Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Cali Bob Hannah wins $24,000 Off-Road Challenge By Ken Boyko FIREBIRD LAKE, AZ, MAR. 30 Bob Hannah, current AMA Supercross and 260cc National Motocross Champion, made a spectacular and startling debut in the world of automobile racing. Hannah, the first million dollar earner In motocross history, won the $24,000 Orange Crush Super Star Challenge. The High Desert Racing Association and Phoenix International Raceway run event was staged on a rough, jump-filled 1.8 mile closed course carved out of the Arizona desert. Hannah lead a 1-2-3 sweep for the Tracy ValentalTahoe Togs Off-Road Racing Team. Hannah. who wes competing in his first ever off-road racing event. raced against some of the biggest names in the rough and tumble sport. Falling victim to the 22-year-old motocross champion and his Funco-framed Tracy ValentalTahoe Togs Class 1 single seater were Roger Mears, Brian Herber, Jerry Whelchel, Fritz Kroyer. Jom Taber, MartY Letnar. Martin Tajra and 16 other top ranked Class 1 pilots. Hannah's next major automobile eppeerance will be at Mickey Thompson's Off-Road Gran Prix at the Los Angeles Coliseum. June 20-21. The motocross star joins the ranks of other famous motorcycle racers who have made the switch to off-road racing. Most notable. among these are Malcolm Smith. Rolf T1bblin and Bobby Ferro. Hannah's feat Is all that more ramarkable because of the fact that he had only three and on.half hours of practice In an off road racer before the event. Bob sufferad a broken leg eight months ago. and has been forced to sit out the rugged and exhausting pursuit of this fourth AMA championship. Racing with a supportive brace on his leg. Hannah took the lead away from teammate Brian Harber at the three-quarter mark of the 3O-minute race and was never headed on his way to the $24,000 victory. Teammate Rogar Mears, brother of Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears, led the race until he flipped his car at the halfway point. Harber took the lead at that point and held it until Hannah passed him. Mears dropped back to seventh following his 360° off-track excursion but fought his Tracy ValentalTahoe Togs racer back to second place before the finish. For Hannah. Mears and Harber it was a clean sweep for the Valenta team. The Valenta Off-Road Racing Team is the most powerful in off-road racing. and the addition of Bob Hannah to the ranks has not affected that imaga. Other Tracy Valenta drivers in the past have Included Malcolm Smith, Bud Feldkamp, Boby Fero. Rick Mears, and Don and Doug Robertson. Tracy Valenta Off-Road Racing Team victories Include the Mint 400. Baja 500, Baja 1000, Los Angeles Coliseum race, SCORE Riverside Off-Road World Championships and the Parker 400. ~NAr-rIONAL LPAPERS California hosted five National mile and half mile events in '79 and came up with no less than five different winners_ It's that time again. Time to crank up with two miles and a half mile between now and May 10th. With three of the Winston Pro Series Nationals already history, a quick glance tells us that the point race hs not really started, but will with these three events. For example, Kenny Roberts is the point leader and will probably not race again for points this year. Steve Eklund, the new champ, does not have a single point in two tries this season. How's that for throwing everything upside-down? We don't know whether Jay Springsteen is feeling. well enough to enter a race, or even finish one if he enters as of this date. The whole thing is up for grabs. (H-D Racing honcho Dick O'Brien reports that Spn'nger isfeeling well and O'Bn'en is "enthusiastic" about the chance Springer will race Sacto . .. Editor) Mike Kidd won the Sacramento night mile last year with Eklund and Springer closing and crossing the line inches apart for second and third. The Sacto mile comes up on Saturday night. Apr. 12, to open the three race West Coast series. Of the three, Kidd looks better tha n ever this year and is pumped, even (Continued to page 23) Big week for motorcyclists in the legislature ' This week promises to be a big one for the future of motorcycling bills in the state legislature, At least three bills of significance to the future of off-road riding will meet key committee tests during the cou rse of the week. • On Apr. 7, the Senate Finance Committee will hear Assemblyman Larry Kapiloffs Assembly Bill 990. AB 990 contains provisions to appropriate money from the off-highway vehicle fund to begin the serious planning for a statewide off-road vehicle trail system. The bill alsa;would appropriate money to reopen the area above the Auburn Dam site for off-road riding. This area, known as "Murderer's Gulch," has been a popular riding area for years, and since it is going to be innundated with water after the