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/126466
...... .... 1-0 ~ < IAbovel Kerry Bryant 12221 finiehed the Open &opel ab Nt race first but _ disqualified and Vance B,... 1691 got the win. lBelowl Gennady Uublmaky !_da _r1y going of 26Occ: GP. Eddie lawson 12111urka behind. AMA Superbike-configurated Z-I, is illegal for the Superstreet class according to 1980 AFM rules (all Superbikes must run in the GP classes). That resulted in first place awarded to Vance Breese on the Sputhe Engineering Harley-Davidson. "We Harley people talk in terms of cubic inches, not cc's," stated Vance who formerly had ridden Moto Guzzis and Nortons. "It's 78.8 cubic inches. "That translates to about 1291cc's for the sake of comparison. While Kerry was being disqualified and Vance was motoring away, Brad Taylor (NorCal GSlOOO Suz) and Michael McLoughlin (Kaw KZlOOO) were hotly contesting second and third slots. Taylor waited until the final lap to pass McLoughlin whom he had followed the entire race. Brad then kept the more powerful bike behind him to the finish line. In other action, Euromart's Paul Ritter (Duc 750) easily took the 750cc Production c1ass. Lawson won the 500cc GP race but was penalized one lap for jumping the gun and Dan Spisak (Berkeley Yam TZ350) was awarded first place. Dale Alexander (Palo Alto Yamaha RD) won the 430cc Production battle, and Marc Salvisberg (Karl's Motors Can-Am 125) took the Featherweight win. Rich Oliver, last year's young terror on his box-stock Kaw KZ650, has acquired Gordy SeiDl's Kaw KZlOOO. Oliver finished fourth in the Open Superstreet class. The Essaff/ Harrold team took the Sidecar race. The next race, first AFM points contest of the year at Sears Point, will be on April 20. Results l00cc GP: 1. DIMl ERion l"-wl. 125cc GP: 1. Jeff Leggitt lHon): 2. Bil Mulino lVom): Lawson runs away with Sears Point AFM RR opener By Karl Okamoto SONOMA, CA, MAR. 30 Eddie Lawson returned to Sears Point and won the 250cc GP race in a convincing ma!U1er over a talent-laden field. 'Racing through 32 a brisk wind that had raised storm warnings over San Francisco Bay, Lawson got off to a slow start in the season's opener. "I was' waiting on the (starting) line. The one-minute sign went sideways (indicating a green flag at any time) and the flag dropped right away. I was in neutral, so I slammed it into gear and took off." It took the Ontario, CA resident two laps to pass teammate Gennady Liubimsky. With the K.T. Engineering (formerIy Harry Hunt) team out in front by themselves, attention shifted to the battle for the third through fifth places. Glen Shoper (Shoei/ PJl/Farmhouse Rest. TZ250) got off to his usual fine start only to yield third place to Fred Winters - last year's AFM Number One - due to handling woes. "Something feels like it's broken. The wind and handling were real problems - at first I thought I had a flat tire." Shopher fmished in fourth position after holding off a much-improved Dwayne Chung (Berkeley Yamaha TZ250). The Box Stock race offered a clue as to the best economy racer this season. Frank Mazur finally abandoned his IO-year-old Honda CB750 and climbed aboard the Bob Karol/Hayward Kawasaki KZ750. Frank, an ebullient 5'2", 120 lb. charger, started his 750 in the second of four waves, 10 seconds behind the Open class in the Box Stock start. Three laps later