Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

1_"ERNoiBiE--.-.c.-_'-N--N • .. E ..... 00 0') ..... r-- CN >. ~ ~ fII!!=4 Scott Davis and Gary Vanderpool filled out t he top fitve. At first it looked like three preceed· ing weeks of dry weather was going to provide a course even dustier than usual. However, Sunday moming dawned cold and rainy. The top of Winnemucca mountain (from where 'lI the two-mile, 22OO-foot·drop d ownht begins) was shrouded in clouds, and mow and hail were reponed on that pan of the- course. So the racers were spared the dust for a couple laps until the weather cleared, the course dried out and things got back to normal (meaning knee·deep bug dust). First of the Nervous Novice wave to hit the bomb was Jeff Neider on a KX4!O that flat blew the doors off the pack. However, he broke down mid· way and Leonard Hornbarger (Mai) led all the Novices home with an im· pressive 10th overall. This year inaugurated a new Dinosaur clUlI, won by Nathan Lee from Boise, 10, who chugged along steadily on a 1955 Matchless. One of the day's heanbreakers came from the Dinouur ranIts: Mark GI'OIII, also from Boise, broke off the steering head of his 1958 AJS on the smoke bomb run. He limped back to the pits with so much steering rake that his engine cases were dragging the ground. The "Aw Shoot" award of the day went to Old Timer Ken Brown of Yer· ington Honda who entered the race to show his famous racing sons, Darrol and Kevin, how C1'OlII-e:ountry riding is done. Durol, wittner of the 1979 Winnemucca GP, was hanging in near the leaders when he was struck in the eye by a rock. He had to retire, just in time to oversee the rescue of father Ken who had crashed and broken three ribs. Son Kevin did win the Open Junior clUlI so the Brown family did 'have some brass to take home. Of the 142 starters, 87 earned finisher pins. The Flying W's gives many, many thanks to all their fine sponsors including Coon Beer. Hi·Point, Super Seer, Shin Jazz and Winners Casino. Special thanks to Doc Calder who put up the solid gold nugget prize for the overall winner. Results OPEN EX: 1. P. tlougIoo;2. G. Mertz; 3. K. Aobinoon. 2!iO EX: 1. C. HIIcDmb; 2. T. lleHoInro. OPEN JR: 1. K. - . 2. 2. D. IIird; 3.3. W. ~. 2!iO JR: 1. R. ~ A. Mc£Iroy; C. S...... =... 125JR:G.00ICarI0. HCN: 1. L Il0o......; 2. T. Moody; 3. 2!iOHCN: 1. K. -'2.B.KindIII;3.J._. e. 125HCN:I.A.-'2.M.0'~3.J._ _i. VET EX: 1. S. o..io; 2. G. v~; 3. S. VETJR:l.W.llIn;2.W.WtIoan;3.R.e-.. VET NOV: 1. J. - . ; 2. G. Ft.non1h; 3. D. .. ~ 1. G. _ _ 2. J. Noor: 3. W. O'Brien. or HCN: 1. J. _ ; 2. J. -.,;"g; 3. B. MIming. Gunderson Ireta Calms award at E•R•A• ceremony • By Suanne Ught EUGENE, OR, MAY 10 Another season is completed and with it go the awards, in this burg, rode well enough in the Open class to take the h igh ' potnt trorh y, demolishing his competition untl recently stepping down to the 125cc class. Jeff Daily of Springfield took the high point sportsman award in the Pee Wee dUll and "Wild" Bill Borosek did the same in the Mini class. Their trophies, by the way, stood over a foot taller than the diminutive riders. Rounding out the awards for amateurs, Mike Smothers wrapped up wins in the 250cc clUlI to take the trophy for high point over his fellow Intermediates all season long. In the 50·40 ca, it was also no surprise that Bill Row took the award for high points as he went quite fast for an old man. In the Pro clUlI, while not an official pan of the awards presentation since the high point trophies went to the top Novices and Intermediates only, Eugene's Steve Williams racked up an astounding string of wins before leaving for the Nationals to give him the number one Pro·Am plate for E.R.A. A clOIe second in points was Jim Wiant of Springfield who rode hard all season, finishing in the top three every rime out as did Waytte Church, last year's Cairns award winner. Church went fast and showed up every time out. In founh was Joe Spangler of Juncrinn City who put in a late season charge and a string of late season wins to clOIe in on the point leaders. Roy Davis of Myrtle Creek won whenever he showed up and didn't DNF and took fifth overall on his Yamahas followed by Clay Light of Salem who was in the top three until having surgery on his arm, broken twice this year. Mitch Kirkpatrick of Bend finished seventh by taking control of the Open Pro class at the early pan of the season and racking up the points on his PCP Husky. E.R.A. Rookie of the Year Loch Names was right behind in points. Names staned out the season winning the Intermediate classes and then made the big move into the Pro ranks. Eugene's "Radical·' Rod Keller took his $5000 Suzuki to ninth in points, thanks to top three finishes whenever the whiz kid didn't DNF. Tied at lOth in points were Rich Earle and Tim Michlitseh. Earle rode well all season long in the 125 and 250cc Pro classes until Michlitseh went exceptionally fast all season, going for four moto wins each race in the later panoftheseason. Results JEFF CAIRNS AWARD: 1. Rid< Church. HIGH POINT ClASS WINNERS ~; 2. =:"'-e.i.burg. 2!50: _Smolhors. ::.