Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

-. .... 00 <:J') lAbove left) B8mett'a been cIoae ell year end everything flnelly came together for him lit Atlenta. (Top right) A cold drelned Kent Howerton end he collapsed lifter finishing eecond.lAbove right) Johnny O'Ma,. got e little bucked .GUnd on his way to a aixth-p18C8 finish. Hannah, who came from the back.' Honda's Donnie Hanacn took fifth and pushed Broc Glover out of a transfer slot. Yamaha support rider Dave Hollis, who rides under a program headed by Bill Bell, Mike's dad, cleaned up in heat three. Hollis showed the way to Yamaha's Rick Burgett, who did a foot-off.the·pc~_ stunt off Stone Mountain after taking second. Mike Bell tangled with Mark Murphy off the start and went down, but showed Supercross style by coming up to third, dialing it on over the choppy sections to gain ground. Teammates Jim Gibson and Johnny O'Mara put their works Hondas into the 4-5 slots. had nine seconds on Donnie as the pair took the 1·2 transfer slots. Darrell Shulu started last and couldn't come up far enough to challenge. Florida's Mike Twigg and Mark Murphy put their Yamahas into the second semi's 1-2 places, but Murphy bit the rurl after going for the lead. Rex Staten came up to take' over for the win, and Twigg outran Can·Am's Jim Holley, who was on a protolypc water·cooler. Riclty Palmer headed the consolation, but Shulu went for broke and claimed the lead on lap one to finally get a slot on the final's starting grid. Kent Howerton found himself on the ground 20 yards off the line in heat four. Honda's Chuck Sun took the lead but slid out, and then Florida WinterAMA talent shined brightly as Kenny Keylon and Keith Oelcrich put their supp?rt Yamahas into the 1-2 posttions. Howerton blazed to second and Keylon outrode him for most of the race, but with two laps to go Kent took over to win. Keylon, Oelerich and Sun followed, and Kcystonc/KTM rid· er Andy Stacy held off the charges of Rex Staten for his first carccr Super· cross transfer to the final. Yamaha teammates Brae Glover and Donnie Cantaloupi shared the first 'semi bblesht>t', and 'by -the 6Bish-Brae Barnett, Smith, Hollis and Hannah edged into the right hander as clutch levers flew when the gate dropped. Sun, the winner last year in Atlanta, started last after going down in tum one. By lap two Barnett was already picking up time on a sIr.irmish between Smith and Howerton.. Hollis was fourth and Coon, Burgett and Bell slid in ahead of Hannah. The Smith/Howerton scrap con· tinued to lap 10, and Barnett was cooking through lappers. A fast lap had bccn one minute, thrcc seconds, and Barnett was cutting 59 second laJIII On lap 11 Howerton finally laid claim to second-and Bell used- a bard -drive Final into and out of the rums to work into third. He made his move on lap 12 in whoops through the mechanics' area. By lap IS Barnett had 15 seconds on Howerton, who in rum had ·five seconds on Bell. Then came Smith, Hanacn and Hannah. Lap 14 saw Barnett start· ing to lap the top 10 and hauling through them two at a time. Howerton and Bell were using traffic to open their leads. Bell let it hang out on lap 18 and closed slightly on Howerton but DCVCr came up with a direct chaHengc. Barnett was on his way home, looking smooth as silk. His faultless line choice made him look like he was on raila. On lap 19 Shulu came up to match up with Hannah for fourth. Hannah bobbled in the mechanics' area and Shulu stuffed in. With a few clips of the bars Shulu got the position; Hannah didn't look like the Hurricane of the past. Barnett coasted over Stone Mountain and past the finish line with 20 seconds on Howerton. Kent came across and collapsed across his bike, trying to get some wind. Bell took third and led Shulu and Hannah across the line. O'Mara worked through the paclt for a creditable sixth place, and Smith maintained seventh over Hansen. "I bobbled a few times, but I had faith in my mechanic Jeff Clark and I Ir.ncw bille'wOiIld Iuti'tsaid IllatiIettl m, "I got really light headed. I felt like I was a quarter throttle off," said Howerton. "I've got so much mucus in my lungs I can't breathe. I felt like I wanted to ride, but right from the start I thought I'd had it." "The track was easy to make a stupid mistake on," said Bell. "It got rutted and the bike wanted to stccr itself. I was waiting for the two lap sign to move on Howerton, but I never got it. All I saw was the white flag. I think the points will be back and forth from hereon in." "I don't know if I'm going slow or they're going fast," said Hannah. "It'll take awhile for me to come baclt. Who knows, maybe never. All I know is it doesn't fccl too good riding in bacIr.'" Hannah had mentioned before the race that shin splints were bothering him when he rode. • Results 1. - . . II8moll (Suz); 2. Kent _ (Suz); 3. _ IIelIlVemI; 4. DernIII ShulIz 1Suz);.5. Bob H8nnoh lV....; 8. Johnny O'MIrIIlHonl: 7. Ma'ty Smith (Suz); 8. Broc Glo.- lV_I; 9. W Reid (K8wl: 10. Rich Coon IHonI; 11. IloMI _ lV ); 12. Jim Giboon tHonl; 13. S_WIoo (HonI; 14. Chudc Sun 1Hon); IS. Rex S_lV..v; 16. AIon King ~; 17. Ridt BurgMt lV..v; 18. Dar.- c-..,; lV..v; 19. Donnie ..... IHonI; 20. Krio IIigolow lV_I: 21. K..ny Keylon lV..v; 22. And'I SlOCy tKTM); 23. Milce Twigg lV..v; 24. Keith (IoIerich lV..v; 25. Gam _ lV_I. I SUPERCAOSS SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. -.. _ 1101); 2. Kent _1911; 3. Milce IIelI 1881; 4. o.rr.u ShuhZ 1lI4l: S. Bob HInn8It IISll; 8. S _ WIoo l!i4); 7. Rich Coon l48l: 8. Broc Glo.- (47); 9. Jim Giboon t48l; 10. Johnny 0'M0ra 1431; 11. Chuck SuIt lGl; 12. w..... Reid C3OI; 13. RIck IIurgoU 1271; 14. Alto Englund 125l; 15. Dar.- . . . . . 1211; 18. Rex S - . C2Ol; 17. Dar.- c.-.p 11.5l; 18. Jeff_ 114); 19.1T1EIlloMI HolIoIIlic:k JclIw-.~l'3I\ ft ). H

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