Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Terry Cunningham took his second streight Netlonel win. Netlonel champ Dick Burleson wes second, two points beck. John Mertin wes third, losing second bye tiebreeker. Drew Smith end John Morgen chlInge fork 011. Smith pieced fourth. Husky's Mike Melton wes sixth overell, first A rider. Rendy Mertin steyed upright over the bridge for seventh. A.A National Champ.lonshlp. Enduro SerIes: Round B Greylock National falls to Cunningham By Boyd Reynolds MIDDLEFIELD. MA. AUG. 25 Husqvarna's Terry Cunningham collected the overall win in the Greylock Riders 125 Mile National Championship Enduro, the eighth round of the 12 event AMA National Cham- pionship Enduro Series. It was the second straight National win . d ed f~r ~unrnngh~m ~n mov . hun Into a solid third place In the point standings. . Seven-time National Champion Dick Burleson followed his Husqvama teammate by a scant two poinu at ten poinu 1051 and collected the AA class win for his dIom. Burleson, heading for his eighth consecutive title, now holda a 192-175 poinu lead over Mite Melton. Melton also rides for Hus· 22 qvama. Third overall went to Can-Am's John Maron who appears to have fully reeov~ from th~ in~ries that have kept him on the SIdelines for a good pan of the season: Burleson and Manin both 1051 ten poinu. but Burleson was on top at the tie-breaker check. "I guess I just got unpluF in that tough 18 mile .section." said Cunniagham explaining how he managed to lose only three poinu there while others averaged a six to eight point loss. The event was won in that powerline section. "I went as fast as I wanted to go," said Burleson. "I got into a handatand in one section." Burleson said he has .changed his long range attitude toward the sport. "This year I'm out to win the championship instead of indio vidual races." Burleson has· won two Nationals this year and has fo~r second overall finishes plus a founh and a seventh. Drew Smith led a four rider tie at 12 poinu lost between himself. Kevin LaVoie, Mike Melton and Randy Manin. Smith only recently Staned back riding. He had been plagued with problems stemming from a broken hand over a year ago. It was rebroken twice and finally healed after a bone graft. "I'm all right," said Smith. "The hand feels real good. " At the mid·run gas stop Suzuki team manager John Morgan assisted Smith with a change of fork oil. "The bike was trying to wheelie all morning and I had to get the front wheel on the ground so I could gain some control." Kevin LaVoie followed in fifth and then did a disappearing act. Riding late in the entry he just pounded the trail to death on his big bore KTM in his usual bulldog style to finish just ahead of Mike Melton. Melton had a flat rear tire on the 18 mile trail section losing precious poinu, but did a quick change at the gas stop to dazzle the spectators . Rounding out the 12 point tie was Suzuki mounted Randy Manin followed by Mark Hyde with U, Bill Berroth at 15 plus jack Penton aDd John Fern at 16. It was the Chesire power line Ie<:tion. a rigorous up and downhill rocky two track with a 27 mph speed average -- about half of a continual 17 mile off road section·· that gained the majority of the poinu 1051 for the entire entry. Trail Boss Al Eames then gave the riders a road break with some forest sections reminiscent of the 1975 ISDT. It was then up onto Deerfield hill and back to the rigors of a rocky powerline into Plainfield. At every run there is always someone who adds a few chuckles. jovial Wolfgang Kruse wheeled into the midrun gas stop covered from head to toe with oozing black mud. "I was crossing a plank bridge." said Kruse. "and I put my foot out and there was nothing there. I fell in the creek... Super Senior riders Bud Peck and Piet Boonstra rode about 1.000 miles .of trail up through New Hampshire on their way to the endllro arriving midday Saturday at Middlefield ready to compete and then were to ride another thousand miles of trail up through Vermont on the way back home. Piet took a tumble in the first 20 miles and cracked a rib. of which he was not aware. He then hit a rock on the Chesire powerline and broke his foot. continued the section out to the road. rode to the hospital and then rode the 20 miles back to Middlefield with a ~ast on his. right foot. Relaxing with a beer Pier said. "I think I've done enough riding for today. Anybody want to volunteer to fmish the trip home with Bud?" Donald Lawson beat Peck out for the Super Senior win and john Cooper added another Senior win to his collection. Kathy Cambell also did it again, this time 56 poinu ahead of the next girl competitor. Cambell rode on a 125cc Suzuki and felt she could have done better with a little more horsepower. Glen Scherer was the High Point B winner with a 20 point loss.. a score that gave him 18th overall. Although C riders do not place in AMA overall standing. High·Point C champion Kip Maxwell 1051 only 17 points which would have placed him about 12th. The C riders, girls and Seniors finished the run at about the 100 mile point while the A and B riders went on to ride an additional 52 miles into the October Mountain area. The famous swamp of last year that drowned out one third of the entry was a mere trickle with a nice plank bridge. If the predicted Saturday rain had come the situation would have changed for the entire run as conditions were very dry. Except for the two powerlines the dry conditions made this a fairly easy and high speed type of contest. It was a sunny, warm day and alm051 the entire 180 entries ftnished the run. Scoring was done by Wes McKinney and a crew from the East Coast Enduro Association. Initial scores were posted around 5 p.m. The only major problem was with the 15th check and it was eliminated due to a key time error. This had little dIect on the rider positions. • Results 0\IEIlALL: TIITY c...•• CHuII B; 2. DIck e..- lHuoI1.10; 3. Jahn _ p" (CoAl 10; 4. llNw SrMh CSuzI 12; 5. K8vin UlVaie CKTMI 12; .. _ _ tHuoI 12; 7. "*'dy _ CSuzI 12; 8. Mortc Hyde _ 13; II. IIlI IIemllh IlCTMI 15; 10. .leek P-.-.ae-tle. HIGH POWT "" _ _ CHu11I2. HIGH POWT B: Glon Sc:hoNr 20. HIGH POINT C: KIp _ 1 7 . 125cx: "" 1. Don Slo*"" 14&1: 2. Dan KiollpMridc _ 3. Gardan ..... 1781. 200cc "" 1. Tim Ilocho 121 ~ 2. Roger - . . . l32l: 3. _ "'-oC3lll: 4. Bob 0...1431. 250cc "" 1. IIlIIIemllh "&I: 2. Jorty RondoII "91: 3. P. ~ l2Ol; 4. Tom MoIoMy l2Ol: 5. B11111y1h 1221. 0PEN""1. _ _ "91:2. Todd_l2Ol:3. CIrl _ 1221: 4. DonnIo !MIa> 1251: 5. "'" Rlogout l2lIl. 12licc B: 1......1 G - . I t54l; 2. Gory MIdIIlIc tll41: 3. Jorty SIc-. (117). 200cc B: 1. M _ MMiguM l34l; 2.1CM ,........ '" l42I: 3. Rick _l48l. 250cc B: 1. S1Ky I3&!; 2. KiiIh ~ l37I: 3. Mn ......... I3II. OPEN B: 1. Ed Sdonidt 1251: 2...... llurfIngome 1271: 1 _ _ l33l. . 121cc C: _ Couture t54l. 200cc C: 1. Dow ~ 1271: 2. PhI CGIIno l34l: 3. flick ~ 1311. 250cc C: 1. K8vin F'

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