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/126469
Mike Bell won on Saturday night. and extended his points lead to 32. Marty Smith 1261. Jeff Ward 1191. Danny LaPone lSI. Mike B.1I131. Chuck Sun I AMA Supercross Series: Rounds 10-11 Bell, Barnett blast Superdome dou By Tom Mueller NEW ORLEANS, LA, MAY ~ -4 In an act of sheer determination, T eam Yamaha's Mike Bell pulled out the stops after a crash in the final m oments of Sa tu rday's main event to overtake H onda' s Chu ck Sun a t the line to win , while Team Suzuki's Mark Barnett put in a mistake free ride on Sunday for final event honors in doubleheader Supercross action in the Superdome. Bell bettered his po ints standing Over now second place Sun, who holds a three po int lead on Suzuki's Kent Howerton. NBC television coverage depended on a water hole which was placed in the course, and complications evolved between rid ers and promoters over its use. Though the hole was used in Saturday's program, the area was replaced by a jump Sunday in the PACE Management and Turnstile Promotions , along with American Honda Motor Company presented event. Attendance was severely down in the Superdorne. Saturday's attendance was announced at 15,600, and on Sunday the stands looked as if many had for gotten the event was being held. The spectators numbered an estimated 4,700 . Saturday 12 "The water hole stinks, " said Howerton after practice. He was not the only one expressing . that. op inion. .Riders . were drenched after traversing the 20' x 20' man-made mini swamp. An argument ensued at th e riders' meeting. Riders were against the area, which had turned from a hole int o a swampy stretch, saying it was dangerou s and spectators wouldn't be able to id en tify anyone. Promoters were sym pathizing with riders , yet argued Supercross must have TV coverage to survive and prosper. Then Jimmy Weinert, present at the Superdome for his debut rid e on a Kolbe-sponsored Can-Am, stepped in. "You guys don't know how lucky you are. I've been going to a bunch of car races lately and they'd love to have a water hole on the track if it would bring sponsorship and coverage," Wei · nert said. It was then pointed out a pay -off from NBC wou ld go to Saturday's main event riders - the amount was at the time unknown. Riders disbanded to ·p repa re for qualifier races, some unhappy. The water hole was to be left in - at least for Saturday. Suzuki's Darrell Shultz, Bell, Jim Gibson, Danny LaPorte , LOP's Marty Moates and Suzuki's Brian Myerscough threaded down the first straight, over the jump and into turn one in qualifier one. .LaPorte got Gibson early and soon after, Bell moved into the lead for good. Shultz held second and Husky's Mike Guerra dialed in on to grab the final transfer over Myerscough by three feet. Bell , Shultz, LaPorte, Gibson and Guerra were first five to head for the main . " I got LaPorte over the double jump in back," Bell said concerning the pass which gave him the win . Kent Howerton led qualifier two from start to finish . LOP's Kippy Pierce ran number two all the way , and Broc Glover managed to edge PDQ.'s Jimmy Ellis , who was back in action after knee surgery. It was qu ite a feat for Glover, since he ran off the track near the finish of the heat. Kawa saki's Jeff Ward cla imed last transfer. "I was going hard trying to catch Howerton and went too far to the side - the edge of a jump gave way and I went off. Instead of risking the race I went back to where I went off," Glover said. Chuck Sun showed the way - all the way - in qualifier three. Darren Rhoten, on a CSM Honda , held second for a good portion of the race until H onda's Steve Wise, last year's New Orleans winner, blew past. By the finish Su n led Wise and Rhoten. Marty Sm ith piloted his Suzuki to a close fourth and Yamaha's Donnie Cantaloupi took fifth . "When you get a good start it makes it easier," Sun said in the pits . "I'm feelin' good today." Mark Barnett took Kawasaki's Warren Reid early in lap one action for his quatifier four wi.n. The two kept close tabs on each other throughout, with Ba rnett winning by feet. PDQ:s Tommy Croft watched from third place with Kawasaki's Ga ylon Mosier, riding his first major race since breaking his leg in Houston's 500cc National last year , behind. Team Dynamic's Kris Bigelow forged a hot path to his fifth place transfer. " My bike came out of gear over a jump and I almost went over the bars, but I had about a second on him (Reid)." Barnett said later. " Physica lly I'm great, but mentally - where am I?" Mosier said while gaz· ing at the Superdome ceiling. " I raced at Carlsbad last weekend, and then came here. I'm going to take it easy." Brian Myerscough won semi one and LOP's David Taylor edged teammate Marty Moates for the final transfer. Someone threw the switch on Marty Tripes, and he changed to second be hind Team Race Ready's Mark Rakestraw in semi two . It was Honda's Donnie Hansen winning the consolation. A 20 m inute delay before the final was needed to rearrange the slop that had been the water hole. Warren Reid was pleading with AMA officials to remove the hole . "T his stuff separates the fast gUys from the fast guys, not the slow from the fast," Reid said while examining the area. Though reworked a bit, it was still tricky when Bell, Sun, Howerton, Shultz, LaPorte and Reid slogged through it on lap one in the final. Shultz found a way around Howerton and Reid stalled, blocking an on -themove Barnett.