Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

I o;;;riH~tiina;---""--·· .. 00 C') KevIn Welch took two et the MRAN Back to Back Europeen SCnImbles. Smith captures Masterll"s Virgin Run By DeVor. Fortney RED MOUNTAIN. CA, MAY 24 Sunday morning at five minutes 'til 9. Stan time. 530 racers are lining up behind a thin strip of lime looking towards the low des- ... - -_-""M_ _ <-V__ " ' - - gathered south of Searchlight for the Groundshakers' Back to Back E -. __ en hiIb. Engines are staned, revved and cut off as riders jostle their bikes into a eotnfonable position to await the banner. Just like at any desen ra~, when the banner is raised an almOlt eotnplete silence ovenaltes the area. But before the banner dropped, whoops and hollers broke out up and down the line. What could cause such a brealt from tradition? Would you believe a lovely young thing undressing beneath the banner? Welcome to the Master!ink's Annual Virgin Run. A few seconds later it was back to business as the banner dropped and the Expens and Amateurs took off for the bomb. The fast lines were on the far right and among those getting a good stan were Checkers Dan Smith (Hus). Cliff "Diver" Thomas (Yam) and Tony Megla (Yam)_ Coming in on another trail were Up-Tite Husky rider Cory Timms and number one Vet Bill Saluman (Mai) but the rider who beat them all for the dust-free spot was Chuck Miller, now riding for Up-Tite Husky. The coune taxed the riders' skill without many easy trails to relax on. This point was made emphatically by a scary downhill just before check one that many riders pondered deeply before talting the plunge. Miller and Timms didn't need any prompting here as they literally flew down the hill, grabbing gears for the fast section heading nonheast. At Check Three it was still Miller and Timms followed by Thomas, Megla, Chuck Stears (Hus), Smith and Saltzman. Everyo/le kept these positions into the pits but back about 10 places the first Amateurs weren't content to hold steady. Greg Winkel on a big bore Yamaha held off 250cc rider Randy Jones at Check Three but let him sneak by at Home Check. Back at the stan the Novice/Beginners were waiting for the Rescue !l sweep truck to fIX a flat and get off the course but they finally got their banner and took off in pursuit of the Experts. Two Novices on Huskys put on one of the best shows of the day as Mike Fiugerald out of Desert M.C. and SOObuster Mike Spano fought the whole ~ with Fitzgerald's 250 shadowing Spano's 4!lO right down to the last half mile where he found a little bit extra to pass for the win. The end of the first loop wrapped it up for the Beginnen and first overall went to 250 Kawasaki rider Woody Lindsay of the Lost Angels. Right behind Woody were Open riders Steve Thotnpson .(Yam) and Mike Sweeny (Mus). Flrst C biker was Dan Obon on a Yamaha. Out on the second loop crossing Trona Road. the course set out into the Radamacher Mine area. About a mile past Trona Road the riders were treated to the traditional "Virgin" at the bottom of a hill. A rash of sore necks were reponed at Rescue !l shonIy thereafter. One rider who didn't make it that far was Check Howard McCasland who bailed off his new 495 KTM and broke a shoulder and ribs. Miller began to have problems through here as he overshot a few sharp tums and Dan Smith, who worked his way up from sixth, took the lead for good. Timms fells back to fourth, letting Cliff Thomas by as well. A little later Thomas put the move on Miller also for an excellent ride, second overall and first 250cc. Greg Thomas moved his Yamaha up right behind Megla for sixth and Saltzman fell off the pace and allowed Kern Spon Cycle rider Rich Jackson to take frrst Vet. Frrst C bjker was Goodyear-sponsored Paul Palmer on his water-cooled Mono just one bike ahead of Greg Winkel who hung in there for the overall Amateur win. Next Amateur was Din Digger John Rudder on a 125 KTM. Rudder managed to get ahead of Randy Jones who was still first 250cc. Gary Chaners put in his usual superb ride on his 125 Suzuki for first Senior honors. Number one Heavyweight Morris Norman was next Senior. First Woman was (who else?) Lori Fanner (Fullenon Yamaha/Team Buckeroo) even though she was feeling a bit under the weather. The oncoming summer heat is beginning to take its toll as many riders coming in later would attest to. Welch doubles In MRANbackto back EuroScrams By Wayne Gales SEARCHLIGHT, NV, MAY 24 Nevada racers returned to the desert after a month's layoff, and European Scrambles. The back to back is unique to southern Nevada with two completely separate races held on different courses at the same time. The ra~ line up literally back to back and TUn to their bikes in Gran Prix style. At 7:15 a.m. the otherwise sleepy riden and spectators were brought quickly to attention when the Groundshaken staned the day with enough plastic explosive to blow up a tanIr.. The 2505 roared off in one direction on course one and the 125s in the other direction on coune two. In the 2505 Can-Am mounted Mike Welch took an early lead followed cloeeIy by Troy Fitch and Ty Bothwell. Fitch took the lead after one lap and went on to take the checkered flag, followed by Welch and Bothwell. In the second 250cc race. ex-U5cc ace Paul Emerson