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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Chuck Sun scored his first National victory. winning both 500cc motos. Burgett began m akin g mo ves on Sun for the lead. bu t sudd enly began crashing, once on a downhill and then again in a muddy creek crossing. A loose carburetor needle jet caused his engine to cu t out at unexpected times and resulted in loss of control. Burgett could only retire to the pits . This left Jim Gibson in second spot behind Sun and LaPorte charging up from behind to challenge. At the 20 minute mark, the National cham p passed Gibson and closed on Sun , but Sun wouldn't prove to be as easy to put away as tea m m a te Gibson had. For 10 minutes, LaPorte pushed Sun hard , but didn't look like he was making any all -out attempts to pass just yet , with time remaining to race. That's why it was surprising to everyone when LaPorte crashed hard and was put out of the ra ce. LaPorte explai ned ba ck in the pits wha t had happened. " I was j ust going down this straightaway, som ething in the front hub broke, locked up the front wheel and put me over th e hand leba rsI" The problem was trac ed to a ben t front ax le. Sun coasted his Eric Crippa-prepared Honda to an a lmos t uncontest ed win the remaining distance to the finish. Teammate Gibson held second despite having to stop to hav e a front brake lever straightened aft er a fall , while Team Kawasakil Norstar rider Goa t Breker worked his way stea d ily on up to collect th ird place. The last moto of the day wou ld be another bu m mer for LaPorte and Burgett as they went down in first and second tum crashes. Both rejoined the race from nearly a lap behind. Burgett would charge back up to 12th place by the end, but LaPorte was riding slowly because of bruised leg muscles and since he was running out of the po ints he was signaled to retire from the race by team manager Blackwell. Jim Gibson put his Honda into the lead after the start, pu rsu ed by Swartz, Kessler , Sem ics, Br eker, Sun and Gary Pustelak on his RPM -supported Kawa saki. Gibson led th e moto up to the midway po int until Sun, who had once again charged his way up to the front , took .over . . . lead .for the second time . . . . . the .. . . of the day. Gibson , though , had been hampered with a grabbing front brake since the ea rly laps of the race wh ich was dangerously causing his front wheel to lock up . After losing the lead to Sun, Gibson pitted to have his front brake cable repaired and dropped back to eighth. With Gibson way back, Sun ran awa y with the second moto as well to cla im his first -ever National win . Second place turned into a wild battle with Breker finally fending off Swartz and Pustelak to come out on top . Puste1ak passed Swartz with one lap to go , but then fell on the back side of th e track and found himself ha ving to settle for fourth behind the factory Maico rider. Sun was obviously excited over his first National win and ga ining a huge points advantage over the other top factory rid ers at the first race of th is year's 500cc Championship . "W e made a few jett ing changes to the bike for the second moto and it ran mu ch better. It's been a long time watching other rid ers collect this first pla ce trophy - I'm glad it's finall y mel" sa id Sun. • Results (To p) Shultz went 5-2 on t he Suz uki "floater." IA bov e) Howenon co ntinued his blitz in t he 250cc class, (Below) J im Gibson (29). M ichael Harasm isz (402) and reigning ch amp Da nny LaPone. w ho had a bad day. cha se Sun. Gibso n went 2-9 for fifth. 250cc NATIONAl.: 1. Kent Howenon. 1·1 IS 02); 2. S teve Wise . 2-3 (Honl; 3. Darrell S hultz. 5-2 lSo2); 4. Larry Wosic k. ~ (Kawl; 5. Mike Bell. ~ (Yam); 6. Marty Tripes. 7-4 lYaml; 7. Mike Guerra. 8-1; IHUS/; B. David Bailey. 9-7 lKawI; 9. St eve Martin. 10-9 lYaml; 10. Fran k Stacy. 11·12 IKTM); 11. Lenny Giger . 16-10 IHonl; 12. Mark lawrence. 13-13 lYam l; 13. Warren R.,;d. 6-DNF (Kaw); 14. JoJo Keller•. 18-11 IHonl; 15. Carlos SemIna. 12-24 (Hon); 16. Tony Wankel. 20-15 lYam); 17. Derek Wedding . 25-14 (Hus); l B. Mika LoeIfIer. 15-20 IHus/; 19. J eff Hicks . 14-22 (Sull; 20 . Dave Hollis. 23-16lYamJ. 500cc NATIONAL: 1. Chuc k Sun . 1-1 IHonl; 2. Goat Breker. 3-2 IKawI; 3. Denny Swartz. 6-3 (Mail; 4. Mickey Kessler. 4-5lYaml; 5. Jim Gibson . 2·9 (Han); 6. Gary Pustelak. 8-4 (Kawl; 7. Arlo Eng lund . 9-6 (Yam ); B. Steve Rhyan . 7-8 IMail; 9. Marty Mootes . 11·7lYaml; 10. Gaylon Mosier. 5-15 IKawl; 11. Gary Sem ics . 10-11 lYam); 12. Mickey Boone. 16-10 IMail; 13. Jimmy Weinen. 13-13 (C·AI; 14. Allen King. 12·14 IMail; 15. Rick Burgen. DNF-12 (Yaml; 16. St eve St ackabl e. 14· 23 IMai); 17. Rick Anderson. 19-17 (Husl; lB. J ohn Day. 16-DNF (Yam); 19 . David King 116-16) 20. Wayne ; Boyer. 17·20 (Suli. 250cc NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MX POINT STANDINGS: 1. Kent Howenon (1941; 2. Mike Bell (1511 3. Marty Tripes 1 ; 1301 4. Warren Reid 1113); 5. ; Steve Wise (105); 6. M ike Guerra (99); 7. Darrell Shu ttz 1981; B. Larry Wo sick 183); 9. JoJo Keller (61); 10. Donnie Hansen158t. 500cc NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MX POINT STANDINGS: 1. Chuck Su n ISO); 2. Goat Breker (42) ; 3. Denny Swartz 135); 4. mEl Mickey Kessler/Jim Gibson 1341; 6. Gary Pustelak 131 1;7. mE ) Arlo EnglundlSteve Rhyan 127); 9. Marty Mootes 124) 10. Gayton Mos ier ; . 122). 15

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