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/126486
o ex> 0') Tum one In the first 12&cc motu: M.-k ReIl... b8w C&7), Scott Burnworth (441 J. Jeff WerclC'I) end M8rk BlII'Mtt (beeide WIIrdJ lead. ChBppy 810M (behind ~..o. Broc Glover (1) end Jim Holley (83() . . eIreecIy In trouble. Donnie Cantllloupi CD 8nd Jim M...... (170) go wide. AMA National Championship 12S/SOOcc MX Series: Final rounds Barnett claims 12Scc crown, LaPorte aces SOOcc ranks in Florida By Tom Mueller ST. PETERSBURG, FL, AUG. 51 Team Suzuki's Mark Barnett came out on top of a second moto duel with Team Yamaha's Broc Glover to become the 1980 125cc National 12· .Chal'Qpi9 n , and Suzuki's Da.nny. L~PQrte once again played the leader's role in the 500cc class for a 1-1 day in the Super Sports-promoted final AMA 125/500cc National Champioll5hip MX Series rounds at Sunshine Speedway. Glover was onJy three points ahead of Barnell going into the final round, and it was anyone's guess who would take the title. Glover was the defending champ with three titles in a row to his credit, and Barnell was the man who had a shot at taking it away. Injuries had quashed Barnell'S efforts in the previous season. "1 just hope it's a fair race," said Barnett's father during practice. From the time they hit the track. it was a psyche game between Barnett and Glover. The two rode side-by-side throughout practice, checking each other's lines and staying at almost race pace. Barnell was back in t~ pits a number of times during practice finetuning his bike. He opted for his twin shock cycle ill5tead of Suzuki's Floater. Glover was quiet in the pits, keeping out of the hot Florida sun and thinlting things over. "I made a few mistakes at the beginning of the year I shouldn't have," he said. The temperature broke into the 90s, and combined with the deep sand and choppy sectioll5 of the track afte,r practice, only the strong would survive. Many a rider faded or DNF due to the strength-sapping conditions, 125cc National Glover and Barnett were positioned next to each other at the start of moto one at the center of the gate. It was holeshot time for Bame«. Glover, aIoQg yith ~ ~ Tom.~ • and Ron Sun plus about 10 ot~n were involved in a first tum crash. Glover and Benolkin got going again, but Sun was out of it. Behind Barnell Kawasaki's Jeff Ward, Suzuki's Scott Burnworth, Yamaha's Donnie Cantaloupi, Dynamic Cycle/Hi· Point's Kris Bigelow and KTM-sponsored Jim Meenan followed. Ward soon closed the gap on Barnett and Cantaloupi passed Burnworth for third. Glover had come to lOth and was soon in fourth. Then in an "S" curve. Ward went inside to take the lead. Mugen's Johnny O'Mara was on Glover after passing Denny Bentley. Ward pulled a smaJl lead, but looked confident. He had time for a triple clicker off the hig jump to t~ crowd's delight, while Barnett used a conservative low trajectory. Randy Sullivan had taken sixth after Bentley, riding with a SOI:e shoulder fell back, but ~ also faded. Burnwonh and Honda's Rich Coon got O'Mara for the 5-6 slots. Glover closed on Cantaloupi, and then Cantaloupi looked hack. paused. and let Broc by. Cantaloupi never let Glover out of his sights and stayed tight the rest of t~ race. There was a 44-second gap from Barnett to Glover, one Broc couldn't close. Ward, Barnell, Glover, Cantaloupi, Burnworth, O'Mara and Rodney Herring crossed the line, Glover and Barnell were now only one point apart - in Glover's favor - going . IOtO the final moto. Benolltio had hurt his back in the first tum crash and finished out of the top l!O but was ready to ride moto two. Ron Sun was DOt as lucky. He was in the pits with a neck brace. "Am I glad it's over," said Sun. "That's the Its tlau. I think a bike fell on my ceq.. I , .