Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

dition for the Nationals that are coming up very soon. The track itaelf was a little muddy in spots, but it was as well-prepared as possible. Master Jim Be1tinclr. put fonh a lot of energy to win both motos. Despite the fact that Jim went down twice in the second mota, he p. up in lightning fast order and was nght back into the action. Bob Millner also had the power going and he grabbed both second place wins. Dick Mosley of the Experts did more than all right. He wrapped up both wins with true Expen technique and sryle. Buzz Moeller gaued his Husky into second place in the ftrst moto, and George Spearing came through the second moto with a second place win. Amateur Bob De Miranda had an· other terriftc ftrst place win in moto one, holeshot and all. Ed Scheidler had the second place spot at the ftrst tum and that is where he was 11 laps later. Hal Grady was the fastest man out there in moto two and he crossed that checkered in lead position. De Miranda followed Grady in with second. Novice Bob Alloy lucked out once again with the taking of both wins. Bob Denman, Old Timen guest rider, came across with lou of fast action, and he wrapped up second place in both motos. A great beginning. Results MASlBlS: 1. Jim _ CMool; 2. Bob _ CYoml. EXPSITS: 1. DicIt ~ CYoml; 2. Buzz _ ltMI. AMA~: 1. Bob De _ CMeA; 2. HoI Gr.cly lMeil. NOVICE: 1. Bob Ntoy CYoml; 2. Bob o.nm.. CYoml. PRRO road racers do H In the dIrt By Kris Aaron PHOENIX, AZ, MAR. 29 The proverbial Arizona dust storms and an off-road race the week before had coated the track at Phoenix International Raceway with a thick layer of packed dirt. Sunday's race went from being a road race into a modifted TT until the hard layer of dirt could be broken loose and swept away. Fortunately, the soil and gravel on the track were responsible for the only spectacular get-off of the day. In the ftrst GP heat, pack leader Willie Adams, riding an 1100 Suzuki, slid out in the dirt and was clipped by Bobby Ruseell, running a hot second on a Honda f»OO flat tracker. Both Adams, Ruseell and their bikes landed in a tangle of anna, legs and wheels in the middle of the track, forcing the rest of the pack to gingerly work their way around them. Adams was on his feet ftrst, pushing his Suzuki, which sported a dangling handlebar, off the track. Russell was lying underneath Adams and the two bikes, and had to wait until track offtcials could sort him out from the bottom of the pile. An experienced California flat tracker who spends most of his time in the dirt, Russell immediately straightened the bars on his f»00 and hustled back into the race. Not content with dead last, he wheelied across the infteld and re-entered the track in second place. It was a real crowd-pleaser, but that move cost him the heat; cutting the track, even while doing it on one wheel, is a no-no. Adams' bars were beyond repair, and he was out for the rest of the day. The IIecOnd GP heat saw Ruseell ("The terror of AIcot") running a hot ftrst for all of the 10 laps. Close behind him was Greg Wing on a Kawasaki 1000, and Brian O'Neill on a TZ 5f»O. When trophy time rolled around, Russell's disqualification in the ftrst heat put him in third place, with Wing talt· 109 second and O'Neill carrying home the gold. The f»f»Occ Super Street race had the ftercest competition of the entire race, between Norm Benedum on a Suzuki 4f»O and Eugene Coward on a Honda f»f»O. Loose soil on the track and a confused start separated the two riden in the ftrst heat, but both knew the second heat would determine who wa1lr.ed away with ftrst. From the second the starlet'S flag dropped, both racers were never more than 20 feet apart for the entire 10 laps. Running a close first and second, Benedum and Coward vied constantly for the lead, which changed with every lap. The powerful Honda dominated the straighu, but the nimble Suzuki recovered lost ground in the turns. A tank-slapping speed wobble on the first decreasing radius tum put Benedum back in second place, and he was only able to brealt past Coward on the fmal hairpin and hold a lead of two feet to the ftnish line to talte home a ftrst. Both riders, fie:rceIy competitiw: and equally talented, kept the crowd on their feet with spectacular, head- tohead racing. Results BOX STOCK 410: 1. Rick w CHon.