Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

!Abovet A clueing &roc GIowr (11t end M8rk Bernett 110t cI-. Ron Sun rm end Donnie Cllllt8laupi C23J.IBeIowt Tight tum one ectIon in e quelifier. A smiling "Rocket Rex" Staten took home the big money. the opening lap, and the three left everyone else to fight for fourth. Ward managed to hold the point position for almost the entire moto. Then, on the last lap, he stepped off. "Washed out," was all Ward cared to say as he tried to wor'" off his disap· pointment afterward. He remounted quic"'ly, and with the sizeable gap the three had put on the pack, he saved third place. Myerscough took the win over Gibson. Places four through eight went to Mar'" Rakestraw, Andre Mas· sant, Greg Theiss, Troy Bradshaw and Gary Pustela.... The first semifinal put four more riders into the main event. Maico rider Ken Adams won it followed by Darren Rhoten, come· from· behind wizard Jimmy Weinert and Steve Stackable. Semi number two put Jeff Jennings, Kris Bigelow, Kippy Pierce and Warren Reid into the final. Taking the final transfer spot - the consola· tion race win - was Team Yamaha's Ric...y Burgett. Final The largest starting field of the day jammed into Daytona's tight 180· degree first tum, but four didn't make it. Emerging from the dust cloud.. walking and searching for their bikes were Steve Wise, Jimmy Ellis, Mar'" GregIon and Dan Conway. Meanwhile, Honda', Donnie Hanten was gftting with tbe program. out In front of a Many Smith/Rex ~aten duel for second. Ron Sun was holding off Mike Bell, briefly anyway, for fourth as Donnie Cantaloupi, Larry Wosick, Mar'" Lawrence, Chuck Sun and Jim Gibson rounded out the top 10. Hansen was looking great, but on the third time around the choppy track, Donnie stepped off, and Smith took over the frOnt spot ahead of "Rocket Rex" Staten. By this time, Bell had passed Ron Sun to take third and set his sights on Staten. Hansen remounted almost in· stantly, slipping back in behind fourth place Ron Sun. Both Larry Wosic'" and Chuck Sun had gotten around Cantaloupi by the end of lap three, the quarter·way mar'" in the 12·lap final. . Then Staten closed on Smith, stuffing his Yamaha's front wheel under the Suzuki's rear wheel at every opportunity, pushing hard to unnerve the former 125 and 500cc National Champ. Rex finally found a hole in Marty's defense on the next time around, and he moved into the lead. At the halfway mark, Staten and Smith rode nose·to·tail several seconds ahead of third place holder Mi"'e Bell. Hansen was trying to hold back a charging Chuck Sun, but his fight only lasted for another lap before the Honda rider got past. Filling slou six through 10 were Wosic"', Ron Sun, Cantaloupi, Mar'" Barnett and Broc Glover. Barnell had completed the first lap in 11th place, but Glover was making an amazing charge up from a lap one starting spot of 20thl And that on a track judged by many riders as very difficult to pass on. By lap nin~, the three· quarter mark, the top five places were set. Staten held up approximately five seconds over Smith who in turn held about the same margin over Bell. After that came Sun, and he had around 15 seconds' advantage over Hansen. Sun had banged bars with another rider early in the molO; "In traffic, in the opening laps, 1 hit somebody, and it broke the tab that holds the clutch cable end onto the lever. 1 really needed the clutch on this track." The soft surface coupled with tight, square· off type turDS required a clutching technique for optimum per· formance, Sun said. Broc Glover caught and passed Donnie Hansen on the next lap, but with less than one lap remaining, Broc bailed. "I fell off. , tried to change direc· tions in the air, and 1 hit a bump when 1 landedl" a highly disappointed Glover explained later. The error cost the 125cc National Champion only one position, however, as he remounted behind Hansen to finish sixth after a terrific charge up from 20th in the all· out 12·lap moto. When the chec"'ered flag came out, Rex Staten rolled easily across the line, tired but happy. "All' want to do is go to bed and rest!" he grinned from victory circle. Smith was happy with his second placing, his best effort on the Steve Paulos· tuned Team Suzuki. '" wanted first, but I'll settle for second," he beamed. Mike Bell, riding his Dave Osterman· prepped Yamaha, main· tained his Supercross Series points lead over Chuck Sun, finishing third, just one step ahead of the Honda rider. Fifth 'place' went to hard luck Donnie Hansen who'd loo"'ed like a winner on the opening lap. Completing the top 10 were Broc Glover, Kent Howerton (who'd started 15th), Larry WOOck, Jim Gibson and Donnie Cantaloupi. • Results ANAl: 1. R8ll Staren (V....I; 2. Morty Smilh (Suzl: 3. Mikellell lV....l: 4. Chud< Sun (Hon!; 5. Donnie_ IHon): 6. Broc GkN« lV....); 7. Kent Howerton !Suzl; 8. I.Mry Wooick IKaw); 9. Jim Giboon (Hun): 10. Donnie e..-upi lV....): 11. MerIt _ tSuzl; 12. Brian MyerocougIl (Suzl; , 3. Arlo Englund (V....I; 14. MerIt Lawrence lV....); 15. Ron.Sun IHun); 16. Mike Guerra (Hus); 17. Jeff Jennings (Hun): 18. Andre - . . (Moil; 19. [)erren Rhoten tHonI; 20. Steve SlBCkeble (Hun). AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES POINT STANDINGS: ,. Mike IIeII 11 081; 2. Chud< Sun 11 031; 3. Kent _ 1 9 2 ) ; 4. Jim Giboan 1831; 5. Merle _ GIllI: 6. S _ W.. 1591; 7. R8ll S _ 149l; 8. Donnie _ l48l; 9. - . Myorocough l48l; 10. Broc _ 142); 11. Arlo Englund 1391; 12. .MIl W.d l38l; 13. mEl W..., ReidlJinwny _ C37l; 15. Morty Tripoo l38l; 111. Donny . . - . . l3OI; 17. lMrt WooicI< C29I: 18. _ t.-rence l2lll; 19. 00m0I Shultz l25I; 20. Morty _124l. .. . ... 13

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