='=-. MIN: Illy...... PE£WEE:.Mlllloily. TOP 20 f'RO.AMIE.RA PROS: 1. S _ W _ 12441; 2. Jim - - 12311; 3. W.". Churdl12141; 4. Joe - . . . l1!ll11; 5. Roy o..io 11871; 8. Cloy Ughl 11151; 7. ah:h KittcI*riCk 11811; 8. Loch _ (134); 1.-....~I1331;10.R_ _ I1221;11. Tm _11221; 12. S-_11171; 13. CrIig " ' - (1111;14._~";I5.e.vLundC84I;18. _ _ l77l; 17. KoI¥ _ _ 1731; 18. K_ case, Rick Gunderson of EUaPne - - - . ; II. 0 - ~ l54I; 20. lion Sun 144l. .,,-received tbe prestigious Jeff 0 Cairns award. Jeff was the 125cc state MX champion three years ago and • died in a tragic accident. Presenting the award was Jeffs father Ted Cairns By Laure Richard who was very much L-h'tnd his son 's "" racin~ effon. In addition to the Cairns BAKERSFIELD, CA, MAY 5 .l__ . . awar • Gun""'llOun went away Wlt h A se fi a t h Int round 0 f t h e A menfive·foot tall high point trophy. can Motocross Enterprises and . h T It was no reaI surpnse w en erry Baltenfield Yamaha.spo~red Balter was called forward to receive his • d h S k high point trophy in the 12Scc dUll. senes opene ere at proc ets . ._.l .L_ ,-Park, there was no stopping Super B -L- d omtnau:u UK c..... throughou t the year. Another rider, Mfrk EsterSeer Suzuki-mounted Allen Hopper as Hopper takes from AME - '!iI2 OJ ViC ...,.;, tw he rode to back-to-back wins in both the 125 and 250cc Pro clasees. As the gate dropped for round one of the 125cc Pro race, it was Hopper taking the holeshot and the lead with Bakers· field Yamaha.sponsored Mark Bledsoe in second and third being filled by Taft Honda rider Darin Layton. As ded f h . h Hopper roun one 0 t e ug t corners he went down giving the lead to Bledsoe with Layton taking over second and Suzuki rider Randy Haden going into third. But, there was no stopping the determination of the hard riding Hopper. As the checkered flag came out, again it was Hopper in the lead with Bledsoe taking second and third going to Layton. Round two saw Hopper taking the lead with Bledsoe in second and third being filled by Layton. The overaII for the day went to Hop~ with Bledsoe taking second and third going to Lay' ton. As the gate droPP.ed for the 250cc Pro race, it looked like a repeat of the 1251 with Hopper taking the holeshot and the lead again followed by Bledsoe. Taking third place was Kolbe Cyde/NO Spark Plug/Can·Am rider Steve Rawson. Hopper was able to hold on for the win. Round two again saw Hopper with the lead followed by Bledsoe, Fresno Yamaha rider Damon Webb, BG Oil/Honda rider David Lynch and Rawson. Again, Hopper was able to hold off the strong com· petition to take the win and the overall for the day with Bledsoe taking second and third going to Rawson. The Open Pro race saw another Bakersfield Yamaha·sponsored rider, Darren Oliver, taking back·to·back wins as he held off strong riding second place rider Mike Yafchak on a Yamaha and third place rider, Foothill Yamaha·sponsored Joe Root. Spoor Sheet Metal Maico-mounted Jeff Spoor had to settle for founh while Maico rider Wally Koch took the fifth place spot. In the 125cc Intermediate class, it was Suzuki of Bakersfield rider Chris McCauley taking back·to-back wins with Kern Sponcycle rider Darin Hargia in second and third going to another Suzuki of Bakenfield rider, John McCauley. The 250cc Intermediate c a went to Suzuki of Bakersfield rider Beaver Ellis with second going to Ron Pinheiro aboard his Yamaha and third going to Honda rider Paul Hager. Honda Center rider Keith Sims was able to take back-to-back wins in ed' I .h the Open Interm tate cass Wlt Security Roof/Yamaha rider Mike Lopez in second and third going to R 3< L Racing Suzuki·mounted Ronnie Lewis. Watch for round two of the American MatOCl'Olll Enterprises/Bakersfield Yamaha series which will take place in Bakersfield on May 17 at Sprockets Park. This is a four·race series ending on June 20 with that being a double AME' . . potnts race lD addi uon to all t he great prizes being given out by AME d Bak--Z:. Id Yamaha an "'

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