With a maximum. possible 28 points up for grabs, other eligible winners include Darrell Shulu, second in the standings with 35 points; Bob Hannah (who will not ride due to his leg injury) at 28; Mark Barnett who's tied at 28 with the Hurricane; Rick Burgett with 27 and Mike Bell, 'who's shown he's capable of putting in back· to· back moto rides. Kent can do it, but it won't come easy. National Larry Wosick's game plan seemed simple enough: Take the lead on the IAbovelLarry Woaick won both NlItionel moto•• IBelowl Jimmy Ella 161 and Ron Sun 14271 took '·2 in the Netlonel c.... point atendinga. opening lap and hold it to the end. Easier said than done, but infallible nonetheless. Wosick put his new Kawasaki Uni· Trak out in front on the opening lap of the first moto ahead of Darren Rhoten, Greg Theiss, Donnie Cantaloupi and Jimmy Ellis, the series leader. Neither Cantaloupi nor Ellis wasted a moment in getting around the other frontrunners, and they rode second and third behind Wosick by the end of the second lap. Second in the series standings, Ron Sun moved his Husky from sixth to founh, following Ellis. Sun ovenook Ellis on lap four, and the top four held steady until the 10th lap when Ellis wicked up the Honda and reclaimed third place from Sun. Sun couldn't return the "favor" so they finished in that order: Wosick, Cantaloupi, Elm and Sun. Places five through 10 went to Steve Rhyan, Brian Myerscough, Chappy Blose, Kippy Pierce, Troy Bradshaw and Clark Jones. Round two saw Rhoten grab the holeshot with Ron Sun ovenalting him on the first lap. Lap one finishing order read: Sun, Rhoten, Carlos Serrano, Wosick, Randy Kirschbaum, Brian Myerscough and Jimmy Ellis. Donnie Cantaloupi, Jeff Surwall and Chappy Blose rounded out the top 10. Wosick was flying! By the lap·and·a· half mark, he was in second place and pushing to pass Sun. Sun held firm until tJ:le sixth lap. Wosick seemed farily secure in the lead until lap 10 when Jimmy Ellis closed to within two seconds, and he was followed by Brian Myerscough at a one-second interval! The three traded paint for the remainder of the moto, passing lapped traffic along the way, but Wosick held on. Ellis and Myerscough finished in close formation over the Sears Point finish line jump with Ellis getting the edge. Founh and fifth went to Cantaloupi and Sun. Completing the top 10 were Steve Rhyan, Carlos Serrano, Randy Kirschbaum, Chappy Blose and Darren Rhoten. Elm retained his series point lead, finishing with 200 points over second placer Ron Sun's 159. Larry WOlIicl.'s moto wins earned a boost up to third in the series standings at 153 points. • Results INTBINATlONAL: 1. Mike Bell IVom!l-1; 2. IlorNlI Shultz lSuzl 4-3; 3. Kent _ _ ISuzI ~; 4.... S _ IVom! >7; 5. Marty _ IV_' 1~2; 6. W...., Reid 1Han) ~10; 7. Arlo Englund IVom!ll-6; 8. Brae ~ IVom! &-11; 9. Jeff Word fKM 2-": 10. PIrTy ~ (Mail 14-6; 11. Gory Semica lHanI 10-12; 12.1lnId Lackey (Kaw) 1&-5; 13. Goa _lHuoll!>8: 14. Donny Ch8ndIor lMaiI 9-15; IS. Mort< ~ IV_) 13-13; 16. ChucIt Sun (Hull 7·20; 17. _ _ 19-14; 18. Mickey ~ (Yom! 17·11; 19. Tommy CfofT (Kaw) 12·": 20. Cha1oo_lHuol 21·17. NATlONAL: 1. Lany Wooid< IKawI 1·1: 2. Jnomy Ellil (Hanl 3-2; 3. Donnie (Yom! 2-4; 4. Brion Myerocough lSuzl ~; 5. Ron Sun lHuII 46; 6. Seooe Rhyon IMool 5-6; 7. Choppy IIle- IKawl 7-9: 8. Kippy PIerce (C.,<\) &-11: 9. e.too Sernno (Moil 13-7; 10. Rondy ~ (Mail 15-6; 11. Gtea _ (Yom! 12·12; 12. Jeff IV...I 11-13; 13. troy~ IVom! 9-20; 14. 00rTen _ (Han) '-10; 15. Clort< Jon. IV_' 10-"; 16. C1in1Hor<1d< _ I '·14: 17. Don CooteIhono IV_I 14-": 18. Gory Murphy lHuol '·15; 19. Stew _ IV_' '·16; 20. AI8n K..- lMliI 19-18. ploocing outIido lOP 20. TRANS-USA MX SERIES INTERNATIONAl. ClASS FINAl POINT STANDINGS: 1. Kent _ _ l2Il1~ 2. Mike Bell 11911; 3. Da-reII ShulIz 11801: 4. Chudt Sun (143); 5. IlnId Lackey (1301; 6. Arlo Englund 11 031; 7. • Brae I:l«>- 11 011: 8. Marty _ 11 001: 9. - . . _ (83); 10. Donny Ch8ndIor II. Reid (72); 12. Gory Sernial(69); 13. Rex S_167I; 14. Mickey K _ Ml3l: 15. Jimmy Woirwt 158l: 16. Donny Swortz l56l; 17. me) Mort< Bomot1JMaok _ _ 1461. Gfegoon ISOI: 19. PIrTy K _ 1471; 20. Maik c.-... s..- ·Denol. rm: w...n TRANS-lJSA MX SERIES NATIONAl ClASS ANAl POINT STANDINGS: 1. Jimmy 81io 12001; 2. Ron Sun (159); 3. Lany Wooick (153); 4. Greg _ (137): S. Brion Mywocough 11311; 6. Donnie e:..-upi (129); 7. Kippy PIerce 1114); 8. Mike Guoml 11131; 9. Troy 1lt_ _ ll00l; 10. Rondy Kirschboum 19l1l; 1 1 . _ Rhyen 1931: 12. 00rTen Rhoten 1911; 13. John Day 1ll8l; 14. Krio Bigelow 164); 15. Clark Jon. 1541: 16. Jeff 1421: 17. WIlk_ 140); 18. Mort< l38l; 19. Boo S _ C37l: 20. Jimmy l.allw l3lll. s..- ron 7