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/126489
It was an LOP battle in the Support
class, with Mike Brown taking the over·
all over Kippy Pierce by one point.
Brown passed out after moto two, as
did other riders from the heat. It only
reached 82 degrees, but it was enough
to give a few riders problems.
The event drew a fine crowd, in
contrast to the rain· plagued 125cc
USGP held there two months ago.
International
Honda's Chuck Sun took the hole·
shot honors at the start of moto one,
but a malfunctioning gate brought the
red flag out. The next time it was
Kawasaki'sJeffWard who turned him·
self into a bullet when the gate dropped.
He was followed by Broc Glover, on a
Power Valve equipped works Yamaha.
Suzuki', Howerton, teammate Barnett
and Sun followed.
Barnett took Howerton early in the
race, and Ward pulled a bit on
Glover. Honda's Steve Wise was in
fifth on a water· cooled bike with team·
mate Jim Gibson close behind.
At halfway Glover started closing on
Ward and Howerton repassed Bar·
nett. Kawasaki's Warren Reid put his
water pumper into fifth with Suzuki's
Danny LaPorte trailinK.
"He can do it. I guess it's all how he
feels," said The Man, Roger DeCoster,
from the announcer's box concerning
Tripes. It looked like Marty was on fire
when Hannah closed on him in mid·
pack. He started a charge that took
him to third at the flag. Hannah w'as
doing his thing, too, and passed
about 20 riders for his eventual sixth.
Glover took Ward, and a few laps
later Ward was DNF with mechanical
problems combined with a sore right
wrist from an earlier in the week prac·
tice mishap. Glover put 13 seconds on
Barnett, who had moved back into sec·
ond, by the checkers. Howerton held
fourth behind Tripes. with Reid and
Hannah following.
There were casualties who didn't
make moto two. Rick Burgett and
Danny LaPorte were out with twisted
ankles. Ward didn't 'return for moto
two, and Darrell Shultz, who had been
up front in moto one, was out from the
combined effects of heat and a crash.
"I fell on my head. I can't even see
straight, yet," said Shultz.
Glover took the holeshot, but Sun
went out front early in the first lap.
Barnett came up to make it a three·
way chase. Marty Smith followed with
a tight knit Howerton/Donnie Hansen
duo in tow. Hannah was about 15th,
and Lackey was way back.
Barnett found a way out front and
rode a precise race to the end. Smith
passed Glover and tightened up on
Sun. Yamaha's Mike Bell, also on a
Power Valve bike as were all Team
Yamaha riders, was next with Tripes
behind. He was barely ahead of Han·
nah in seventh.
It was then Hannah went back to his
old style of riding, with the crowd's
cheers growing with every move. Bob
. took Hansen and went after Bell, who
was now in sixth after Tripes got by.
The Hurricane went by on an inside
line at the start of an uphill.
Howenon was out of the race,
sitting in the mechanic's area slumped
over his bike, sick and exhausted.
Barnett had II seconds on Smith, who
had claimed second. Tripes worked up
to Glover, and Hannah zapped Sun.
Soon Tripes moved on Glover.
Then
Hannah
got
on
the
powerband and took Glover through a
corner on the inside. It happened so
quickly Glover looked around and
didn't seem to know what happened.
Barnett crossed the finish line with
Smith holding a close second over
Tripes. Hannah came in a ways back,
shaking his head in disappointment.
Glover was next followed by Sun and
Bell. who were on the gas.
Barnett took tuner Jeff Clark to win·
ner's circle, but soon after hopped in
his car and took off with severe stomach
pains. "It feels good to be on top." said
Barnett as he made his exit.
"I looked back and thought: 'Tripesl
Where did he come from?'" said Smith
to Tripes in the pits.
"All in all, I didn't feel bad. I haven't
ridden in a month because of my
broken finger in New York (at the
500cc National MX round), and I
didn't have much time on the bike,"
said Sun.
o
00
(j)
.....
.....
Support
Suzuki's Denny Bently. now on a fac·
tory bike with conventional suspension,
took the moto one holeshot with Husky's
Mike Guerra in tow. Jeff Hicks claimed
second, but Guerra showed his experi.
ence by taking Hicks and then pressing
Bentley until he got by for good.
Honda's Ron Sun and LOP rider
Mike Brown scored the 2-3 slots with
Bently and LOP's David Taylor clash·
ing behind. Then Sun fell back and
Brown moved to second.
Guerra put 23 seconds on Brown by
the flag, with Sun and Taylor follow·
ing. LOP's Kippy Pierce beat out
Kawasaki support rider David. Bailey
for fifth. Bailey had charged up from
the back. Hicks and Bentley took the
7-8 positions.
In moto two, Bentley again had the
lead with LOP's Mark Lawrence next.
Guerra was soon into third, but he suf·
fered a mechanical DNF the next lap.
Pierce took Brown in tow and the two
moved into third and fourth.
Lawrence then faded, and so did
Bentley a bit later. Brown took over
the lead, but then Pierce and Bailey
came storming by. Bailey had again
moved up from the back and was on
top of Pierce.
Bailey was utilizing a Kawasaki
works motor and suspension, and
Pierce was on an LOP·prepared
Yamaha. The two machines looked
equal in all respects, and it was a
rider· against. rider showdown. Pierce
held on for the win with Bailey feet be·
hind. Brown came in and collapsed
from the heat. Bentley ftnished fourth.
Pete Wanket put on a show and
charged up to fifth with Darren Rhoten
on a CMS Honda in sixth.
"I cra;hed my brains out practicing
a while back, and then Kippy did the
same thing," said Brown after taking
the overall. "I think my dad wrote us
off as history. He'll freak out when I
call and tell him this."
Pierce has been living at Brown's
home in California to get in some prac·
tice time on the hard· packed tracks
there.
•
l-o
~
.0
o
...
u
o
IAbovel Broc Glover put in a ~1 day for second in the International class.
IBelowl Support winner Mike Brown lrightl talks with Larry Maiers.
Results
INTERNATICNAL: 1. Ma-k Barnett ISuz) 2-1 : 2. Broc
GIo_ IVam) 1·5: 3. Marty Tripes (Yam) 3-3: 4. Bob
Hannah IVaml6-4: 5. Chuck Sun IHonI9-6: 6. Mike Bell
IVoml 8-7: 7. Wanen Rlrid l!