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/126495
o 00 0) ..... (Top lettl Andre Malherbe (7) has just passed Freddie Spencer early in the final. MaIherbe finished a closing second while Spencer DNF with a report8d/y seized engine.lTop rlghtJ Harley's Dick O'Brien (foreground) on Randy Goss' XR750:"lt's the 0IIIy set-iJl)."lAbove) Road racer Eddie Lawson darts underneath Goss in the half·mile tum. Lawson .raced to third as Go.. slipped to eighth and first four-stroke. Scott Pearson on a Yamaha. Ward stayed with Pearson _the entire race and at the end of the front straight on lap six. moved around him. It would not be Ward's day, though. Soon afterwards, Pearson got him back in the dirt track section and finally, a flat rear tire forced him to limp around the last lap for sixth. So, Pe"rson took the checkers for a trip to the final. Behind him, Yamahamounted Rex Staten held off a determined and much more aggressive Mike Bast. However, Staten was penalized one lap for a rolling start which gave him an official eighth-place finish. Dennis Briggs on a Yamaha found himself in the final as a result after holding off passing attempts earlier by David Gerig on the Pro Circuit/Oury Husky. Final 8 The 12-lap final to determine the new Superbiker saw defending Superbiker Champ Howerton grab the holeshot with Goss, Wise, Spencer and Malherbe following him into the dirt. Goss, at a decided disadvantage, lost ground to the trio of Honda motocrossen in the "motocross" section of the course that followed the dirt track part, Roberts and Lawson took up positions behind him. Wise displayed the Honda's awesome horsepower on lap two, flying past Howerton for the lead as they hurtled down the long, fast, paved backstraight. Howerton looked like he wo~d stay with him to make it a Texas one-two, but Wise started pulling away the next lap as Howerton began to expc;rience engine seizures. Roberts was out at this point after reportedly blowing a head gasket. Malherbe sliced through a tum in the motocross section to drop Spencer neatly back to fourth on lap three. Lawson dispatched Goss to sixth and set his sights on fellow road racer "Fast Freddie." Spencer disappeared on lap four after a reported engine seizure, thou~h, moving Lawson into fourth. WISe, Howerton, Malherbe and Lawson set the pace throughout the middle stages of the race. Things took a dive for Howerton on lap eight, however. "I left it wide open through the chicane and it locked up," he said later. Though he kept the motor spinning, Howerton's off-track foray dropped him two places to fourth, and he was uanble to make up any ground while babying the engine. "It was just making me mad, " he reflected after he watched Lawson ride in front of him, unable to push it. On lap nine, Malherbe appeared to be making time on leader Wise. "I lost 'em (the rear brake) after about the ninth lap. Andr~ caught me real fast in two laps, and he almost passed me in the dirt," Wise said. The Texan managed to hold off the Belgian, though, and ended the year on a high note. Lawson in third was the first non-motocrosser to the checkered with Howerton fourth. In fifth with a super ride was Aldana who fell in the half-mile tum on the first lap, hesitated before picking his bike up, then restarted near the back of the pack. He diced with Carl-' qvist for a bit before putting him away on lap nine for sixth. When Fay fell on the last lap (putting a large hole in his nylon/leathers), A.ldana inherited fifth and first privateer laurels. Carlqvist finished sixth, emphasizing the versatility the Europeans showed on a track and in a race quite unlike any they compete in. Serrano, Goss, Pearson and Bell rounded out the top 10. Goss, who claimed his Harley was set up almost indentically to his TT bike, said, "It's pretty heavy - it weighs 320 lbs. - but when the dirt grooved up, we did okay. We weren't far off." Afterwards, Howerton and tuner Greg Arnette admitted being a bit amazed at the speed the Hondas had. "We were faster earlier in the week, but they came back a lot faster," said Howerton. Whatever the Honda camp had done certainly was effective, and made at least one Texan ecstatic. "This year's been a tough year for me, but ... this makes itt" Wise exclaimed. ". can't even believe it; I'm so happy!" • Results RNAl: 1. 5 _ Wile IHanI; 2. - . _ (Han); 3. EddIe Lawoon (K8wI; 4. Kent HoMnIln ISuz); 5. OlIve AIclIn8 lVaml; 8. HeQn Cartqviol IV..,,; 7. c.Ioo Serr.... 1V1m1; 8. Rondy Goa (H-Ol; 9. Scott Pwnan lHOnl; 10. MbWIVImI; 11. Alex Jorvor-> (C-A); 12. Gory SemicalVlml; 13. Jim Fitice 1V1m); 14. Mickey FIIY IHanI; 15. Ilnx: ~ 1V1m1; 18. Kevin o.vio (Moil; 17. Dennis Briggo 1V1m1; 18. JfJ/f Honev IHanl; 19. 5 _ Scott (V"",I; 20. Mik. _ IV..,,; 21. ~~(Hanl. MANUFACTURERS TEAM POINT STANDINGS: 1. ~ C2OI; 3. V _ • 1181; 4. _ C281; 2. V_ll8I.