-wl; 2. It.Wi-. CY_ 4001; 3. Sc:oIt CY_4OOI BOX STOCK 560: 1. Norm _ (Suz 4601; 2. &..tv K.... 5IiOl; 3. Greg Welch CY_ 5li01 BOX STOCK 7liO: 1. Dewid ICtilI:hum CHanl; 2. Dewid -lSud; 3. _ SoneIifllMWJ. BOX STOCK OPEN: 1. Jaory Klirw CSuzl; 2. Clortt Morgorum CSuzl. SUPER STREET 410: 1. Don Roche CYoml: 2. Rick WIa8 CHon.-wl; 3. Sc:oIt _ CY...... SUPER STREET 560: 1. Norm _ ISuz 4601; 2. e-d CHon m; 3. &..tv ICulz a<- m. suPER STREET 7liO: 1. Ted ~ CSuzl; 2. Dewid _lSud;3. Tom~ae-I. SUPER STREET OPEN: 1. Greg Wing C~; 2. Jaory Klirw CSuzI; 3. Dewid V_ CSuzI. GRAN PRIX: 1. Brion 0'_ CTZ3liOI; 2. Greg Wong a<-1000l; 3.1Iobby R_IHon 500l «- e- Dent, WIlkInson take Corona XR75 series By Steven Crosby CORONA, CA, MAR. 27 The fmal race of the three month XR75 series at Corona Raceway saw Rick Atkins and Gary Dent win their respective classes, while the series wins went to Scott WiIIr.inson and Dent. Kinney Jones did an excellent job in lining up sponsors, including Malcolm Smith Produeu, Bell He1meu, and Penmoil, to keep these cycle-riding heathens off the streets of Rivenide on Friday nighu. In moto one of the 1f» and oVet class, WilIr.inson took the ho1eshot with Atkins right behind; by the time the pack reached the first tum the thumpers had achieved terminal velocity. On lap two Willtinson got crossed-up and crashed in the wboop-de-doos and Atkins took the lead for good. The second moto had Atkins talte the lead from the starting gate to the checkered flag with Wilkinson second and Mike Word third. In the Pro classes Desert Suzuki rider Rod Brand was the big story. Brand totally dominated the 12f»cc ranks and had a big enough lead to crash in moto two, get up, get going, and stil1 haw: a five second lead. Varney HoibrooJr., looiting swprisingIy smooth, took the holeshot in moto one, held off Brand for a couple of laps and ended up second in both motos. Third place went to Harley Hall with a 6-5 score. The 2!j()cc Pros saw Malcolm Smithsupponed Eric MacCracken continue his winning ways but not without a battle from Brand. Moto one saw MacCracken and Brand quiclt1y pull away from the othen. Brand never got close enough to try a move on Mac Cracken while Marty Miller held off Scott WilIr.inson for third. In moto two Brand was off the starting line ftrst and looked IiIr.e he was going to pull off a double win but on the founh lap his rear bra1te a!IICIDbly disaeembled ilBe1f. Brand set the bike down, cussed it out, and then picked it up and finished the moto sans rear brake. By fmiahing the race he was able to capture third place money, a valuable lesson to the amateur riders that you should never give up. In minibike action a newcomer to the Mini Novice ranks, Erik Striepek, took top honors' with a 2-1 score. Roger Ebling had won moto one handily but suffered a hard crash in moto two followed by another get-off on the same lap. Mini Beginner wins went to first time Corona champions Alex Lopez and Mike Meier. Results 1. MN !NT: S_ _ ae-I; 2. Jell CYoml; 3. Sc:oIt _(~ MN NOlI: 1. Eric Slriepoke (~; 2. John S _ CSuzI: 3. Greg ~(~. MN BEG DIY 1: 1. Ala ~ 1Suzl: 2. S _ Gornble CYoml;DIYBreIt1. _ _ ae-I; 2. _ MINI BEG 3. 2: Guyc CYoml. ~ ae-I; 3. "-Y Seem CY_I. 100 BEG: 1. John KiIh CYoml; 2. _ W _ CSuzl; 3. CIwtoo MIowon IHonl. 125 PlIO: 1. Rod _ CSuzI; 2. V.,.., _ CSuzI; 3. ChriI_ CSuzI. 125 INT: 1. John Grigoby CYoml; 2. Sc:oIt Morn CSuzl: 3. Greg _ CYoml. ' 125 NOlI: 1. Con _ CYoml; 2. _ -. CYoml; 3. Ron.- CSuzI. 125 BEG DIY 1: 1. DIM _ CYoml; 2. Ken M8y8o CYoml: 3. Keith e.tlnw1 CYoml. 125 BEG DIY 2: 1. Jim (ler..., CYoml; 2. Rogor Hurd CHanl; 3. Greg e-ISuzI. . 250 PlIO: 1. Eric Mec:CrKUn CYoml; 2. M-.y MiIIor CYoml; 3. Rod _ CSuzl. 