dam is completed, it makes sense to continue to allow bikes to use the area. On Tuesday, Apr. 8, the Assembly Resources Land Use and Energy Committee will hear Assemblyman Bob Hayes present his arguments on behalf of Assembly Bill 2302_ AB 2302 is the new "Sagebrush Rebellion" bill which Hayes is introducing, this Lime with the blessing of the Governor. Regular readers will remember that Hayes' first bill to kick' the Bureau of Land Management out of California was approved unanimously by the Legislature but was subsequently vetoed by Governor Brown. This time the Governor, rather than face the possible embarrassment of another veto override, gave Hayes assurances that he will approve this measure when it reaches his desk. As we go to press, this agreement seems to still be intact. Hopefully this bill will pass with little or no opposition. On Thursday, Apr. 10, the Assembly Ways and Means Committee will hear arguments by Assemblyman Gene Chappie on behalf of his Assembly Bill 2111. This bill will take the off-highway fund away from the Department of Parks and Recreation and place it with the State Lands Division. The State Lands Division is more inclined to allow their lands to be used; as opposed to the Department of Parks and Recreation, which seems to have an ingrained philosophy of protection and preservation of the lands. As a result of having the program managed by Parks and Recreation, we see continual attempts to acquire areas ostensibly for the purpose of off-road vehicles and then become enmeshed in internal departmental controversy as to how much- of this new land acquisition should be protected in a Natural Preserve. If Chappie's AB 2111 is approved by the Legislature, more of the areas which are acquired for off-road vehicles will be used for off-road vehicles and less for so called "buffer zones" and preserves. All in all it promises to be a big week in the Capitol. Deepthroat will ride up to cover these hearings and try to sort out the "good guys" from the "bad guys," Speaking of sorting out the good from the bad legislators, Assemblyman Hayes informed the Deepthroat column that his Campaign Committee will attempt to produce a "rating" sheet on California politicians prior to the elections, This rating process is a popular tool with the environmentalists and can be equally as effective tool for motorcYl:lists. CORPAC was set up by Hayes to help sort out good legislators from the bad ones and provide help to the ones who help us, and to help candidates who are out to unseat the ones who have opposed our bills consistently. Hayes went on to say that ~ would be placing a full page ad in t~ issue of Cycle News on behalf of CORPAC_ The ad will be used to gain support for the opposition to Assemblyman Gage's Assembly Bill 2914. He will also be requesting donations to assist in the work of CORPAC. Deepthroat checked with a tax lawyer to find out what the status of his contributions to CORPAC would be tax-wise. It seems that since CORPAC is a legally established campaign organization under the laws of California, and is established to support candidates for elective offices, donations are eligible for the federal tax credit and the state tax exemption for political contributions. This means that my contribution of $100 ($200 if I were married) to CORPAC can be deducted on my state of California income tax return, and one half of that amount, up to $50 ($100 if some pit tootsie will marry me) qualifies as a straight credit from my federal tax return. A credit means it comes right off the tax-due column, or increases the refund-due by that amount. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd prefer to give that money to something like COR PAC and make the IRS cough it back to me, than trust some federal bureaucracy like BLM to spend it wisely_ It's too bad we can't specify which federal agency we would like to have deprived of our tax credit when we claim it. Anyhow, Hayes said if readers can't afford to send a contribution right now, they should still return the·letter and try to get as many of their friends as possible to sign the letter and return them to CORPAC. Maybe you can fill out a pledge card or something and send a donation later. At least two clubs in nonhern California are taking contributions at their races to help Hayes get reelected. The idea of tacking on a 50¢ or $1 voluntary contribution for either Hayes or CORPAC seems to be catching on. When Hayes talks to us about political action. it makes sense. It works for other groups and they aren't even in the majority. We are the majority when it comes to users of the desert, we need a tool to make our voice heard. It takes money to build that voice, but once we get it; when we speak ... they'll listen! • C. N. Deepthroat 3

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