Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Soathera Caillorala·Arlzoaa-Soathera Nevada·Soathera Calliorala. Arlzona-Soathera Nevada-Soathera Caillorala. An Western hotline Bennett busts up ADRA Gla Bend GP o By Geo.Thermal 0') GILA BEND, AZ,jAN. 27 00 With the tum of the decade, the oasis of Gila Bend, AZ, celebrated a half-decade of racing in the streets. This year's Grand Lenny Giger leads Chris Howard in the Mothers of Motocross event. .. 36 seconds ahead of Howard, who limped in with a blown fourth gear. Gashler remained third, Hines and Wischmeyer finishing 4-5. . With Howard retired, the seco.nd moto was a Giger benefit. Gashler pulled the holeshot and learned the true meaning of going fast, riding in front of Lenny for three·quanen of a lap before Giger gassed by off a drop' away jump. With no one to race with, Giger had to be content with roosting around the track, uncorking tape measure jumps and generally tuning up for the upcoming Supercross and 250cc National MX events. Giger took the checken half a lap in front of Gashler, Hines and Wischmeyer. . The 125cc Pro bash was strictly a two-man race, puttinR Accuracy Ent· gineering Honda rider Paul Emerson against Team Valley Cycle Yamaha rider Kevin "The Animal" Steele. At the start, Emerson put his CRl25R ahead of Steele and never looked back. Steele tangled with jimmy Krumme and they both went tumbling. Krumme got going minus his visor, but the crash caused Steele's handlebar clamps to loosen which allowed the. ban to slip, forcing "The Animal" to cruise at a snail's pace. Emerson powered to the checkered flag unmolested, followed distantly by Accuracy Engineering teammate Krumme. The second moto was an Emerson benefit, with Steele packing it in, and Krumme the only other rider present with the ability to stay on the same lap with Emerson. Paul was undoubtedly having the time of his showboating on the big jumps, flying through the air with no hands, no feet, getting totally radical to the delight of the encouraging, bloodthinty speaaton. In the Open Pro class, the winner was yet another Accuracy Engineering rider, Kenny Krumme on a Maico 440 Megaform. Krumme won both motos while Anthony Pasqualotto, also Maicomounted, posted two seconds. Bultaco Bob Gabriel battled with Krumme for the lead in both motos, but crashed out of the fint, and was edged out for second in the final moto by Pasqualotto in the fmal moto after a tough battle. The Mothen of MotocJ'Olll are a group of go-falt IDClIDS who ha~ gotten together to organize MX in the Las Vegas area. Not your money-hungry promoter types, these gals are there because they care and want their kids to have a good place to race. jeanne Saxton, Dee Howard, Doris Giger, judy Parrott, Mary Lou Kight, Mickey Wendt, Mary "Ralph" Finch, Sandra Robenson and Dee Russell are but a few of the hard·working ladies involved, not to mention the husbands who pitched in. Utilizing the MRAN, Yucca Chucken M.C., MX factility in Boulder City, the Mothen did a fine job of coordinating the event. Lenny Giger, Paul Emerson and Greg Andres handled lay·out and preparation of the gnarly circuit that proved to be rOl,lgh, exhilarating and challenging. Lenny Giger operates a john Deere tractor with the same proficiency he applies to his Fox Honda and each and every rider squirted out at least once on the treacherous tetons he whipped up. After donating many houn of his time shaping the track, Mr. Andres insisted on paying the $2 gate fee with a $5 bill and told the attendant to keep the change for the kids. The Mothen have a whole season of events in the works, highlighted by their round of the NMA qualifier series in May. Results PEE WEE EX: 1. "King Richerd" Sa"'on (Ita). PEE WEE AM: 1. Chris PlllfJllhauer ISuz). PEE WEE NOV: 1. Tammy Hooki". (Gill. JR CYCLE: 1. "King Richerd" Saxton (Yam); 2. Jimmy DidIer (Yaml; 3. Ryan Clark lSuzl. eo NOV: 1. Vince MelIria coer); 2. Gfog Vowell ISWMI; 3. Ron Wdliams CFNI. eo AM: 1. Donny Enciniao IMaIt); 2. Eddie Bunch (BeW. 80 EX: 1. Jahner Kight 1Kaw1; 2. 51-. SI_(HanI; 3. ..., Lorenzo (Yaml. 100 NOV: 1. Ronnie Ran-v (Yam). 100 AM: 1. Mike - . (Yaml; 2. Jahner KighllKawI; 3. Kovin HeiIduICSuzl. 125 NOV: 1. PooI_lHanI; 2. Eric _ _ (Hanl; 3. Bud _CHan). 125 NOV MODIFIED: 1. ONd Robinson IYaml; 2. Paul Parrott (Han). 125 AM: 1. Dovid Saxton lHanI; 2. Rodney Hughes (Kaw); 3. Rob WendlIHan). 125 PRO: 1. Pool Emenon (Hanl; 2. .Ja..- Krumme (Han); 3. Kovin S_IYam). 