Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Northern Californ ia-Northe rn Ne vad a-O NORTHERN DATE T he 250cc Money half mile had Ro b Ely's name wr itten a ll over it , and, in spite of a strong challe n ge from Bobby Beer , h e went wi re to wire for th e win . Kei th G u the ry had been in third a t th e sta rt , but it was short -lived as Oreg .Beloit, sponsored by Alhambra Yamaha. took over on th e th ird lap. Guthery's troubles were j ust beginning as Randy Bird an d Hondal in e sponsored Len G ambo moved him down two mor e spots o ne lap lat er. Their double a rrack on Guth erv didn 't work o n Bel oit , an d they seit led for th e fourth a nd fifth spo ts. T he racers a nd man agem ent o f Co rona Raceway would like to o ffer th eir co n do lences to th e famil y of Marl ow Parks who was a g u iding force for Ilattrack rac ing in Ari zona. G od speed . Resu lts Gary Dircks borrowed a Yamaha and won the Canyon Open Expert cash. mounted John Imbrial e and Eri c Kirk . In the seco nd ro u n d, bo th Dirck s a nd Blose were missing in th e lin eup . Ap ach e H onda's R ick Nagl e and tea mmat e SCOll Stallard wasted litrle time ge lli ng a hea d of th e rest after th e ga te dropped . Bobby Belluzzi, in hi s fir st race in several m onths, motored in th ird with Watm ore pushing from beh ind. • Ser io us bik e trouble sq uelched an y threat of Stallard ' taking th e lead from Nagle. Watmore saw th e ope n spot, got by Belluzzi a nd set hi s sig h ts on Na gle. H e slid by for th e m ot o win , hi s seco nd o f the day . Results v ZINGERS : t . Chucky Cook (Yam): 2. Sam Hays (Yam ); 3 . Brandon Hopk ins {Yam) . PEEWEE NOV : 1. BrianCook (Vaml ; 2. nm Stuart (Yam). PEE WEE AM : 1. J immy Button (Hon); 2. Damon Watkins (Kaw ). BO BEG: 1. Randy Shipley (Kaw); 2. Marc DeBenadino (Yam); 3. Joe Mozeris (Hon ). BONOV STK: t . David Pedersen (Vam); 2. J immy Button (Hon); 3. David McDermott (Hon). BO NOV MOD : r. Wes Parker (Yam); 2. Grad y Ingram (Yaml; 3 . Chr is Rogers (S uzl. BOAM STK: 1. Craig Nielsen (Kaw); 2. Billv Carl · son (Yamt 3. J immy Lewallen (Kaw). BO AM MOD: 1. Cra ig Nie lsen (Kaw); 2. Billy Car lson (yaml; 3 . M ike Bailey (Su z). BO EX STK; 1. Bryan Bruner (Kaw); 2. Roben Naughton (Kaw); 3. Shawn Hilton (Ka w). BO EX MOD: 1. Bryan Br uner (Kaw); 2. Roben Naughton (Kaw); 3. John Moran (Yam ). 125 BEG: t . Tad Davis (Vam); 2. Chr is Bastek (Kaw ); 3. Shawn Thompson (Hon l. 125 NOV STK: t , Bue Robinette (Vam); 2. Wesley Char les (Hen l; 3. Nick Pie.,asik (Hen). 125 NOV MOD : t . Steve Dav is (Yam): 2. Nick Pietrasik (Hon); 3 . Randy Kellerman { H on~. 125 AM STK: 1. Scott Duvall (Vam); 2. Scott Keyes (Kawt 3. An Rose (Hon). 125 AM MOD : 1. Scott Duvall (Yem); 2. JeH Bonnet (Yam ); 3. Joe Marziano (Yam I. 125 EX: 1. Troy Blake (Vam); 2. Bill Dalton (Hon l; 3. Chappy Blose (Hon). 250 BEG: 1. Ken Wood (Vam); 2. D.J. McAdams (Kaw) ; 3 . Chuck Copeland (Hon). 250 NOV STK: 1. Alben Lapsansky (Hon); 2. Hal Owens (Hon); 3. Mike Angelone (Yam). . 250 AM STK; 1. Craig Stain (Vam); 2. Judd Odell (Mai) ; 3. Craig Olson (Kawl. 250 AM MOD ; 1. Charles Tate (Hon); 2. Doug Goodman (Hon); 3. Stacey Courr ier (Mai) . 250 EX; 1. Ron Watmore (Vam); 2. Rick Nagle (Hon ); 3 . John Imbriale (Husl. OPEN BEG; t . Jim Selkeld (Hon); 2. David Jenn (Vam); 3 . Hugh Mock (Hon ). OPEN NOV ; t . Wayne Ucklenu (KTM ); 2. Robert Chadwick (Vam); 3. AI Phillips (Mai) . OPEN AM ; 1. Tim Kannedy (Vam); 2. Scott M e· Gough (Kew l; 3. John Kovalc ik (Hus). OPEN EX: 1. Gary Dircks (Vam ); 2. Scott Stallard (Hen ); 3. Mike Garratt (Hon). OT AM ; 1. nm Kennedy (Yam); 2. Rick Myers (Han); 3. Stan foSler (Hon ). Hames sets HM record at Corona By Elaine Jones CORONA, CA, FEB. 12 After playing roulette with th e weather, the