Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Western hotli Ron Yamamoto. The two Yamahas couldn't gain anything on the Harleys but on the last lap. Yamamoto had a nice thing happen to him . He was storming awa y behind Hoffman when Sal went too wide coming out of turn four and Ron flat beat him down to the finish line! Results TROPHY DASH: 1. Ted Davidson ItHl); 2. Dennis ,.. Rendy Go.. took the Expert mein in the Gerdena Gold Cup. Gossgrabs Gardena Gold Cup By Maureen lee . GARDENA. CA,JULY 18 Billy Labrie, the Florida rider who burst on the scene earlier this year at Ascot by winning various Friday night half-miles -' c. 28 and the half-mile National , looked well on his way to doing it again Friday at the eighth annual Gardena Gold Cup. But in the Expert Main there was young Randy Goss with the talent Harley-Davidson spotted when they made him Ja y Springsteen's teammate. Labrie defended well . but Gass had a dash more horsepower or had it hooked up a bit better and won , taking home the prize money and the beautiful "Gardena Gold Cup" from the Gardena Chamber of Commerce. It was good racing all around as Rich Arnaiz (H· D) won the Junior division over a persistant Jim Filice on a snappy little Yamaha 500 ; while Novice Bill Herndon from Euless, TX. ("it's between Dallas and Fort Worth") dusted off the home track crowd on a factory Honda belonging to Mickey Fay . And if that wasn't enough for a great evening. Ted Davidson broke Alex Jorgensen's 1976 Trophy Dash record of 1:09.40 with a 1:09.09. Ted Boody trialed the fastest with 22.38 and got away clean from his pole spot -in the first expert heat but Don Dodge's Triumph got too much traction, stood straight up and over it went, tangling up Charlie Summers and Dennis Fitze in the same heap . Boody, riding Ron Wood's Harley. shot for the lead on the restart and never lost it. Dodge was after him but Boody was quicker; in third was Fitze and by the end of the race , Bob Sanders. who had not got a good start, hard charged up through the group to get fourth overall behind Fitze as the last direct transfer. Second heat had another restart after Frank Word got left on the line with his hand in the air. Away they went again led by Ted Davidson. then Goss, Labrie and Mike Minnig. Steve Powell took off with the Expert semi lead. but Mike Inderbitzen took it away from him with Steve Monger following on through around Powell. The real battle developed between Tom Berry in new red and white leathers who held fourth and final transfer, and Bob Moran who wanted it. Moran reallytried but Berry wasn 't having any although he really got out of shape one time through tum four on his Triumph. and Tom made the main event. The lineup was Ted Boody, Ted Davidson, Dennis Fitze and Mike Minnig. Davidson shot into the lead, followed by Boody. Fitze and Minnig. Around they went and Boody had one of the more interesting experiences of his career when at full throttle out of tum two his chain came off. almost launching him over the handlebars. Sharp reflexes kept him upright if completely out of shape, It was Davidson and Boody again , side by side out of the south tum at the start of the expert main, then ca me Labrie , Sanders and Mike Minnig. Davidson slid into the lead and as the group came ou t of tum two beginning the second lap. Labrie moved by Boody into second. Minnig was now fourth . and coming hard. Randy Goss. Labrie was riding the low groove and moved up to put the pressure on Davidson, finally passing him on the front chute with the crowd on its feet. They didn't get to sit down again as behind things were changing. Randy Goss, looking very controlled but incredibly fast, was getting Mike Minnig. and then Ted Boody , until he was worrying away at Davidson's rear wheel. Then going through the south tum. Goss got him. In front was Labrie riding in that very identifiable style of his, and behind the rundown was Boody, Minnig, Bob Sanders and Tom Berry. Goss began probing ways around Labrie, finally doing it the hard way on the outside. Labrie repassed Gass on the back straight. but it wasn 't to be. and the young Harley rider took over the lead and held onto it. As the white flag came out, Minnig made his move and powered out of tum four. passing Davidson to take and hold third place through the last lap. Rich Arnaiz was the hot Junior with the fastest time trial lap, and his first heat ended up the fastest of three, with Rod Sullivan on a 350cc Yamaha twin chasing him hard. Sullivan hung onto second for quite a while but kept leaving the door open until Sal Hoffman on a Harley obliged him and took away Sullivan's transfer spot. Jeff McDaniel (Hon) and Jim Filice on the factory Yamaha 500 were flat having at it in the second heat when McDaniel's bike blew . canceling his plans for the evening. Filice rode on with the win, the other transfer going to Triumph-mounted Harry Thomas. Jim Filice and Rich Arnaiz switched first around a little bit in the main. but on lap four as the group was settling down, Harry Thomas came unstuck in tum four and dumped it right in the groove. Out came the red flag , and on the restart Arnaiz led. then came Filice on the smaller Yarnahad, Harley-mounted Sal Hoffman and FitzeIH-D); 3. Mike Minnig ItHl) ; 4. Ted Boody ItHll . TIME: l:09.Q9 New record. NOVICE MAIN: 1. Bill Herndon IHonI; 2. Mike HeIe IYarnI: 3. Bill Scon IVom): 4. Chrio Connon IVom); 5. Mike Cordero IVom): B. Bob Glwrison IVom); 7. Jeff Johnoon IYarnI: 8. Don Romp IVom): 9. Robert McConneIIIYarnI: 10. Pot Seigle IYom). TIME: 3:1054 JUNIOR MAIN: 1. Rich Arneiz ItHl); 2. Jim Filice IYom): 3. Ron YomomolO IVom): 4. Sol Hoffmon IH-D): 5. Jeff Allison IVom): B. Bob Gor_ion ItHl): 7. Rod SullMm IVarnI; B. Creiu ScrOllQina IVom); 9. SIeve Kemen IVom); 10. Herry Thoma ITnl. • No Tome bed fleg). EXPERT MAIN: 1. Rendy Goee IH-D); 2. Bill lobrie IH-D); 3. Mike Minniu lHod); 4. Ted Davidson IH-D); 5. Ted Boody IH-D); B. Bobby Sende

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