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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126500
"Land-"slide at
new Porterville
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By Bob Hill
PORTERVILLE, CA. NOV. 16
A big turnout of riders and a new
half-mile track that's real fast
equals a good day of racing.
Practice showed just how fast the
..0 track was going to be. Danny Moore.
Stop D-S6 Maxi rider who's only two
CI) points away from Num~r One for
U 1980, tangled with Mike Hale and
CI) Tommy McKinney coming out of turn
two during the first practice. Hale was.
up and alright. McKinney was out
with broken ribs arid collarbone and
Moore's foot was thought to be broken
(just sprained), but lJis Champion
Honda 500 was a total wreck.
AfteT the heats were run and everybody thought they had it dialed. the
mains were ready to be run. National
Number One Cris Carr lined up for
the 80cc Expert race next to D·S5
Number One Craig Howard, Buddy
Wilson a'nd Blayne Hollenbeck. Howard got the holeshot with Hollenbeck
and Carr behind. Howard stretcbed it
out with Carr getting by Hollenbeck
on the second lap. Howard stayed in
front to win it with Carr and Hollenb«k
second and third.
It was a pass-and·repass-race in the
lOOcc Expert go· ~tween Carr and
Howard until the third lap when
Howard broke and Carr took the win.
Rickey Hollenbeck jumped off the line
first in the 125cc Expert class f<>llowed
by Ryan Land and MikeJones. On the
second lap. Land made his move down
the main straight and never loo"ed
back, winning the first race of the day
for the Land clan.
Kelly Dennison rode one of the closest
races of the day as he jumped out in
front of the 200cc Experts with Jim
Taves and Jim Rose right behind. On
lap two, Taves passed Dennison down
the front straight only to be repassed
by Dennison down the back straight.
Dennison stayed on the gas for a well
deserved win.
When the 250cc Experts came to the
line, everyone knew it was going to ~
a hell of a race and it was. National
Number One Pete Hames was first off
the line followed by Robert Land.
Mike Garrison. Bryan Yocum, Mearl
Barnett and Mike Hale. After the first
lap, HalT!es was in front with Land
and Garrison right behind. In the first
turn of lap three, Hames and Land
were side by side, each waiting for the
other to shut off, which neither did.
Both ended up going wide with Hames
falling and Land bottoming his front
end so hard his number plate flew off.
Land saved it with Garrison coming
up right behind as they entered turn
three. Garrison's motor seized and
Land was home free with Yocum,
Barnett and Hale following.
The 500cc Expert race was red
flagged on the first lap due to a first
turn crash that involved Mearl Barnett
and Dave Veria. Barnett suffered a
broken right leg and collarbone and
Veri a a broken collarbOne. After a SO·
minute dday, the race was restarted.
Mike Hale got the holeshot and was
gone. Hale had a big lead at the end of
all six laps followed by John Burnett.
c:l
..
18
The Open bike~ got off clean with
Derek Land leading, Steve Monger
and Chris Cannon behind. Land started
pulling away until the fourth lap when
he came into turn three so hard, it
defies the law of Il'ravity. L~nd slid
from turn three to turn four and was
0l;lt of the race. ~onger came by next
with Cannon nght on his fender.
Monger's battery on his XR was
turning sour. but the laps ran Out for
Cannon as Monger held on to the checkers. For a first race on a new track, the
whole program went extremely well.
All the riders loved it and tbe track is
fast, real fast. The next half-mile IS
December 14. See you there.
Results'
PeE WEE: 1. Brad Taylo< (Yaml: 2. S,epI1en
Amundson IYam).
.
80 NOV: 1. David Jones (Yaml: 2. Jason C,a"""
IYaml: 3. Todd Alberti (Suzl.
80 JR: 1. Mike Price (Yaml: 2. DavId Hage! (Yaml: 3.
Duane Wilson IYaml.
80 EX: 1. C,aig Howard IYaml: 2. Ch". Car, ISuzl: 3.
Blayne Hollenbeck (Sull.
100 EX: I.Chris Car, ISull: 2. Blayne Hollenbeck
lSuzl: 3. Randy Wesson IYaml.
125 NOV: 1. Bi'lIy W~kOf (Yaml: 2. Randy Jones
IYam): 3. Jeff Turner (Yaml.
125 JR: 1. John HanOfson (Yaml: 2. Billy McKinney
(Yam): 3. Glenn Gatlin IYaml.
.
125 EX: 1. Ryan Land (Yaml: 2. Ricky Hollenbeck
(Sull: 3. Mike Jones (Yaml.·
200 EX; 1. Kellv Dennison (VarnI; 2. Jim Taves
(Yam); 3. Jim Rose (Yaml,
250 NOV: 1. Curt Pimentel IYam); 2. Steve Allison
(Yaml: 3. Kelly Lawrence (Yaml.
250 JR: 1. Mike Bird IHan); 2. Robert CUf'y (Yaml: 3.
Mark CauweIs (Yam).
250 EX: 1, Robert Land (Yaml: 2. Mike Hale (Yam); 3.
Brian Yocum (Yam).
500 NOV: 1. Stan S_nev tYaml: 2. Dan lyyski
IYaml: 3. Edward Gibbs (Yaml.
500 JR: 1. Mike Bi'd IHanI: 2. Rame