Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

. . . . .dco·COIoI'.do-.y_ _••IIo.I_ 1'III Dakota Dakota·••ItI' ·B•••..-o co.C01ol'.do-.y. I••, 'I' Central Pipeline OPEN SR: 1. J.... Wessels (Mai); 2. Dave Emerick (Yam): 3. Gary Gibbs (Vam). ENDURO: 1. Doug Heller ISUl); 2. Lee N..tzeI IC·A). MXers dominate Ross Downs o By Michael S. Lussem Photo by Camera Arts 00 0') .-4 COLLEYVILLE. TX, AUG. 23 With the short track field decimated by the AMA National Short Track Finals in Wichita, KS, the motocrossers were the big Steve Pendergraft (2NI backs 'er in toward~BretBraddy at Ross Downs. Dust flies at Atwood Bonusl CMMC motocross By Mitch Rorabaugh ATWOOD. KS. AUG. 24 Riders overcame hot winds carrying thick dust as Atwood hosted a KMSA Bonus motocross combined with the ninth round of • • 28 the Coors Midwest Motocross Cham· pionship. Unveiled at sign up was a sampling of the overall trophies to be given 10 top season points finishers in each class of the CMMC Series. They are truly massive works of arts. beautiful in every detail. and had more than one competitor drooling uncontrollably. With only five more races remaining int he CMMC. everyone seemed to be on the gas despite the often blind con· ditions inherent with the dust. Jesse Wessels guided his 440 Maico to a pair of moto wins in the Open Seniors for a c1ear·cut victory. The next three places overall were decided only in the second moto as Dave Emerick went 4-2. Gary Gibbs 3-3 and Dan Hoover 2-4. Wessels took the opening molO's holeshot and extended his lead to the end over Hoover. who slipped by Gibbs on the second lap. Gibbs. Emerick and Larry Chvatal. Hoover got the lead in the second mota only to crash back to fifth early on. letting Wessels by for the win with Emerick lurking in second ahead of Gibbs. In 250cc Senior action. it was Kevin Wagoner pulling the opening mota holeshot with Tom KuhI, Hoover and Craig Robl in tow. The four Yamahas circulated the course spaced evenly apart as the dust made passing a touchy chore. Robl was forced to drop out as his motor continually tried to seize and fifth place Jon Ungerer's Kawasaki was forced out with clutch problems. Wagoner held onto first over Kuhl and Hoover. Wagoner and Hoover Kuhl, emerged from the first tum in that order and kept the same positions to the end of the second mota with Kuhl taking a secure win. Only three 125cc Seniors were entered. but provided some of the closest racing action. Robl cranked his Yamaha into the lead over Mitch Rorabaugh and Jeff BargelI. Rorabaugh hounded Robl from the start until slipping over the top of a "poof' berm avoiding a bobbled Robl. Bargell dived into second and one lap later scooted by for the lead when Robl fell. Bargell went on to win over Rorabaugh and Robl. Bargell led the second moto with Robl and Rorabaugh closely trailing. Midway through the first lap Rorabaugh pulled by Robl on a rough uphill leading onto a long straight. Bargell had amassed a slight lead by then that Rorabaugh wasn't able to close during the remaining five laps. Russ Pickering led both molOS of the IOOcc class on his Yamaha. but bike problems put him out of each molO. Bert Weaver was consistent and fast for the sweep of both motos over Walter Schultz and Dwain Worley. Pickering's luck ran better in the l25cc Juniors as he won it overall with a 2-1 over Atwood's own Brian Luedke with a 1-2. After leading every lap of the first molO. Luedke crashed in a cloud of dust at the start of the second malO. He managed to work back up to second place for runnerup overall. Pickering kept well out front on his Kawasaki for the win. Robert Vogt and Danny Flynn came in third and fourth both times out. Bret