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/126494
AMA Supercross Series: Final round Champ wraps it up in San Diego o 00 0') By Mark Kariya Photos by Anthony DePalmer and Kariya SAN DIEGO, CA, OCT. 25 Yamaha's Mike Bell finished the 1980 AMA Supercross Series just as he started it - with a win, The new Supercross champion had no problems winning his heat race and in the final, outdueled Honda's Chuck Su'n in the Coca-Col'a Motocross Finals at San Diego Stadium. Bob "Hurricane" Hannah's IAbovel Winner Mike Bel holds e slim Ieed _ Chuck Sun in the finel. Bell couldn't sheke Sun for much of the race untl Sun bobblecl.lBelowl Bell moves up on Donnie Can1IIIoupl who finished 10th in the final. long-awaited return to the Supercross wars found him second in his heat behind Sun and taking a DNF in the final after hurting a finger and having his chain come off while sixth. All he really needed was to get more bike time to polish his riding, he said. Europeans Leif Niklasson on a factory Husky and Suzuki's Georges Jobe did not make the final event. Jobe rode to a third in the second semi, one spot away from transferring and Niklasson was not a factor during the night. . Supercross' first visit to San Diego (America's self-proclaimed "Finest City") was enthusiastically greeted by an estimated 40,000 + fans. At least 10 of the riders entered could be counted as local. However, only Marty Tripes provided a good finish in the final with a third on a works Yamaha. The track in the comparatively small stadium was shon. tight and provided good safe racing throughout the evening. Technically demanding, it made second semi winner Marty Smith comment. "If you can make it around one lap without making a mistake, you're doing good." Qualifiers A Yamaha duo consisting of Donnie Cantaloupi and Mike Bell zipped to the front of the first qualifier. Teammate and one of the hometown favorites Broc Glover went down early, finaUy getting rolling again in last place. ' Bell bounded past Cantaloupi before . the en~ of the initial lap and spent the rest of the moto. outpacing the rest of his competitors. Suzuki's Darrell Shultz put Cantaloupi in his sights then blasted by on lap three. He was unable to close on Bell, though. Jeff Ward took his factory Kawasaki from an opening lap fifth to fourth on the second tour. It took him until the white flag lap to pass Cantaloupi for. third. Kawasaki's Warren Reid, who said later he felt like a fish out of water, rounded out the top five who went directly into the final. Husqvarna factory rider Mike Guerra timed the start of the second qualifier perfectly, leading Honda'sJim Gibson. Yamaha's Many Tripes and Kent Howerton on a factory Suzuki into the first turn. . Jim Gibson lrlght) conte... with teemmate Donnie Hansen on holeshot techniques. Gibson hoIeshot the finel, but DNF while Hansen claimed second. 6