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/126440
lAbove) A wrong front tire choice cost Mike Kidd in the final.lBelow) Jimmy Weinen jammed his way into second in the final. rrop) Road racer Dave Emde shows his cornering styIe.lAbove)The "Teenie Meany," Jeff Ward, streaked to third overall. I Below) Flat tracker Alex Jorgensen (40) and MXer Danny Chandler congratulate each other. In the fmal qualifying race, with Roberts out, the organizers decided to transfer 10 riders instead of nine to make a 25-rider final event. Jeff Haney grabbed the holeshot, but John Hateley passed on the opening lap with Steve Eklu,nd close behind. Eklund tried to take the lead from Hateley, but "Little John" shut the door. Finally, Eklund outbraked Hateley at the end of the dragstrip straightaway and took the lead at the end of lap three. From then on. it was Eklund's ballgame as he extended his lead to the finish line. Hateley apparently stepped off in the dirt section at about the halfway point when he suddenly dropped from second to seventh place behind Eklund. Haney, Jorgensen, Danny Chandler, Larry Roeseler and Jim Filice. He managed to pass Filice for sixth at the finish line. Tony DiStefano, Mike Bast and Rob Morrison completed the top 10 transfer spots. 10 Final The start of the final event - the 25 best riders of the day - was lime green as Warren Reid and Jeff Ward put their Kawasakis at the head of the pack. Mike Kidd held third on his 750cc Triumph with Weinert's' Kawasaki and Howerton's Suzuki close behind. Eklund's "IT500 playbike held sixth place as Hocking. Carlqvist, Wise and Aldana completed the top 10 on the opening half lap. Carlqvist crashed and dropped out, leaving only Peter Collins to represent the seeded World Champions. And Collins rode near the back of the pack, out of contention for anything. By lap two, Mike Kidd had run into problems of his own: "The. Texan chose the wrong front tire'" Kidd confessed later. "The track dried out, so I put on a Pirelli. I should have used a DT-II. lout-tricked myselfl" Kidd's front end washed out while he was riding third. and he crashed. breaking the shift lever. Reid looked great out in front with Ward close behind on another Kawasaki. But the Rhinestone Cowboy was already on the move. In third. ahead of Weinert and Eklund. Howerton set his sights on the leaders and dialed "win." His lap times dipped into the 2:00 range as he first picked off Ward near the halfway point, then began to reel in Reid. Finally, Howerton moved in behind the Kawasaki rider and passed for the lead on the pavement section. But Reid wasn't donel Warren repassed in the dirt. .. . As the two jockeyed for the win, Reid's tire eventually made the difference. As they approached the right-hand tum that had claimed Roberts, Lawson and others, Warren laid it over and just kept on sliding off' through the haybales. "I ran out of tread. There's a smooth ring all the way around the tirel I think those tires were made to , only go left," Reid jOked later as he received attention to his· injuries. 'Just road rash. I'll stick to the dirt, man'" he grinned. . Amazingly enough. he remounted to finish fifthl With Reid off his back, Howerton had the win wrapped up barring any mistakes, and he made none. Weinert had passed Ward at around the same time Howerton first attacked Reid. and The Jammer held his secure second place. Jeff Ward finished third. making it three motocrossers in the winner's circle and two Kawasakis after the winning Suzuki. Steve Eklund put in the best nonMX ride of the day after finally getting his machine sorted out. "It's been a long day'" Craig Fillmer said later. He'd been up most of the night working on Eklund's bike. • Reid finished fifth ahead of Team Honda's Steve Wise, Honda XR500mounted Dave Aldana, Can-Am mounted Alex JorgenSen, Team Honda's Jeff Haney and Maico rider Danny Chandler. /' Howerton's only problem came whel"l he and Reid were racing in the dirt section. His transmission R;fused to shift temporarily, sticking in fourth gear, and that's when Reid repassed. Other than that., only the modifications' particularly the tire change caught the Rhinestone Cowboy's attention: "To me it feels like driving a car with real wide tires in the rain." Howerton's share of the purse ($5,000) plus contingencies ($5,000 from Champion Spark Plugs and $1,000 from Oury Grips) put an extra $11 ,000 in his pocket. "Plus, although it's not part of the contract. I think maybe Suzuki will fmd some bonus money, too," Team Manager Blackwell said. • Results 1. Kent Howerton lSuzl: 2. Jim Weinert lKew): 3. Jeff Ward (Kew): 4. Steve Eklund IVaml; 5. Warren Reid (Kewl; 6. Rick Hocking (Hon); 7. St_ w.... (Hanl: 8. o.ve _ (Hanl: 9. Alex Jor_lC-Al: 10. Jeff Haney lHanI: 11. Danny Charldlar: 12. Mike IlellIVaml: 13. John H8teIev (Han): 14. t.arv _ tHusI; 15. Tony DiS-.o (Hus); 16. Oemio Sriggo IVoml; 17. Haken Cartqvilt lHus); 18. Jim Filice IVam); 19. Mike 8. . (Yaml: 20. Oovid Emde (Han); 21. Rob M _ (Nor): 22. Peter Col~ns (Yarnl. .,