Weaver was unstoppable in the 250cc Juniors as he ran off with both motos on his Uni-Trak. Curt Eveleigh ran second throughout the first mota and worked up from a fifth-place start in the second for second overalI ahead of Robert Vagt. Dave Lidden claimed fourth overalI on his Yamaha. Jerry Clason's 2-3 finishes in the Open Juniors was good for the overalI ahead of a "not-quite·so-consistent" A.J. Warta. Warta had troubles finding the track at the start of the first moto and worked his way back through the dust for a fifth. He then powered past Clason early in mota two for that win for second overalI over Curt Eveleigh and Jerry Jones. Results MINI JR: 1. Jonathan Pancake (Vam): 2. Roddy Dill ISuz); 3. Brad Richards (Vam). MINI SR: 1. Kevin Wolf (Yam); 2. Mark Wells (Vam): 3. Bert W_ISuzl. 100: 1. Ben W _ ISUl); 2. Walt", Schultz (Suz): 3. DwlIin Worley ISuz). 125 JR: 1. Russ Pickering (Kaw); 2. Brian Luaclke (Yam): 3. Robert Vogt {Suz!. 125 SR: 1. Jeff Bargell lSuzl: 2. MilCh Rorabaugh {Suzl: 3. Craig Rob! {Vaml. 250 JR: 1. Bret W _ (Kawl: 2. Curtis Eveleigh. (Yam); 3. Robert Vogt (Sull. 250 SR: 1. Tom KuhI (Yam): 2. Kevin Wagoner (Vaml; 3. 0.. _ (Yaml. OPEN JR: 1. Jerry Clason (Vam): 2. A.J. WIOta (Vam~ 3. CurtS EwIeigh (Yam). show as more than 30 entrants tried their machinery on the Ross Downs Stadium track. The 80cc Junior/Senior MX class saw Eddie Martinez (Yam) return to winning form as he blew away the field on his YZ. The real contest was between Gary Hatfield (Yam). Ronnie Camp (Hon) and Richard Patterson (Yam) with Hatfield squeezing out second and Camp nipping Patterson at the line for third. The Senior class winner was Rick Argeris (Yam) on his Two Wheeled World-sponsored machine. The 12~cc MX Main had Zeke Brock on his Ft. Worth Optical· sponsored Yamaha break Ed Cook's string of wins. Brock had little .com· petition as the lOugh Ross Downs track took its 1011 on the competitors. Cook on his RM challenged a number of • times. but could only garner a second. Richard Hill (Carter's Yamaha) finished out the places. The 250/0pen Amateur MX saw the largest field of the evening following Mike Watkins (Carter's Yamaha) as he avenged his second-place showing of a week ago and took the win in a hotly-contested race. Danny Ball on his Texoma Kawasaki KX had his hands full staving off attacks by Scott Pendergraft (Suz) and Tim Randolph. also on a Texoma Kawasaki KX. When the checkers fell. it was Watkins. Ball and Pendergraft. The Expert 125/0pen Main was well represented as six riders made it to the start. David Jones (Dallas Suzuki RM) did it again as he backed up his win of last week with another this time. David Myers (Hon) again was the bridesmaid as he just can't find the horsepower to take Jones at the stadium track. Jeff Pendergraft (Suz) put in a fine showing as he took third place money. As one can see by the results, the Pendergraft family is really committed to Ross Downs racing! The motocross "Dash for Cash" had a battle royale between Mike Watkins (Carter's Yamaha) and David Jones (Dallas Suzuki). At the end of the three-Iapper. it was Watkins taking the checkers and the check. With the big Nationals in Wichita. only four classes of short track were fielded. The Micro Mini Auto class saw the battle for dominance go to Tim Kay (Suz) this week as he bested the field of four. His perennial rival. and last week's winner. Greg Teague (Suz) had to settle for second place. The 250cc Amateur Sporuman Main was well represented as Remington Enterprises-sponsored Greg Harrison (Han) showed the field that an XR can compete with the two-strokes. and win! Actually there was slight competition for Harrison. but it was