Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

rexas who worked his way through the pack finally edging out fellow Texan Tim Wagner on the last lap. In 1978, as pan of the California invasion that swept the minicycle classes that year, Ron Lechien from EI Cajon won the Junior Minicycle class. Ron made his return engagement in 1981 'quite spectacular. Sponing a factory Yamaha ride, Lechien won the 125cc Intermediate class and set the fastest lap of the night for all classes. The Californian faced a serious challenge for the first two laps, however, as John Lambert from Missouri on a Yamaha traded blow for blow with Lechien and held back the factory bike until Lechien made a gutsy pass over the stair-step jump and took over. Running third and fourth were. Texans Greg Bonin and Floyd Robbins having a tussle of their own but several seconds from the leader. At the halfway point, the Intermediates staned to get a little crazy. A great battle for fouth position (Lamben had retired) between three riders ended when a chain reaction crash eliminated Todd Shirah from Florida, Carroll Richardson from Texas and Tennessee rider Bobby Terrell. As Lechien styled to the win for Team Yamaha, Bonin and Robbins clawed and scratched right down to the wire for second and third while charging Mike Brown from Texas took founh ahead of Wayne Simmons from Louisiana. Other than the Expen classes, the most imponant battleground for the factory support teams were in the minicycle classes. Eight of the 24 riders in the Senior Minibike championship final sat on support bikes, three Yamahas and five Kawasakis. The frrst tum set the scene for the remainder of the race. The three Yamaha factory bikes of Arizona's Troy Blake, Texan Bryan Abernathy and Johner Kight from Nevada took the lead while Kawasaki's heaviest hitter, Derrick Latham from Oklahoma, went down in a multi-rider crash. Kawasaki's Douglass Harrington from Tennessee held fourth, but he would lose that position to Yamaha rider Danny Storbeck from Texas. After Storbeck disposed of Harrington, he set out after the leaders and on lap three it was fourrider battle. By the final lap, Blake had built an insurmountable advantage over Abernathy, Kight and Storbeck and took the win for Team Yamaha. The line-up was similar in the Minibike Stock class, but the action nearly reversed. This time, Blake bailed off in the first tum and was out of the race while three Team Green machines powered into the lead. Derrick Latham took the point over Missouri riders Robby Peters and Chuck Burgess. But the Yamaha contingent was quick to respond after losing team leader Blake. Bryan Abernathy staned to charge from mid-pack with Harrington right on his rear. Ronnie Tichenor from Palm Harbor, FL on his Yamaha support bike trailed Louisianan Shane LeBlanc at the Start of 50cc Mini Mini, but on lap two, LeBlanc had trouble with the front straight and its series of jumps and Tichenor took the lead. As Tichenor led LeBlanc around for the remainder of the race, Texans Darrin Champagne and Blake Garland fougllt through the pack in the early laps to run third and fourth. At the finish, Tichenor enjoyed about a two-second lead over LeBlanc to win his second 50cc Championship in a row. There were no trophies awarded to the class that produced the best first tum crash, but if there was, the 100cc class would take it hands down. Down was the dey word here as 16, count 'em, of the field of 24 hit the ground so fast that it appeared that they were attacking a machine gun nest. Only eight riders survived that initial disaster to fight for the championship. Leading the pack around on the first lap was eventual winner Barry Henry from Morgan City, LA riding a Yamaha. Texans Floyd Robbigs and Greg Bonin (remember them from 125cc Intermediate?) continued their private war, but this time Robbins took the second position and bonin third. Other riders who made an appearance in the top five were Dan Newell from Louisiana who was in first until bailing off and Brother Maninez from Texas who briefly held third but finished fourth. After Newell went down on the last lap, Henry coasted into the fmish line giving the "Bayou Battlers" their third straight 100cc class 'Dome championship. Darius Gramley from Harlingen, TX repeated as the Astrodome champion in the Over 30 class. The Kawasaki rider holeshot the start and controlled the front position until lap three when he stalled his bike giving the lead to Kenny Butler from Oklahoma. Butler's lead was brief, however, as Gramley repassed for good on the same lap. Meanwhile, Billy Click from Texas, the Over 30 champion in 1978 and 1979, was recovering from a miserable stan and blasting through traffic but ran out of laps and finished fifth, narrowly missing fourth place rider Roy McCalvin from Georgia. Butler took second with Texan Jake Warren third. Kathy Holman from Houston, who made Astrodome history in 1979 as the frrst female to win an Astrodome motocross, again made GNC history by becoming the first rider to ever win the same class three years in succession. The Ladies