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/126550
those 80 miles Harden passed Balentine and caught up to and passed Roesder, who was suffering from a headache and stomach cramps. "I thought Larry's bike was having problems - I couldn't believe I passed him," said Harden later. "But Larry was having cramps. Anyway, I got the bike to Brent in first place. At Santa Ines we went for a major overhaul on the bike: wheel, air filter and lower light, and Larry got back around us." With the two leading bikes runninll; together up front, the Harden/Wallingsford plan worked. Said Wallingsford later, "It made the difference." Roeseler checked into Santa Ines one minute ahead of Wallingsford, but after the run to Punta Blanca and the ride through the silt, both bikes were dead even with the Husky leading on elapsed time because of a two-minute start difference. Punta Prieta was the rider changeover for both tearns, with Ogilvie taking over for Roeseler and Harden taking the Husky. Yamaha mounted its lights while Team Husky put on a top light and managed to get out of the pits a few seconds ahead of the Yamaha to lead the way to EI Crucero. Meanwhile in Class 21, Kelly saw his 15-minute lead over the Pfeiffers evaporate into a 15-minute deficit between Santa Ines and Punta Prieta. "We put the lights on and immediately the bike wouldn't run," said Kelly. "We tried everything, jetting, the whole works, before we realized it was the ignition. A coil must have gone out 50 we had to replace it. Everything went downhill after that. " Scott Pfeiffer had troubles of his :>wo, seizing the bike before Sana Ines and slowing the pace to conserve the bike. Kent took over at Santa Ines and would ride to San Matais Pass, where Scott would take over to the finish. ]n Class 20, Ashcraft and Miller had taken an eight minute lead by Punta Prieta. They used the same move as Harden and Wallingsford, with a fresh Miller taking over for 80 miles and passing Goodwin. Their lead was further stretched to over an hour when Goodwin and Pfeiffer had light troubles. In Class 30, Switzer and Folks had a battle on their hands with the Demsey brothers' Honda, with the Husky only in front by a minute at Santa Ines. They stretched it to eight minutes at Punta Prieta as their trouble free ride continued. Early leader Kinney got lost on the way to Punta Blanca and lost an hour. Class 38 found the Bishop/Watkins/ Vick entry three hours ahead as their rider change plan tried to insure that one rider wouldn't have to go more than 160 miles a t a time. Back in front, Harden led Ogilvie to EI Crucero, but when they stopped there to change a rear wheel, Ogilvie got back in front and roared off towards Gonzaga Bay with Harden on his tail. It was now time for Ogilvie to run into trouble, and he came up with a flat tire only a few miles onto the relatively mlooth road that led out of EI Crucero. Still, he held Harden at bay all the way to Gonzaga as Harden was unable to make a pass in the blinding dust. Meanwhile, the Baker/Balentine Honda was running a steady third, 15 minutes behind the leaders as Baker left Punta Prieta. Into Gonzaga Bay, Ogilvie pitted to change the flat. That was all Harden needed to take over the lead and he headed on up the coast to San Felipe. "My top light didn't work the entire way," related Harden, "and I kept figuring my big advantage was that I had two lights and he (Ogilvie) only had one. I'm sure it would have worked if I put a new bulb in it, but once I got in front of Bruce I said, 'Oh man, ] can't stop. If he gets in front of (Continued to page 11) ...... ac 0') ...... M. . ~ •• rWe . . DuI"DP'" ' .......r tire .............. ~DUN.£OP p.o. E1a11109, BufflIIo, NY 1G4O 9