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/126552
00 0') . Mike Bell (top left) flew to hi. third Au.....upercroaa win In .. many yea,.. Swede LeIf NlkIuaon (above IeftJ wee fourth. (Right. top to bottom) S1eve Gall. Danny 18Porte and BeIlin winne.... circle. Warren Reid extraet8 hi. bike during the final while Bell rid.. peat. 18Port8 flnl.hed a strong aecond. Bellon top in Down Under stadium MX Photos by Barry Marshall BRISBANE, AUSTR"ALIA. NOV. 7 Stadium motocross racing came of age in Australia when California Supercross ace Mike Bell won the third annual Stefan Superbowl of Motocross at the Lang Park Stadium in Brisbane. ·h d . ed b I n t h e fi lIDS ommat Y U.S. riders. Bell. riding an outof·the-crate Yamaha YZ250J production motocrosser took the . : VictOry ahead of Honda nval Danny LaPone with Australia champion L_ II ._StepllCII G a, a.... on Yama ha' ,ID _._..1 hi d Theevent provcu t0 b e the tr. high point of the bnef two-year history of stadium motocrolll in Australia. (Note: Stefan is Stef4n Hair Fashions, . a ch4in of JO luJirdressing salo1l.l _ largest in A.ustralia.) 10 It was the fint time that a major event had been held in a p~ football stadium; Lang Pad beiDg the home of Rugby League football in Australia. . The Brisbane Superbowl rac~ was a triumph for prom~ter Blair Shep.herd. who was re5pODSlble for the IDtroduction of the sport to Australia after I . . h Milt Good' . consu,ung WIt e WIn In Amenca nearly three years ago. FoBell' meant a t h i 'stralgh t r , It r d' .. A Ii h ' WIn ~n ~~a a, aVlDg won on two preVIOUS ~Its. Th~ Bnsbane race featured three ~~cans: Bell, L~Pone and Ka~asaki s Warren Reid.. All acqwt~ themselves well, taking out their respectiw: qualifying heats and then running up front in the final. It was a disappointing end for Reid, however. as he crashed during the 20 lap final while running founh and did not figure in the top '10 fmishers. Meanwhile Bell and LaPone showed an appreciative crowd what stadium racing was aU about as they set a fast and spectacular pace out in front. Both Bell and LaPone were well supponed by their respective factories while in Australia. Yamaha air freighted two of the new water'cOOled YZ250J production bikes to Australia ahead of their planned release date for use by Bell and Australian factory supponed rider Stephen Gall. The bikes only arrived on the Thursday before the race and after a brief running in period were taken to a first and third in the final. Similarly, Honda made sure their Trophee and Motocross des Nations star LaPone was well equipped by flying in their latest model water· cooled production 250. This interest by the two Japanese manufacturers, who lead the Australian sales market, indicates the interest been shown in the spon of stadium motocross in Australia which this year has drawn more live spectators than . any other form of motorcycling. Also entered were Swedish 250cc champion Leif NikiaIIOn (Hus) and countryman Jeff NiIIIon (Suz), IOn of former world champion Bill Niblon. (Apan from Gall, Australia's leading riders were on hand to measure their skill against the U.S. Pros. including Jeff Leisk (Hon), Roben Bailey (Suz), Peter Carney (Suz), Anthony Gunter (Kaw) and Darryl Willoughby (Yam). Gall again showed that be is Australia's finest motocrosser with a strong third in the final with Nikluson founh and Carney fifth. After making a lightning start, Bell led ew:ry lap of the final and. despite a mid race challenge from LaPorte, finished a comfonable winner by about 12 seconds. The continuing success of stadium motocross and the enthusiastic response to the American riders by local fans has promoter Blair Shepherd planning a series for October/November 1982 to coincide with the end of the American season. It is hoped that three major races will be held in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne with contracts for the series being offered to leading U.S. riders. Already Mike Bell has been signed for his founh year in Australia by Shepherd, who fIrst noticed the talent of the Lakewood, CA rider when he saw the dynamic finish staged by Bell and Mark Barnett at the 1979 L.A. Coliseum race. LaPone has abo been invited to return subject to his cammittmenu in Europe fate in 1982.•