Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

(Above) Donnie Cantaloupi (47) runs near the front of the Open Pro start. Also pictured are Warren Reid (69 ), Dave Gerig (3)and Jim Holley (49). Goat Braker (in rear between Cantaloupi and Reid) led both motos. (Below right) Jeff Ward, 126cc Pro series leader. (Below left) Today's 126cc w inner, Johnny O'Mara. lems in rnoto one cost him a strong overa ll finish. Rhoten earned a welldeserved third overall, as Grossi finally gave the Maico camp something to cheer about by taking fourth overall ahead of Pederson, Tarantino and Turner. 125 Pro O'Mara grabbed the first rnoto holeshot with Yamaha rider .Rod Smith second. followed by Suzuki pilot Gary Denton, Lechien and Ward. Lechien and Ward were quickly past the two privateer riders, and the chase was on as O 'Mara opened a five-second leadover the second place battle. Ward bailed, but quickly remounted third, but just in front of a charging Brian Myerscough, who had pushed his H onda up to fourth . Ward attacked the whoop-filled course for the remaining laps and reeled in and blew past Lechien and closed on O 'Mara with one la p to go. O'Mara held on to the lead and Ward had to settle for second ahead of Lechien, Myerscough, Honda rider Erik Kehoe a nd Smith. H on da private er Louie Franco sur prised ever yone by grabbing the second rnoto lead as the pack diced through turn one. O'Mara and Lechien q uickly displaced Franco, while Denton and Ward dueled over theIourth position. Franco faded as O'Mara, Lechien and Ward moved into the top three slots. Lechien fought past O'Mara, but threw the bike away on the bottom of the big jump, and O'Mara , ,~:Ii' t r ; , ( ill l ' r'J)J > ~ opened an eight-second lead over Ward. At mid-race Ward was closin~ on O'Mara as Myerscough moved into third and Suzuki riders Gary Bowman and Denton continued their first moto battle, this time for fourth position. Ward pressured O'Mara in the final laps, but the "0 Show" held on to win his first '83 Golden State Series race in defense of last year's title. Myerscough picked up third overall with Bowman a creditable fourth , ahead of Smith and Honda rider Mike Larson. 500 Pro Cantaloupi holeshot the first moto with Maico pilot Allen BerIu tti running a close second. Yamaha rider Pete Snorteland held third place for the first two laps with Reid , Breker, Pro Circuit Husky rider David Gerig and Locey breathing down his neck. Reid bobbled and dropped back to seventh as Breker got on the gas to move into second and close in on leader Cantaloupi. Breker squared off the next sweeper and wheelied past Cantaloupi and into 'the lead. ,Ca n talo ur i challenged Breker for a couple 0 laps before fading back. "I've got the flu, " explained Cantaloup i later, "I was just dying." Breker won with a seven-second lead over Cantaloupi as Locey held on to third in front of a charging Jim Holley on a Yamaha. Honda-mounted Steve R hyan placed fifth as Reid cruised in sixth ahead of Snorteland. Randy Losh powered his Maico Spider into the ear ly second mota lead with Cantaloupi and Berlutti I J ; , 1, I f ) ! , I I ' _", i ' f' " I running second and third. R eid , quickly moved into the top five a nd began to pic k off positions in dazzling fashion, moving into the lead on la p three. Reid looked set to win the moto, but fell in th e waterhole at the halfway mark. Breker inherited the lead from Reid after his own charge from mid-pack, and Breker cruised safely out front by 20 seconds. With one lap remaining, Breker tangled with a lapped rider who had fallen on th e cross-over bridge and Cantaloupi and Locey finished past as Breker remounted. "I got the wind knocked out of me," noted Breker later. Breker furiously began closing in o n the leaders as Locey desperately looked for a place to pass Cantaloupi. Less than four bike lengths separated the three riders as they came to the final straight leading to the checkers. Locey tried to edge past Cantaloupi on the finish jump, go t sideways and bailed off in front of the incredulous spectators lining the finish area. Locey walked away from the fall after a co uple mi n utes of down-time. Cantalou pi got the overall win with Breker second and Locey third. Holley backed up his first mo to performance to earn fo urt h overall ho nors in front of Reid , who placed fifth overall despite his horrendous fall while leading. S idehacks The Yamaha-powered sidehack of Pete Whitney and P erry Meli llo topped the field of America's fastest sidecar teams . Whitney,and Mellilo , I . _ ~; . 1 J. _ J{ .. wo n the first rnoto, but ha d to sett le for second behind John and Victo r Palfreyman in race two, bu t their poor first moto performance left them fo urt h for the day as Tom and Scott Whitney posted 3-3 scores to collect second overall in front of Ralp h Whitney and Ra msey Harris. Vet Master Charlie Smart powered his Yamaha to the overall Vet Master win with two near perfect moto rides . Maico rider Jon Miller picked up second ove rall after KTM pilot R a n d y Rod riq uez fell while challenging for the second rnoto lead. Rod riq uez finished third. • Results 250 PRO: 1. Bob Hannah (Hon); 2. DavidSailey (Hon); 3. Darr en Rhotan (Kaw); 4 . Billy Grossi (Mai) ; 5. Ross Pedersen (Suz); 6. Ji m Tar anti no (Hon); 7. Ron Turne r (KTM); B. John Wh elchel (Yamt 9. Jeff Hid

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