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/126470
(Above! Jimmy Weinert int erv iew s the winner in victory circle. (Below) Bria n Myerscough led the final for a while. finished second. Qualifier two saw Chuck Sun (63) get the holeshot. Jim Gibson (29) close and David Bailey (93) even closer but Bailey paid a price (below). • rrowhead Stadium' The man changing p laces in the heat was 500cc National Champion Danny LaPorte. He looked to be on the way to a smooth transfer position as he moved into range. but crashed out of contention . Surwall took fourth and LOP's Kippy Pierce beat Gary Semics by feet for the final transfer. " I went off a jump. and I was com mitted . I went down on a haybale and fell to about 15th. Then "I just rode - around to get into the semi." LaPorte said later. " I was super lucky. I almost lost it in the first tum . but after that 1 felt real comfortable." Glover said. Chuck Sun, Jim Gibson, Marty Tripes. Honda's Donnie Hansen and Carlos Serrano. on a Moto-X Fox Honda . led qualifier two . Tripes could have been a threat, but lost his left footpeg and couldn't keep the pace. Sun, Gibson . Hansen and Serrano too k one through four , and on the gas Jeff Ward won a tight battle over Kawasaki teammate Gaylon Mosier for the last transfer. "I broke my footpeg off on the big jump on the third lap," Tripes said back in the pits. _ Don nie Cantaloupi took the third qualifier holeshot followed by Kent Howerton. Steve Wise, PDQ's Jimmy Ellis and Jeff Hicks. on an Action Sport Cycles Suzuki . Wise stuffed -Howert on for second. but Howerton returned the favor over a jump and th en went by Canialoupi for the lea d for good . Wise went down on the uphill sweeper, but regained third place by the finish . Cantaloupi took second. Ellis fourth and Hicks never let off his pace for fifth . "I t ho ught 1 was goi ng to be ab le to cruise around, b ut 1 had to get past Steve and it tu rned into a real race. When he cut in front of me 1 had to do it back to show him 1 didn't like it - 1 think 1 wrecked his composure," Howerton said. Mark Barnett used his Suzuki to lead all the way in qualifier four. Teammate Darrell Shultz held second all the wa y, but had to earn the position as Kawasaki's Warren Reid pushed hard from third - the two crossed the lin e five feet apart followed by LOP-sponsored David Taylor in fourth . Darren Rhoten put his CMS Honda in fifth over Billy Grossi on a Husqvarna by a few feet . Tripes put LOP's Marty Moates in tow after leader David Bailey broke his frame and the two took semi one transfers . Dan Conway put his Honda of America machine in the lead with Grossi behind for transfer spots in semi two . It was the consolation race that had the crowd hopping. Randy Kirschbaum a nd Suzuki's Marty Smith went at it tooth and nail for the consy's final transfer. Kirschbaum was shutting the door on Smith at every corner, but Smith finally made it past. Then Kirschbaum put his Moto-X Fox /Chief Drill Yamaha past Smith on the big jump. Plastic and metal were rubbing as the two careened off each other. Then a few turns from the end Smith ja m med h is bike in front and cut off Kirsch- baum for the win/The two exchanged heated words after the finish. " Racing is racing. and if I've got a chance to put him do wn 1 willi" Smith said to announcer Weinert as the crowd both cheered a nd booed . "I just got a little p ....d because he hit my leg , but that's racing," Kirschbaum said. "I guess I would have done the same thing." Final Cantaloupi looked to be on his way in the final. His Yamaha hooked up and took off out of the hole to put him in the lead with Myerscough, Howerton, Serrano, Barnett. Hansen. Ward and Bell following . After two laps of barto-bar combat Myerscough and Howerton got by Cantaloupi. Bell used his usual quick comer-to-corner pace and jammed into fourth . Hansen followed, and behind that was three bikelengths of red, white and blue - Honda team members Wise, Gibson and Sun were freight -training around at speed. Myerscough and Howerton were spreading out and Bell pushed Cantaloupi until he found a line by. Then it almost looked as if Myerscough let Howerton by. He went up over a berm and looked back. Howerton came skating by, never to be headed again. Myerscough took up a quick pace behind to hold onto second. Howerton threw his legs off the pegs a t the checkers and Myerscoug h followed him in . Bell and Ca nta loup i came across the line a close d istance apart. Hansen hung onto fifth . a nd - Sun had - won the battle with his teammates for sixth. WISe followed, but Barnett had gotten in ahead of Gibson. "'Man, tha t' s a bad track. 1 didn't rea lly thin k I was going to do it," Howerton said. "I thought Cantaloupi was still in second," Myerscough explained. -rben I missed a berm, looked back, and Kent went by." "I j ust d id n't get a good start," Bell said. "Then Howerton clipped me on a downhill - that really set me back. 1 got Cantaloupi in a tum. He was going to pass a lapper and 1 took him." "I guess I've got to worry about riding instead of wo rrying a bout the guy behind me," Cantaloupi sai d . "About the fifth lap 1 had my toe pointed down off a jump and bent my ankle. It's a little swollen now. I've just got to learn to get my mind straight - sometimes it's just hard to believe I'm just as fast as the other guys." • Results 1. Kent Howerton lSuzI; 2. _ ~ lSuzl; 3. Mike Bell (Yam); 4. Donnie c.-..,; (Y..-.I; 5Donnie Ha"..,., Ilion) ; 6. Chuck Sun IHanI; 7. SlIMI weeIHan); 8. M...k -lSuzI; 9. JOn ~ IHanI; 10. Jeff Ward IKaw); 11. Marty Smith lSuzl; 12. Ma1y Tripes (Yam); 13. Bill Grossi lHus/; 14. _ Reid IKaw); 15. 8' 00 Glover (Yam); 16.,J;mmy Bia (y1Inl; 17. Darren Rhoten (Hon); 18. Marty _ (YomI: 19. Darrell S hultz 1 5uzl ; 20. Dan IHonI; 21. e.tos Serrano tHon); 22. Jeff lIicks lSuzl; Z3. Jeft ~ (Yam) ; 24. David Tayio< (Yam); 25. Kippy PWce lYlInl. SUPERCR05S POINTS STANDINGS: 1. - . Bel (276); 2. Kent Howerton (247); 3. Chuck Sun l24llI; 4. Mark Barnett 1216) 5. Brae GIovor 0791: 6. JOn ~ ; 11751; 7. Steve W"", (137); S. _ ~ 0281; 9. Warren Reid (123); 10. Donnie . - (1061; 11. Darrell Shultz 1921; 12. Donnie CanraIouP C91k 13. Rex Sta ten (84); 14. mEl Marty SmilhI.JoII Word CBIII; 15Danny lJIPone 1761; 16. Marty Tripm 1741; 17. Ario Englund (54 ); 18. JirrYny Ek I5Q; 19.1TlEIlitl< IUgenI LarryWooicltl45I. • - eo.- 11