Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

.~ NORTiiERNiTEiiNE·.. in..,n-'.. ~ By sally Sideliner 00 BRENTWOOD, CA,JAN . 10 CN 0') ~ Johnson •ams at - SHR MX For those who 'cou ld n 't make the Golden ' State series, Sand Hill Ranch prepared another "awesome" race track with new jumps and turns. In the exciting 125cc Ex~ert ra~e, Chuck Beck 's KTM led WIth MIke Johnson (perenni~1 maratho? wim;,er) in tow and Ed Minton runmng thud. Halfway, the . leaders remain~d the same, with Steve Arena movmg on Minton. Minton faltered on horseshoe turn letting Arena grab third. johnson's KTM pressured Beck on top of the hill and Beck went down for a DNF. Johnson then found himself pressured by Minton --:ho seemed to be riding his exhaust ptpe every turn . "Steady Eddie" kept the pressu~e on, trying to pass at every turn ~nd Jum~, but Johnson paid no attention to hIS bobbing and weaving and held the gas on for a first moto win. Johnson led t~e .second moto with Minton's Suzuki m second. Breit Cahors manuevered 10 third with Jimmy Olson in fourth. By lap seven , Minton was closing on Johnson . Cahors pulled off the track . and Olson moved to third, now being pushed by Hawkins. Minton tried to pass off th e jump and practically landed on Johnson who scrambled away. Eddie tried again in the last turn , but through the checkers. Mike was first. The Open Expert class was holeshot by Jerry Brandt with Alex Jorgensen and Matt Arena next down the hill . Jon Nauman on his dad's Hond~ was close by with Vernon Forsyt~ trymg to get his position. Jorge~n tried t.o pass immediately on the uphill but WIth no luck . Gary Raab, riding with a taP7d fool. settled in midpack . Forsyth hit the ground hard with a possible collarbone injury. and Brandt dropped 10 fourth as Jorgensen took the lead. Jorgensen found Arena's Maico on his tail and Nauman 's Honda close behind before Jon DNF with no spokes in his front wheel! This put Brandt back in third , and he passed Arena instantly. The' halfway saw J?rgensen in first' and Brandt back to hIS second place. Jerry tried to stuff Alex in Chicken Coop corner where they connected with Brandt going down . He was quickly up and in fourth position. Arena led rnoto two with Brandt in third and Jorgensen in fourth. .A missed shift by Arena let Brandt shp by for the lead with Nauman following. Wayne Archer (Berkeley Yam) got a third place position as Arena pulled off along with Jorgensen . The final positions were Brandt, Archer and Bob Stevens. • Results 125 EX: t o Mike Johnson: 2. Ed Minton: 3. O. Hawkins. 250 EX: 1. C Askland; 2. D. Clark; 3. J. Brandl. . OPEN EX: 1. Jerry Brandt. 125 JR: t . F. Sweany; 2. T. Mitchell. Silhanek and Preston set pace atSHRMX By The Ranchhands BRENTWOOD , CA,JAN . 3 38 The sky was overcast and the ~ir so cold that hands froze on grips h~Utah-_knCa...._No_ k as the first race of the day too off at the Sand Hill Ranch motocross . Vet Intermediate .rider Mike Mengsini held off the drive of Steve Bevilacqua for the win . Terry Sage and Russ Powell dueled it out in the . Vet Expert division with Sage takmg the overall . Jim Santone came down ~rom Santa Rosa with his full racmg crew. Santone, the number one Old Timer from the north, showed all the 0 Id Timers wh¥ he is number one with a ~1 win . McClinton was back agam showing a 4-2 for second overall. With the Continental Motor-sport Club putti~g a new cash point fund together for all CMC Experts, the 125s came out in force . Mike Preston took an early lead, and Allen Silhanek had to play catch up. Allen had to come from fourth place to catch Preston with Danny Dob bins , on the comeback trail , running third. The second .moto had to be restarted as Dobbins got his leg caught in the chain of another rider . (The chain had 10 be broken , saving Danny's leg .) Again, Preston grabbed the lead with the battle for second hot and heavy . Silhanek tried hard to catch the leaders , but Chris Ladd stopped Allen for the second rnoto. . The Minibike cla ss keeps growmg every week , and the competition gets tougher . Jerry Boy had his han~ full as T . Cox and Scott Ston e kept him on the throttle 10 take th e first moto , Scott held it on