Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

9NiiiiititoiiEUNE--.. . . . . . . ~ .... . Burgess, Word wallop Grants Pass 5 T 00 c:n ByCleyUght .... GRANTS PASS, OR, NOV. 28 The victors of the day at the Grants Pass indoor short track series were Lance .Burgess (Suz) in 125cc racing and Frank Word (Yam/RatB Racin~ in bpth highly competitive 200 and 250cc mains. Expert flat tracker Jeff Campbell (Yam) took the Pro Money main. Burgess also took a money main, but this was in the youth division._ In the Money main, Campbell shot out front and led the field over Brett Howard (Hon), Kirk Howard (Yam) and local ace Word who rode in five events. Campbell topped the pack for the lion's share of the loot; Howard was a stunning second. In the Youth Money division, it was Bu~ (who, by the way, is a very talented motocTOSler in the nonhern California and southern Oregon areas) who took the scratch and blitzed away over Robert Horban (Yam), Ted Perrerrd (Suz) and Suzuki-mounted Scott Annis. The young Suzuki pilot demolished his Youth Money mates to talte the main. Horban held Perrerrd off for lIeCOnd loot. In 125cc action, Burgess was back and banzaied to the head of the pack with Word and Horban, who rode three classes, swapping spots as if going at it for the lead. The 'two were at it fiercely trying to close the gap on "long gone Lance." Burges held his own for the win, Horban was second, and Word took third place brass. Put Word on his trusty Yamaha, Jeff Campbell also on a Yamaha and National motocrosser Larry Hooper (Maico Nonhwest) on the 250cc upert main line, and the spectators got just whJt they paid for; actionl Word was wicUd and walked away with this race, but only after holding off Campbell and Hooper the entire heat. To top that off, Word was back in action for the 200cc main .. putting the motor on the pack to add another victory to his impressive string of wins over rivalllo~ Horban (Yam). Results Ill: 1. Jimmy Row O'oml; 2. J.P. s _ (Yom); 3. Konny CtIig fSuZI. 80 JR: 1. J.P. Simor-. O'om}; 2. Jimmy Row 0'..... 80 EX: 1. W_ ffampton lSuzl; 2. Andy Oi,IOn IV". 1. _ _ (Y8fTII; 2. WoyfWJ ffomp_ 100: lSuzl; 3. ~ T_lSuzl. 125: 1. UDc:e~lSuzl;2. "'-* Word O'llITl); 3. ~_l\'emI. 2110: 1_~ _ 2l5O EX: 1. _ O'arnI; 2. Robert Horban IYaml. Word 0'....; 2. J"" Campbell IV~u.y",-I_. OPEN: 1. _ _ IHanI; 2. Kiri< Howard (VllITll: 3...-WordlY..... YOUTH DIY. MONEY MAIN: 1. lonce a..-lSuzl; 2. _ Holben 0'....;3. Ted PwTerrd lSuzl. PRO MONEY _ \,. Jell t.mpbeII O'om); 2. Brett _CHanl;3.Kirtl_O'..... DlUonbags Bagdad 100 By Steve Hammer m, NOV. 22 Ron Dillon. riding his Dillon Cycle/Hi-Point Racing-sp<>nsored YZ493. swept to his fifth straight overall win of the 1981 MURPHY, 16 Idaho desert season "lit the Bagdad 100. Rider turnout was better than expected, . - onlY'because this was the last SIDRA point event of 1981, but also beca~ the desert was cool, wet a~d sticky, the result of sev~ral recent ramstorms. Out-of-Itate nders were plentiful with noted 'Washington hotshcies Rob Relaford and Kevin Bise signed up as well as Oregon Husky rider Bill Dowers. After a shon riders meeting, the racers rolled up to the line to prepare for a rather interesting stan. When the banner dropped, riden jumped off a road and zoomed Itraight up a very steep loo-"foot hill_ This arrangement worked just fine for Open class bikes, but some of the 125s were floundering badly. Howard Picken (250 Hon) was leading at the smokebomh, and he looked outrageously fast. Clint Stephens (465 Yam) and Sheldon . h b hi d Dillon (4!0 Hus ) were ng t e n , locked in monal combat. Also running very high were Bise (250 Hus) and Cun Harpham (4!0 Hus). Ron Dillon . meanwhile, was charging through the pack, victim of a bad stan. . Pickett has really -been on the gas lately, and he proved it again by gradually pulling away from the rest of the pack. Unfonunately, just as he had built up'a good lead, Pickett lost the course for a few minutes, throwing him out of the lead. About 15 miles out, Ron Dillon bunt out of the pack and caught sight of the leading duo of Clint Stephens and Sheldon Dillon (no relation). Ron charged past and built up a small lead. Meanwhile, Pickett was moving up again, and soon he passed his way flack into second. At the end of the tint !!