Division Championship win for the Honda rider was a near repeat of the previous two: No probleml "Holeshot" Holman did exactly that and roared off to the win by a comfortable margin over Texan Patti Sumerall and Donna Nearn from Tennessee. As for the final scorecard, the factories did quite well. Team Yamaha collected four wins by their support riders, three in the minibike classes. Privateer Yamahas added another four championships to that total. Team Kawasaki managed but one win. but a privateer Kawasaki added another. Team Honda showed up with only one entry and it was a winner. Two other Honda riders, nonfactory affLIiated, won championships. No suppon rides by Suzuki were present, but two riders used the yellow and blue to win their GNC championships. • AlA is,. YOU...the motorcyclists 01 America now can stand up lor your "right to ride". The AMA represents every rider everytime they light injustices done to motorcycle riders all over the U.S. The association is more than just a racing organization. As a member you are protecting your rights to pursue motor cycle enjoyment on every street and highway in the woods or across the trails 01 America. All your rights lor just '15.00 each year. Not a lot to pay to have someone else keep governmen! and other do-gooders oil your back. WAIT-Bal'1 '* • WlII1I fir il The February issue 01 Motorcyclist magazine says It all. Editor Art Friedman has this to say, "Most riders aren't racers. You are tourers, trail riders, commuters, play riders or just plain old st reet riders. But non-competitors need the AMA just as much as pr,,-racers if you are to continue enjoying your own lorms 01 motorcycling. So you're a road rider. Why do you need the AMA? Because they lought sue· ceslully to increase the allotment olluel lor motorcycles in the Department 01 Energy's rationing from 10 to 25 percent were passed, the AMA's was one 01 the loudest voices calling lor the amendments needed to keep motorcycle premiums Irom skyrocketing. In New York CitY,they helped stop a surprise bill which would have banned nighttime bike riding. A court injunction sought by the AMA is the only reason you can ride a bike through St. Louis, Missouri city parks-and most 01 the city's main roads go through them. Trail riders, who account lor a meager 14 percent 01 the AMA's members, can count the AMA's Government Relations Department as an important ally in the constant battle against land closure across the country. The AMA also step· ped in when Wisconsin tried to take '2 million from the ofI-road vehicle lund and put it in a generaltransportaion lund and when Pennsylvania threatened to ban organized activities which would have included enduros and poker runs. They also saved you a lew bucks by persuading the IRS to make the sales tax on bike purchases deductible on your Income tax." NICE words from a real enthusiast. Art has more to say in his editorial if you want to read it all, pick up the February '81 issue. ~~o~~a~ ~~~~y t~ndau~:~b~~;h~ ~I~~ YI. AlA pr!., I, sIIiJ gifts JII could have made It 100 percent. They • ~ IIII1i11s ktmtilS have at least stalled EPA noise regula- • ~ IaIll & Ii I . . -.tit tions which would have added as much .lIIIIrtydt "'" PnlIctiII as $200 to the cost 01 your next new bike. • . . . IIIpziIt I-.a 1IIlIrtyctist) In stales where no-Iault insurance laws • AlllIlldlIn ONLY '15.00 to protect your "Right to Ride" « ....-4 .... M ~ - •• -------JOTNTODAV'-------_ _ _ _ Enclosed is my $15.00 for my membership IComp.tition Usel _ _ _ _,Enclosecl is ".00 for each additional family member INon- Competitiva Usel NAME CITY • ADDRESS STATE ZIP Send To; Right to Ride. P.O. Box 141 Westerville. Ohio 43081 Or Call Toll Fr•• (800) 848-8890 A.k about the 3 or 5 v.r plan _ ....:- .... There is no free lunch, nowadays it's called "Happy Hour." Results 250 EX: 1. Micltey Pizzitola: 2. Phil _ ; J. Wendell Simmons. 125 EX: 1. Bryon TeyIor; 2. Joe Burke; J. Curt McCuiolon. OPEN EX: 1. Pete Wetson; 2. Jim ~ : J. Jimmy Sondvig. 125 INT: 1. Ron L _ : 2. Greg Bonin: J. Floyd Robbins. • MINIBIKE SR: 1. Troy Bleke; 2. Bryon Abernethy: J. Johner Kight. MINIBIKE STK: 1. Johner Kight; 2. Denny Storbeck; J. Bryon Abernethy. MINIBIKE JR: 1. Eddie Vreelend; 2. Ronnie rochenof; J. Brien Emig. MINIBIKE 50: 1. Ronnie Tichenor, 2. Shone LeBIenc; J. Derrin Chernpegno. TEENY MINI 50; 1. Colin Edwerds II; 2. Byron Cleyton; J. Criopy Vreelend. OPEN tNT: 1. Bubbe !lefdwelt; 2. Robert Parker; J. Trecy Durham. 250 INT: 1. Bobby Terrell; 2. Weyne Simmons; J. Rendle Rey p.,ker. 250 NOV: 1. Deuce Williamson; 2. Mike TUana; 3, Mike Trent. 125 NOV: 1. Michaer Pozos; 2. Mike Stephens; J. DallidSmith. 100 ClASS: 1. Berrv Henry; 2. Floyd Robblna; J. Stay dry with a Cycle New Umbrella! .-j ~ .."t" Greg Bonin. OVER 30: ,. D.,luo GnImiey; 2. Kenny Butler; 3. Jeke WtJlT8n. LADIES DIV: 1. Kethy Holmen; 2. Peni Sumerell; J. Donna Neero. THREE-WHEELER JR DIV: 1. Roy Prothro; 2. Mike Payne; J. roger Foytlk. OPEN DlV: 1. Tom Wedgeworth: 2. Eddie Roberson; J. Dale IVlln Wilds. 21

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