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/126551
four divisions were crashing on their
first lap, three and four riders piling
up at a time, taking out haybales and
yards of streamers wherever they want.
No one was safe. They were on the
pipe and going for itl
When the 20 finalisu gathered on
the grid for their final fling, apart
from the mayhem that took place on
their first lap with a gaggle of Intermediates piling up on the track, some
serious racing took priority and
impressive lap times of 54. I seconds
were logged.
Richie Dobbs led the group out of
chaos and into the race. With Taylor
MarceU and Bill Thiebert breathing
down his jersey, the action was intense.
Tracy Meeks, riding for the Kawasaki
Motor Corporation, turned his mean,
green machine loose and was soon
established in third. With the top
three inches apan, a classic 1-2-5,
combination took form. On the white
flag lap Meeks was within inches from
taking away the lead when he hit a
haybale and found himself forced to
settle for second place gold. Marcell
wheeled .his bike into the winner's
circle and Thiebert, who fought so
hard to take Dobbs, captured third
place honors.
CTopl SHIy UI.. take. to the elr on his 250 K_ _ki enroute to top 250cc
Pro.IAbovel Curt McCuistion styled his wey to 125cc Pro cl... win.
Liles, McCuistion
best CRC Amateur
Supercross
By Lee Taylor
SAN DIEGO, CA, NOV. IS
Billy Liles of Fairbur, GA, riding under Kawasaki's colors, found himself catapulted to Super-
cross stardom at the California Racing Club's
second annual San Diego Amateur Supercross
race.
Liles showed the Californians
Georgia style motocross by
sweeping the field in the 250cc
Pro class for a grandslam win.
10
Throughout two grueling motos,
Liles had his work cut out for him. For
starters, he had teammate Cun
McCuistion to fight off. In the first
round, McCuistion had problems out
of the gate and was down half a lap on
the start, but by the end of the first lap
McCuistion was smokingl He inched
his way into the lead but by the end
was forced back to third with Liles and
Scott Manning (Yam) in first and
second, respectively.
When the machines blasted out of
the gate for their second encounter, it
was Lilea, comandeering the race and
holding McCuistion back in second,
Troy Lee was running third and
holding back Yamaha racer Troy
Manning and Scott Johnson.
By the end of the night, Liles took
the winner's share back to Georgia,
McCuistion scooped up second place
loot and third place gold went to Troy
Manning.
Apparently no one told the
amateurs that they were expected to
ride a little slower and approach the
Toyota Tornados and Dirt Bike Alley
with moce caution than the National
racers did Saturday night. As a result,
some stanling lap times were logged
and fans throughout the Stadium were
in a constant state of frenzy.
Take for example, the l25cc Inter·
mediates. In their qualifying heau aU
This year's race was international as
well as national in flavor and scope
and the 125cc Beginner race was no
exception. With Fernando Cintora of
Tecate, Mexico, motocI'OlS's answer to
Valenzuela, the spectators developed a
case of "Fernando Fever" aU over
again. Cintora was magnificentl In the
final he had George Bustos of Yuma,
AZ in his sighu and chased Bustos out
of the starting gate and through the
DG Superberm, over the Honda
Himalayas and over Mad Jack's
Hurdles. Cintora was tireless in his
pursuit, within inches of command
and all the while, fighting off Larry
Fife, Todd Stubblefield and Dale
Borcherding.
When the checkered flag waved the
warriors home, Bustos held onto the
victory position, Cintora took second
place gold home to Mexico and Fife
emerged in third.
Smaller in stature but every bit as
guuy as their big brothers the aocc
Intermediates took on the stadium
track in one of the smoothest, most
controlled races of the day.
When the mini warriors met on the
grid for their fmal it was Richard
Fleming leading the way with heavy
anillery coming at him from Mike
Gilmartin, Kenny Clifton and Jeff
Barbacovi. Throughout the race,
positions were tossed back and fonh
like a hot spark plug until the finish
line loomed into sight. Fleming went
down and DNF as Kyle Lewis, riding a
Kawasaki for SuperSee,' inched into
the lead. Gilmartin maintained
second, Bader Manneh took over third
and Barbacovi, gingerly edging
around downed riders, emerged with
fourth place honors.
Cun McCuistion piloted his cool,
green Kawasaki out in front for the
stan of the 125cc Pro contest and ran
a smooth and seemingly effonless
race, with average lap times of 51.1
seconds, for a wire to wire win. With
Micky Dymond, Yamaha·mounted
out of Orange County Cycle and
Suzuki racer Scott Meyer, running
second
and
third
respectively,
McCuistion simply left them to hold
back the rest of the field. Yamaha
rider Ron Lechien had an unholy duel
on his hands with Jeff Stanford, finally
breaking away and zooming into
second. When the first moto wound to
a close, McCuistion led across the line,
followed . by Lechien and Meyer
running second and third.
Their second encounter was more
radical than the first. With a flock of
riders crashing on the straijthtaway the
race was black flagged. On the restan,
McCuistion was in trouble out of the
gate and had to fight his way up to
second. Billy Liles was there and lost
no time in turning his Kawasaki loose
and out in front. A classic duel
berween teammates went down for the
moto win with
Liles holding
command. McCuistion fought off
Lechien down to the end. along with
Tibbs McCullough and Tony Gomez,
running founh and fifth respectively.
When the checkered flag waved them
home, McCuistion took home the pot
of gold, Lechien, with a 2-3 ride,
gathered second place monies and
third overall honors went to Mike
Tripes with a 6-6 ride.
When the Open Pros blasted out of
the gate for their first round, Micky
Dymond, at the helm of a Yamaha for
Orange' County Cycle, led the charge
from wire to wire. But with Don
G,riewe and Bob Schulz hot on his tail,
Dymond had his hands full. Griewe
held onto second, holding off Schulz.
When the machines came to life for
their second moto, Dymond once more
was out in front. With Schulz in
second the pressure was intense.
Griewe was knocking on Schulz's back
door and slipped on through. For
Dymond, the second round spelled
trouble. He kept glancing over his
shoulder, down at his bike and found
himself losing power and bit by bit,
being shoved back in the pack. When
the finish line came into sight, Griewe
took home the winner's share of the
pot, Schulz scooped up second place
gold and third place loot went to
Roben Noland for a 5·5 ride.
Along with the victories and near·
victories of racing go hum and disappointmenu. The Open Intermediates experienced a crash that
ended in injuries for Bob White, a
home town boy riding for Lemon
Grove Suzuki.
What makes this' one accident
especially notewonhy is the incredible
work of the rescue crew in helping
Bbb. The University of California at
San Diego Medical Center was alened
and iu Life Flight Helicopter landed
in the stadium to transpon Bob to the
hospital, a 50 second flight away. A
doeror and staff attended to Bob's
neck injuries with· all the care and
precision one would expect from the
finest hospital. A special thank you to
those 'who were there and took the
time to give Bob the care he needed. •
Results
JR evc NOV: 1. Tommy C - . (Vernl; 2. Eric
Litzenbora lVomI; 3. Lenny Grioyett IVomI.
JR CYC M: 1. 51-. Hunt lVomI; 2. Alvin
~ lVomI; 3. Mett _
lV.",l.
JR evc EX: 1. Kyle l8wII l~; :z. Shelln K8101
ISud; 3. 51-. T _ lVomI.
80 BEG: 1. Miguel _
lVomI; 2. Go