Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Cycle News 1980 06 04

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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World Champ-Ionshlp 500cc MX Series: Round four Carlqvist conquers Sweden, Lackey second By Alex Hodgkinson VISSEFJARDA , SWEDEN, MAY II .An uncharacteristic fall while leading the second moto at Vissefjarda robbed Brad Lackey of an almost certain double in the fourth round of the 500cc MX World Championship, but the Kawasaki ace still extended his lead in the championship over Honda's Andre Malherbe to six points. The third man in the tussle for the championship, Hakan Carlqvist, handed out a warning to his rivals , however, by winning his first 500cc GP to herald his arrival in the very top flight of the half- litre class. Riding on home soil, the Yamaha rider who is also the reigning 250cc World Champion, could not match . the speed of the Californian in the first moto. However, with Lackey first delayed by his fall and then slowed by a front wheel which was gradually breaking up during the race, the Swede stayed cool to move past Malherbe early in the race and resist all challenges to the flag . Despite his problems, Lackey recovered to finish third after overhauling Gerard Rond . It was a day of disaster for the man whose crown Lackey is after. Graham Noyce gated second behind Andre Vromans and dropped ba ck gradually throughout the race, giving way to each of the three ch ampionship leaders. Worse was to come in th e second moto, however, as the champion , looking more likely to be an ex-champion by the end of the year, pulled out after four la ps when he was hit in the face by a rock while lying a lowly 12th. It was the best day of the year so far for Vromans. While his Yamaha team mate Carlqvist was taking overall honors the young Belgian kept fourth place in the first moto and rode even better next time out after a wheelspin at the start had left him stone last; by the checkered he was through to an excellent fifth . Despite Re nd 's second race fourth it was an other black day for Suzuki . He had punctured a tire on the opening lap of the first mo to and j ean-j acq ues Bru no scored nothing all da y as a result of a first race crash and dam ping prob lems in the second. Roger DeCoster and Gerrit Wolsink also went on to Finland wishing they could emulate their successes of the seventies. The five-time ex-champion had two atrocious starts and retired in both motos -- a fall putting him out of the first and a broken gear lever out of the second. Wolsink, meanwhile, only added four points to his tally and the works Mako man was far from happy with his first race seventh; it came from a third place start an d he was passed on the last lap by British rider Geoff Mayes who had ridden magnificently from 20th on the opening lap. Just to rub salt in Wolsink's wounds, Mayes was riding a standard Maicol Pelle Granqvist , riding the GPs on license after an Australian considerable success in the South Pacific, returned to his homeland to score a point from a second race tenth whilst Jim Pomeroy fa iled to turn up and Canadian champion Stan Currington elected to race in France rather than make the expensive trip to Scandanavia. Results 1. Hakan Carlqvisl (YamI 2·1; 2. Brad Lackey lKawl l · 3; 3. Andre Melherbe (3-2); 4. Andre Vromenl (Yaml 45; 5. Gerard Rond (Suzl '-4; 6. Greham Noyce (Hon) S' ; 7. Geoff Meyes IMeil6-'; B. Tepeni Pikkareinen (Meij '-6; 9. GetI'it Wolsink IMeiI7··; 10. Uno Pelm (Hull··7; 11. Peter Hertinga IMeil 9-9; 12. Conny Certuon IHuIl 8-'; 13. Herbert Schmitt IMeij 0-8; 14. Bertil Ovgard (Hull 10-'; 15. sene GrenqvistIHuII··10. • Denotes placing outside the top 10. Wor ld Championship Point Sta nd ingl : 1. Lackey 1971; 2. Melherbe 1911: 3. Carlqvist (79) ; 4. Vromena 1431; 5. Jeen-Jecques Bruno 1331: 6. [TIEl Rand/DeCoster ; (25); 8. Noyce 1241: 9. Iven Ven den Broeck 11 81 10. Wolaink 11 71. World Champlonshl~ 250cc MX Series: Round 2 Falta, Range/ov split wins in Czechoslovakia By Alex Hodgkinson HOLICE, CZECH OSLOVAKIA, MAY II The Russia ns may not be the force they once were in the 250cc MX World Championship , but the west still has plenty of riders from th e Eastern bloc to contend with. The enigmatic Czech , Jaroslav Falta, was aga in a race winner on a typically uncompetitive-Iooking CZ in front of his home crowd at Helice . The other man to tak e the checkered on the day was Bulgarian - Dim itar Rangelov . Another Husqvarna rider, Ray.mond Boven , was runner-up in both races to don the laurel wreath as overall winner. He was one of three top riders to score points for the first time this year. Britain's Neil Hudson , still at the center of legal action over his contract with Maico, rode the West German marque for the first time since last September to score 16 points from two bad starts . Having missed the first GP because of his off-track problems, Hudson needed to score in Czech oslovakia an d showed enough in this one-off ride on the Maico to sugges t th at he is still favorite for the crown. The third' man to open his account was ex-champion Gennady Moiseev, now on a CZ, but he never looked • likely to challenge for the lead. Results o 00 (j") ,...-4 F."" 1. f\eymond _ IHual2·2; 2. JeroaIev (CZll4; 3. Dimilar RongoIov lHuIl 8-1; 4 . ~ Jobe lSuzl 4-3; 5. N.. Hudoon (Moll 3-6; 6. VIodimif Kevinov (CZl , S-' ; 7. Gennedy M _ (CZl .~; 8. Erkki Sundalrorn CHual7··: 9. Jeon Paul Mingela (Yeml ' ·7; 10. K.- Von der Von IMoiI 8-'; 11. RoIfDielf_ (Han!'-8; 12. Stanialev Jenocek ICZl 9-' ; 13. Joon Cleude Loc:quey lSWM) "9; 14. Saran Mort..,...., tKrel l o-' ; 15. Metti T.kkonen(Yom!··10. • llenoteI finilh outoide lOp 10. World ChempionIhip PoInt Standingo: 1. Fello 138l; 2. .lobe 04); 3. DieIf_ (28); 4. mEl _ K _ 124t, 6. RongeIov (21); 7. Kevihov t181; 8. Hudoon t161; 9. Pelridc Fure l12); 10. Sundattom 19). o o S hrs. X 2 Twins = Terrific " "The ContiTwins are excellent high speed tires with great handling and minimum wear even after S hours of high speed road racing. On ourYamaha XS1100 we completed the highest number of laps ever; averaging as.s mph:' James B. Pidgeon, Cory Ruppelt, Winning Team of the Five Hour Endura~ce Race, Brainerd, Minn. 13

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