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/126543
- ... CAbove) New Honcle flIctory rider Curtis SpIIrks . . . . Tracey Dlc:kaon to the ftnIah In the G-2OOcc cIea.lBeIow) tum one action shows Steve Wright I....... Dlc:kaon (8) and Sparks (43). . . de SIIddIeINIck Sundahl/Spark$ go WFO Saddleback style By Lance Bryson ORANGE, CA, SEPT. 20 Honda-mounted Dean Sundahl not only went fast, but he flat left the enitre 250cc field to battle only for second place. The Baja de Saddleback race was not just another race, it was , 8 a test - a test witnessed by 3,000 spectators. "Today is a test not I just tobut to work out any scoring see how spectators would react, (Abova) Jack Bau powered hi. Trl-Moto to anong fourth place flnllh. IBelow) Mlc:haeI Chester. who picked up a IUpport ride with Hond8 this weekend. flnlahed third In the 2OO-2fiOcc c..... problems, 'cause they're a lot tougher. to score than can. We're·going to put on another show in November then put together a series for '82," added Rich Kimball of Periscope Productions. Today the ~-whee1en were a halftime special event which was not play time by any means to the riden. Honda posted a cash contingency of $575 awarding $200 for fint place, $150 second, $100 third, $75 founh and $50 for fifth place. Of coune you had to be on a 'Honda. Unlike the different car classes, the ATCs only h!ld two 0-200 and 200-250 divisions. Right from'the start Sundahl jumped out and from turn number one never looked back. Sundahl's Mark Dooley-tuned Honda was a r.ocketship. Honda's other factory rider, Mark "Wax" Weixeldorfer, who finished second, commented, "Dean was really looking up. 1 was down a little on honepower. The track was pretty neat, not enough rough stuff though. Dean has the smooth stuff wired. I'm more of a rough stuff rider but it was a neat race." The 0-200cc class saw ~-B Lightning's Steve Wright (Yamaha) jump out flnt followed by Tracy Dickson on his Dickson Design Yamaha YTl25 watercooled motocrOllll engine. Dickson stuck to Wright-like flies on stink while new Honda team member Cunis Sparks, aboard his Nickleson Honda, worked his way from fJfth to third. Sparks seemed to just be happy with third until the halfway point. By that . time Dickson got by Wright to take the lead. Sparks then put the honepower to the ground and went by Wright a few laps later passed Dickson on to the checkered. "Everything seemed to be going good until 1 hit some of the rough stuff and caught my gas tank in the groin area, that right there took a lot out of me," Wright commented. Sparks, on . the other hand, replied, "I came out this moming and didn't have any practice. 1 didn't even know where to go so 1F.st followed until 1 found my lines. 1 didn't feel 1 had as much horsepower