Eus.n. MX wins
to Williams and
Church
By Suann. Ught
EUGENE, OR,JAN. 11
On hand for an excellent MX
program in today's especially
sunny. fine track conditions were
110 riders. After the morning
fog cleared, we were treated to a rare
appearance of Oregon sun, even
though the Willamette valley temperatures were a chilly 52 degrees.
The 250cc Pros and Intermediates
were the first ones to go out into the
fog and Steve Williams (Herb's/Yam
suppon) took immediate control.
Within a lap, he had a quarter-lap
lead over Intermediate Linsay Wurn .
(Yam)_ Wum led a large train of
riden to take the Intermediate win as
Williams totaDy lapped the field.
Moto two had WiUiams again take
the holeshot and run away from the
othen. The real battle was for second
between Ben Grable (KTM) and Pro
Kelly Whelchel (Hon). Whelchel DNF
moto one, but was out to get Williams
and he had a large ~oup of hot Intermediates to deal WIth. Whelchel was
soon reeled in by Dean Troglin (KTM)
and Wum, though. Williams again
began to lap the others while Whelchel
crashed trying to make up lost timfe'
Williams took the win with a double
moto blitz as did Wum.
In 125cc Pro action, "Radical" Rod
Keller (Eugene Suz) took the lead after
a gate malfunction let half of the large
field out of the gate. Roy Davis (Davis
DUcount/Yam) was close behind
while Wayne Church (Yam), Cary
Lund (Roseburg Hon) and Clay
"Crash" Light (LOP/Vancover Suz)
pulled behind them. Davis and Keller
began to dice and didn't realize that
Church was creeping up on the duo.
On the next lap, it was Church
taking the lead as Davis and Keller
followed. Taking the win was Church
with Davis, Keller, White, Lund and
Light following the speeding ace.
Second time out, Davis took the lead
and held it all the way with his only
chaDenge coming from Church who
got off to a bad start only to chaUenge
Davis on lap three. Lund was having a
dice with Joe Spangler (Eugene Yam)
while Kevin White (Yam) moved from
last to fourth after Light dropped back
with a tender wrist. Davis took the win
as Church, White, Lund, Spangler,
Light and Jim Wiant (Yam) followed
them in.
In 125cc Intermediate action,
"Terrible" Terry Baker proved his
nickname a fluke as he went totally
"benerlt," demolishing his rivals with a
I-I tally over Loch Names' (Yam) 2-2
and Dwayne Taylor's (Hon) 5-5. Baker
looked superb and should move up to
the Pro ranks real soon.
Mark Esterberg made an attempt in
the 125cc class also, but couldn't
match his usual performance, going 55 in his fint 125cc ride, although he
did manage to JO to a perfect I-I in
Open Intermediate raang. His only
competition came from Skeet Hise
(Yam) until HUe moved out looking
like the Skeeter of pld. Hise took a I-I
in Open Pro after a year off due to
some knee surgery.
MINI INT: 1. BlIIy IIorooIc lVom); 2. < Chellew (Ylm);
3, G, Rozono(Honl,
100 SPTSMN: 1, Mlkl Hernandez (Yaml; 2, Mikl
Latino (Suzl,
125 PIID: 1. Allen Silhanak (Ylml; 2, Mike Preston
(Suzl; 3. Man Elkins (Ylm),
OPEN NOV: 1, Kid Adorns (Yam); 2. B, Bowers IHUlI;
3, M, Dor, IYlml.
MINI EX/JR: 1. Tony Flores IYaml; 2. Scon
Cummings (Yem).
MINI NOV: 1, Stove Gilbert (Yaml; 2, M, Cooper
ISuzl; 3. Todd Donaldson (Ylml,
125 NOV DIV I: 1. H, Muscatel (Suzl; 2, K. Bergl80n
tHonl; 3, Frank SZIllY (Suz),
126 NOV DIV II: 1. D, Dunham (Suzl; 2, G, Chilppe
tKBwI; 3. D. SoIl (Ylm),
MINI 9-11: 1. Mike Young (Ylml; 2. Scan Hunter
(Yom); 3. StO\lO Stone IYlml.
PEE,WEE: 1, A. Hunter (Yem); 2. J, WiliiomslYlml,
Worden and
Gardner winners
of Jackson Creek
Road Race
By 0 eIbert Long b ra k e
JACKSONVI LLE, OR. JAN. I
Gary Worden and Clark Gardner
started 1981 off the way all
motorcycle racers would like to
start the new year. The two riders won the first event of the year.
taking overall honors at the second
running of the Great First Annual
Jackson Creek Road Race on New
Year's day.
