Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

I e o CO .... C') (Top) Kent Howerton holds off Hakan Carlqvist on the asphalt section cUing their Mat race. (Middle) Dave Aldana put In 8 good ride for fifth. He leads John W1ncewlcz (56) and Bubbs Shobert here. (Above) In one of the few times you'll see him competing in anything but full leathers, Kenny Roberts went fairly quickly. A blown head gasket forced him out of the final, though. 1Inset1 A very happy Steve W ... took his place atop the victory podium for only the second time this year. in the uphill left-hander just. before the track returned' to the pavement. Rather than kick it to life, Roberts pushed it to the downhiil section and bumped it (reOecting, perhaps, his road race instincts). He resumed the chase a dismal and ernba,rassing last place. . Up front. Aldana barely led Lawson aCfOllS the start/finish line located on the dragstrip. Honda's. Freddie Spencer lay in third on an RC4&0 motocrosser. Lawson let Aldana lead just a little ways longer before sliding' underneath him in a din sweeper, taking the lead unchallenged to the checkered flag. Though cIasIIed as a road racer, Lawson exhibited his din track herita~ with beautiful slides in the half-mde-type ~rn and ending up with the fastest heat of the day: 'His fastest lap was 1:&8.47. Aldana and Spencer stayed where they were for the' rest of the race, but not so Roberts. By the end of lap two, he had worked from last to founh in an unbelievable comeback charge. The front trio was too far ahead for Roberts to catch, though he did manage to gain a little on Spencer while outdistancing Yamaha-mounted Steve Scott and John Bettencourt's Honda thumper. Randy Goss knew that ho~power was the only ace up his sleeve, and he made use of it by getting the holeshot in heat two for din traelters_ Kawasakimounted Wayne Rainey didn't let him lead for long. squirting by the AMA/ Winston Pro Champ right after they . hit the din. Rainey pulled his lead safely to the finish, leaving Goss to fend off John Wineewia on another Harley, then Yamaha-mounted Scott Pearson. Honda's Mickey Fay staned badgering Goss a couple laps from the end, but went down m the turn that had claimed - Roberts on the final lap to let teammate Jeff Haney in for third. Alex Jorgensen quietly moved his Can-Am !l70 MX-6 up to fourth followed by Kawasaki-mounted Bubba Shoben.. Yamaha's Jim Filice and Ronnie Jones on his s1ielt-looking Viperframed Yamaha two-stroke. Speedway stars Mike Bast, Bruce Penhall and Brad Oxley on Yamahas did not fare well as they finished in the last three positions. Individual World Speedway Champion Mike Lee rode a borrowed factory Suzuki motocrosser. but overshot the first tum and was never a factor. Rainey's fastest lap was a 2:01.02. The motoc~rs took their tum on the track in heat three. Kawasaki'sJeff Ward led the field off the drag strip and into the din, but both Steve Wise and Andre Malherbe meaked past before the lap was over. In founh and coming on strong was defending Superbikers Champ Kent Howenon who switched places with Ward the next time around. Ward's race came to an end on lap three when his steering damper came adrift, butting up against the engine. As he tried to make a left in the din, Ward found that he was uanble to tUT1'l and fell, subsequently huning his left leg. He cruised around a few more laps before packing it in and heading for the pits to prepare for the semi, his last chance to make the main. While Wise continued to romp out front (with a fastest lap of 1:&8.&5). Howerton waited in third for the first half of the race. After sitting back, he set out after Malherbe, catching up to him and then passing the European rider on the last lap. In fourth at the end was another European, Yamaha's Hakan Carlqvist. who successfully- held off Mike Bell on another works Yamaha. Teammate Broc Glover got the best of Maieo rider Kevin Davis on the last lap for sixth. Semis Mickey Fay appeared to ha~ no trouble as he led the first semi from the green Oag. Yamaha ri~rs Carlos Serrano and Gary Sernies were a dOle two-three in the early stages of the race, but Serrano put some distance on the LOP squad member. John Wincewia rode in the bump spot behind Semics then moved up and out-ho~weredhim on lap four down the front straight. The Harley pilot gave Semics a wave as he blew by. He probably could have kielted himself later for doing that because he o~r shot the turn leading onto the din after the gesture. Wincewicz lost two places, made up one by passing Maico-mounted Eric McKenna, then lost it again to McKenna on the final lar' finishing just ahead of Bruce Penhal . The second semi staned with Ward jumping out front immediately again, but losing it in the din traelt section to 7

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