for th e win in th e second, but Jerry's Kaw asaki took the first overall . The Powder Puffs hav e really been adding attraction to SHR la tely and putting on a good show too. The winner, Debbie Jamerson , took bot~ motes for the win wit h seco n d to jeri Marquardt. The 250cc Experts wer e out m force , also. While some of the 250s were at the Golden State Series , a lot of the fast local boys stayed 10 duel among themsel~es. Allen Silhanek , who did a good job in the 125cc class , shines on the 250. Shawn McConn, the number one CMC rider from the north, grabbed the lead in the first moto but in vain since the race was red -flagged. Someone had jumped. the starting gate, but McConn came nght back for another holeshor . It looked like he would take the win , but a crash slowed him down some. So Silhanek took the lead with Doug McRae , riding for Karl's Yamaha of Richmond , trying to catch Allen. Doug had trouble around the corner before the score board as he almost lost it every lap. The final moro saw Allen grab the lead knowing he could do it twice which he did. The Open expert class was holeshoted artist Bob Shafer take an early lead, but then came the kid from Yuba City, Dave Coupe and his Maico, to pass Bob and take the first rnoto . The second rnoto, Shafer again grabbed the lead only to lose it by falling . Cou.pe took over with Jerry Brandt m th ird and Larry Dashiell fourth. Dashiell star~ed to move , passing Brandt and movtn~ in on Coupe. Dave looked down at hIS shift lever - which was gone - and Dashiell took full advantage of this for a second moto win. . Results VET JR: , . B Ruenbark (Y 2. J. RasorIYaml. . am); VET INT: 1. Mike Mengsini; 2. Stev e Bevilacqua . OPEN. EX: 1. Dave Coupe (M ail; 2. Larry Dashiell IM ai). . 80JR: 1. Jerry Boy IKaw); 2. ScottStoneIY.ml. 1251NT: 1. Corey Parsons (Yam); Bin Avery ISuz). 125 JR DIV 1: t , Ray Freitas (Suz); 2. Hector Alcala IYaml. . 125 JR OIV 2: 1. SIeve Nauman (H on); 2. E Fiellbo . ISuzl. . 250 EX: 1. Allen Silhanek ISuz); 2 . Shawn McConn IYaml;3. Doug McRae (Y aml. m Cal....in-N.....,;, N.....-om_W........_ -I. . 125 EX: 1. Mike Preston ISuzJ; ISuz); 3. Chris Ladd ISuzJ. 2. Allen Silhanek - W 0 slck wa-Ils at Hangover Marathon By Bill Spe ncer BRENTWOOD, CA , JAN. 1 A variety of events are alw.ays available for NorCal enthusiasts and Tom Anderson's Sand Hill Ranch is famous for a great New Year's Day Hangover marathon for those that have the energy and devotion to two ,wheeled racing. It was those devoted few who had a great day at the races led off by Larry Wosick's total domination of the big race combining 250cc and Open class bi kes with a win for Honda by nearly fou r minutes. Leading off the first rou?d was the Old Timer and Vet class which seemed ludicrous for all us old party goers who were at the track to race just after 7 a.m.v.lt was a great big runaway for Steve Ferroni, at least for the first lap , until he fell and then remounted to regain the lead at halfway . Not-solucky "Doc" Spencer got a rock on a downhill and lit on his shoulder snapping the collarbone. Ferroni took the win over Jerry W inklebaur with Jack Lewis in for firs~ in the Old Timer run. Ron Mazzaferri took the third Vet spot with Bill Sturdevendt second OT over Rob Porter. Race two was for 0·200cc competition with Mike Holmes leading all the way on his South Bay Suzuki. Putting up a great effort for second was Tony Flores on a YZ80 . Danny Dobbins held second for a few laps but drifted back wards with a flat rear tire. Holmes stretched a lead to 20 seconds at the halfway mark for fuel and held it as Flores took the same time for gas on the mini and held off Steve Lewis . When he gets off the Mini class, he might just be ready for a 250cc class ride. Rich Williams took fourth over Frank Hannah and Randy Pearson for the trophy spots. The two-wave start saw Jerry Brandt take the Concord Yamaha 10 the fast paced front with the Open bikes nearly a minute behind and Scott Pearson taking the post position on a brand new YZ490. Brandt held the spot through the count block with Honda's Larry Wosick out on a new CR250 water-cooler moving up quickly over Ph il Douglas. Douglas dropped off the