250 INT: 1. John _ _ C~; 2. Riel< Vondorlwn CYoml; 3. Ron Rehnquiot CYoml. 250 NOlI: 1. Troy _ CYoml; 2. r." e . ~ ISuzI; 3. _ S l _• • C~. 250 BEG: 1. ChIiley S_ CHon~ 2. K., RylcroIt IHonl; 3. Donny MoroIoo CHonI. OPEN PRO: 1. John Go-.- CYoml; 2. Gory Sherorn-. CY..u. OPEN INT: 1. Kinney.Jor.- fHonl; 2. CYoml. oe.. Will<"-' OPEN NOlI: 1. Pout S - CHon); 2. _ '-'1 CY_I; 3. "*- Kinney CY_I. OPEN BEG: 1. Dbid _ CYoml; 2. Ridwd Crit8Ili CSuzl; 3. Jon B~ CMIil. XR 16+: 1. Rich AIkinlIHonl; 2. Seem Will<"-'; 3. Mb Won:I CHanl. XR SERIES RNAL STANDINGS XR 16+: 1. Seem _ 72; 2. Atrdv Norlhrup 58; 3. Mike Word 56. XR UNDER 16: 1. Gory Dent 72; 2. Donny ~_eo. Lechlen wins Pro debut at Speedway J. J. 7 By Rod Eschenburg CHULA VISTA, CA, MAR. 2f» Maxima Yamaha rider Ronnie Lechien began his Professional career the way every rider would like to, with a win, as he ran away with the second moto after a closing second in the fIrst round of the 12f»cc class. With another big fteld of 12f»cc Pros on hand including Mike Tripes, Jim OdIe, and last week's Coca-Cola Spring Series round winner, Chad Blough, it looked like the 14-year-old's chances of winning, let alone craclr.ing the top three, would be slim. Especially after he got off the line in about sixth place in the first moto, however, at the checlr.er, Lechien was in second and closing on Tripes! When the gate went down on the second go-'round, it was literally all over before the fteld got to the main course as Lechien had already built up a three lenjtth lead and just coasted to the win. Meanwhile, a tremendous battle developed behind for second as first Tripes appeared to have it locked up even after Escondido Honda rider Jon Faure moved past for 1IecODd, becauae Faure was third in the first round. However, Yamaha rider Scott Meyer also moved past Tripes and now it looked to be a second for Faure, but then Meyer went after Jon, but to no avail as the Honda rider was up to the challenge. It, however, was anticlimatic at the ftnish as Tripes went out in the second to last lap. In the 2f»Occ Pros, Mark Howell (Yam) scored a come-from-behind win for his second straight in the Coke Spring Series. The first moto saw Honda-mounted Kirk Grissom win easily over Howell. In the second moto Howell took the holeshot, but Grissom staned reeling him in. However, Grissom moved just a little too high trying to mue an ouuide pass, caught the top berm and did an off-side to end the challenge. The race for second once was the big show as Scott Meyer (Hon) and Dan Wauon (Yam) had a race long dice with Meyer talting a tiebrealter off a 4-2 ftnish oVet Wauon's 5-5 effort. The ATCs were out in ever larger numbers Wednesday, spurred on by the merchandise certiftcate awards and the fact that they are pan of CMC and the Coke Championship series this year. The ouutanding class of the night was the Open Modifieds as Team Honda's Mark Weixeidor£a', Ace Williams, and Dean Sundahl were on hand for the action. However, at the checker of the second moto it was John Campos and his "little" Honda in a tiebrealter over Weixeldorfer and his 2f»Occ blaster! Moving back to two wheels, the outstanding Intermediate class was the 12f»s where Yamaha-mounted Terry Murray scored his second straight win, but not with a "ride out" lilr.e last week as he wound up third in the fint moto behind George Speck (Yam) and David Capehart (Kaw). For awhile in the second moto, it looked lilr.e it was going to be a three way tie-brealter in the second go-'round, then it looked to be all over as Speck moved to second, but then Bobby Vrhel came up out of nowhere to pass Speck and give the overall back to Murray. Speck made several spectacular tries to regain second place, but to no avail, and Murray was home free. • .... 00 0') l !) $.c c;:l.. < Results Rondr _ 500 PlIO: 1. CY.....; 2. John CIrdaa CYoml; 3. Dewid _ CYoml. 250 PlIO: 1. _ _ CYoml; 2. Seem CHanl; 3. Don w_ CYoml. 125 PlIO: 1. _ ~ CYoml: 2. Jon _ fHo

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