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/126533
(Top Scott Burnworth (32), Jeff W8rd (121, John O'Ma,. (401, Mark Bamatt 11 I and Denny Bentley 1831 . . among the first to the comer of. 12&cc moto one. (Above IeftJ Mike Bell leeds the &OOa earty In their first moto with Zoltan BarenyI (6681 and Mickey K..... (21) tralHng. (Above rlghtl Broc GIovw went 1-1. AMA National 1251500cc Championship MX Series: Rounds 717 Barnett, Glover bag titles at Washougal By Mark Kariya WASHOUGAL, WA, AUG. 2 Mark Barnett moved two steps closer to his goal of winning every National moto this season with unchallenged victories in both motos in the 125cc portion of the Washougal/Yamaha 125/ 500cc National at Washougal MX Park, He needed to win only the first moto to Iock up t h e 125cc title for the second year 14.. and did it easily, winning by some 50 seconds on his Jeff Clark-tuned Suzuki works ·bike. The 500cc class was expected to be a battle betWttll Broc Glover, the point leader by 15 coming into the event, and ChucIr. Sun, native son of the Paci~c Northwest who had won the preVIOUS two races overall. . Though both got bad starts In the fint moto their duel came to a head in the fi~t moto when the Team Yamaha rider pulled up to Sun's factory Honda on a jump on the final lap. Sun stepped off the bike after the throttle stuck and was out for the day while Glover cruised to win both motos. In doing so, the former three· time 125cc National Champion effectively clinched the 500cc crown as his 516 points put him ahead of both Sun, with 255, and Yamaha teammate Mike Bell, second overall today giving him 240 points. With 25 points available per moto win, Glover could DNF both remaining motos at Carlsbad and still claim the title from defending cham· pion Sun. Laid out against a wooded mountain about a half hour's drive east of Vancouver, WA, the Washougal tracIr. provided good riding and spectating. Though not covered with grass as it was last year before practice, the disIr.ed surface provided fairly good traction, though it was tricky in parts. A cloudy day helped it retain moisture making it consistent throughout the day. 125cc National Two qualifien and a consolation race had to be run for both classes in order to determine the field for the Nationals. In the fint 125cc qualifier, Suzuki· mounted David Weak got the holeshot but was soon displaced by U.S. Suzuki's latest entrant to the 125cc National wan, George Holland, who led to the finish over Yamaha sup· port rider Mike Beier. Mike Preston held off Robb Manning for third; both were on Suzukis. Qualifier two saw local favorite Phil Lanon jump out front, but the Yamaha support rider went wide in a powdery left·hander letting Suzuki's Denny Bentley power past on the inside and never give up the lead. Honda's Rich Coon was a closing third. Steve Pless took the early lead in the consy with RPM Yamaha rider Doug JacIr.son and Spokane Suzuki· mounted Brett Tremblay right behind. Pless dropped to fourth on the second time around while JacIr.son and Tremblay filled the front-running slots. KRW/ Super Seer Suzuki rider Dean Cates bumped Tremblay to third on lap three and was a close second at the checkered. At the start of the fint National moto, Barnett seized the lead with Yamaha's Scott Burnworth, Coon and Kawasaki's Jeff Ward jockeying for position behmd him. Barnett rode quicIr.ly and so method· ically it appeared that he had some secret formula for fast en route to the title-clinching moto win. The 50-second margin of victory was his largest of the year in Nationals so far. Ward jetted up to second on the opening lap, but took an off-track excunion the second time around that put him back a ways. Burnworth took over second at that point with the Honda threesome of Coon, Johnny O'Mara and Jim Gibson trailing. Coon dropped out a couple laps later. After 10 minutes, Gibson fell after a jump, letting KawasaIr.i's Tom· my Benolkin zip past before he got going again. O'Mara caught and passed Burnworth, only to have the favor returned on the following lap. Gibson got things rolling again and found a line by Benolkin just after the halfway mark. He then narrowed the gap on teammate O'Mara (who had engine problems all morning), taIr.ing over third at about the 50·minute point. Johnny O's luck was not with him this day as he faded back to an eventual eighth. Gibson closed rapidly on Burnworth late in the race and as they flew off the last jump on the coune, Gibson swung to the outside line down a left·hand bend. Two lappen plugged up Bum· worth's inside path (or a moment, but that was all Gibson needed to secure second. Ward came back to nip Benol-