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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126484
(Clockwise from top left) Lightweight winner Eddie Lawso n. Lightweights Cre ig Morris (91) end Den Chlvington. Novice winner 'Keit h
.
Reed. Sidecar w in ners Lind/Hert.
Expert Lightweight
·Lawso'n lands
win and title
POCONO, PA , AUG . 17
Kawasaki's Eddie Lawson and
-priva teers Da n Chivington and
Craig Morris ran 1-2-3 in the 18lap, 50.4-mile Expert Lightweight final. Lawson , the only rider
in the field not Yamaha-mounted, took
the lead on the third lap and was never
headed . The win also gave Lawson the
Expert Lightweight title for the now
concluded 1980 National road race
season. Only Pro-Am rounds at Road
~tla nta and Daytona remain on the
:AMAroad race calendar.
Two riders who could have been
front runners didn't compete. Rusty
Sliarp didn't come to Pocono, and
Rich Sch lachter blew up his engine the
day before i n practice. All of the odds
'weren't in Lawson's favor , however.
Lawson failed to attend the riders'
meeting on Saturday, and wasn't
aware that riders weren't supposed to
take a cool-off lap after their heat
race. Lawson did so after winning his
heat and was penalized a lap, putting
him at the back of the grid in the final.
Lawson was the first rider to show for
the riders' meeting Sunday.
.
Dan Chivington led Bruce Maus,
Steve Arnold, Lawsona and Craig
Morris into comer one at the start, but
Lawson worked to third on the back
straight. The next time around Lawson
took the lead in tight comer number
two. He was never headed again .
Chivington held second and Morris
disputed third with Maus before pullinf
ahead on lap four. Doug Brauneck,
Steve Arnold· and James Woosley
followed .
By lap seven Lawson was lapping
back markers and Morris had retaken
second from Ch ivington , The two
went at it for three laps and Chivington
then repassed for second. A good distance back was Maus and then
Brauneck,
On lap 15 fifth pla ce rid er Woosley
pulled off in tum two with engine problems. In sixth, seventh and eighth ran
Jan jolles, Gary Penfield and J ef£"
Umrysz . One lap later Umrysz got
Penfield for seventh.
Lawson pulled an ever -increasing
lead and as he came down the front
straight for the final time his pit cr ew
signaled "#21 - National Champ."
" I'd like to thank Kawasaki and
Steve Johnson . who tuned the bike.
W ithout Steve it wouldn't ha ve been
possible," said Lawson as he gav e
Johnson a champagne shower .
"I couldn't stay with him. 1 tried .
but it was too tough," said runnerup
Ch ivington.
Results
LIGHTWEIGHT EXPERT
1. Eddie Lawson (Kawl: 2. Dan Chivington
(Yam): 3. Craig Morris (Yam); 4. Bruce Maus (Yam); 5.
Doug Brauneck (Varni; 6. Jan Jo lles (Yam); 7. Gary
Penfield (Yaml; 8. Jeff Umrysz (Yam); 9. Steve Baron
(Varni; 10. Jerry Krasser IVain) ; 11. Thomas Hopay
(Yam); 12. Warren F....on (Vaml; 13. Michaal Landrum
(Yam); 14. Fra"""""" Fabiano (Yam); 15. Eno l TenPow
(Vam).
WINNERS TIME: 33;33.818 'track racord .
AVERAGE SPEED: 90.098.
Novice
Kiyota COPS
•
win
POCONO, PA , AUG . 17
Keith Kiyota used the last straightaway to draft David Reed and win
Pocono's 15 lap Novice final.
Kiyota led all but two laps of the
event , which gridded 44 rid ers. Following Reed to the winner's circle was
third.place fin isher Gary Maslanka .
Kiyota led Gregg Smrz , Bobby
Behel and Mark Bougas at the start.
By lap two Kiyota began working up a
lead , Behel had dropped out of cOIltention, and Mark Bougas picked up
the chase.
By lap six Bougas had taken Smrz
for second. A lap later AM HarleyDavidson Yamaha/Super Toad Racingsponsored Reed moved up to challenge
from fourth , He moved past Bougas
on lap nine.
On lap II Reed was in second and
closing and Bougas took third. By lap
12 there was no gap left between
Brighton Cycles Ltd.lSenti Yamahasponsored Kiyota and Reed. William
Himmelsbach was in third followed by
Sm rz.
Kiyota saw Reed go around him on
lap 14. Bougas and Maslanka trailed,
and Himmelsbach was edging Smrz.
Kiyota set up his draft on Reed and
used it for the win , but only by inches.
Buffalo
Motorcycle
Supply/Don
George's Sport Center -sponsored Mas lanka took third followed by Bougas
andSmrz .
.
"I tried to draft him out of the last
comer. 1 let him by so I could draft. 1
wish there were more Nationals now
that 1 have finally won one," said
Kiyota, who calls Beighton, CO , home.
" I had to work from a poor start,"
said Reed, "T he last comer is not the
place to be leading on the last lap especially when you have the slower
motor. "
Results
L1GHlWEIGHT NOV FINALS. 15 lAPS. 42 MILES :
1. Kaitti Kiyota (Yam); 2. Dav;d Raad (Yam), 3. Gary
Maslanka (yaml; 4. Mark Bougas (Yam); 5. Gragg Smn
(Yam); 6. William Himmelsbach IH-OI; 7. Gary
McDonald (Yam); James Wr;ght (Vaml ; 9. Jay FoIsy
(Yam); 10. David Howes (Yam); 11. Kiok Guay (Yam);
' 12. John ConckJin (Vaml ; 13. George Nolan (Yam); 14.
Br/S" Paquette (Yam); 15. Gary laizzi{Y
aml.
a
Sidecar
Lind/Hart
outrun the
pack
POCONO, PA, AUG. 17
Bruce Lind and passenger Jack
Han overcame a dice with the
team of Larry Coleman and
Mark Bevans to win the 11 lap
Castrol S Sidecar Challenge at Pocono
Raceway. Lind/Han held the lead for
four laps until Coleman/Bevans took
over for a lap. Then Lind/Han
regained the lead for good. George
Fisher and Mark Nowicki rode their
rig to third.
Kerry Bryant had Peter Essaff on
board because the title-winning team
of Essaff/Harrold was split when
Harrold couldn't get time off from his
job. Bryant/Essaff took the lead at the
stan with Lind/Han behind and the
team 'of Winfried Hopp and William
Alston in third .
On lap two Lind/Han took the lead
and Fisher/Nowicki moved to third
with Coleman and Bevans also in the
hunt. By lap five the Lind/Han team
had lost the lead and fell in behind
Coleman /Beva ns. Bryan t / Essaff came
up to make it a three-way run for the
lead.
• Lind/Han then put it together to
lead again, and though they were
challenged by Coleman/Bevans they
were never passes. Following those two
teams across the line a long ways back
were the teams of Fisher/Nowickl and
Bryant/Essaff.
.
"I caught my breath and we put
some laps together and were able to
put some distance on them," Lind said
in victory lane. "We .lost one of our
silencers from one of the expansion
chambers, The important thing today
was to finish."
Results
SIDECAR : 1. Bruce UndIJack Hart (Yam); 2. Larry
CoIemenlMart< Bevans (Yaml; 3. George "._ _
Nowicki (l(awl; 4. Kerry Bryant/Peta' Essaff (I(aw); 5Thomao llobboIDavid Dobbs (I(aw); 6. Douglaa
I