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/126616
Donnie Hansen copped the 250cc overall with a 2 -' day. He led all but one and a half laps , AMA 250/500cc National Championship MX Series: Rounds 5/1 Hansen, Howerton handle Southwick sand By Tom Mueller Photos by Richard DeLibertis and Mueller SOUTHWICK, MA, MAY 16 Honda 's Donnie Hansen and Suzuki 's Kent Howerton earned o verall honors in the 250 and 500cc classes, respectively, when Na6 tional MX racing went off at Motocross 338's facility. Hansen used a 2-1 score for his placing and led all day, except for a lap and a half in moto one wh en he fell. ยท Howerton went 1-2 and disspelled rumors that he was washed up after suffering a hand and wrist injury late last year. Howerton is returning to the 500cc class after a four year absence. He took the 500cc title in 1976. Second overall in the 250cc ranks went to Yamaha Pro support ri der Rick j oh nso n, who now heads the 250cc point standings after former points leader Broc Glover DNF moto two. 19S0 500cc National Champion Chuck Sun piloted his works Honda to seco nd overall in the 500cc class. The event prod uced four different winners. The first 250cc rnotos was topped by johnson, on a modi fied production bike, wit h th e seco nd 250cc moto falling to Hansen . The first 500cc moto wen t to Howerto n, while th e final 500cc moto belonged to Ne w Engla nd ri der j o J o Kell er. Keller too k his producti o n ba sed H on da CR4 S0R to victory, sp urred o n by th e part isan crowd. With the 500cc ope n er o ne expects to see new exo tic big bore machinery, bu t not so in 'S2. Works bikes look quite si m ila r to their production counterparts, with simplicity the biggest factor. Most of the ta lk in th e p its centered around who had been trai ning the hardest instead of who was on the best machinery, as in previous years. Some riders, such as Su n, had been testing their bikes for weeks. Ka wasa ki's Goat Breker hadn't even seen his KX500SR before practice on race day. This year marked the seventh running of National Championship MX racing at Motocross 33S, a track operated by a motorcycle club affiliated with an American Legion Post. Once again an efficient program went off like clockwork under thd direction of AMA referee Rick Titone and crew. Southwick offers soft, powdery sand on an open , sweeping course. Bleachers on the high section of the track a llow spectators a good view of the facility . Seventy-three 250cc riders, 99 500cc riders and an estimated 5,000 spectators attended the race. 250cc National "It's like someone told me I could ride in a sugar bow l," said Honda 's Da vid Ba iley a fter practice. It might h ave been like sugar but it wasn't sweet for everyone as strength-sapping whoops soon covered the course. Yama ha's Glover holeshot the first rnoto, p u tting in the best performance off the tricky cement starting pad. By the time riders sorted th emsel ves out th ro ug h the bac k woods and h ill sectio n, Suzuki privateer Dave H oll is was showing the way followed ' by Hansen a nd Suzuki supported Clint H ard ick. By lap two, H ansen was out front on his H onda RC250AF. Within three more laps he put IS seconds on H o llis, who was clustered with Hardick and Johnson. G lo ver was fifth, leading Honda's Ken n y Keylon, the winner of the previous round in Florida. LO P's Jim Tarantino was seventh on a modified Honda. Honda supported Steve Martin was eighth. Near mid-race in the 40 minutes plus two laps moto Johnson p icked up the pace, passing Hardick, then Hollis for second. Johnson had trouble gaining on Hansen, and Hansen held a 17 second margin through most of the race. Keylon got past G lover af ter mou nting a charge through the corners, then beat H ardi ck to a turn for third. G lover took Hardick, la nding fourth . Martin , Bai ley a nd Tarantino were a fairly close 6-7-S. Hansen's lead decreased to 12 seconds as the race wore down, but J oh nso n was also succum bing to the course, almost crashing in a rough st raight. Keylon was five seconds behind Joh nson , with both keeping precious series points in mind. Keylon was II points behind Joh nson, ranked third going into the race. Glover edged Hollis with an outside to inside move through the mechanics' area for fourth, but Ba iley mustered some extra muscle and took the slot through a rough section. The two lap sign came o ut an d the race looked to be Ha nsen 's, but Donn ie came out of the back woods section second to j ohnso n. joh nson took the win by 10 feet over H ansen wi th Keylo n a distant third. Bailey led G lo ver over th e line, and Holli s landed sixth. Suzu ki's Warren Reid came from mid-pack to seventh and led Martin to th e checkere d flag. "I fell with a lap a nd a half to go," said Hansen . "I swa p ped out and went down . I got up quick, but not . quick en o ugh to win." H ansen holeshot moto two and h eaded for the finish , controlling th e entir e ra ce. Glover sta rt ed back in the field, a n d Hollis crashed in turn one and sta rt ed last. Behind Hansen was Hardick and Suzuki privateer Fred Vertucci fo llo wed by Kawasaki Team