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/126518
but produced some good racing,
especially in the Open Modified! where
Team Honda rider "Dyno Dean" Sundahl went two for two over "privateer"
Honda rider Mike Coe who in tum
had a squeaker second over Team
Honda rider Mark Weixeldorfer. Ace
Williams, just back from a trip to
Louisiana where he swept everything
on his screaming South Bay Yamaha,
rode a "Little One" in the Open class,
but could only get a founh overall.
While Yamaha-mounted Richard
Mannschreck had the most productive
evening in the Intennediates with a
first in the 500cc class. and a second in
the 2505. it was the 125s that stole the
whole show. In the fint moto, Terry
Murray (Yam) ran away with it as
Coke point leader Bobby Vrhel (Yam)
struggled to a second after a mass
tangle with most of the rest of the
field. In second round. Murray and
VrheJ were so tight you couldn't slip a
piece of tissue paper between them.
First VrheJ would lead, then Murray,
with one lap having five lead changesl
Finally, Vrhel got about a bikeJength
on Murray, and it looked all over, but
no, Murray came back on the last lap
to once again pull up even with Vrhel!
Finally, Murray pinched it a little too
tight and nearly stalled and Vrhel was
home with the tie-breaker.
In the Junior classes, the largest
field of 500cc Juniors in many years
showed up with the result being a ding
dong battle of the four-strokers va. the
two-stroken as Brian Showalter (Hon)
took a tie-breaker from Bob White's
Lemon Grove Maico in as wild a two
moto show as you will ever see with
seemingly at least two riders falling at
any given instant! The 2505 were not to
be outdone as Clint Berger (Yam) put
together a 2-1 effon to down Rich
Yelkin's (Vey's CoAl 4-2 go for second.
Yelkin had a tie-breaker over point
\eader Glen Sorensen's (Hon) !-! effonl
....
~
p..
<
Results
Terry Murqy tlnlahecl eecond 12&cc Im.rmedlnlllt Speedway 117.
HardIck, Howell
hot at
Speedway 117
By Rod Eschenburg
Photo by Photocross
CHULA VISTA, CA, APR. 15
Clint Hardick returned to his
favorite playground, Speedway
117, for the first time of the 1981
Coca Cola/KPRI Spring Season
32
and ~ Suzuki rider came away with
the night's top money winner with a
first in the 50lkc Pros and a second in
the 25lkc Pros.
In the 50lkc clau. Hardick had an
easy two for two go over David Gerig
(Hus) and Marty Moates (Suz) with the
real racing going in the second spot. In
the second moto. Moates looked to
have a tie-breaker going over Gerig
only to have David zap him in a beautifullate lap. inside pass.
The 2505 were a different story for
Hardick as Yamaha-mounted Mark
Howell was able to squeak out a tiebreaker win over the redhead. In the
first moto, it looked to be all Howell
until 10 feet from the checker where
Hardick was able to pull off one of his
patented quick passes for the win.
Come the second moto. and Howell
took the lead immediately with Hardick
in a distant fifth. Hardick went to
work and by the mid-point ofthe moto
was reeling Howell in. But no, Hardick
bobbled, and it looked to be Howell in
a breather, right? Wrong, Hardick
once again just blazed around the
course and again it was an instant
replay of the first moto as they approached the checkered flagt This time
though Howell was very aware of the
situation. moved to the "Hardick
Groove" and took the win with both
riders interlocked in mid-air. A great
racel
Yamaha suppon rider Ronnie
Lechien won his (ounh 125cc Pro race
in a row but it wasn't his usual rideout, as in both motos transplanted
New Yorker Joe Bond gave him fits
and led both go-'rounds up 'til the late
laps. The first moto saw Kawasakimounted Bond ~ a beautiful hoIeshot
and lead Lechien into the last lap
where Lechien fmally got him with a
quick inside move. The second moto
got off the same way only Lechien was
in fifth place. Like Hardick had done
in the 250 s, Ron quiclr.ly went to work
and was in second by mid-race, and
then with two laps to go, in a move
that caught your announcer/reponer
napping (and apparently Bond too),
Lechien was in the lead and going
away! This makes seven straight mo~o
victories for the "Racin' Machine" now
at Speedway 1171
With it being "Easter Week Desert
Time," the ATCs were somewhat down,
500 PRO: 1. Clint H8rdicl< CSuzl; 2. CMvid Gerig CHuol;
3. ~ MoeI8I tSuzl.
2IlO PRO: 1...... _
(Yom!; 2. Clinl _
lSuzl; 3. Woody CIrtoon (Kewl.
125 PRO: 1. Ilonnie ~ (Yom!; 2. Joe Bond
lK8wI; 3. Roy T _ CSuzl.
500 INT: 1. _
Mennchred< (Yom!; 2. Ric
_ ( Y o m ! ; 3. Kei1h L_CHonl.
2IlO INT: 1. Riel< Kenyan lVom!; 2. _
lVom!; 3. Konny KopecI