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
Husky's Scot Herden Ishown) end Brent Wellingsford turned in e f1ewle.. performence to win the Les Veps 400 by 17 minutes. Harden/ Wallingsford take full house Las Vegas 400 win By Dale Brown Photos by Wayne Gales and Brown JEAN. NV. APR. 18 Team Husqvarna's Scot Harden and Brent Wallingsford turned in a smooth, trouble-free ride to post a 17-minute victory margin in the Las Vegas 400 desert race. It was the duo's fifth straight finish in the event. and their record reads like a Las Vegas full house - three seconds and 6 two 'firsts; the victories coming back to back in 1980 and '81. Coming in second overall. first 250cc were the Pfeiffer brothers Kent and Scott on their Premier Yamaha YZ250. They had turned in an identical performance a month earlier in the Mexicali 250. Third overall went to Nevada riders Troy Fitch and Kevin Steele. who led the Pfeiffers on time going out on the last loop. only to suffer a rear flat and drop to third overall. second 250cc. As in previous years. the event was well-organized and well-promoted by Casey Folks and Sam Bass, Four laps of a varied 80.4-mile course were to be run. and it took Wallingsford and Harden eight hours. 11 minutes and 38 seconds to complete the distance. Weather throughout the day, was nothing. if not inconsistent. Sunshine. warmth. cloudiness. cold. rain. hail and high winds were all encountered. usually more than once over the courSe ortheday. Several crashes happened during the course of the day. and Pro class riders Terry Clark. Larry Roeseler and jack johnson were treated at local hospit~. Clark had a cracked vertebra. Roeseler suffered a separated humerus (upper ann) and johnson had severe abrasions on his left arm. Sponsman class rider Reb Wallace was taken to the hOllpital with suspected rib and internal injuries. Another Sponsman rider. Bruce Howell. rode nearly 40 miles with a broken collarbone to get his bike to his panner. who continued on alone. First aid and other assistance was provided by the Southern Nevada Volunteer First Aid and Rescue Association. It was a timed race and two riders left every 30 seconds commencing at 5:45 a.m. Halfway through the ftnt lap. at the rider changeover point. the ftnt bike in was the Kevin Welch/ Anthony Pasqualotto 490 Maico. They were the eighth bike off the line. and followed into the pits by the futhstaning team. the Pfeiffer brothers. Riders who appeared to move up very wd1 from later Slam were the Mark and Kent Miller team. Troy Fitch and Kevin Steele. Kevin Gashler and Brad Hilton. Wallingsford and Harden. jim Fishback and Chuck Miller. Dan Ashcraft and Chuck Steams. and jack johnson and Kevin Davis. The 4O-mile mark ended the ride of Husky's Terry Clark. Shonly before he apparently hit a rock with his front wheel and crashed. landing on his back. He made it into the pits with a flat front tire. where the wheel was changed and panner Tom Kelly took off to ride for the remainder of the race. Clark went to the hospital where doctors reponedly diagnosed a cracked venebra in his back. At the end of the first loop. Harden and Wallingsford had a' good time on their 430 XC. a two hour. one minute clocking despite ~a ving to ride through the dlist from their 41st staning pOIIition. But the Welch/ Pasqualotto Maico was out in front and clear of the dust. However. their ride came to a halt at the first check on the second loop when they seized. The Pfeiffer brothers. having turned in a 2:03.27 first loop, took over the physical lead. Running second physically was the 125 Yamaha of Kevin Hopkins and Donnie Morrison. followed by the Miller/Miller machine. Wallingsford and Harden ' were up to founh. and leading on elapsed time. The Maico West/Vegas Cycle/Wheelsmith/Moto..x Fox entry of johnson and Davis was in the hunt with a first loop time only two minutt's off the leader·s. Fishback and Miller were also running well. but they DNF the second loop. Well up from a 5Srd stamng pOIIition was the Lany Roeseler/Bruce Ogilvie Yamaha 465. The end of the second lap found toe Pfeiffer brothers still leading physically. but down almOllt seven minutes on Wallin~ord and Harden. who turned in thetr fastest lap of the day with a flat two-hour run. Word came over the radio that Roeseler. riding the second half of the loop, had passed Davis. and such a pass would have moved them to second overall. However Roeseler crashed a few miles from the finish of the loop. and was later taken to the hospital. His injury was diagnosed as a separated humerus. and he was released the same day. The johnson/Davis machine. which had been having shock and brake troubles. nonetheless was running second overall on time at the halfway mark. a minute ahead of the Pfeiffers. Fitch and Steele. sponsored b¥ Valley Cycle and Nevada Yamaha. were running second in the 250cc class. with the Dan Ashcraft/Chuck Stearns Husky an apparent third. Bob Maxwell and Scott Atchison. riding a Midas/4-M/Q.uality M/C Service Yamaha. had the 125cc Pro class lead by a minute. although .they were running behind the Billy Hill/ Randy Honeycutt Husky. Daryl Folks (Casey's son) and Scott CouttS were moving along in third after Coutts' lap one get -off. The third lap saw the most rain and hail. and by the founh lap the course was dUst free. with talcum'powder piu turning to mud. and water crouings