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 00 en ..... >.... eo ::J C eo ...., (/) S w Z ~ « crop) Kelly Johnson (4) j um ped out to a quick start ahead of Mark Weixeldorfer. only to have it short liv ed.IA bov e) The mud played an im p ortant part in t he race. number plates were very hard to read. but that didn't stop the 150 rider turnout. Three-whee/ers/ Odysseys transfer to Kingdome By Lance Bryson SEATrLE. WA, DEC . 6 Team Honda's Curtis Sparks and Dean Sundahl split the three-wheel class wins , while Hillside . Honda's Paul Breunig and Eddie Brown fla t put it to the Odysseys in the Northwest Challenge/ Kingdome qualifier at T hurston / Grays H arbor ORV Sports Park . There were 150 hard core racers that showed up to defy 6 j ust a hal ftim e show, but a full b lown race . Thurston/Grays Harbor O RV Sports Park has a surrounding area of 170 ac res, with nothing but beautiful fu r trees surrounding the one mile sandy track. Dou g "Coyote" Richa rds had all a ngles co vered while prepa ring everything for th is race and d esp ite the rain everything came off like cloc k the threatening skies and cold weather to produce the best ATV racing Seattle has ever seen. The Northwest Cha llenge was however. not just any race. but~ a race to qu a lify for the Kingdom Su percross National FebrtlMy"tlt-1 ~ Th~"Kihl:'liMtl'e' w ill not be- • wbi' .. . ••••••••• ••• • • • •• • •• Practice seemed to be the to ughest challenge of the day . with the amount of rain the track took in things got a little thick to say the least. Team Honda's crew came to realize that they did not have the right set u p and tire changes were in order. Balloons were the hot tip . Two qualifying heat s were ru n in each class in which the top 10 would qualify for the Kingdome. Tension was high; everyone wanted not only to go to the Kingdome, but everyone wanted a sho t at the California boys. The first main u p was the 126 ·20 0cc class . Sparks ju mped out first follo wed by local hotshoe Mickey Du nla p . Even though Sparks pulled out an eight bike lead at the halfway mark. Dunlap twisted his 185s to the lim it. Derek Dahl following in third and also Hond a mo unted. ha d his sigh ts set on Dunlap. Mark Chapoux and Denn is Dahl rounded out fourth and fifth . Dunlap seemed to make up some time over Sparks. but it was too late; Spa rks took first . Dunlap second. Derek Dahl third with Ma rk Champoux fourth . The 200 ·250cc class promised to be an ou t and out war. Three hot northern riders, Alan Todd. Rob Ohge arid Kelly J on ri'son •were' pitted agai nst Honda 's top th ree . Dean Sundahl. Mark " W ax" Weixeldorfer and Mike Chester. As the gate dropped it was Johnson jumping out first followed by Wax . O hge and Sundahl. By lap two Wax had taken the lead with Su ndahl in seco nd . Todd pulled into third wit h O hge fou rth a nd Johnson moving to fif th . Sundahl and Wax batt led back and forth . but it was Sundahl who set up Wax on a nice outside pass . Sundahl brought home top honors with Wax second. Todd third. Ohge fourth with J oh nson fift h. T he Stock Odyssey cla ss p roved to he a two broth er duel. Mike Hawkings and J im H awkings battled like a ny other two b rothers . Rona ld Scollard a nd Jim Huff, h owever . were right there in the hunt waiting for that moment when they could m ake their m ove. It never happened th ough. Mike too k th e win followed by J im Hawkings with Scolla rd and H uff roundi ng out the third and fourth spots. Hillside Honda 's Paul Breu n ig proved to be the overall winner in the Su per Stock Odyssey class . Timo thy Hyland and Sonny Ma rk seemed to be the fas t guys as th ey got out of th e ga te first. Breunig at first seemed to be ou t for a Sunda iliive \ ist 'til\{in'''liis rime