rain gods smiled on Corona Raceway, a n d th e short track and half mil ers turned out for an eveni ng o f exce lle nt raci ng. Pete Hames was def in itel y o n track a n d coo king; h e low ered th e 22: 17 half m ile record, set by Eddie Lawson in 1978, with a sizzlin g 22:00 on a track th at was still su ffering from th e effects o f the rains. H am es, wh o rode three Money classes and won all three, starte d with th e 250cc short tra ck . He went wire to wire al:ioard a Can-Am built a nd tuned by Tim Doherty. Rob Ely was o ff seco n d on hi s Sh aft er Yamaha wi th Bobbv Beer on his KRW/ Carl isle sponsored' Yamaha in th ird. Hames set suc h a p ace th at by th e end o f th e 15-la p main . the o n ly o nes left in th e lO-rider field nor lapped were Ely and Beer, a nd H ames was working o n th em . T he O pen Money half mi le was n ot as cu t an d dr ied as Rob Ely got th e j u m p o ff th e line with Ha m es seco n d an d]ason Bell th ird. Ely held Hames a t bay for six laps befo re th e " Sim i Fla sh " found th e hol e h e was look ing for. From th ere on o u t it wa s a ll Hames. Elv held on to hi s second and Bell rounded out th e field with th ird. The third jewel in Hames tripl e cro wn was the Open Mon ey half mile, a nd aga in , it was wire to wire. John Lundgren locked in behind Ham es with Bell in third. On th e fourth lap Rick Reed took over th e th ird slot and went look ing for Lundgr en, but John had gone o n th e defensive and Reed had to seu le for th ird. Hames also added th e O pen Expert half mile to round out the night , and again . he was in front all the way. John Lundgren an d J erry Peters were ' s.e~.and third. SHORT TRACK , PEEWEE: r . Dust in Skels ki (Vam ); 2. Robby Reed (Suz); 3 . Randy Reed (Vam). 250 NOV DIV I: t. Ross Thompson (Va m); 2. Richard Lovell (Kaw) ; 3 . J im Brokaw II. 250 NOV DIV II: 1. Mark Ledbetter (Vam); 2. David Bunner (Bu l); 3. Alan Ronska (Yam) . 250 EX: 1. J . Ward McKee IKaw); 2. Vince Landry (Kaw); 3. Keith Guthery (Kaw ). OPEN NOV; 1. Randy Dougla s (C· A I; 2. M ike Hixson (Yam); 3 . John Shipley (Vam). OPEN AM/EX: r. Jeson Bell {Vam t 2. Bob Greves (Yam); 3. Bert Beninat i (Yam ). 250 MONEV ; 1. Pete Hames (C· A); 2. Rob EIV (Yam); 3. Bobby Beer (Yam). OPEN MONEV ; 1. Pete Ham es (Yam); 2. Rob Ely (Vam); 3. Jeson Bell (Yam). HALF MILE 250 NOV; 1. A lan Ronska (Vam); 2. Mark Ledbetter (Yam ); 3. Ross Thompson (Yam). 250 EX: r . Keith Guthery {Kaw); 2. Vince Landry (Kawl; 3 . Ken Corps (Kaw). OPEN NOV; 1. Keith Peel (Hon); 2. John Shipley (Vamt 3 . A lan Ronska (y am). OPEN AM; 1. Bob Graves (Vamt 2. Pet McCann (Yam); 3 . Bert Ben inati (Yam). OPEN EX: 1. Pete Hames fe -A); 2 . John Lu ndgren (Vam); 3 . Jerry Peters (BSAI . 250 MONEV; 1. Rob Ely (Yem); 2. Bobby Beer (Vamt 3. Greg Belo it (Vam ). OPEN MONE V: i . Pete Hames (H- D); 2. John Lundgren (Yam) ; 3 . Rick Reed (Yam). Saltzman, Leitinger strike Desert Vipers GP By Debbie Matthews .SU N NYMEAD. CA, FEB. 5 U nder threatening ski es. th e Desert Vipers put on a fin e, challeng ing co urse. Ra ce th ree of th e da y was th e Vet's a nd Women 's d ivisions . Desert ace Bill Sa ltzma n led the race virt ua lly un cha lle nged from sta rt to fin ish on a 500 Husk y. St ron g rides wer e put in for seco nd p lace by Ma rk Cook (Ma i) and Ga ry Charters ( uz). T hese two argued over second pos ition for a lmost the entire race. Two la ps from th e end , Cook made th e pass stic k, a nd held o nto seco nd unti l th e checkered flag waved. Cha rters too k a well deser ved th ird , foll owed by J eff Vaughn o n a Yamaha for fourth. In th e \\'.omen 's race fo r th e go ld it wa s Ka ren Lei tinger (Suz) first to th e chec kers for th e second yea r running . Ka ren found th e course to h er li