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
(Above) Gaylon Mosier and Marty Smith wait (cleanly) before their race. in marked contrast to what the track held for them and others (below). (Above left) Rick Burgett's day was inconsistent - 27-1. (Above right! Chuck Sun went 3-2 for second. (Below) Darrell Shultz looked fast. bega n looking for ways to get around Wise. As announcer La rry Meiers po inted out, though , there was onl y one hard and d ry line around th e en tire track and Wise was hold ing firmly to it, for cing Howerton to try crowdscreaming broadslides in the turns on either side in attempts to get pas t. Wise still held the advantage accelerating out of the turns on the dry line . This went on , side by side and lap aft er lap, -r igh t down to the last lap and the last corner , where Howerton's only last d itch chance to clinch th e moto from W ise and the overall win was to stuff his Suzuki inside of the Ho nda and send Wise submarining through the sideline mud. As Howerton jammed his way insid e of Wise to try and rail him ou t of th e groove, Wise held his line with all his strength. cut across the imposing Suzuki rider's front wheel and put Howerton down . It was clean racing in dirty mud , with Wise, on th e Paul Turner-tuned factory -Hond a , emerging on the other side of the checkered flag to win . Howerton consoled himself with second overall and a still nearly invincible series points lead with just two more weeks of ra cing left. Darrell Shultz held on to third position in the moto ahead of "T he front wheel locked up as I was going up the big uphill . It threw me over the ba rs. ..my levers were broken and I couldn't go on ... my legs are smashedl I'm calling it 'quits for the dayl" said LaPorte from the darkened hideaway of the back of the Team Suzuki truck. Burgett made his return known the second moto as he pegged his 465cc works Yamaha through the first turn sweeper, plastering tail gunner Chuck Sun with so much mud he was forced to drop blindly off the throttle, letting both Sm ith and Swartz past in to second and third. Another lap' and Burgett was an obvious easy runaway the remaining distance to the finish line . It's just too bad luck has prevented Burgett from putting together two motos in one day. Behind Burgett there was a little dicing for second between Smith, Sun, Kawasaki's Gaylon Mosier and Swartz. Arlo Englund churned to a sixth place finish aboard his PDQ Yamaha , and combined with his fifth place moto one finish claimed a creditable fifth overall. Last week's report was erroneous, as it stated Team PDQ was bankrupt. Englund proved the report wrong with his high placing for the team. Swartz just needed fou rth plac e Kawasaki's Wos ick who seems to be im proving in speed each week a nd th is time collected third overall. Fin ish ing fifth for the moro and taking the top non -factory rider spo t overall was Mike Loeffl er with his Moto-X Fox Honda. 500cc National Denny Swartz had a nearly uncontested victory in the first 500cc class moto as he stole the sta rt with his 450cc Megaform and nearly disappeared. His only challenge cam e from Team Kawasaki test rider Goat Breker who caught and passed Swartz at the mid-point of the race, on ly to bail off and let Denny ha ve a free run the rest of the way to the fin ish line. Suzuki's Marty Smith moved u p to collect an excellent second spot over Honda's Chuck Sun and Marty Moates on the radically modified 49 3cc LOP Yamaha YZ. Three of the top factory riders wer e put out on the first lap. Previous 500cc National Champion Rick Burgett lost a chain. Honda's Jim Gibson had something in ' the in ternals of his RC450 lock up tight. And of course, reigning Champion Danny LaPorte blew another front axle for the second week in a row dashing all his hopes for retaining his title. finish on his Jim W ilhelm 'prepared Maico, together with his win the first ra ce, for overall . Back in the pits afterwards when asked how he had ridden so fast , Denny modestly replied , " I guess my throttle was stuck." • Results :zsoc.: NATIONAL: 1. Steve Wise. 2·1 (Hon); 2. Kent Howerton. 1-2 ISuz); 3. Larry Wosicl<. J-I (Kaw); 4. Mike LoeIfter. 6-5 (Hon); 5. Mike Twigg, 5-7 (Yern); 5. M ike Bell. 4-9 (Yern) 7. Dave Hollis. 11-6 (Yam); 8. ; Derrell Shultz. DNF-3 (Suzl; 9. Steve Martin. 12-11 (Yam); 10. Jeff Hicks. 10-5 (Yam); 11. Bill Gro.... 13-13 IHus); 12. Jim Ems 19-8 IYam); 13. JoJo Koller. 14-14 . (Hon); 14. Mark Garrison . 7·24 (Yam); 15. Troy Bradshaw. 17-12 IKTM); 16. Derok Wedding. 8-22 IHus); 17. Pote Wenkot. !}.23lYam); lB. Jim Terantino. 27·10 (Matl; 19. Dave Wood. 15-DNF (Yam); 20. WanfKl Reid, DNF-15IKaw). 500cc NATlONAL: 1. Denny Swonz. 1-4 IMaij; 2. Chucl< Sun. 3-2 IHon); 3. Marty Smith. 2·5 (Suzl; 4. Gayton Mosier. 10-3IKawI; 5. Arlo Englund. 5-6 (Yaml; 6. Goet Broker. 6-7 lKaw); 7. Rick Burgett. 27·1 (Yam); 8. Marty M08l88. 4-15 (Yaml; 9. Jim Weinert, 12·9 lC· Al; 10. Mickey K _. !}.12 (Yam); 11. Gory Sern ics, 14-18 (Yem); 13. Steve Staekable. 11·13 (Maij; 13. Gory Pustolak. 7·22 lKaw); 14. Wayne Boyer. 8-DNF lSuzl; 15. John Dey. DNF-10; 16. Jim Gibson, DNF-ll ; 17'Mike Herasmisz 13-20 (Mai); 18. Alen Pizzino. 17·17 , tHull; 19. Rick Sidle. 16-18 IMail; 20. Steve RhYfKl. DNF·14 (Mail. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MX POINT STANDINGS: 1. KfKlt Howerton (240); 2. Mike Boll 11811; 3. Steve WISe 11421; 4. Marty Tripes (130); 5. Larry Wosick (121); 6. mE) Warren Reid/Darroll Shultz 11181; 8. Mike Guerra (991; 9. JoJo Koller (78); 10. Mike Loeffler (69); 11. Jim Elf.. (68) . 500cc NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MX POINT STANDINGS: t . Chucl< Sun 1921; 2. Demy Swartz !7Bl; 3. Goet Broker 17 4. Arlo Englund 159 5. Mickey 1t. ); K_I55t. 6. Gavton Mosier l53l; 7. Marty M _ 148 B. Gory ~ 145 9. J im Giboon 144 10. Jim t. ); ); Weinert l37l. zsoee 15