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/126595
.. ' N co en .... > "- co ::J c:: co ...., C/) ~ W Z > I- « Indoor racing proved to be a little different than outdoor dirt. (Top) Kirt lewis (811) seemed to have a handle on things as he led Rocky Erickson (1) through turn one. IAbove left) Pat Dresell80x) leads Erickerson (1) and Lewis (811). (Above right) Lewis. Erickson full wick. ,L' ewis bags two at St. Paul By John Rannikko Jr. ST. PAUL. MN . DEC . 5·6 Kirk Lewis of St. Paul , MN. , collected two firsts aboard a Twin City Honda /Suzuki spon sored and tuned ATC250 Honda at the two day , AMR/Schmidt Beer three-wheel Wildcat Sunday time tri a ls. Dresel was a ble to indoor races , in th e s.. Pau l Civic Center. After a recent Roiling Stones conce rt at th e Civic Center, t he floor was painted " 4 with a Co ca -Cola syru p to incr ease tract ion . t hr ee -wheeler s raced a be a nsha ped trac k with one righ t -han der on t he infi eld. The rest of the tr ack was a ll lefties with a sweeper stra igh ta way t hroug h the sta rt -finish a rea . Some int eresting m achi ner y a ppea red in th e three -wheel wars . with the Honda 250 be ing ' the choi ce of most. T ire selection s vari ed from stoc k 10 smooth golf cart tires . to . soft track tires 10 skin ny trailer tires with man y va riat ions on ax le len gths. Pa t Dr cscl rod e an exo tic ATC450 R. hand built fro m an ATC250 with a CR450 R powerplan t crad led betw een. th e rid er s kn ees. Dresel was a rocket off starts and in th e straighta ways. but m ay have had too much pow er in th e tight t urns . After posting a third on da y one, two motorm ount bolts sna pped. dropp ing ' the m otor ont o th e foot peg bolt a nd punch ing" a - hole -in- the cases d urin!t:.. borrow a ATC250 stoc ke r . swa p tires a nd ea rn a fourth on the sec ond d ay. Rocky Er ickson was last yea r's three wheel cha m pion and showed up thi s yea r on a very co m pe titive Rapid Mugen Spo rts Center sponso red ATC 360 with a solid rear str u t suspension . Rocky's Mugen had the right com bina tion of po wer. tires and suspe nsio n to win a ll his heat s a nd semis. but ca me sho rt Sa turday by a tir e len gth in th e fina l. Sun day he went wide in th e fina l turn of th .. mai n while in th e lead a nd bu mped wit h , anot her rider driving u nder him . putting him out of the to p five . Wi th over 20 rid ers en tered . th e progr am was run with two -q ua lifying heat s fro m which 10 men wou ld transfer from each heat to a semi . T he to p five riders from eac h sem i wou ld ride t he m ain event 10 give a field of 10 riders . During Sa turday's actio n in th e first semi . Lewis bl asted out of th e hole to gra b th e lead . The lead swa ppe d d uri ng t he race whe n lapped rid e rs slowed the' pace. -Dresel held the lead -- stock . Saturday's mai n winner . Lewis. took second after a poor start from the outside. Dick Cool holeshot the first-se mi and by sm a rt rid ing m ade it really, tough for anyone to pass . On the last lap . however . Erickson 'g ra b bed the lead on the right -hande r in th e infield and roll ed 10 a win a head of Cool. During the second -semi Lewis further learned how to ug h it is to pass from an outsid e starti ng posit ion off the line . Jimmy Whi te .holesho t the race a nd rod e it 10 a win. follow ed by G reg Moyer of Des Moines. Iowa and Kirk Lewis. The fin al ' event Sunday was ~ n exciter as .10 of the fastest threewhe ..lers ro a red from th e starti ng line with Lewis up front. followed by White and Erickson . Befor e a fu ll la p ' was com p leted. Erickson cop ped the lea d from Lewis . with W hite d ropping to t hi rd a head of Gregg Moyer a nd Pat Dr esel. In cid ent a lly. Dr esel was ba ck in - the race aft er ro ach ing his ATC· 450R' on a borrowed ATC250 . T he race co ntinued with Eric kson in t he lead. but the las t turn before the fini sh was th e killer as Er ickson d rifted th rou gh the tu rn with Lewis find ing a place 10 stuff his fro nt wheel. The rider s "burnped , Lewis took th e chec ke r . Er ickson dropped out of the race wit h Whi te . Gregg Moyer . Pa t Dresel a nd Dick Coo l takin g the chec ke red flag in a procession of Hon d as. T he ra ce isn 't over 'till you cross th e finis h line . however . Erickson .~TI· will be back for a not he r race. Results SAT URDA Y DEC. 5 THREE-WHEEL FINAL: 1. Kirk Lewis (Han); 2. Rockv Eri kson (Hen); 3. Pat Oresel (Hanl; 4. Dick Cool (Hont; c 5. Jeff KobliskaIHan). . SUN DA Y DEC. 6 THREE·WHEEl FINAL : 1. Kirk l ew is lHon l: 2. Jimmy White (Han); 3. Gregg M oyer (Hon); 4. Pat Oresef (Han); 5. Dick CoollHon ... t: . . . . ., . ~ ..... Cl