king as she raced unch all eng ed, passing me n wh o sta rted in ea rlier waves to fin ish 12th overa ll, first in class! Seco nd overa ll went to desert ace Lori Fa rmer (H o n ), wh o wa s breaking in her new 250cc during th e ra ce! A bailie waged for th ird overa ll between Denise En gst rom (H us) a nd Debbi e Matth ews (Hon) . Matth ews overca me a bad sta rt to cha lle nge for third, but had to p it o n lap four an d th e dese rt Husky o f Eng strom d id no t. On the la st lap Matth ews rod e hard, but came up a few bik elen gths short. Jolen e Payne was fifth. The Desert Vi pers put o n a n exce llent race that went o ff without a hitch . . • AFM banquet honors Mazur, others By Frank Nellis OAKLAND, CA, JAN. 22 The Am erican Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM) met at th e H otel L ake Merr itt to give h onor to th e fastest club road racers in Ca li forn ia , if n ot th e Un ited S tates . With th e m isty reflecti ons o f Lake Merrill as a back drop, Van ce Breese, cha irma n o f AFM's National Board o f Directo rs, calle d th e assembl y to order. Th e a fter dinn er co n versa tio ns o f co ngra t u la tio ns, so u rgr apes, new sponsors a nd pl ans for th e next seaso n sell led. Sponsor of th e Year honors went to Kaw asak i. T he ir co nt ingency awards for production racers hav e don e.much to furth er ca m pa ig ns o f man y club racers. Kaw asaki has shown th at their su p port o f roa d racin g in th e Un ited . Sta tes does not stop a t th e na tional level, but goes to th e heart an d so u l of American roa d raci ng - th e club race r. Vance Breese a n nou nced th at th e AFM Board of Dir ector s has joined th e ma ny o the r racers a nd orga n iza tions in support o f th e J on Wo o Mem orial Safety P roj ect. . Spe cial service awards were given fi r st. R ecipi ent s i ncl u ded Ann e Q u inn, wh o ha s perfor med yeoma n ser vice every year orga ni zing licenses a nd num bers; Pad dy Sopher , wh o scores eac h race a nd ma in tains na tion al points for th e season; an d Denn y Dohert y, wh o is a r ide r representative head in g both th e ra ce day co mplai nt dep artment a nd orga ni zing race tro phies. Steve Brid sen st in e was a wa rd ed Worker o f th e Year; Mik e Ross received Rider /Worker o f th e Year h onors, Dou g T apscott was recogniz ed as Course Worker o f th e Year , a nd sp ecia l thanks went to th e National Motorcycle Patrol. I Mik e Rol off was selected as Novi ce o f the Year . Winn in g th e number 10 pl at e was J ohn Robertson. Ro bert son, wh o started the season as a happy bach elor, tha n ked h is wife. Pre-Grid Enterprises a nd Super T ra p p. T he number n in e pl at e went to Fred T homas, wh ose 450cc Stock Produ ction cam paign won him top hono rs in both th e northern chapter and at th e na tional level. The num ber eigh t plate went to Denny Dohert y whose wi n in th e O pen SuperStreet class incl uded on ly o ne seco nd pl ace finish in all of h is races in northern Ca liforn ia. Number seven went to Wayne Montoya wh o th anked Team Bozo for th e he lp. Wayne ran as num ber seven last year too. Number six was tak en by Kevin Pelt z, wh o ca me dr essed in a penguin su it for th e occasio n. The Fred Astaire of th e AFM th anked Redmond Racing, Bub Enterprises and ND for th eir help throughout th e season. Number five went to SCOll Gray wh o won national recognition in the 750cc Stock a nd Modified Production classes. Number four went to Chuck McAvoy, wh o th anked Golden Wrench Cycle Rep a ir a nd Ph il He adley for th e h elp to win both th e 600cc Super Street and Formula S cha m p io nships. Number three pl at e wa s taken by Joe Montoya. J oe ,stop p ed. \0 . !1}a,n k,

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