Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

,---,-;--------_. --------------------------------~--- (Clockwise from tap left) Marty Smith leads the second 500cc mota charge with Broc Glover and Marty Moates following. Smith's 2-3 day marked his best of the s..son. Glover. relays Info to Yamaha technicians. Rich Coon leads Rick Johnson and Donnie Cantaloupl In the first 126cc mota• Suzuki's Denny Bentley and Roost Fac. tory Suzuki rider Rick Maki. Bumwonh led the !luzz bombs off the second moto start with Ward, O'Mara and Holland in tow. O'Mara wasted little time in getting to the front, though, and it appeared that he was again headed to victory. Unfortunately, a sideache began bothering him, and after t~e halfway point, he began to ease up a bit. Johnson got a better start this time and was a clear second after some 10 minutes. "At first, I didn't think I could do it," said Johnson later, "but then I just started catching him and ... then I saw a lot of people cheering for-me, so I said, 'I gotta do it now,''' With 15 minutes left, Johnson slipped . past O'Mara in the hairpin, and as the laps wound down, his mechanic hung out a sign that read; "For Mom." O'Mara was content to settle for second which would still give him an overall win. "I knew I didn't really need to beat him that bad; I didn't want to push it." Burnworth got the better of Holland for third with about 10 minutes left while Honda's Rich Coon pulled a switch on Cantaloupi for fifth a short time later. O'Neal Distributing/Heisser Racing Suzuki rider Chris Heisser garnered seventh followed by LOP Suzuki-mounted Mike Brown, Gibson and Benolkin. Early front-runner Ward dropped to 12th at the checkers, reportedly due to pain caused by a pinched nerve in his back. 500cc National Mike Bell, Broc Glover and Marty Smith led the way to the first turn in the opening big bike moto, but Bell and Yamaha support rider Arlo Englund went down in the middle of the comer. That enabled Smith to grab the lead with Glover, Cyle Rider Supply KTM·mounted Joey Schlag and Honda's Danny LaPorte charging hard behind him. By the time they exited Rattlesnake Gulch, Glover had the lead, one he would keep easily for the duration of the race. LaPorte moved into second on the second time around and was riding extremely well also, but fate dealt him a cruel blow near 'the 20minute mark when his chain derailed at the bottom of the downhill. It took quite a while to get it back in place, and when he finally got going again, Glover was upon him, ready to put him a lap do~. The Honda pilot took a few laps to get his rhythm back and worked his way back up to 13th. Smith and Husqvama's Bill Grossi kept a battle going for second after LaPorte's setback with Grossi holding a tenuous margin over the works Suzuki until Smith zapped him with about 15 minutes to go. Bell overcame his first turn fall and despite a swollen, possibly broken finger on his clutch hand and a sore back caused when someone stuck a wheel in it when he was on the ground, he work· ed his way to fourth by the halfway point. The leaders were too far away at that time to catch, though. After a five-rider dice for fifth mid· • way through the race, Maico's Mickey Kessler emerged victorious. Rocket Rex Racing Suzuki rider Rex Staten, not involved ilnhe fight, came through for sixth followed by Pro Circuit Husky rider David Gerig and .Hi·Point Maico. mounted Eric McKenna. Husky's Gary Pustelak held sixth late in the race, but apparently destroyed the front wheel in doing so. He wobbled across' the line ninth trailed by Kawasaki's Goat Breker, whose bike suffered a badly faded shock, In the second moto, Smith made the practice starts he took payoff with the holeshot, Glover and Suzuki-mounted Marty Moates tucked in behind. Moates got Glover at the top of the uphill on the opening lap for second and then moved into the lead when he bounded by Smith coming down. Glover retaliated quickly with hjs jon Rosensteiel·tuned OW5l and grabbed the lead on the second circuit, not to be headed again. In fact, he lapped up to the top six finishers in the moto. "It felt really good, It was kind of neat 'cause Danny (LaPorte who claimed second before 10 minutes were up) kind of kept me honest, he really did. He was hanging in there for a while, hanging in there. For some reason, I knew those Honda guys really wanted to do good. He wanted to do good for self-satisfaction, but yet I wanted to do good too. So I kept driving, kept driving and towards the end, there were about 10 minutes left and I just put it on the best I could, and that's when I went from about 10 to 22,23 seconds," Smith finished a well ridden third while Bell, stiff and sore. successfully .fought off Moates for a solid fourth. Staten picked up another sixth while Pustelak picked off Kessler for seventh a few laps from the finish. Moto Meister Maico rider Scott Johnson brought it home ninth with Standard Crank Husky pilot Clark Jones 10th. • Results 125 NATIONAl: 1. John O'Mor- (Honl; 2. Riel< .JoIv-. (Yoml4-1; 3. Scoll B . . . - IVImI 3-3; 4. ~ Ho8ond 1Suz); 5. Jell W.d (Kwi) 2-12; 6. Dannie Con1aIoupi lVom) 6-6; 7. Jim Giboon IHonl 5-9; 8. Tom_in(~17-10;9.Chris_lSuzlI2-7; 10. Riel< Mild (Suz) 10-11; n. Gory Denton (Suz) 11-13; 12. Rich Coon (HonI'-6; 13. Milee Brown (Suz) '-8; 14. M _ Preolon 1Suz) 13-16; 15. Donny IIendey (Suz) 9-'; 16. OdIe lSuzll5-17; 17. Fr-* L.-np IVImI (Suz) 14-25; 19. Mork Mwphy '-14; 18. Devid _ 1V1mI'-15; 2O.llBnioI Tumor 1V1mI17-19. 500 NATIONAl: 1. Ikoc GIo.-lVomll-l; 2. Morty Smith (Suz) 2-3; 3. Milee Bel IVImI 4-4; 4. Donny LoPone (Honl 13-2; 5. Rex S _ lSuzl 6-6; 6. MieI

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