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/126438
~ 00 CN ~ Q,) ..c 8 ~ Z (Above) Jeff Jennings gets the jump on the Open Pros. Rex Staten (3) follows. (Below) SportSman riders battle through the first tum. Pierre Karsmakers collected the overall victory in the Open Pro class. Karsmakers singled out for victory at ,AMA 4-Stroke Nationals By Terry Whytal CARLSBAD, CA, NOV. 18 "I like this bike very much!" said Team Yamaha rider Pierre Karsmakers just minutes before winning the first Open Pro class moto Cit the 5th Annual AMA 4-Stroke U.S. National MX Championship. Taking a newly-built Pro-Tee 600, Karsmakers added on an ow front wheel assembly with double 10 leading shoe brake to help slow the powerful single for the always· tricky Carlsbad comers. Karsmakers' mount never missed a bea t as he rode to the overall win with a 1-2 score, but others weren't as lucky. Rex Staten was turning the fastest laps in practice on his Yamaha TT500 turned Pro-Tee 600 and had to be considered the pre-race favorite. Staten's bike was probably the lightest with a new Aberg frame, OW front forks and wheels and lots of titanium and fastest with over 50 hp. But the bike is still in the early development stage and mechanical problems ... ... spoiled Rex's chances. Knobby Shops International, the promoters of this year's Motocross Nutrition Ltd. sponsored races, came prepared with a trick Honda 450 featuring special Works Performam,e shocks on their unusual cantilever rear end. Super rider Marty Moates put the bike through its paces, but a fall while challenging for the lead kept Marty from placing well. Danny Turner's Yamaha sported an Aberg frame, Pro-Tee motor, MX Fox shocks and the prettiest graphics at the race including blue valve stem caps and more sponsor names than a billboard. Jeff Jennings .was all smiles when asked how he liked his sano Honda built by Fra.nks, with features like a trick Maico-BFI-Pro Fab front end • • • , . . . . IJ I _'1.11 and Ohlin rear shocks. Jeff looked like a winner, too, until a flat ure slowed his pace. Keeping the local builders on their toes were the good folks from Aero PA the importers of CCM. They arrived with a whole bevy of bikes and riders like Goat Breker and Tim Lunde ready to do battle. When the gate dropped for the first moto Jennings thundered into the lead followed by Staten and Karsrnakers. Moates settled in at fourth as Bill Grossi pushed his PDQ Yamaha into fifth ahead of Turner. Jennings was working his bike to the limit as he held off a determined Staten. By lap three, the front two had begun to pull away from Karsmakers and Moates who were also well ahead of the pack. Despite Staten's repeated attempts to pass, Jennings stayed in the lead until his rear tire suddenly went flat. . Staten took over the lead as Jennings dropped back still fighting for every position. Karsmakers began to charge at the halfway point and soon dosed in on Staten. Rocket Rex was having problems with his right rear shock and then lost the megaphone off the exhaust causing his engine to lose power. ... .. Ii It . . . . Karsmakers quickly moved into the lead spot and headed for the checkers. Jennings continued to fade as Moates moved into third and set out to catch Staten. Staten held on to finish second behind Karsmakers while Moates settled for third. On the last lap, Turner and Lunde both passed Jennings with Turner finishing fourth. Lunde fifth and Jennings sixth as Grossi dropped to seventh. After some feverish work by pit crews the riders returned to the line for the start of moto two with most damage repaired. Staten roosted the start line and held the gas on through the first turn to take the early lead ahead of Moates and Karsmakers. Jennings locked himself Onto Karsmakers rear tire as the front four immediately pulled away from the field. Grossi was running fifth as he tried desperately to stay with the leaders. Lunde and Turner both suffered bad starts but were quickly working through the pack. Moates and Staten were really going for it with both riders wide open and on the ragged-edge. At the bottom of the downhill Moates tried to go inside Staten but tangled and fell. "I just nicked his tire and the next thing, 1 was in the air'''. Moates remounted