serious racing for the rest of the field as the Ross Downs regulars were up north. David Williams (Yam) had all he could handle for Thompson Masonarymounted David Thompson (Yam) was pushing all the way. Williams took the second place trophy with Thompson picking up third. The Open class saw the "thunder" rolI as the big bikes came to the line. National number holder Bret Braddy returned to the scene of his triumph of last week and did it to everyone again. Aboard his Consolidated Racing/ Viper Frame Yamaha 500. he had all he could do to keep T.J. Houghton (Carter's Yamaha 500) [rom beating him. Greg H'Irrison. who looked so good in the 250cc Trophy class. took his Remington Enterprises Honda XR500 to the third place slot in fine order. The 250cc Expert class saw II Pros take the line for the main. National number holder Steve Gulledge out of Ray/Sue Raci ng- Dallas Yamaha avenged his poor showing last week by taking it to the limit for the entire 12 laps. Gulledge. who has had some consistency problems. had no trouble with the field as he led from green to checkers. The real contest was between national campaigners Steve Pendergraft (Yam) and Bret Braddy (Consolidated Racing Yam). Pendergraft showed Braddy his exhaust right to the finish for the second spot. The Short lI'rack Trophy Dash saw the six fastest 250cc Experts go for it. with Steve Gulledge making it official. "National number 33 is back!" Next week Ross Downs will have their "National" heroes back for thl: Mid-America Championships. Results MOTOCROSS lIOcc JR: 1. Eddie Martinez {Vaml; 2. Gary Hatfield (Vam!; 3. Ronnie Camp !Hon). lIOcc SR: 1. Rick Algeris (Yaml. 125cc; 1. Zeke Brock IVam); 2. Ed Cook (Suz); 3. Richard Hill (Yam). 25OI0PEN AM: 1. Mike Watkins (Vam); 2. o..ny Ball (Kaw): 3. Scott Pendergraft (Yam). 12!i1OPEN EX: 1. David JOMS lSuz): 2. David Myers (Han): 3. Jeff Pendergraft ISuz). "OASH FOR CASH": 1. Mike Watkins (Vam). SHORT TRACK MICRO MINI AUTO: 1. Tim Kay (Suz): 2. Greg T eogue ISuz). ~ 2SOcc TROPHV: 1. Greg H...ioon (Hanl: 2. David Wtltiams (Yaml: 3. David Thompson (Vam). OPEN: 1. Brer Braddy (Vaml; 2. T.J. Houghton (Yam): 3. Greg Harrison IHanI. 2SOcc EX: 1. 5..... Gulledge (Vaml: 2. 5..... Pendergraft (Vam): 3. Brer Braddy (Vaml. TROPHV DASH: 1. Steve Gulledge IVaml. Newman shakes Rio Bravo bane By John Rannikko, Jr, HOUSTON. TX. AUG. 17 ..,VI }J II U J .) Mel "Melon" Newman of Dallas blitzed his long string of bad luck at Rio Brave Raceway and mo- '1 tored a buck-and-a-quarter. water-boiling Mugen to a pair of 125cc Expert firsts ahead of a big class of good riden. The Intermediates didn't have a prayer for the giant seven-foot first place trophies because Phil Reed of Sherwood. AR. was in town with a selection of Hondas coveting 125, 250 and Open cla8es. This may be beanay, but I heard in the pits that Phil's mom Donna was thinking about adding a porch to their home and wanted three seven-foot trophies to use as posts to 'hold up the roof. The 125cc Expert class stretched from here to yonder as they snugged up to the gate for the fint mota start. When the gate dropped, Kyle Landrum (Han) led a pack of ring-ading-dingers to the first tum, but" kissed the sand as he and several others found themselves picking up their racing iron while Newman led the charge from there. Bill McCalip never made the tum and rocketed ovcr a dropoff, T-honing " a tree at the bottom and sending him rolling over the bars down the hilI. It looked serious, but he shook it off and got on the track in a distant last place. Landrum had been looking forward to a shot at mowing down Mel's Mugen, but a shot at Mel from 18th

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