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/126458
o 00 0') II.8fd GIIte-crahIng In the &OOcc cIIIIe . . &Ie McK.... l38L Rex Staten Iti6I. Stuart BeattIe IIEl, Steve Rhyen (27), TIm Locey IIU and Vel Temiettll1n. lAbove) Mark Lawrence leeds Mike Brown In the 2IiOcc race. Steve Rhyen end his dad worked herd for this pleque. ne-" what te Finale Lawrence had established a safe 10second lead. Staten knocked Kline, Oswell and Marcus each back a position as be slipped into third at the finish. Breker fell on the last lap, ("I lost the front brake and tweaked the front end in the fint tum crash, and I just overcooked a tum and endoed.") but remounted to fmish seventh. , Tbe poinu breakdown after the first race showed that Lawrence and Staten would have to win the second moto to capture the series, but Brown needed only a second place finish. Brown got down to businea and took the holeshot only to have Lawrence power past on the IeCODd tum. Staten followed a doee third with Oswell fourth and Breker fifth. The lead riders looked equally matched as Brown tested Lawrence for weaknesses and finally slipped past on lap three. Half a lap later, Lawrence charged right back into the lead. With Breker pushing from behind Staten began dosing on Brown and Lawrence and overtook Brown near the halfway point. Brown wasted no time repassing Staten as Breker dropped from the moto with more mechanical problems. . Eric McKenna moved his Maico up into fourth just as Brown bailed off. The plucky little LOP rider wasn't through yet and remounted quickly to begin reeling in McKenna and Staten. Lawrence was riding the smoothest race of his career and had opened up a safe lead over Staten, but Brown took one more shot at the title as he blasted past McKenna and closed on Staten's rear wheel. Lawrence took the check· en and could only wait to see how the battle behind ended as Brown rode like a madman trying to get around Staten. But at the finish line, Staten still held second place by a wheel, and Lawrence won the series. Overall for the day, Lawrence won followed by Staten, Brown, Oswell and Maico rider Chuck Pettigrew. 600cc Pro The dose action continued in the Open class as Maico rider Steve Rhyan came into the day's race leading "Rocket Rex" Staten by only one point. Yamaha suppon rider Tim Locey was only ~ight poinu funher back. Locey figured he'd do his best and hope Rhyan and Staten didn't finish well, and he promptly holeshot -the fint moto and opened up an immediate five· second lead over Maico rider Val Tamieui, Rhyan and Eric McKenna. Staten moved up td displace McKenna from fourth and Rhyan got on the main jet and blew past Tamietti. Locey continued to expand his lead while Staten worked his way around Tamietti and closed on Rhyan. As Rhyan and Staten battled they began 7