he had shaken Tom Lee, Steve Epstein'S former tuner who now rides his own KZI000, and then passed Jim Kinne (Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans) to take the lead that he never relinquished. Mazur was flabbergasted with the performance of the Kaw after the race. "Ulrich wasn't kidding when he said ,these things were fast." said Frank, referring to the Cycle World editor. It will be interesting to see how Frank fares against the lions of the Box Stock class, Whit Blakeslee and Lee F1eming of Champion Cycles in Costa Mesa. The 125cc GP class featured the new watercooled Yamaha and Honda machinery, but it was Jeff Leggitt (R&J Honda MTl25R) on his aircooled single that led the way to the checkered. Jeff was punued. by Bill Mullins (Concord Yamaha TZl25) the entire race, but Bill couldn't pull it off. "I almost took Jeff in Tum Seven. He looked over his right shoulder and I was on his left side. I kinda surprised him, 'cause after he saw me he took off." Terry McDonald (Honda 125) finished in third and Greg Goodman (Honda RSC125) got by fellow Sacramento resident Rob Stabile (Honda RSC125) for fourth. Stabile, incidentally, was the 1979 AFM 250cc .Production champ. Open Superstreet featured Kerry Bryant (Goodyear Kaw Z-I) who domina~ed the r'lce. But Bryant's bike, an 3. Terry McDonoId lHonl. 200cc GP: 1. BiI McGrililBuD: 2. Grog o-mon ICA): 3. Ron DeBruin lVoml. 250cc GP: 1. Eddie ~ lVom): 2. Gennody liubmslty lVoml: 3. Fred Wlt1lenIlVoml. 5OOa: GP: 1. Dan SpiooI< lVoml: 2. Robert Runyon lVaml: 3. Nick Theroux IVoml. OPEN GP: 1. Kerry Bryant l"-wl: 2. Richord llasIord IKawl; 3. Tom Reinecker lVoml. 60llcc SUP£RSTREET: 1. Jeff Hogen l"-wl: 2. John SlTuys IHonl: 3. Don Gr_IVaml. 750cc SUP£RSTREET: 1. Bernd Koogler IHenI: 2. W_ Boyd IKawl; 3. Dllffe! WhitelSuzl. OP£N SUP£RSTREET: 1. Vence Br_ IH-D): 2. Brad Taylor ISuz); 3. Mich8el Mcloughlin IKew). 125cc PROD: 1. Merc Salvisborg (C-A): 2. Heim Beressi (Veml: 3. JlIY Hardy IVeml. 200cc PROD: 1. Grog Overmen (C-A); 2. Ron DeBruin (Veml. 250cc PROD: 1. Michael M _ ICoAl: 2. PhilUp Headley IDuel: 3. Richerd W_lVeml. 430cc PROD: 1. Dele Alexander (Voml: 2. John Chermek lVeml: 3. Mike V... [)yItelVoml. 60llcc PROD: 1. Gary Brooder lVoml: 2. Dan Anderson lVem); 3. Ja..- ~ lSuzl. 750cc PROD: 1. Paul Ritter (Duel; 2. Bernd Koogler IHen); 3. Francis MlIZUf ("-wI. OPEN PROD: 1. Raymond Careen lDueI: 2. Tom Leo l"-wl; 3. Wolliem _IKawl. 430cc BOX STOCK: 1. Ed Diodorich IHenI; 2. Jim Siemens lVoml: 3. Heim _lVom). 60llcc BOX STOCK: 1. Jam. ~ lSuzl: 2. Ray Roy IHen): 3. Joe Montoya lVom). 750cc BOX STOCK: 1. Fr.,ae MezurlKawl: 2. _ Atkinson IHenI; 3. Robert Saim 1KawI. OP£N BOX STOCK: 1. Jam. Kime IM-Gl: 2. Tom Leo l"-wl: 3. Jam. Speolti lSuzl. Freitas, Scroggins .... at Oakdale ST By Marty Scott OAKDALE, CA, MAR. 30 Winkie Freitas doubled in the 80 and 100cc Expert classes with Craig Scroggins taking a first in the 500 and a second in the 250cc Expert classes to lead a good day of racing at Oakdale's Pioneer Arena. The 100cc Experts got the mains off to an exciting start. Freitas and Kurt Chandler - who are both determined to wrest the number one Black Plate away from Chris Carr - were the first into the comer. Carr, who was riding his first race since suffering a broken ankle, was close behind in third. The th.ree stayed close until Chandler