-tnile loop, the order was Ron Dillon, Pickett, StMlhens and Sheldon -r Dillon, with only seconds separating them. Only minutes later, the fint Novices appeared with Terry Bennett (4!0 Hus) and John Holland (250 Hus) leading their respective classes. Rocks and flat tires were the order of the day, and Sheldon Dillon was the fint to fall victim to this dreaded malady and drop out on the second lap. Thil put up-and-coming rider Ron Nash (490 Maico) and MXer Cun Harpham up a notch_ Sam Hutchinson (200 Hon) was fighting John Thompson (175 Yam) for the top 200cc spot when he struck a rock and vaulted over the bars. The resulting crash severed his left hand ring finger at the fint joint, but to .the horror of his pit crew, he insisted on continuing! He finished second 200 with a bloodsoaked glove! The course, although damp, was horrendously whooped out; and a very tired, beat up Ron Dillon coasted into the finish in first. Pickett struggled in second, figliting a flat tire for the last 20 miles. The fint out-of-state rider was Washington's Bise in third, and consistently improving Randy Conner (125 Yam) finished 12th overall,. first 125 in a fme ride. Terry Bennett hung on to win the .Open Novice division as did John Holland in the 250cc Novice division. Results OVERAlL: 1. Ron Dillon l493 Voml; 2. _ PIcken l2SO. Hon!; 3. K..... Illoe I2!iO" HUll; 4. Curt HIIllh8m 1430 HUll; 5. Ron - . l490 Mall; 6. Bill Dowers 1430 HuIl;.7. Clint Slephono t465 Vlml; 8. Rob ReIaford 1465 Yom); 9. Eric. HIrpl\Im 1485 V"""; 10. Torry Bonnett 1430_. MINI: 1. TIOY lMl_ a<-l. 125: 1. Rendv c:onn. 0'....: 2. Ilrad A..-., lSuzl. 200: 1. John ThomIllOl1I175 Voml; 2. Sam Hutchi... IOn l200 Hon).' lIP: 1. IliCII Lee l200 Hon!. 2l5O N(N: 1. John _ I2l5O Hull; 2. A.J. K _ l250 Hull; 3. "'-* PIIft l250 V..... 2l5O ElC I. _ _ l25O Hon!; 2. K"';" Bioe l250 Hull; 3. Larry ~ l250 Voml. OPEN N(N: 1. Torry eenr- 1430 HUll; 2 . . IIurch l3IlO Hull. OPEN EX: 1. Ron DiIan 1483 V....; 2. Curl Herp/IIm 1430 Hull; 3. Ron _1480 M8II. SA; 1. 0... .MIt l4liO HanI; 2. DerTellIAnkford l400 SuzI. VET: 1. Roy _l3IlO Hull. _CoIb'~~ ea---L. Marathon I I~II'IW to Mathers By Bill Cather LIVERMORE, CA, NOV. 29 Nearly 75 curious racers turned out for the lightly advertised Carnegie Marathon at Carnegie SVRA. This was the first race of many to be held this winter at Carnegie by CR Race Promotions. The action was fast and furious for the entire two-hour race as leaders bandied back and fonh almost throughout. Kipp Classen appeared to be the home town favorite as he piloted his 250 Suzuki around the course. The two teams of Dan Breuner/ Shawn Scarlett and Peter Bierwith/Kent Classen were·a constant threat, occasionally talting the lead. The fint pan of the second hour, Maico·mounted Richard Mathen made his move to establish a near four-way tie for fint. With less than 25 minutes remaining. leader Classen was forced to surrender his lead when his rear tire wtmt flat. Two laps later, it looked as if Bierwith/Cla!IfeD was beaded for gold when suddenly the Fox Air Shox on Bierwith's 490 Maico blew a seal and forced them to retire prematurely. In the end, it was Mathen followed closely by Breuner/Scarlett. A couple of laps down from the leaders was the same kind of close racing. Solo efforts by Phillip Rile, Scott Sinclair and Fred Bellman earned them third, founh and fifth, respectively. Results MN: 1. Scoa: T. . . . 0'''''; 2. S_DeIpoooIl'ucl. 250: 1. Owis M _ Cooley CHanI; 2. Ctoig _IHanI. OPEN: 1. Rlchord MslhorIIMat, 2. o.n _ _I _ScateltIMat, 3. Philip RIleIV-.nl. VET: I. MIkeWrigh1O'am}. Maahs masters TlmberMtn. One-Day By De.lbert Longbrake JACKSONVILLE, OR, NOV. 15 Despite getting Ipst a few times and having to ride through a driving rain storm over sloppy, slick trails. Ken Maahs was able to take the overall win at the Timber Mountain One-Day. Maahs was one of five riders to zero the rain·shonened course, and by putting in two fast and consistent special test runs, he was able to beat out second-place finisher Mike Ritchie by 15 points. The storm that crashed through the Nonhwest will long be remembered, and has already been named "the Friday the l!th storm" (for the day it arrivied). Wind gusts up to 65 mph were registered in the Rogue Valley, the site of the Timber Mountain OneDay. The rain and wind continued through the weekend, and the 52 Oregon, Washington, California and Nevada riden who entered the event headed out on the 8!