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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126478
o 00 0') A rnonurnental Open class duel between Warren Reid (561 and Mike Bell saw them lap the entire field I Reid took a narrow win. then ca me back for th e final and dominated the field to gain the overall victory with a pe rfect score. Da ve Lawson held the number two spot as the checkers ca me ou t for the fin al a nd earned second overall . The women racers took to the field on Saturday also and as expected current Women's National champ Dede Cates won all three Expert motos to take the overall win . Following Dede's Su zuki to the finish line wer e Yamaha -mounted Rhe Helms and Suzuki rider Marcy Lewis. Louise Bates took the fourth place honors on her Suzuki with fifth going to Yamaha rider Mercedes Gonzales. Val Tamietti pulled the. holeshot on his Maico as the Open Pros roosted onto the track for the final Open race. " Bob Elliot built the ramp for me and it worked great," explained Tamietti later. " He packed it down good and I got the holeshotl" Tamieui's lead was short-lived however as Alan Berlutti powered his Maico into the front spot as they rounded th e top of the hill . Yamaha teamster Mike Bell quickly moved up to take th e lead away from Berlutti as Reid moved his 420cc Uni Trak up to fourth. On the back section of the track Reid sliced his way past both Tamietti a nd Berlutti to move into second and put the pressure on Bell. On lap three Reid fou nd an opening in Bell's defenses and took over th e lead. Bell stayed close and when Reid nearly fell a few laps later as his front wheel plowed jin a loose turn Bell regained the lead. Behind the fast pa ced action up fro nt Berlutti was hol ding down th ird place while Mike Shoemaker tr ied to keep his Yamaha ah ead of Tamietti and Pete Snorteland riding a DG/Y amaha . Eric McKenna mo ved his Maico up into the battle for fourth as Tarnietti began to fade . W ith th e race nearing th e end Bell and Reid had lapped almost every rider in the field. Reid on ce again put the moves on BeW and led the way toward the checkers with Bell inches behind. As Reid and Bell moved up to lap th e top 10 riders , Suzuki lest rider Ron Turner latched onto th e back of the freight train and moved from l l rh to sixth in half a lap. Reid and Bell con tinued their personal race and lapped the entire field as the white flag cam e ou t. Reid took the win as Bell settled for a second. Berlutti held on to finish third ahead of McKenna as Turner pi cked up fifth and Steve Martin finished sixth on his Yamaha , riding the last few laps with a flat rear ti re . Sunday The 250cc ground pounders took to the trac k for Sunday's races as small tremors continued to shake the small Mammoth community and help th e southern California riders feel more at home. The 250cc Juniors took to the track first on Sunday and when the dust cleared and the beautiful clock trophies were handed out Yam a ha rider Don Clark received th e first pla ce honors . Clark won both of his qualifiers and made it a clean sweep with a victory in th e final over J. Romp who piloted his Yamaha to second in the final and second overall. Top 250c c Intermediate honors went to Pete Riddle ridi ng a Kawasaki . Second place went to Bill Carpenter on a Suzuki. The final line-up for the 250cc Pro rac e look ed like a miniature national with four top factory rid er s pr esen t along with a crowd of National cla iber privateers. Donnie Hansen was th er e with his Honda Pro-Link, Mike Bell was back on board a Yamaha monoshock, -La rry Wosick· had ' his facto ry I Kawaski ready for battle and Warren Reid was ready to shoot for a third win on his Roy Turner tuned Uni -Trak, Top privateers