The Jackson Creek Road Race is not
your everyday run-of-tl,e-mill road
race. The course is a two-mile uphill
section of granite road which travels
up along the canyon walls of Jackson
Creek. The road is narrow and the
only link between a parking area on
one end and a huge riding area on the
other. There is a two-way traffic on
the road 364 days a year and no matter
how inviting the granite road looks,
most riders restrain their urges to go
racing up to the top.
But fear not, for on one day a year.
the road is graded and blocked on
both ends. and the riders get their
chance to go as fast as they want with a
clear conscience. But anyone can go
reasonably fast uphill. all one has to
do is hold the throttle on. So. once the
riders make their uphill run, they then
must turn around and coast down the
road to the bottom. dead engine. or
"dead stick" as the locals call it. All the
time the riders are racing against the
clock for the prestigious titles of fastest
uphill, fastest downhill and fastest overall as well as fastest in the respective
classes.
The road had been graded and
groomed for the event and the moist
granite offered traction that most
motorcycle tires will never experience.
There were. 60 riders present and
chomping at the bit waiting their tum
to ride the road.
.
k
Last year's uphill champIOn, Clar
Gardner, was present and ready to defend his title, The incumbent downhill
champion, Brian Peterson, was also on
hand as well as reigning overall champ
Louie Booth. One entrant from last
year's event was not present, however.
The Mt. St. Helens downhill champion
didn't make it to t~,Yeat:s event and
we can only hope that the reason for
his absence was a hangover.
Riders started leaving the stan at
20-second in~rvals. Gardner turned in
an uphill time of two minutes and 29
seconds, beating his winning time last
year by 12 full seconds. due in pan to
the excellent condition of the road.
There were two riders who were
knocking on Gardner's door, though.
Only one secopd behind Clark were
Ray Price, who was on a 250. and
Tony Speck who rode a 465 Yamaha.
As the old saying goes. whatever
goes up must come down and at the
Great Jackson Creek Road Race this
was no exception. The rules for
coming down the road were simple.
The rider could push. pull. or carry
his machine down the hill if he wanted.
he just could not start the enll'ine.
The downhill runs made or broke
the riders' overall times and this was
where the riders put all their effons.
Gardner had installed new wheel
bearings in his KTM so that it would
roll more freely. Booth had "greased
everything up." and Peterson talked as
though he had done some extensive
study on the art of coastingl Everyone
had their own little secrets on how to
coast faster than the next guy. Most
everyone took off their chains, except
for local Maico rider Joe Stagg who
boiled his chain in Pennzoil two-stroke
oil before the event. Many riders
pumped up their tires so they would
roll easier.
Last year, several styles of coasting
were introduced on the downhill runs,
including the bounce-up-and-down
method;
the
rock-back-and-forth
method; the down-on-the-tank, handon-the-fork-tube style; and the tried
and true knee-out, tucked-in, Kenny
Roberts style. This year, the BonneVille
speed record technique, was introduced
by a rider who laid flat down on his
scoot, with his legs pointing straight
out behind him.
Last year's downhill champ, Brian
Peterson. coasted down the hill in four
minutes and 22 seconds, the same time
he won with last year. But this year it
wasn't good enough because two riders
beat his time. Joe Stagg coasted his
Maico down the hill four seconds
faster than Brian (Pennzoil two-stroke
oil will be very popular next year). The
other rider to beat Brian. and Joe. was
Gary Worden and in doing so he became the new downhill, champion.
Gary. using the Kenny Roberts method, cruised down the hill in the speedy
time of four minutes and 15 IlMll~.
Gary's fantastic downhill time and
very respectable uphill time also
earned him the title of overall champion with his time of six minutes and
50 seconds, 16 seconds faster than last
year's winning time.
Gary dethroned two riders becoming
the overall and downhill champion for
1981, He also won first place in the
Open class. Clark Gardner defended
his fastest uphill crown for another
year and he is still the fastest rider up
the Jackson Creek Road.
After several grudge races, the road
was again opened up to two-way traffic,
but fear not, for there are only 564
more days until the third running of
the Great First Annual Jackson Creek
Road Racel
•
Results
FASTEST UPHILL: Clark Gordner (2:291,
FASTEST DOWNHILL: Gory Worden (4:151,
FASTEST OVERALL: GoryWordon 16:501.
126: 1, CaIlO Riont 17:061; 2, Ted Porroard 17:321,
200: 1, Mike MHligIn 17:31 I; 2. Ron Maddox 17:361.
2IiO: 1, Louie Booth 16:56); 2, DlIVO
17:02); 3.
e-
~~':f.~ Worden 16:501; 2, Joe Stagg 16:64); 3.
Clark Gordner 17:021.
MINI: 1. Shan Hart 18:131; 2, FIendy MiIoo18:23),
~~9W~:
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