-mile course Sunclay morning in a torrential downpour. Only 15 riden would see the last check marked down on their time cards. Fifty pereen~ of the riders would be out by the founh check at about 50 tniles, with 72% of the total riden oUt of the race by check six, 60 miles into thecoune. The riden were siven I! miles of nice gnmite trails to get everything sorted out before the fint special test. The lpecial test consisted of four laps around a half-mile course which circled the origiDa1 starting area, a large open prairie. Redmood. OR 250cc A rider Dale Demaris secured the fast first special test, scoring 287 poin Second fastest time was posted by Holly, another 250cc A rider, with 2 points. Maahs was third fastest wi 297 points. The fastest B rime was in by Open B rider Mike Jenkins wi !1! . . ~ion which claimed the m riders was between checks three a four. Thirty-nine riders would through check three, the gas c but only 26 would make it to c four on time. This section contained long, greasy uphill known "Thumper HIli," and once past tha the riden were faced with a deep aha uphill. At the top of that uphill w . two are wet logs. If the rider made all that, he w treated to a long, rock strewn, brus downhill known as the "Knucltlesna per," so named for its reputation doing just that. Another section call the "Car Wash" consisted of a sho piece of trail which is overgrown wit small fir trees. Fir tree branches ho much water, thus the name. The hardest section on the c was from check four to five; how most riders never got to try it. T section went up the slickest up known to man, along a heavily woeldelt steep mountai.wde where riders ha only six inches of trail to navigate across a steep bald mountainsi which had no trail tread at all, a where a glance towards the bott produced nothing but air. This is where the trail passed between a of large fir trees which absolutely DOt wide enough for the IDlldem cycle handlebar! Deep scars on trees and assorted motorcycle parts 0 the ground attested to this. The last thing the riden had to was get around the second lpecial t the same course used for the fi special test. This time around, Open rider Brad Turnidge turned in fastest time with 297 points whi helped him place fourth overall a third Open A. Dale Warmuth a Maahs tied for second fastest time wi !05 points. Placing third overall and first 25 A was Pete Dubaldi who was one of five riders to zero the course. Dubal would 'have beaten out Mike Rite for second overall by one point had Husky not balked on the start. cost Pete 10 precious points. Fifth overall and the only 125 fmish was 125cc A KTM rider Da Riant. Dave accomplished all despite the fact he had liit a which hung over a road, at 40 or mph. The impact separated Da from his machine quite handily, a also broke his handlebars. Unbelievab Dave remounted and finished, losi no points on the course. The tough luck award went to 0 B rider William Byran. William w the first rider out on the course a the last rider to leave for home. On mountainside mentioned earlie where the trail measured six inc William and his trusty !90 Husky we over the edge. He and his scoot travel an honest quaner of a mile befo coming to rest in a pile of downed I While most everyone else was well their way home, nine people we floundering around in the woods pul ing the Husky out of the canyon in t dark. Results It.-. _1HusI; 2. _ _ I OPEN A: 1. 3 . _ Tumidgo tKTMI. OPEN B: 1. Clort K....., 0'....; 2. Gonld . lYarnI; 3. Tam _ _ 0'..... 2l5O A: 1. " - DuboIdIIHuII; 2. D8Ie Donwa 211I A: I. CM1eo S~ CSuzl; 2. " - IV..... 211I1: 1. Curl u..rudt 0'..... 1211 A: 1. 0... RIonr tKTMI.

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