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o 00 0') .-4 Val Tamietti won the Friday night Open class bash. Tamietti , Peterson score in Off-Road Championship GP By Dale Brow n Pho t os by Mark Kariya and Brow n LOS ANGELES , CA , JUNE 20-21 Maico-mounted Val Tamietti and DG Yamaha pilot Todd Peterson were named victors of the Open and 250cc classes, respectively, in the first ap pearan ce of motorcycle racing in Mickey Thompson's Off-Road Championship Gran Prix held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Sidehack racing was also fea- 14 tured in both nights of the program , and in Friday's I2 -lap event, Tom and Pete Whitney (Yam) won the Heavyweight (over 500cc) division , while Loren Immken and Ron Peck (Yam) topped the Lightweights. In Saturday's six-lap exhibition, Tom Ridyard and Randy Langosh bested the Heavy weights on a Kawasaki, and David Krohn and Mike Moore were the Light weight winners on a four-cylinder Honda . One of the features of the two motorcycle classes were mandatory pit stops for a front wheel change, and with the short course, it gave rise to much con fusion in the scoring. On Friday night , the checkered flag was given to David Gerig, but recalculation of the scoring showed that Gerig was about to be lapped by the real winner, Tamietti. Saturday's race saw a similar protest go up in behalf of Pete Snorteland, who was listed in second. "T hey may be right ," said one person who had watched the race from the press box ... Peterson did take about a minute in the pits. " (Most pit stops were in the 30- to 40 second range.) The pit stops were intended by the organizers to add excitement to the race and to give credit - in the form of $1,000 per night for the fastest wheel change - to previously unsung mechanics. Team Yamaha's mechanics reaped the honors. with Ron Heben and Bob Oliver being given credit for Jim Fishback's Friday night fast wheel cha nge, and Heben awarded top prize for his Saturday effort. also on Fish ba ck's bike. Open All the motorcycle races featured LeMans starts. and in the two-wheeled divisions, the riders ran across the track as their mechanics started the bikes . Husky-mounted Terry Clark was the first away . Bob Marino (Yam) had the lead before the first lap was over , and at its conclusion, was followed by Tamietti, Doug Boyd, Clark, Mark Asbury and Jim Fishback, riding for the injured Larry Roeseler, Marino, Tarnietti, Boyd and Clark continued as the top four for the first six laps. Laps five through eight were ' the laps designated for pit stops , most of the leaders came in on the seventh lap. Tom Kelly came in one lap early and it cost him because his was the fastest wheel change of the evening, and it was thrown out. The pi t stops ca used gJ:eat confusion about who was running where and who the leader was. When it was all said and done, Tamietti and Marino apparently came out the leaders, al though Marino's bid at the lead ended when he crashed at the tum after the Peristyle downhill. The white flag , and the checkered, were given first to Gerig. who was ahead of Tamietti and the others. but almost a lap down . The Maico crew protested immediately, but it wasn't until the following day that the results were made official and Tarnietti was declared the winn er. Following Tamietti in th e official resul ts wer e Mairno, LOP's Mark Lawren ce (Yam ). Team Honda 's Steve Wise (who over came a bad sta rt and ru nn ing into a d owned rid er on his works Pro -Link) and Bob Maxwell (Ya m) . T eam Yamaha's Jack J oh nson . Todd Peterson was the winner of the 250cc Saturday race. Don Draskovich (Yam), Boyd , Gerig (listed one lap down) and Clark made up the second half of the top 10. 250 When the quarter- litre machine hit the track , Las Vegas' Chris Howard had the lead, with Rick Munyon and Andy Kirker, also on Yamahas , heading up the pursuit. Peterson made his way into second by the end of the first lap , but stalled his machine at the top of the Peristyle and dropped a few places. Munyon made his way into the lead for a few moments, but soon started to drop back. Kirker slid out and was hit by another bike, dropping him back a long ways. Howard still had the lead. but was being pressured by DG-sponsored Pete Snorteland and Peterson. Both got by a lap later, but then Peterson went in for his pit. Howard and Snorteland disappeared into the pits on the following circuit, leaving the lead in the hands of Bob Marino (Yam) and Val Tamietti (Mai) until they too, pitted. When everybody was back and circulating, it looked like Tamietti had the lead, followed by Snorteland and Howard (who put himself out of con tention with a crash, shortly afterward.) Announcer Larry Huffman picked up on Bruce Ogilvie (Yam) as the leader, followed by Bob Rutten , although