included MX Fox rider Pet e Wanket, LOP rider Mark Lawrence, Yamaha riders Rick Johnson and Scott Gillman and Honda-mounted jim Tarantino. Tarantino timed the gate perfectly and pulled a textbook holeshot ahead of Hansen and Gillman. Tarantino kept his lead up the hill and onto the track but Hansen moved into the lead on the rough back section . Tarantino dropped back to th ird as Gillman slipped his way past and into second and Reid powered into fourth . At the end of lap one the order was Hansen, Gillman, Tarantino , Re id , Johnson, Lawrence and Bell. Reid soon d ispatched Tarantino back to fourth and began to build the pressure on Gillman. Hansen opened up a 10· second lead over the Gillman /Reid duel before Reid finally worked his way past. Tarantino and Lawrence both faded off the pace as Bell and Johnson closed in on Gillman. Bell did a slow motion fall at the bottom of the downhill and quickly remounted to rejoin the race in fifth. Two turns later and Bell was out of the race as he d iscovered the reason for his fall , a flat rear tire. Reid closed in on Hansen near the halfway po int and passed th e Honda rider on the uphill section where Reid did much of his passing all weekend. Once out front Reid was uncatchable and opened up a 20's econd lead on Hansen , who was safe in second well a head of the Gillma n /Johnson battle for third . Johnson outbraked Gillman going into the ha irpin turn leading to th e finis h line and took over third . T hree corners la ter Gillman berserked the inside line and ba iled just as he went past Johnson. Gillman quickly rem ount ed to hold founh to the finish. " I thought I could get him on that turn but I tried too hard and just spun out," said Gillman later. Lawrence got back on the gas as the moto came near the end and managed to work into fifth ahead of a determined Pete Wanket who had steadily climbed through the ranks to finish sixth ahead of Yamaha rider Steve Manin and Larry Wosick, who suffered from a poor stan and what appeared to be shock problems. . J T he spectators were definitely 'rooting for Reid to win his third straight race and as he crossed the finish line a loud cheer went up and the announcer shouted Ius congratulations. At the awards ceremony Reid thanked the officials for a good race and half-jokingly added, " Don't hav e ' a National here. The AMA will manage to screw it up ." • Results 125cc PRO: 1. WBmln Reid (Kaw); 2. RClc Johnocn 1Y 1m); 3. Jim HoI1ey (Hon); 4. Chris Heisler (Hon); 5. J . Stanford lYoml. 125 INT: 1. R. Brown lSuzl; 2. P. McComeIllYoml; 3 . J . DicltelYlm};4. L ThomlSlYlWn); 5. B. EngellYom). 125cc JR : 1. D. H8rgiI (CoAl; 2. B. BinnllYoml; 3. M. Scheynder lYom); 4. R. McCoy lSuzI; 5. C. Cable IYlWn). 250cc PRO: 1. W""en Reid (Kaw); 2. DotvIie ..,.., (Hon); 3. Riel< Johnson IYlm ); 4 . Scott GilllTlln IYl m); 5. Mark lIwrence IYlm). 250cc INT: 1. P. Riddle lKaw); 2. B. Corpenter lSuzI; 3. G. Winters (Hon); 4. G. Tlylor lYern); 5. R. MorIles 1Y1m}. 250ccJR: 1. D. CiIIrltlYlml ; 2. J . Romp (VIm); 3. S . Fendorl (Vlml; 4. D. Pliement IYlm); 5. D. Cunnighlm ISuzI. OPEN PRO: 1. W"",," Reid IKIWI 2. Mike Bell ; IVlml; 3. Ailn Berlulli IMl i}; 4 . Eric McKenna IYlm}; 5. Aon Turner ISuz) . OPEN INT: 1. K. Willis (Vlml; 2. D. Lawaon (MIll; 3. S . Hutchens IYlm l; 4. N. ChristlTlln IYlml ; 5. B. Jones IHusl . OPEN JR : 1. G. Primm IVlml ; 2. M. Howlrd IYlm); 3. J . Cothrln IVlml ; 4 . S . Kennoy (VIm); 5. R. WylJnl (Mall. WOMEN'S EX: 1. Dede CItes lSuzI; 2. Rhe Helma (Voml; 3. Morey Lewis ISuzI 4. Loiuae Botes (Suz); 5. Mercedes Gonzalez (Vernl. WOMEN'S INT: 1. Rondi Ehnlberg (S uzJ; 2. Jenni Miles 1Y 1ml; 3. Donna Giio (SuzI. WOMEN'S NOV: 1. Shelly CoIfee !SuzI; 2. Wendy McGrlW lSuzI; 3. Lindo C _ l S u z I. 9