shook off a sixth gear endo in race one and literall1( hid his Kawasaki West-sponsored KX250 from the rest of the paclt. The always consistent Mike Welch took another second and Husky-mounted G1en WISChmeyer bettered a founb place effon in the first ra~ to talte third. In the Open class Vegas Cycle-sponsored Kevin Welch was the only Expert to sweep both races, with a eotne from behind effon both times. Ron Smith brought in second in the first race followed by Mel Chapman. Ra~ two saw Chapman move up to second with Motorcycle Tire Center's Doug Statlander bringing in third. In the 1255 it was Billy Hill talting fU'St in race one followed by Daryl Fol1ts and JOOy Mader. Kevin Gashler took honors in ra~ two ahead of Hill and Fol1ts. The only major casualty of the day was Anthony Pasqualotto. The promising young Maico rider bailed nght at the stan of race one and suffered a broken tibia. Smith pulls out Simi win By Joyce May LUCERNE VALLEY, CA, MAY 17 Husky-mounted Dan Smith took advantage of the crippled Cory Timms, as he took the lead only a half mile from the Simi Valley race fmish. It had been Timm's race all the way until his machine was panially disabled. Smith rode with no problems and took advantage of every break that came his way. The banner dropped and Mark Zoller and a few others hit a fireroad to the bomb, while Cory Timms and others took the "low road" crosscountry. Timms took the overall lead shonly after the bomb. By the time he reached check two, Rick Schumalter was in the second spot, followed by Mark Zoller, Dan Smith, Bill Saltzman, Cliff Thomas, Ken Upp and Howard McCasland. Tim Sinclair was running first "C" machine, 10th overall, while Murray Kapko was running in the first amateur spot, three bikes behind Sinclair. Back aways in the Amateur/Expen pad was the first Novice, Larry Brown, passing the stragglers as he surged ahead of his peers. Although expen Darin Canwright had been in the top ten early in the ra~, he ended up DNF when he got a rear flat just past the first check. The tube worked itRlf out of the tire and, believe-it-or-not. got caught in the chain, causing him to dismount in a big hurryl His fellow riders went past him wondering what had happened, as they saw his bike setting upsidedown on the handlebars along the trail. Lori Farmer helped sister Tricia up a bad hill on the fU'St loop, giving Tricia a ~ lead. By the time she pulled into thelits, Tricia had about a 15 minute lea . Off the fU'St loop came Timms, followed several minutes later by Smith. These two desert aces had stretched their lead to a very healthy one over Zoller. The Beginners and Novice Traib were glad to take the checkered after only one loop, sin~ the trail was over very rough terrain. Jerald Jaazarowski (Open) earned the overall honors followed by S. Swinburne (25Occ), Jay Osteen (250cc), Eric Ervin (Open). 1- Megeff (250cc), Errol Leduc (Open). and Mike Young (Open)_ Scott Colben earned the Beginner Trailbike honors. Meanwhile. on the second goaround behind Timms, Smith. and Zoller. Schumaker was in the founh overall spot, with Vet Saltzman behind him. In the sixth overall spot was Thomas. followed very closely by McCasland. Then it was Sinclair, Kapka. Vet Rich Jacbon and Mike Mulconery moving through the check. Tricia Farmer staned having problems early in the second loop when she 10st first and second gears. Even so. she still had a IO-minute lead at the alternate gas. It was only a shon distan~ past that gas, however. that the rest of her gears went out, leaving her stranded. Timms put a hole in his cases before the alternate, which slowed him down considerably. A half mile shon of the finish Smith (Open Expert), piloting his 4!lO Husky, took over the lead, leaving Timms (abo aboard a 4!lO Husky) to be satisfied with second. "It was a good thing that the race coune wasn't any longer," Timms was heard to comment, as he was completely out of oil. Finishing in third aboard his 495 KTM was Expert Mark Zoller, followed by Expert Vet Bill Saltzman (Open) aboard his red Maico. In the fifth slot was first 250cc Expen, Schumalter, followed by Thomas (250cc Expen), Rich Jackson (Open Expert Vet), MUlconery (OpenExpen), and Kapko (first overall Amateur/Open), with Amateur Randy Jones (25Occ) finishing out the top ten. Results oPEN EX: 1. D. Smith; 2. e. Tnnmo; 3. M. ~. OPENAM:l.M.~ OPEN NOV: 1. Don ShopIwd. OPEN BEG: 1. J.' _ ; 2. E. EMn; 3. E. llIcalc. OPEN VET EX: 1. B. SII1zmon: 2. R. ~. OPEN VET AM: 1. Snyder. OPEN VET NOV: 1. R.Jor-:2. J. R - . OPEN VET BEG: 1. J. &beet. OPEN SR EX: 1. M. NormIn; 2. A. Knopp. OPEN SR AM: 1. V. French. OPEN SR BEG: 1. K. ~ 250 EX: 1. R. _ : 2. Thorn-. 2!iO AM: 1. R. Jon-. 2!iO NOV: 1. Urry _ ; 2. Aloll Lanv; 3. D. eor-. 2!iO BEG: 1. S. Swinbumo; 2. J. ,*-,; 3. J.~. 2!iO VET EX: 1. J. Bringhurot. 2!iO VET AM: 1. T. SmiIh. 2!iO VET NOV: 1. J. ~v. 2!iO SR. EX: 1. R. _ . 2!iO SR AM: 1. H. 2. B. Morrio. 2!iO SR NOV: 1. J. E EX: 1. S. Wobb. AM: 1. MbJon-. NOV: 1. M. Puro.; 2. S. V...., V_. e. e. e-: s... e e e BEG: 1. J. Thomoon; 2. G. Gn-. e SR EX: 1. G. ChInerw Sr. eSRAM:l.M._ eSRNOV:l.M.T_. TRAil EX: 1. Bobby Chomro. TRAIL NOV: 1. s-t CoI>on; 2. Mike French. GAlS: 1. Lori F_: 2. JoIone "-vne.

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