both would be listed a lap down on the official results. Peterson, ahead of Tamietti and Snorteland, got by Ogilvie and Rutten, while the others did not, and was given the first wave of the checkered flag . Tarnietti crashed in tum one a couple of laps before the finish and gave up several positions. When the results were given over the phone on Sunday morning, Off-Road Championship Gran Prix Press Relations Director Gene Esquivel was asked if they were official after any protest. and he replied, "Yes, they reconstructed it ." Following runner-up Snoneland was Steve Wise, who had again worked his way up after a mediocre start. Founh went to Marino ahead of Tim Lunde (Yam) , Mark Lawrence (Yam), Tarnietti and Lenny Giger (Hon). Mike Shoemaker (Yam) and Chuck Miller (Yam) made up the remainder of the top 10. Sidehacks The hacks started (Heavyweight machines on the front straight, Lightweights on the backstraight) with the driver on the machine and the passengers doing the LeMans-style running. In the Heavyweights, Ken Maler and Duane McDowell got th e jump on th e pack and led for two laps before giving up th e point position to Ralph and Scott Whitney. The Mike Ridyard/ Randy Langosh and Tom Whitney/ Pete Whitney rigs were right up there in a three-way battle that eventually saw the Yamaha-powered chair of Tom and Pete Whitney take the checkered first, followed by Ridyard and Langosh. The Damon Duckett/joe Broussard Yamaha made its way to third at the finish. The Lightweight race fell into the hands of Yamaha-sponsored Loren Immken and Ron Peck , with the Side Strider-sponsored outfit of David Krohn and Mike Moore taking second. Third went to the team of Kenny McIntyre and Les Ketchum . Jr. (Suz) . A six-lap sidehack exhibition was added to Saturday night's program. In the Heavyweight class, Ridyard and Langosh led it all the way on their Kawa 750cc two-stroke triple, although Tom and Pete Whitney closed it up dramatically in the late laps. Third belonged to the Norton of Ralph and Scott Whitney. Some of the best racing of the week end was in the Lightweight ranks Satur- day night. with a three-team, side-byside battle being waged through much of the race. The Immken/Peck threewheeler had the fint crack at position. but was being engaged in battle by the Bob Neill /Butch adorn Suzuki and the Krohn/Moore Honda. Neill and Odom had the lead on the fourth lap, Immken/Peck came back to take it on the fifth lap, and then Krohn/Moore grabbed it on the sixth lap and held on to the flag. • Results v. OPEN: 1. T..-lMoil: 2. Robert Marino(Yam): 3Mark Lawoena! IYam}; 4. Steve Wose (Hon); 5. Bob Maxwell (Yam); 6. Jac k Johnaon (Yam): 7. Donald D.askOVlCh (Yam); 8. Doug Boyd; 9. David Gerig (Husl; 1O. Terry Clark IHus); t't . Dale Lawis; 12. J im Fishback (Yaml ; 13. John Hatole'( rr.ij; 14. Ron Tumer lSuzl; 15. Tom Kelly IHusl ; 16. Craig Gorda (Suzl; 17. Mark ADIry. 250: 1. Todd Pel...,., (Yaml ; 2. Pete Snort"nd (Yam); 3. Steve W_lHonl; 4. Robert Mar ino (Yam): 5. Tim Lunde (Yam); 6. Mart< Lawrence (Yam); 7. Vel Tamietti IMai l; 8. Lenny Giger IHon): 9. M ike Shoemaker (Yam); 10. ChucIt Miller (Yam): 11. Riel< Munyoo (Yam); 12. Jim Foshbad<(Yam); 13. Tom Kelly 1Husl; 14. Mike Sixbery (Yam); 15. Bill Tarling (Honl ; 16. Bruce Ogilvie (Yam); 17. Bob Rutten (Yaml: 18. Ancty Kirker (Yam); 19. BRIRobertIon (Honl; 20. Bil Boyer 1Honl: 21. Robert Young (Yaml ; 22 . Craig Adams (KTMI; 23. Chris Howard (Yam). SIDEHACKS (FRIDAY) HEAVYWEIGHT: 1. Tom Whitney/Pete Whitney (Yam); 2. Tom Ridya-dlRandy Longooh (Kawl; 3. Damon DuekenJJoe Brou_d (Yam); 4. Robert IHonI ; 5. Ken MIlerlOuane Sonner . J • .JGary McDowell (Yaml ; 6. Troy WilcoxlKris Wilcox (Kawl; 7. Bruce BunerfieldlP!lil Zamke (Duel: 8. Ralph Whitney / Scon Whitney INo.); 9. Ron JacksonIKeily Reedy (Kaw); 10. Ron WhittakerlGordon Maclean (Hon): 11. Kim Mason/Alan AdcocIt (Yam); 12. Kart K.ohnIParry Melillo (Hen); 13. Bob Hicks/Miles Strickland (Yam): 14. Clyde Stewart/Nate Mooison (Nor); 15. Roy Hanison/Ron RondelllKawI. LIGHTWEIGHT: 1. Loren ImmkenlRon Peck (Yaml; 2. David Krohn/Mike Moore (Hon); 3. Kenny Mclntyrel Les Ketchum. Jr . (Suz); 4. Bob Neill/Butch Odom (Suz); 5. James Sherman lMlke Burns. Jr . IHonl; 6. Ron Hall/ Bill Mossman IHus); 7. David Hill/Mitch Hiniker (Kawl; 8. Tip RahmIT.ina Wyant IHonl; 9. Glen MitchelliR Seydel (Yaml ; 10. Robert Sann.... Sr JRobert Ewi IBSAl; 11. Marjorie Neill/Larena Jackson (Yaml ; 12. Ji M ilton/Gary M ilton (Yaml . (SATURDAY) HEAVYWEIGHT: 1. Tom RidyardiRendy Lan lKawI; 2. Tom Wh itneyfPete Whitney (Yam); 3. Ralp Whi tneyfScon Whi tney INOf); 4. Troy Wilco x/Kr Wilco x (Kawl. UGHTWEIGHT: 1. David K.ohn/Mike Moore (Honl 2. loren Immk enlRon Peck (Yam); 3. Bob NeilllBut Odorn (Suz); 4. Kennv MclnryreiLes Ketchum, J , . (Sull c..