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/126600
(Above) Kevin Welch (650) and Chuck Miller (651) gas it off the early chilly California Start. (Below) Bob Balentine picked up cash and brass for the win. XR500 pilot said of his winning performance in the SCOREI Pernod Parker 400 after soloing to the overall and Class 22 win SCORE/Pernod Parker 400 Balentine blasts the field By Mark Kariya Photos by Bart Harris and Kariya PARKER. AZ. FEB. 6 Bob Balentine added credence to the saying that the best rides are the smoothest. Other than a high speed flying W, " .. .it was an un18 eventful ride," the Mugen-prepared Honda in 4 :54 :13.42, an average speed of 57.10 miles per hour . Second overall and in Class 22 was Yamaha's Larry Roeseler and Chuck Miller on a YZ490 in 4:58:37.08. However, they felt they finished much closer, though not close ' enough to win, and were improperly clocked at the finish of the California loop. "T hey clocked us in like a minute late, and we left over here (Arizona) three minutes behind Balentine," Miller reponed . "We don't really have any proof, but I know I wasn 't three minutes behind him ," Roeseler said. "Seems like there's been timing problems every year one way or another. The results wouldn't have changed in this case, but it 's something that needs to be improved 'cause it could have made a difference. " Aft er Balentine ca me thundering into the end of the California loop , Roese ler came in nex t , with unofficial estimates putting him about a minute behind. Their official fin ish tim es were 8:26:10 and 8:29:13 , though. Roeseler go t a flat front tire on the second and last Arizona loop which helped ensure Balentine's victory . "W hen everything'S go ing good, it' s a matter of who's gonna have the problems or not," Roeseler said. "It was really fast . It 's hard to make up anythUng on anybody when everybody's going good." Balentine agreed about the speeds, and of his bike said, "It went faster , I think, than I've ever went on a bike. On the Arizona side it 'd rev out so high in high gear, I thought it'd float the valves or something so I'd roll off. I left the throttle about 80% most of the time because it was going plenty fast. " Bruce Ogilvie, who finished third in class in 5:04:51.56 on his Dale's Modem Cycle /Hallman/White Bros . . Yamaha IT465 , said, " I rode too conservative in California, just didn't push myself hard enough. I was on time, or equivalent, as far as Thunder Alley and check one, and then I didn't push hard enough coming back in . I lost a little bit of time. "In Arizona, I went halfway around the first loop and the motor just flattened out where it wouldn't tum any rpm . I think the black box in the ignition went bad. It 'd go about 80 , 85, and for Arizona , that just don't cut it ." Class 21 (250cc) winners were the Pfeiffer brothers, Scott and Kent, in 5:13 :21.20 on their Premier Yamaha. They completed the California loop a minute ahead of Kent Miller/Mark Mille r on a Husky and put another two minutes on the Miller duo in Arizona. The Millers finished in 5:16:57 .15. Jeff Kaplan soloed to third in class in 5:23:24 .08 despite running out of gas four times on his American Honda-backed CR250R. Instead of using Union 76 premium, he had to change to aviation gas at the last minute and as a result , "It changed my mileage drastically." Donnie Morrison and Kevin Hopkins teamed up on a Yamaha for the Class 20 (125cc) win , their 5:27 :20 .70 besting ยท Kurt Pfeiffer's 5:29 :13 .18 on a Premier Yamaha. Pfeiffer reponed. "We threw a chain over on the Cal ifornia side then we had to come over here and adjust it and get it lined up and put a different sprocket on it. We were five minutes late to our stan time over here (in Arizona). My partner (Chuck Cartledge) was right behind him , I guess , and went over the bars. It was a pretty good ride altogether, though. Little problems take you out. " Scott Atchison and Bill Hill teamed up on a Vegas Cycle Center/Midas Muffler-Bakersfield Suzuki to get third in class in 5:34:09.59. A slipping clutch slowed their ride almost from the stan. Finishing the Arizona loop, Atchison said, " I got a flat coming in; it didn't help at all. It wouldn't hardly . pull it with the flat ."