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/126484
(Above left) Dede Cates rode strong' for the Pro w ln,lTop right! second Amateur moto winner Susie Uvlngston, (Above rlghti Novice winner Tam Tracy. AMA Women's MX Nationals Cates cops the crown By Mark Kariya CARLSBAD. CA , AUG . 17 Suzuki's Dede Cates successfu lly defended her AMA Women's Mo tocross Nationals title by winning both m otos of the 250cc Pro race . Combined with her 125cc win here on J une 21, it makes her the undisputed woman motocrosser of 1980 and she joins Sue Fish as a two -time winner of the title . Fish did it in '76 and '77 . 18 Though she cla imed not to feel any more pressure to win than in the past, Cates said. " I didn't think we'd win it. 1 was running and 1 knew 1 was in shape and I was running good against the Intermediat e guys, but an ything can go "Tong." Few things did , however. as she won both rnotos by comfortable margins . Second in both motes went to Rhe Helms who has never looked better here. Kathy Holman came trom Houston , TX , and got 5-3 finishes for third overall, he r best placing in California. Most of the USGP course was utilized for this event. Instead of using Ra ttlesnake Gulch and the sa nd wash ar ea , though. t he course cut straight' from the ledge to the start of the uphill . Among the many sponsors who helped p ut on the race were Scientific Drilling Controls. Oakley, ND . U.S. Suzuki .. Torsten Hallman Products and Russ Da rn ell Motocross Schools. Suzuk i-mounted Kimi Douglas blasted into turn one of the first 250cc Pro moto with a sligh t lead over the pack, but Keystone Yamaha rider Leslie Olinger and Yamaha of Covina ace Rhe Helms battled for first out of the turn. Helms and Cates completed the first lap in front of a four -rider freight train consisting of Olinger, Mercedes Gonzalez , Lisa Akin and Cindy Dumo. JT I E.C. Birt / Kal-Ga rd / Honda -spon sored Kathy Holman rode a short d istance behind in seventh. Helms and Cates pushed and pulled each other around the course and in doing so. started to pull away from the pack a bit. Gonzalez dropped back to sixth with a rear tire that was starting to go flat a nd would eventually force the Yamaha rider back to a 25th-place finish . Akin moved the Team Dynam ic Yamaha right up on Olinger while the Hondas of Du mo and Holman sand wiched Gonzalez in positions five through seven . On lap three . Cates found a clear path and zip ped past Helms for the lead which she never relinq uished after that point despite losing her rear brake early in the moto. Helms kept it gassed. though. and held a comfortable second for the du ration. Akin put Leslie 0 back to fourth and looked around, only to see the leaders gone and kept it wicked for third in her debut ride aboard a 250cc . Du mo and Holman both passed Olinger early on lap five and proceeded to put on the dice of the race. Holman. hampered slightly by back pain (she broke her back in February) . couldn't quite muster the speed to get by Du mo • and stay in front . so she settled for a close fifth at the finish . Olinger. Kawasa ki of Ocea nsid e's Cha rleen Higgins, Kawasaki-mou nted Debbie Mathews and Premier Yamaha's J an Murray completed the top 10. Leslie 0 got th e second mot o holeshot and led th e first lap. R&D Suzuki rider Barbara Spielman. who had a multitude of petty problems in the first moto which squelched her ride. held second just ahead of Cates. Helms and Holman were a close 4-5. Spielma n and Cates took over the front -running spots on lap two while