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/126473
[; • ~ III e o 00 O'l ..... Kent H owerton attempts a ban zai insid e pass on 250cc w inner Ste v e Wise but had t o settle f or second . He still com mands poin t standings_ AMA 250/500cc National Championship MX Series: Rounds 5/2 Wise, Swartz slop to Red Bud wins ByJim Gianatsis floaters had yet to be tested in a mud race with their new a irbox designs . BUCHANAN , MI.JUNE I 250cc National Honda's Steve Wise and Maico su pported Denny Swartz made their way into victory circle amid the wettest, mud diest and slopp iest MX all season a t the Red Bu d Track N' Trail It was a difficult day for nearly all the Team Suzuki riders . Darrell Shultz was looking the best he had all year as he jumped his RH250 out into the slop for the lead in the first moto ahead of Wise and Suzuki teammate Howerton, LOP riders Steve Martin and Mike Twigg and Kawasaki's Larry Wosick . Quickly Shultz began rolling out a small lead as W ise and Howerton tangled back and forth nearly the entire moto over second . Wise was loo king aggressive and for the first time th is series he was able to match Howerton's lightning speed. It was only on the last part of the moto that Howerton was able to pull out a lessthan -comfortable few feet on Wise for an insecure second place. Shultz continued to roost away with his lead - up to the white flag la p . "I spun out on a really slick turn when 1 was trying to get around some lapped riders. I went spinning around in a circle and by the time 1 got pointed straight again Howerton was in front of me ," said Shultz who cha rged back after his teammate and the lead. " I caught back up to Kent on the last lap and, ~as j apped out , if! Nationals. Wise's 250cc overall was his first National win since joining Team Honda. and second National win since 1976 14 when he became the first-ever privateer to do so. Swartz backed up his third overall from last week with his first National win , as well as the firs t for Ma ico after a four year dry spoil. The weather at Red Bud seemed to change drastically by the hour as race day dawned nearly perfect . but quickly changed to thunder squalls wh ich plunged temperatures into the low 50's and washed awa y nearly h al f of promoter Gene Ritchie's track during practice and the morning's qualifiers. Spectators stayed awa y in droves . though by th e aftern oon's feature rnotos the sky was once aga in blue and the temperature pegged . its way into the 80's . The mud and water stayed to play havoc with riders and their bikes throughout the day. Reigning 500cc Nationa l Champion Danny La Porte was once again besieged by bad luck. A thrown chain in his qualifier forced him to make his way to the feature m otos by way of winning his consolation race. Then on the first lap of the first feature rnoto - just like the week before - a bent front axle on his works RN 440 Suzuki locked up the front wheel and pitched La Porte over the handlebars . Pain fully bruised legs prevented him from riding the remainder of the day, and now with four DNFs in as many m otos, La Porte looks to be out of contention to re t ain his title . T eam Suzuki riders in both classes were back on the conven tional twin shock bikes. ra ther than the • new monoshock floaters introduced last week. because the third right beh ind him as we ch arged up this hill . 1 couldn't see much of anything because of flying mud and when 1 swung out to pass himI found my line blocked by a do wn ed rider," said Shultz. Darrell clipped the wheel of the crashed bike, which sent him cartwheeling. destroying the front wheel and forks of his Suzuki . He was left with nothing more than a long walk back to the pits and nothing else for his excellent ride. Howerton collected the moto win as Wise pick ed up a close second. followed by Wosick, Yamaha's Mike Bell and top non-factory rider Mike Twigg. Wise pulled off the start of the second moto but Shultz took the lead away from him on the second lap . Then Wise was back out front again on the succeeding go -round to stay. Shultz remained clamped to the RC250 Honda's re ar fender for another 30 minutes to m ake the race look interesting as Howerton hung way back in a distant third . Not until the final 10 minutes of the race did Howerton begin to reel in on the 10second defici t he was holding and when he did , Kent made up the difference in just two laps. Slithering his way past Shultz who had fallen on . an . off-camber downhill. Howerton