Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

S~mi two saw T~am Suzuki's Mark Barn~tt going full-out to make up for his poor luck in the qualifier. He'd bumped to the outside of turn one in th~ qualifier, and he couldn't mak~ up th~ lost tim~. In the semi, he avoided a first turn crash that ground~ Gary Dircks, Danny Turner, David Wood and Scott Johnson, and head~ for th~ chttk~red flag. St~ve Wise held second ahead of Frank Stacy, Jeff J~nnings, Alan Smith and gott~n AlI~n B~rluti. Ther~ was no catching Barnett; he extend~ his lead as Wise settl~d into a sure transfer in second. But on the last of 10 laps, Barnett crash~ heavily on the starting chute straightaway. The m~ical crew rush~ to die dazed rider, and after extensive attention which included applying a shoulder . brace, Mark walked back to the pits. He was checked by the Team Suzuki orthopedic surgeon later in the evening and told that his shoulder feared to be separated again - was not as serious as anticipated. He was given the doctor's OK to ride-as soon as he feels ready. Steve Wise took the win followed by Frank Stacy. Consolation Team Kawasaki's Chappy Blose took the holeshot in the Consolation, but LOP's Greg 'Theiss put the pressure on imm~iately. Following them were Danny Turner, Arlo Englund, Marty Moates and Allen Berluti. Theiss passed Blose on lap three, but there was no safety up front. The top five ran wheel-to-wheel, and Turner got around Blose on the next lap. As Turner kept Theiss honest, Moates passed Blose and moved in to join the three-way race for the win. But Theiss held on, and Turner, Moates, Blose and Englund followed him to the finish line. Final Warren Reid shaved the starting gate, put the Honda's power on the ground, and led the 25-man final event into Anaheim's turn one. Gary Semics exited tum one on Reid's tail with Jimmy Weinert, Donnie Hansen, Scott Gillman, Steve Wise and Kent Howerton following. Eighth on the opening lap was Mike Bell - right behind Howerton as Donnie Cantaloupi and Chuck Sun completed the top 10. Eleventh through 15th were Darrell Shultz, Tony DiStefano, Jeff Ward, Arlo Englund and Rex Staten. Weinert wasted no time, catching Semics off guard on the third turn and slipping into second on the next lap. Howerton had begun his move forward, too, blasting up two spots to ftfth behind Hansen by the end of lap two. Reid was riding incredibly well. With an entire National class field bouncing around the tight baseballfield-sized course behind him, Warren continued to extend his lead. By the end of lap four, he had six seconds on Weinert. One-quarter through the moto, lap five, Weinert's second place was being threaten~ by the elbow-bumping trio of Semics, Hansen and Howerton breathing down The Jamme.r's neck. As they banked through turn one on the sixth time around, Weinert slid wide, nicking a haybale, The bale rolled down into Semics' path, but the Team Honda rider avoid~ what appeared to be an inevitable endo situation, Two Sttonds later, Hansen's race end~. Exiting tum one, hot on Howerton's tail (Kent had just passed him), he lost control and went bouncing down the track. Hansen appear~ to be only shaken, but he sat on the straightaway jump to let his head clear before continuing at a slow pace. Lap eight saw Reid with over 10 seconds on Sttond place holder Weinert, but Howerton was still charging. Kent passed Gary Serrucs for third place with Mike Bell following suit on the next turn. Bell was keeping the pressure on Howerton, and the pair were cloSing on. Weinert.. Halfway - lap 10 - saw Howerton catch and pass Jimmy Weinert at the bridge. His next target, leader Warren Reid, was 11-12 seconds away, a long, long lead on a Supercross