Lackey breaks In
Tra....USA bike at
o
00
0')
.....
SHRMX
By Mel White
BRENTWOOD. CA, SEPT. 7
It would have been a satisfying day of racing at Sand Hill
Ranch today anyway, but when
Brad'Lackey showed up and
,
18
rode with both the Juniors and the Experts, it became top-notch.
The 125ccJuniors all rode Yamahas
except for one each on a Suzuki. a
Kawasaki and a Can-Am. The hole·
shot twice went to a Yamaha, but the
Suzuki reached the checkered flag first
both times with the Kawasaki in
second for one mota. Tim Collins
(Yam) is credited with the first hole·
shot and James (Kimo) Casey (Yam)
with the second.
Berkeley White (Suz) wasted no
time. however, in taking the lead in
the first moto and stretched out a com·
fortable half-minute lead before
reaching the finish line. Kimo fol·
lowed in secbnd for half the way be·
fore crashing to the back. Collins fol·
lowed suit, but David Montgomery
(Kaw) made no such major. blunders
and happily crossed the finish line
second.
. Casey stayed in fron\ of White for
the first four laps in the second moto,
but with six laps still to go. White
moved. into the lead again for good.
Kimo retained second to the finish.
Brett Lafayette (Yam) gave up third
place to Doug Whaley (Yam) only duo
ring the final two laps of the 10·
lap race.
Alan Armstrong (Suz) added two to
his holeshot record by being first
around the tum twice in the Open No·
vice race. Greg Raub (~ai) followed
him both times. Tim O'Hara (Kaw)
bided his time in third place for most
of the first moto, but go on the move
for the last lap and into the lead only
to crash a mere 50 feet from the fi·
nish line. With his engine dead, he
decided to push and run for it. As a
pedestrian, he was crashed again, this
time by Armstrong wbo would have
been third had he avoided the foot
traffic.
The combined Experts followed
Troy Debesrera (Yam) every inch of
the way in the fint moto. Chris Grewer
(KTM) held second place the first few
laps, but st~bled his way back to
sixth for the finish. Mark Boggeri
(Suz) crossed the finish line second.
Rick DeLong (Mai) crashed and
came up from a distant dead last start
to fmisli third by virtue of danltlilg
out the fasteSt lap times. Eric Mashbir
(Hon) had tangled with DeLong at the
stan and fmished a respectable founh.
Lackey, still not satisfied that his
ride with the Juniors had adequately
broken in his.trick all-new factory rna·
chine that is headed for the TransUSA series, motored around in seventh
place for most of the second moto.
David McRea (Mai) led it with Randy
Denton (Yam) and Mitch Lenz (Hon)
in tow at the start. Grewer moved up
into second place by midway and it became a real duel for the lead between
Grewer and McRea.
With scarcely three laps to go, Lackey
apparently decided to make a bid for
being first at the checkered flag. First
Mashbir then Lenz and Boggeri were
eliminated. DeLong was next and Deherrera was fmally put behind Lackey.
On the final lap, Grewer and
McRae were still in front. Coming off
the levee for the last time, all three
bikes left the ground at practically the
same moment. Lackey appeared to
have failed to pass them, but Grewer
landed on McRae taking them both
down for the count as Lackey made a
quick detour around them and caught
the checkers first after all.
Results
OPEN EX: 1. Dave Wood IVaml: 2. Allen Bo<·
Iuti IMai): 3. Mike Yochum IHual.
OPEN JR: 1. Nick BOIhop IMail: 2. John Scruggs
IMail: 3. Randy Westbly contributing to some amazing
get-offs.
When the 250cc Pros came off the
line, Steve Williams (Yam) whipped
out the holeshot and pulled such a
good lead it looked as if he alone was
riding on a dry track. Tim Michlitsch
(Yam) was second, but eventually
succumbed to bike ails leaving Eric
Eaton (Mai) with the chore of chasing
Williams, That he did and finally
caught him and eventually passed him
toward the end of the moto. Kevin
Jansen (Yam) finished third ahead of
Phil Larson (Yam).
In the second race. Michlitsch was
out front coming over the jump just
prior to the scorers. As he became airborne the front end came up too far
and Tim decided it was time to eject.
He pushed away in mid-air and landed
after several rolls. separated from his
also rolling steed.
When they rolled by the scorers,
Williams was in front followed by Roy
Davis (Yam), Larson ami Ja~n.
