Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Soutbern CaI1fornla·Arlaona-Soutbern Nevada· Sontbern Cailfornla.Arizona·Southern Nevada. Soutbern Cailfornl.Arlzo Western hotline Graves starts ouf hofafCRCGP By Terry Rezek CARLSBAD, CA, FEB. 22 Super rider Eric Graves showed why he carries the big, black number one by easily winning the California Racing Club's Super- 48 cycle GP Open division race. Gravcs worked hard throughout the 10-race leason last year to earn the black plate and he was DOt going to settle for a slow beginning to the shorter series this year. With only eight races, everyouc's going to have to try 20% harder to earn a good number. I misled Eric in the explosive start of the Open race, but did catch Steve Huth getting a very slight edge on everyouc else to be the first over the high speed jump 100 yards from the start. By the beginning of lap two, Gravcs had gotten past Huth and the pattern had been set. Rick Lee, who had been right behind Huth at the start, maintained position_ and took second Expert behind Gravcs. Huth continued his good ride to fmish first Amateur. The first race of the Grand Prixs are always the ATCs and Odysseys and usually one of the hardest to keep track of. There are at least eight ATC c1aslcs and three Odyssey classes and an infinity of riding skills represented. There are multiple lappings, drop' outs, drop-ins and occasionally someouc who got lost at Pismo Beach three weeks ago will join the race for a few laps looking for the way home. Through the smoke, the dust, and the chaos at the start came Ron Brown and his Odyssey, bounding around the course lilte a jeep driver trying to beat the explosions through a miuc field. He was closely followed for a few laps by Tom Brown, and then by Scott Johnson, who in tum was followed by Todd Johnson! Confused? I certainly was. . The only one who wasn't confused was Michael Chester. Forced to start behind the Odysseys, he began to push his Class 5 ATC through all the Browns and Johnsons who were temporarily ahead of him. It was a long hard battle, and one that Chester was up for. With only a few laps to go, he gamed and held the lead to finish first overall. Second overall and first Odyssey was Ron Brown. The Mini race was also a mini entry. unfortunately, with only four riders. Each rode. however, as if there were a full roster of 100 riders behind them. Mike McNeal, riding as a Novice, took an early lead and Begin. ner Tim Morton spent the whole race trying to catch him. McNeal never bacltcd off and they finished 1-2, with Terry Woody and Darby Brookman getting third and fourth. The Veteran/Senior race was a little closer, with Charlie Conway and Gary Little scrapping continuously throughout the race. Conway was first off the line and held that position for four and one-half laps with Little only inches behind. For the next three laps, Little was inches ahead of Conway and, fmally, it was Conway in the lead again by lap eight. Conway now began pulling slightly away, gaining a few seconds each lap to total a 20 second marxin at the finish. In the 8O-20Occ class, Norm Francis got the holcshot on the fmt of three races he was to ride today and stuck it out in front of the hotly punuing Bob Maxwell for three laps. By the beginning of lap four, Maxwell was in the lead and heading for the first place finish, 12 laps in the future. Francis pulled down one of his two seconds for the day. The 250cc race was by far the busiest of the day with the lead in hot contest from start to fmish. At the start, Mike Baker was first over the big showoff jump but he wasn't showing off because Norm Francis was right behind him and any goof would have been costly. John Sarrail led the Novices and Curt IlIOn led the Beginners, positions they both held to the finish. Lap two was a replay but the attention Baker and Francis were devoting to each other left Harry Vatilanu and John Downey slip by into first and second. Two laps later, Downey was in the lead for one lap before Francis and Troy Smith moved into the first two slots on lap six. By lap eight, Smith had fallen back and Phil Thorstenson took his place in second behind Francis. The two set an awesome pace in their fight for fllSt, making the fastest lap times of the day, despite the traffic. On lap II, Thorstenson made his move and dove under Francis to grab and hold the lead. That's the way they finishes. My sincere thanks to Kathy in the CRC office, who gave up several evenings to straighten out the confusion that inevitably accompanies the season's first race. Although these results are unofficial, a lot of effort goes into obtaining them and into identify.ing riders and she docs a truly remarkable job. O'Mara smokes af on MOICTOp to take over second and pressured Kline for the lead. As the two riders headed for the sandwash they looked dead even, but Holley pulled a little more power out of his Can-Am to take over the lead coming out of the wash. However, with two laps to go, Holley had to drop out of the race due to bike probletns which gavc the lead back to Kline, with International Yamaha rider Mark White taking over second and third going to Moscrop. The DCXt lap around Kline pulled off the track, leaving the first space spot open for White with Moscrop finishing second and third going to Kawasaki rider Ken Zahrt. As the riders started the second round again Kliuc pulled the holeshot with Holley and Yamaha-mounted Chris Hcisscr in close pursuit. Holley took over the lead from Kline at the checkered flag, so it was Holley with the win, Kline second and Heisscr third. But the overall for the day went to Zahrt with White taking second and third going to Moscrop, as Holley, Kline and Heisscr DNF the fmt moto. In the 125cc Pro race it was all factory Honda-mounted Johnny O'Mara as he went for back to back wins with Yamaha-mounted Steve Schmitz, riding for International Yamaha, taking second and third going to another International Yamaha rider, John Whelchel. Yamaha rider Mark White came up with the win in the Open Pro class. Moto one saw Yamaha-mounted Joe Root taking the lead followed by White and Maico rider Tracy Oswell. White put the pass on Root to take over the lead, but a great ride on the part of Oswell enabled him to pass Root and White to take the lead and the first moto win. As the gate dropped for the second round it was White with the lead followed by Oswell and Root. White held on for the win with Oswell taking second and Root placing third for the day. Yamaha-mounted Gary Curtis put together back to back wins in the 125cc Intermediate class with KalGard Suzuki rider Jack Greenberg taking second and third going to Yamaha rider Jerry Cochran. Glendale Yamaha-sponsored Richard Ising posted a pair of wins in the 250cc Intermediate race with Barnett Tool and Engineering/Castrol Oil rider Andy Richard (Yam) taking second and third going to Burbank Yamaha rider Randy Morales. Thousand Oaks Yamaha rider Vince Friede took the overall win in the Open Intermediate race with Brian Wa.sscll taking second and third going to Maico rider Jeff Heine. AMEMX Results Results ATC CLASS 2: 1. Chrio K'-ka. ATC CLASS 3: 1. PouI ~ ATC CLASS 5: 1. MichNI 0-..; 2. Mark W_. ATC CLASS 6: 1. John FerTO. ATC CLASS 7: 1. John Andre. OOY CLASS 1: 1. S _ K _ ; 2. Jolln .Je

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