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/126522
ITop) Greg Theiss. on the comeback nil from serious injuries suffered in an auto accident lest year. lets Glover blast by. (Above left) Mark Daw seeks the
elusive perfect line. !Above right) Jo Jo Keller _
top privateer in the 250a with a solid ~3 for third.
.
his bike skipping around under him.
Keller maintained third with Hansen
moving into fourth. Martin, Morrison
and Moto-X Fox's David Bailey were
bunching up in fifth, sixth and seventh.
Then it was Hannah's turn to fall in
the same manner as Howerton. Bob
was up quickly but was out of the
hunt. Howerton went on to win with
Hannah, Keller, Hansen, and a very
close Bailey and Martin behind.
"Hannah! Hannah! Hannah!" was
the chant from the crowd as moto two
began. Bob responded with the boleshot on his Keith McCarty wrenched
OW'SO; HanIen and Howerton were in
tow. Kawasaki's Warren Reid and
Yamaha-supported Dave Hollis were
left behind on the ground in corner
one.
Half a lap into the race it was Hannah and Howerton at it again, with
Kent taking over and pulling a power
wheelie down the rough top section
straight. The pair rode at such a pace
Hansen was left way back with Martin,
Yamaha-supported Kris Bigelow and
Can-Am's jim Holley spread out
behind.
Hannah clOlled and took over again.
Howerton got it back and pulled away.
just past the ~lfway mark, the two
had one minute and 17 seconds on
third place Martin and were lapping
up to seventh place!
Howerton took a safe win with Hannah second. Keller took Martin on the
last lap for third, .and Gary Semics
edged Hansen for futh. Bigelow and
Morrison went 7-8 with Keystone
KTM rider Andy Stacy ninth. It was
Howerton's third consecutive overall at
the track.
"I've got a track like this at home,"
said Howerton, "but I can't get it this
rough riding alone. It was narrower
here and lapped riders were a bit of a
problem. Hannah and I have contrasting styles. He doesn't pick lines
like I do, and I don't ride out of shape
like he does. "
Though the crowd was calling for
him, Hannah didn't make it to the
winner's circle festivities.
500cc National
Shulu, Glover, Suzuki's Marty
Smith and Breker left the roar of the
big bores behind when moto one got
underway. LOP's Marty Moates was
way back after misreading a section
and then Smitty came around (back in
the pack) after falling.
Glover kept track of Shultz until lap
four, and then went around to lead.
Bell was looking good with supplementary suspension - his long legs - and
. pushed into third. Breker and Sun
were scrapping for fourth. Maico's
Mickey Kessler finally passed Yamahasupported Kenny Keylon for sixth, and
Mickey's teammate Alan King was
eighth.
Husqvarna's Gary Pustelak and
1979 SOOcc Champ Danny LaPorte, on
a factory Honda, brought screams from
the crowds when they clicked together
down a straight. Glover was soon commanding the race ~th eight seconds
on ShuIu's jon Slenzalr.-tuned RN-465
Full Floater.
Glover stayed cautious but in front,
as the track was getting very rough and
took exceptional expertise with
throttle control. Shultz, Bell and Sun
had spaced out behind, with LaPorte
winning out in his battle with Pustelak
and then a IlCrap with Kesler. PuaeIaIr.
had faded back to ninth and Kessler
grabbed sixth in a hot ride. Breker
and King claimed seventh and eighth.
"I missed a shift over a jump in back
and that was it," said Smith concerning his early race mishap. "Boy, do
these things (his RN-46S) have power.
One time I thought I was off the
ground so 1 gassed it, but I was really
hooking up. The front wheel went
straight up into the air and the bike
snapped sideways. I felt everything in
my back crack. "
Glover shot ahead in moto two with
LaPorte left on the ground in tum
one. Bell picked up a close second with
New England Sports Committee Champion jim Meenan in third on his 49Scc
KTM. Shulu, Breker and Bill Grossi
on a Husky weren't far behind.
Bell decided to try it out front and
took over after a few laps. He and
Glover stayed 10 feet apart for some
fast racing, but Mike tOOK a header
and dropped off the pace. By then
Glover had 20,seconds on second place
Shultz. LaPorte had been pushing
hard, but his front brake cable kinked
and needed to be removed. The pit
stop was costly and put Danny out of
the top 20.
Rosenstiel gave Glover chalkboard
signals to "cruise easy and think," and
that's what Brae did for the rest of the
race to the win. Shulu was second and
Sun showed his fitness by pushing from
the back to a well earned third. Breker
was fourth, Smith fifth, and King and
local hero jimmy Ellis crossed the line
6-7. Bell was eighth.
"I hit a big hole off a jump and the
front end hit so hard I tweaked both
my wrists," said Glover, who is still
nursing a sore wrist from a get-off at
the Pontiac (Michigan) Supercross on
April 25. "I got the crap beat out of
my back. The shock was bottoming
and was jarring me every time it hit.
When Mike fell I think his shock was
going too."
'The bjke was perfect. I'm not
going to change a thing," said Shultz.
'lust give me some time to get some
training in - I'll be deadly. "
"I just didn't have it," said Bell.
"When you fall it takes a lot out of
you. I went down passing (Steve)
Rhyan in a berm. The back end wasn't
right. I just had a hard day. "
•
Results
2!iOcc NATIONAl: 1. Kent _
lSuz) 1·1; 2.
Bob Hennoh (Yoml 2-2; 3. Jo Jo K_ ISuzI 3-3; 4.
S_ _ (Suzl~; 5. Damie H8r-. lHanI~; 6.
Gory Semico (Yomll0-6; 7. S _ _ lSuzl7·
8; 8. Kris Bigolow (Yom) &-7; 9.ll8\Iid IlaiIey (!(awl 5-12;
10. Antty Stxy (1CTM113-9; 11. _
-.on (!(awl
14-10; 12. 0... Hollis (Yoml 12-15; 13. W.... Reid
(!(awl So'; 14. Jeff Hicks (Yoml 15-16; 15. 'Keith
00Ierich (Yom) '-11; 16. Ron Turner (SuzI 11-'; 17.
0... Coupe IMeiI '-13; 18. Jim_Holley IC-Al '·14; 19.
Eric &Ion lMaol 1&-17; 20. Mike Herndon (YomI17-2O.
5OO<:c NATIONAl: 1. II