Larson and Davis both went by Williams, but Davis was soon out of it
when his bike ran out of fire. The fire
was under Eaton as he plowed through
from a mid-pack start to second on the
fourth lap. Williams got back by
Eaton on the next loop. but could only
bold him for another three laps,
The 125cc Pros had a lot of bike
woes. Robby Watilo (Yam) led till he
seized. Jeff. Cropper (Yam) dropped
out of second with problems. Jim
Anderson (Yam) worked up to third
before mechanical gremlins cost him
seven positions in the final two laps
and he retired for the day.
When Watilo dropped t~e lead,
Roy Davis (Yam) was right there to
take over, but he was not alone for
long. Phil Larson (Yam) was creeping
up from a mid-pack start and for
several laps, every time Davis looked
back he found Larson looming up on
him. Before long, Davis could look
ahead to see Larson and there was no
future in looking- back for Danny Diesso
(SUl) in third - he was far out of
sight.
Moto two was Larson's wire to wire.
He led Dennis Ostriem (SUl), Watilo
and Cropper on the first loop. Davis
started-way back in the pack and by
the ..cond loop '.had no one to look
ba-ck at after he laid it Qown and came
up last. From that point he launched a
very exciting charge through the
pack, picking off 14 riders in the next
eight laps. Spectators were making
mental wagers on how many seconds
or riders he would lop off going
through the whoops which. he takes
with unbelievable speed. At the nag it
was Larson, Cropper and Davis.
The 125cc Intermediate class today
may deserve some kind of award. They
piled up the biggest pile of bikes with
the lowest rate of injuries that I have
ever seen. On the first lap of the first
moto, one bike went down past the
second jump of the camel· jumps. By
the time they quit plowing into him
and landing on top of him and the
building piJe. there may have been as
many as 15 bikes involved.
Bystanders had to lift five or six
bikes off the pile before Lou Gregory
(Yam) could retrieve his arms and legs
out of the remaining bikes and
proceed on with only a tiny scratch on
one elbow. Dwayne Taylor (Hon) was
farther down in the pile and was not as
lucky. He suffered the only injury either a painfully bruised or painfully
broken lower leg. Oh well, they did dig
him out! Randy Thompson (Hon) ,and
Ken McMurphy (Yam) divided firsts
and thirds for the top spots.
•
Results
PEE WEE: 1. Mike Thompson ISuzl; 2. Bran Anton
IYam): 3. Leland HofenbredilSuzl.
MINI JR: 1. Jeff Miles IYaml: 2. Trov Shanateh ISuz);
3. Charles Chase IHan).
,
MINI INT: 1. Rick Colorie IYam); 2. Mike Ingebo
(Yam); 3. Bruce Barnes IHonl.
MINI EX: 1. Eric HaIiIYaml; 2. Denny Fennell (Yaml:
3. lao'ry Ward lKawI.
100 JR: 1. Mike Hauskins (Yam); 2. John Wilson
IYam); 3. O.J. WBfner ISuz).
100 INT: (, lao'ry Hofenbredl ISuz): 2. Kent Howland
ISuzl: 3. Was Clerk ISuzl.
125 JR D'V 1: 1. Wes Swearingen (Yaml; 2. Doug
Boddy (Yam): 3. Jess Dirks ISuzl,
125 JR DIV 2: 1, Chris Studer IHonl: 2. Jim
Anderson (Yaml; 3. Larry Hanson IYaml.
125 INT: 1. Randy Thompson IHonl; 2. Ken
McMurphy (Yaml; 3. Jon Buyas (Suzl.
125 PRO: 1. Phillao'son IYaml; 2. Roy Davis IYam): 3.
Dennis Ostr'em (Suzl.
250 JR: 1. Kelly Corwin (YarT'll; 2. Robert Aquino
(Hon); 3. Larry Hoffman IYaml.
250 INT: 1. Lvte Schappert lMail; 2. Robbv Clark
{Hont: 3. Dave Eakin.'
2SO PRO: 1. Enc Eaton (Mail: 2. Phil Larson (Yaml; 3.
Steve Williams IYam).
•
OPEN JR: 1. Randy Townsend IYam); 2, Robert
Simpson (Yaml: 3. Randy Simpson (Yaml.
OPEN INT: 1. Bob K8Sef IYaml: 2. Rober1 Cicerchi
IYaml; 3. Richard McUn
