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/126506
00 0") his qualifier.lTop right) DarreU Shultz worked almost frantically to try and pull _ay from Howerton and his other pursurers in the finel, but mistakes slowed him to fourth.IAbove middle) Danny laPorte's first supercroas ride on a new Honda found him .finishing 11th in the finel.lAbove right) Goat Breker brought a Christmu present with him to the races - Billy. Whet does Billy's fashioneble sweater aey on the sides7 Whet else but "Goat for Itl" , (Left) About the only time Howerton wes alone was in ing at Supercross Kickoff '81 Fonner teamster Danny LaPorte got used to his new Honda ride quickly and moved from fIfth to third in a few laps, but could not advance farther. LaPorte's new teammate Donnie Hansen and Yamaha-mounted Phillip Larson plugged into the fourth and fIfth spots mid-way through the race and remained there. Arlo Englund on a Vickery Yamaha got the win in the fIrst semi with Super Seer/Trim/Yamaha rider Kenny Keylon nabbing second and a spot in the final. Maico West pilot Carlos Serrano blasted away from the gate in semi two, but took a header that put him out before the lap was over. Honda's Richard Coon replaced Serrano at the front while Team Yamaha member Rick Burgett slipped by Yamaha support rider Peter Snorteland seVeral laps from the end for second. Kawasaki's Warren Reid rode a tremendous come-from-behind effort to beat Yamaha's Donnie Cantaloupi out of the last transfer to the fInal. Behind for most of the race, Reid went after and caught Cantaloupi in the last stages of the race, the CTo",d seemingly behind him all the way. In the four-stroke exhibition race, Eric McKenna took the lead on his BP Racing/Pro Tec/Hi-Point Yamaha after following Gregg Toyama ~ a supertrick Horsepower Factory Pro-Linktype Honda for a lap. Finishing second was Lance Moorewood on a DC/White Bros. Kawasaki KLX. Final Darrell Shultz rocketed away from the gate and out of the first turn in front with Glover, Barnett, Howerton, Bell aD(~ Gibson streaking along behind, Hannah suffered a bad start and was mired around 14th. Down in the first turn and slow to get restarted in his first major Supercross event was O'Mara who would work up to 15th at the finish. Shultz's lead appeared to increase a little" as he sped around the bumpy track, but on lap three he fell while exiting the sand pit, giving the lead to Barnett. "When I got into the lead, I tried to pull away so nobody could give me any problem. I tried a little too hard and got off; I never really crashed hard, I just made little mistakes. rm gonna practice every day 'til Seattle and see what happens," Shultz said later. The mishap put Shultz behind Barnett and Glover and just ahead of Howerton. Not wanting to see Barnett get away from him, Howerton fIrst passed Shultz when Shultz missed a shift out of a corner. Soon after that move, he ducked by Glover just before the sand pit to fInally move into second. . ' Shultz was still trying hard to get back in contention. He passed Glover briefly for third a couple laps before the race's halfway point but fell soon afterwards. Glover was so close that he was effectively stopped. In the meantime, Bell waltzed by before Shultz got going again. Gibson motored into ruth with Glover restarting in sixth position. The positions in the top six went unchanged through lap II with Goat Breker, Mark Lawrence, Staten and Hannah in the top 10 at that point. Hannah couldn't seem to fInd a clear line past Staten, and both were using every inch of track. The Hurricane fInally got by Staten on lap 13 and went around Breker (whose bike suffered clutch and shock malfunctions from lap four) shortly afterwards to .put him into sixth where he stayed to the finish. G.ibson closed the gap ~n Shultz hopmg to take over fourth, but as soon as he'd get too close, Shultz seemed to fInd a little extra drive to stave off the attack. Barnett and Howerton were pulling away from third-place holder Bell in the last part of the race as they moved into traffic. Howerton really started to push, pulling alongside of Barnett in some corners. Finally, it happened: "I got a little screwed up in a berm, and he just got on the inside. Toward the end, I got in lappen and Kent got really close. He just got around me, and I lost my concentration a little bit, I couldn't pass him back,'" Barnett said ruefully after the race. Howerton said, "He took off pretty quick there, and. I just kept going. I saw he started to malte a few mistakes, so I thought, 'Well, I'll just keep chug- ing and maybe I'll get the break,' and I went for it and there it was." Indeed it was. Howerton bashed his way past Barnett into the lead, and the win was his. Barnett couldn't make up the lost ground and broken rhythmn in the short time left to the fInish, though he put on a wide-open last-lap charge to try to salvage the race which brought him within feet of Howerton. Back in third was Bell followed by Shultz, Gibson and Hannah. Staten, Wise, Coon and Englund completed the top 10 finishers. Barnett resolved to improve the outcome next time as it was clear he was not that pleased with the race's results. ''I'm happy, and I'm not happy. I'm happy about today; I'm happy about being up there, but I'm not happy about losing. I'll just have to try harder next time, go faster. Two weeks of hard training (until Seattle Supercross), go for itl" • Results ANAL: 1. K_ Howonon ISuzl; 2. _ _ ISuzl; 3. Mik. Boll !Yom!; 4. 0-011 Shultz lSuzI; 5. Jim Giboon IHanI; 6, Bob Honnoh !Yom); 7, Rex S _ IYom); 8, S_ WoooIHOn); 9. Riclwd Coon IHan); 10. Arlo Englund !Yoml; 11, Don'ny L.oPone IHan); 12. Rick Johnson !Yoml; 13. _ ~ !Yom); 14. ChuCk Sun IHan); 15, Johnny O'Moro IHan); 16. GoIIt Brei<_ 1K.w1; 17. Phillip La*'!' !Yoml; 18, Rick Ilurgott !Yom); 19. DIMd Toytoo !Yoml; 20. Todd _IYoml. SUPERCROSS SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1, K_ _ 1 2 8 l ; 2. _ _ !25l; 3. Mik. BoIII23l; 4. llorToII Shultz 1201; 5, Bob . . . - . 11 7); 6, mEl Jim 1161; 8. Rex _ G~_W_ 1141; 9. Riclwd Coon 1121; 10 (TIE) Arlo EngIundIIlonny LoPono (11); 12. (TIE) Rick ~hucI< S<.wl tlIl; 14. (TIE) Mort< """-Johmy O'Moro 181; 16. Goo! _ _ 161; 17. Phillip lArwon 141; 18. Rick Burgett (3); 19. (TIE) DIMd ToytoolTodd _121. 11