track. Fast lap times were in the 58-59 second range. Darrell Shultz and Jeff Ward collid~ near the bridge when Ward lost it coming off the jump. Jeff got away from the out-of-control Kawasaki, and it bumped Shultz and rammed the bridge. Shultz held on, maintaining his seventh place behind Sernics and Steve Wise, but Ward was out of the competition. One lap after moving into second, Kent Howerton sliced three seconds off Warren Reid's lead, pulling to within eight seconds of the leader. On the next lap, the spread was six seconds, then five on the 14th lap, then suddenly two seconds on lap 15, threequarters of the way through the race, Lapped riders made the going rough on the tight, narrow stadium course. Reid, Howerton and Bell ran in close fonna tion out in front of Jimmy Weine,:t, Steve Wise, Gary Sernics and Darrell Shultz, Midway through lap 17, Howerton put on an extra strong push, jammed up beside Reid and eased into the lead at the start of lap 18. On the 18th lap, Mike Bell - a solid third - was trying to pass Reid, but one of Bell's long legs didn't quite make it over one of the sharp-peaked jumps. The sudden snag pitched him into Warren, and he stepped off. Mike got going again quickly to maintain third at the finish. "I tried," he said later, "All I can say now though is, 'Seattle!'" Next year. Howerton had a three to four Sttond lead on Reid as they raced through the final lap. At the finish line, was Howerton, Reid, Bell, with Weinert and Wise completing the top five. Shultz held sixth over Semics and Sun. Rex Staten and Arlo Englund completed the top 10. Kent's wife Jill join~ him in the winner's circle, and - typical Kent he declin~ a kiss from the tophy girl, Miss Toyota'Dawn Clark in favor of several from his foxy wife. "Let Greg (Arnette, Howerton's mechanic) have her kiss," Kent offered. "It's OK, isn't it?" he asked Miss Toyota, suddenly worried. She smiled OK. Who says good guys always finish last? • 00 C'I M Q,) '..0 e ~ o Z lAbovel Mike Sell 1391 tried hard to catch Jimmy Weinert 121 1for second place in series points but came up just three points short. Results FINAL: 1. Kent Howerton ISuz); 2. W""en Reid IHan); 3. Mike Bell IVernl; 4. Jimmy Weinert IKow); 5. Steve Wise IHon); 6. 0",,011 Shul1z (Suz); 7. Gory Semics IHon); 8. Chuck Sun IHan); 9. Rex Staten IVam); 10. Arlo Englun IVam); 11. David Taylor IVem); 12. 8fian Myerocough ISuz); 13. Mark Gregson IVem); 1~ Greg Theiss IVern); 15. Scott Gilman ISuzl; 16. Tony DiStefano IHus); 17. Frank StacY IKTM); 18. Donnie Cantaioupi IVam); 19. Parry Kiassen IMoil; 20. Gory Denton IVaml; 21. Jeff W.d (Kawl; 22. Jimmy Ellis (Hon); 23. Billy Grossi IKawl; 24. Donnie Hensen IHon); 25. Danny Chendler IMail. CONSOLATION, 1. Greg Theiss IVam); 2. Danny Turner IKaw); 3. Marty Moates (Vern); 4. Choppy 810se IKowI; 5. Goat 8relter IKowl; 6. Steve Rhyan IMail; 7. Allen Barluti IMail; 8. Alan Smith IHuII; 9. Gary Jones IAmxl; 10. Tony Wenkel IVaml; 11. Steve Martin IVam); 12. John Savitski IVaml; 13. Tony Benolkin IHon); 14. Clark Jones IVaml; 15. Phillip DIieIand IC·AI; 16. David Wood IVaml: 17. Steve Stackable (Vam); 18. Cheries Halcomb (Husl. FINAL AMAITOVOTA SUPERCROSS SERIES POtr..T STANDINGS, 1. Bob Hannah (253); 2. Jimmy Weinert (213); 3. Mike Boll (2101; 4. Steve Wise 11911; 5. Kent Howerton 1150); 6. Marty Tripes 11491; 7. W.ren Reid 11471; 8. Gayton Mosier (1301; 9. Danny laPorte (128); 10. Gory Sernics 11261; 11.0""011 Shul1z 11081; 12. M""V SmittlI97); 13. Rick 8urgett 1831; 14. iTlEI Tommy Croft/Rex Staten (77); 16. Mark 1731; 17. John 5avitski (56); 18. Frank Stacy 1551; 19. Scott Gillman (52); 20. Mickey Boone 146). a.nett 7

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