250 NOV: 1. Ron Whipple (Suzl; 2. John Popjoy !Zuni; 3. Rick lIgoroue Don McCaIlMaIl. Prix was the fifth in a consecutive line of l25-milen held in the tiny ex-railroad water stop some 60 miles southeast of Phoenix. With the Intentate byp'l.!Sing to the south, m~!y ;agriculture activity keeps the town alive. But when the GP hits town, look out. The start is right smack dab in the center of town and a camper city appean early in the wekend. With the ADRA points awards on Saturday night and the usual (and unusual) pre· race tune-ups, the place really jumps. The two taverns adjacent to the start grid do a land-office business. You see, the local population has come to expect a real pany. And do they ever parry. With the gas crunch becoming a reality (if it isn't already), the 370·rider turnout was very good. ADRA President Phil Aurenhiemer really eaten to the family aspect of the riden, running a one-lap, 33-mile class for minis, with 26 entriesl Hey, these are the future MX and desert stan. They gotta learn somewhere, and ADRA makes it easy to race at Gila Bend. Experts race four laps, Amateun the same and Novices and Beginnen go three. The front line of the timed·start event were looking at a 50-yard asphalt straight, followed by a 90degree left, through a large water hole (soon to be a mud puddle), under a railroad trestle and out to the dusty desert. Even though the desert had substantial rainfall the previous weekend, the sun took it all away but left some out-of·sight s-m-o·o-t-h sandwashes. Basically, the course was a rectangle composed of smooth sandwashes interconnected by fast fire roads, with the final section running down the start-line Gila Bend street. The course passes under the Intentate and seveal railroad trestles which have not been raised to keep up with the ever-increasing seat height of the new MX scooten. Sure gotta duck (quack, quack)1 When the flag dropped and the fint wave hit the course, it was Bob Ewing (KTM) out in front, closely followed by Riazzi's Italian Garden·sponsored Danny Peloso (Yam) and james Shofner. The second wave of Experts was headed by veteran racer Brian Ross (Yam). Up front in his 10-man wave was vinually unrecognized former National MX Champ Gary jones (Arnx). On the second lap, previous leader Bob Ewing fell victim to chain problems on his 420 KTM and suffered some "derailleur" action, resulting in a lot of unscheduled down time and a bad attitude. Taking advantage of the situation was Paul Bennet, closely followed by Kent Miller (Yam). After over-shooting a fast comer, last year's winner, Brooks Bartlett, took over third place from Phil Bird. A really sharp rider will have the relative starting positions of his immediate competition firmly in mind before the stan, since the finish is based by the starting time differences. The fint man to take the checkered has to be in by a margin greater than the stan time differential in order to be "first overall. " One thing about Gila Bend, you see more off-the-wall units than anywhere else. This race has become a tradition. The hot shoes have the big iron, but back in the pack, where the fun racen reside, well, you can find just about anything: B-50 BSA, five-speed Huskys, Hercules, Suzuki TS 250s, DKWSl. .. everything except a step-through Trail 90. Make no mistake, these guys are out to have a good time. And they do. And so do the racen. There are pleoty of places to show off and style for the crowd. And that's what was going on. At every crossing, or SO it seemed, there were cross-ups, wheelies and what have you. Waterbed magnate Larry Ragland was pulling the front end at every tum, as was Charles Martin and Billy Kelly (who ovenhot a turn while being a joker). Probably the "Best Ride" of the event has to go to second place 200cc Novice rider, Barbara Wright, who was 55th overall. ADRA had to cancel their ladies' class due to lack of entries, so Barb had to ride with the men. This is no back-door performance. There were 37 entries in her class. She beat 35 of 'em. Roxanne Gaines beat 321 When the dust had settled, bikes parked, riders beered and stories told (and re·told), it was Paul Bennet who took home the gold ($699.25 per Troy ou nee [12 ounces per pound]) as fint overall, fint Open Expen. Remarkably close behind (25 seconds) was first 250cc Expert, Kent Miller, whose clad, Dave Miller (Yam) was fourth overall and second Open Expert. If . sounds like a family affair (apologi to Sly Stone), it certainly is. The fat and son team of Dave and Kent Mill finished fourth and second Lt:Spectively; Darrell and Lisa Hutchins took thiT 250cc Expert and fint Trailbike; a last'year's-winner, Brooks Banlet (third overall) was one of five bro racing. Rickie Kittrell was 5e'l1ell

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