pace with gearbox troubles right away with Gary Fargo moving up to third over George Hopper. Wosick took the point on ~he third lap and w~ flat Kone, lapp~ng the entire field WIth the lone exception of Brandt in the 19 laps. On the fifth go 'round, Dorene Payne moved into third spot on her Cycle Center I-!0nda mount giving the boys fits u~tll s~e pitted for gas and dropped to eighth m the process. . Pearson had th - Open class over Wayne Archer past the g.as stop ~ut pulled in before the finish hearing strange noises . Archer put the Berkeley 490 Yamaha th!ou~h the paces and had a nC? cont~st. wm over Mitch Lenz and Craig Christian. At the checkered, Wosick was making believers out of the folks for Honda with a tremendous one and a half hour ride that proved flawless for both rider and machine. Brandt was . likewise for his water-cooled 250 Yamaha . They were the only ones with 19 laps complete. h~Utah-AI. Results VETIOT: 1. Steve Ferroni (Yam); 2. Jerry Winkelbauar IMai); 3. Ron Mazza!err; (Yaml; 4 . Jack Lewis IMail;ikaWes Bloky. 2. Tony Flofes (YamlllO; 200: 1. M5. HolmeslSuzl; 3. Steve Lewis ISuzl; 4. RKl: William. IHon); 5. Frank HannahlSuzl. Wosick Ilion); 2. Jerry Brandt (Yaml, 3. 250 : 1. Larry Gary Fargo (Yam); 4. Rich rl8go 1Suz); 5. .Jlm Jenkins lSuzl; 6. Dorene Payne (HRich Slacks IC-Al; 10. John 8. Dave Czech (Yam); 9. on); 7. Bob McBroom ISuzl; Jor=~.(~";"'Archer(Yam!; 2. Mitch Leru5. Jerry Christian (Yaml; 4. Rich Mathers (Maij; 3. Craig (Hon); Barrick (Suzl; 6. Ross Uberty IMai); 7. Gary Rabe IMaij; 8. Steve Spaans IM 9. John Tavis (Yam); 10. PI1iI ail; Jacobson (M aij. Preston, Wood, Losh lead at Argyll Hangtown qualifier By Sue Ellis DIXON, CA , DEC. 27 The first race of a five-race Hangtown Sportsm~n q ualifier series sponsored by Sierra Motorcycle Products took place a t Argyll Park today. In the 125cc Expert class first moto, Dan Turner was the man to beat. He pulled a holeshot and led all the wa~ to the finish . Second place was MIke Preston who moved through the pack and stole second away from Dana Waxham . The second moto , Preston got the holeshot , pursued by Turner .a~d Br ad Harrison. There was an excmng race to the finish' between Preston and Turner with Turner finally able to get by Preston in a tight corner of a muddy section of the track. Turner couldn't relax for long because Preston was right there behind him . Preston finally regained his lead . by outpowering Turner on a ~tralghtaway. Harrison held a steady third to the end as Waxham took fourth. In the 250cc Expert class , Dave Wood pulled the holeshot on his new Yamaha, followed by Steve Vlahos ? n a new Suzuki, Byron Estes and JIm Ellis . Wood stretched his lead whil e Vlahos and Ellis battled for second place. Ellis got around Vlahos .at t~e halfway point and began reeling In Wood . Vlahos lost his position aft er an unfortunate crash and was replaced by Tom ' McKinny . At the finish , Ellis took the lead away from Wood. who took second followed by McKmney and Dean Shultz. , In the second motu, Wood pulled another holeshot with Ellis hot on his trail in second , McKinney third and Randy Chapman fourth . Ellis got by Wood on the second lap and pulled away. Chapman moved into third and Emery into fourth . With three Japs left Ellis got a flat tire and was unable to hold the lead. At the finish. the checkered went to Wood , Ellis got second, third went to Chapman and fourth Emery. The Open Expert class saw Sierra and Pro-Trac-sponsored Randy. Losh as the rider to beat. Randy swept both motes with no trouble. Second place for both rnotos was Ed Marchini on a Maico. Third overall was taken by Mark Stirling who got a sixth the first moto and a fourth the second. Results OPENNOV 1. Bill Coates; 2. Sam Huston; 3. D : oug DOPEN EX: 1. Randy Lash; 2. Ed March,",: 3. M k enns. .. ar Stirling. OPENJR: l , Chris Ir;garay; 2. Tom Sweeney;3.John Caldwell. 250 NOV: 1. Rich Mythen; 2. Keven Mahoney; 3. Lance West. • -:... 250 EX: 1. Dave Wood; 2. Jim Ellis; 3. Tom McKinney . 250 JR: , . Warren Prichett 2. Jim Jepsen; 3. Ron Pinheiro. '25 NOV: 1. Bin Avery; 2. Ronnie Williams; 3. John Burnett.

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