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/126597
ahead of my plan which was to ma ke the top 10." 250ee In 125cc Pro racing Kar l Jordan (7271 stuck it low over winner Kenny Keylon (41/ and Kyle Landrum (87/. Chuck Sun 110/ gassed it through the rough stuff ahead of Gary Pustelak (35/ and Dan Hafner (615/ in Open Pro action. Scott USA Florida Winter-AMA MX Series: Round 2 Oelerich on top at St. Pete By Mike & Anne Adair ST. PETERSBURG, FL ,JAN. 10 Priva teer Kei th Oelerich scored the 250cc Pro overall win at St. Petersburg, although Honda factory ri ders Chuck Sun and David Bailey took -m ota wins. Oelerich, wh o rode his worn 1981 Yamaha to winner's circle said, "I hel d out, waiting for an other Yamaha support ride , but they cut back and I'm out in 14 th e cold . I hope to finish well in th e series then pick up some support. I can sure use the Yamaha contingen cy money · · $150 fonoda y," Oelerich has shown more consistency th an in pas t seasons and now holds the 250cc series lead over Honda 's] o J o Keller. Sun reigned supreme again in the Open class with a pa ir of rnoto wins, the onl y survi ving clean slat e in the pro ra nks. Honda support program speedster Kenny Keylon was very impressive with a pair of runaway 125cc mo[O wins . _ The second Winter-AMA round was held at Bill West's Sunshine Speed way, in usually sunny, warm St. Petersbu rg . However, a cold front turned bikin is int o blank ets as spect ators huddled together for warmth . Trackside action was hot enough as an enlarged pro entry required qu alifiers and consis in the 125 and 250cc classes. David Bailey, who joi ned the circui t this week, was missing the cast on his right hand . " I ha ven't gassed it since San Diego in Novem ber. T he ha nd feels good but I'm not strong yet ," said Bailey. 125ee Keylon an d Yamaha of Canada's T erry Hofoss controlled their qualifiers with ease . Rick Mak i watched Keylon's qu alifier and said, "That guy ca n ride this stuff. I'd like to get him on my hom e track, Saddleba ck." Keylon barely got dirty in the first mota , passing Karl Jordan then hitting overdrive on his Danny Adams prepped Honda CRI25R . Hofass and Maki moved up from 13th/14th to sandwich Robert Handy in fourth place at mota end. Hofass said , "This is a good track. It 's faster than Orlando, bu t just as tricky," Michigan's Frankie Lamp found traction in mota two with Maki , Jordan, Kyle Landrum, Mark Robinson and Handy all ahead of Keylon . Lamp's RPM Yam aha rolled on for three laps until Keylon showed Maki an outside line around the pond, then passed Lamp on a straight for the lead. Jordan and Mak i wore down Lamp by mota end. Yamah a mounted Jordan said after his second overall , "T he new bike feels good . I'm trying [0 ride smart and hang on to the point lead. " Maki , now three points behind Jordan , said, "T his morning I had $4.70 in my pocket. I can use the purse. I plan to hang in there. I'm " I feel great , the weather's perfect so I'm going for two classes aga in ," said Chuck Sun . Sun romped to a first qualifier win with David Bailey as an escort . Kawasak i's Billy Liles put da ylight ahead of the second qualifi er. Steve Martin gave his fans what th ey want ed to see, joining Sun at the head of th e first mota. Bailey watc hed th e pac k lea ve as his mechan ic stuffed a new plug in his Hond a. O n la p two it was Su n . Mart in, Oelerich, Husky's Kris Bigelow, Honda's J immy Ellis, Jo Jo Keller and Doug Longwe ll. Oelerich slid by Martin on lap five and Liles was out with a thrown cha in . Bigelow moved up to th ird by moto end with Ellis, Keller an d Martin beh ind. ''I'm still not pleased with my riding ," said Bigelow. Bail ey made it back to ninth place from a one-minute handicap . Bail ey and Martin diced for the lead in mota two with Sun and Keller in tow on la p one. Bailey worked on Martin and on lap six took the lead. Sun pull ed off in th e infie ld with a seized engine. Martin got a secon d wind and pushed ahead of Bailey on lap 10. Bailey came back on the' next lap to cla im the win . Oelerich worked his way from sixth to third by mota end , ah ead of Keller. "I had to take him ," said Oelerich, "He was ahead of me in series points ." Liles, who caught his foot in his own rear wheel, said , " It always tak es me a long time to do well in Flor ida." Keller said , " I just crashed tOO much today, maybe nex t week." Open Sun stepped off the 250 and on to the 480 with only a two minute breath er. Sun's Eric Crippa prepped Honda tucked in behind Open class jackrabbit John Rein holt, with Glenn Lolley. J im Wolfenbarger, Richard Sid le and Tom Ca rson in contenti on. Sun wore do wn Reinh olt by lap four and waltzed to the win . " I hated to lose the 250 win," said Sun . "T he bike is easier to ride and I wanted [0 win it." Reinholt and his Honda took second, while Billy Grossi rod e his Husk y back from a first turn incident to third ahead of John Fink eldey and Mickey Boone. Mot o two was Grossi's turn to strut an d he lined up on Reinholt , held it on longer over a jump, and dove inside in a right -hander for the lead. Sun, Andy Stacy , Gary Pustelak, Lofley and Finkeldey were in good shape. Sun moved pas t Reinholt and dueled with Grossi, going ahead on lap five. J ust as the fans were saying "ho hum" and folding their blanke ts, Grossi zipped by Sun to regain the lead . "T he pit sign said fou r seconds," said Sun afterwa rds , "but 1 kep t losing time in traffic. It was hard to see. and Grossi surprised me. 1 think he must have been saving a little energy for me ." Sun dashed aft er th e Husk y and bounced pa st in th e roughest part of the track for the win . Grossi took second overall with Reinholt th ird. " It' s been getting dark near the end of the final mote ," said Sun. " I don 't mind ru nning the program with the Expert Amateurs on the same da y, but the y should qualify them on Saturday." • Results 125cc: 1. Kenny Keylon (Hon) 1-1; 2. Karl Jor dan (Yam) 2·3; 3. Eric Maki IKaw) 5-2; 4. Steve Burdene (SUl) lHl; 5. Jeff Surwall (Yaml 84; 6. Frank Lamp (Yam) 9-5; 7. Robert Handy ISull 4-11; 8. Tim Ealy ISull l G- ; 9. David Hand IKawlll -8; 10. Terry Holoss (Vaml 7 3-0NF 250cc: 1. Keith Oelerich (Yam) 2·3; 2. David Bailey (Hanl 9-1; 3. Steve Martin (Han) 6-2; 4. Kris Bigelow IHus) 3-5; 5. Jo Jo Keller tHonl 5-4; 6. J immy Ellis (Honl 4-10; 7. Jeff Hope IHonl llHl; 8. Chuck Sun (Hon) 1· ONF; 10. Dan iel Wallace (Suzl 11-1' . OPEN; 1. Chuck Sun (HonI 1-1; 2. Billy Grossi IHus) 3·2; 3. John Roinholt IHonI2·3; 4. Andy Staey (Mail 4-6; 5. Mickey Boone (M ai) 6-5; 6. Gary Pustolak IMaij 1114 ; 7. Tom Carson IMaij 8-8; 8. Mark Corbett (M ai) 11·7; 9. Joe Baker IMaij 9-10; 10. Jo hn Finkoldey (KTM) &-1 6.