Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

anada- Northern California-Northern Nevada-Oregon-Washington-Idaho-Utah-AI protected, he put on a charge during th e las t lap tha t moved him from fo urt h to fir st overa ll at th e chec kers, two minutes ahead o f Brigh t. Tu rn idge never let up the last lap and even at the finish he st ill was not sure if he had won, repeat edl y asking, " Did I do it ?" Ken Maahs (H us ) wo n th e 250cc Expert cla ss and too k th ird overa ll. He ed ged out Carl Berg by six minutes. John H olland ran second mos t o f the race until he got stuck in one of th e many mud bogs throughout th e co urse and could not free himself. Edd Price stopped to help Holland while he was running in th ird place. After Holland got out ofthe mud bog he let Pr ice tak e off first out of gr atitude. However, Price crashed in the next river crossing, drowning his bike , and letting Holland get by to end up with third 250cc Expert. HoIland later said that he owed his thirdplace finish to Price, who ended up in seventh place. Results OVERALL: 1. Brad Turnidge (KTM); 2. Reed Bright (KTM); 3. Ken Maahs (Hus); 4. Bill Dowers (Husl ; 5. Tim Erickson (Hus); 6. c.rl Berg lHus); 7. Rick MCUne (Hus); B. RandyWing lKTM); 9. Richard Dooms (Han); 10. Chuck Wells (Kaw) . OPEN E>:; 1. BradTurnidge(KTM); 2. Reed Bright (KTM); ' . Bill Dowers (Hus). 250 l ( : L Ken Maahs (Hus ); 2. c.lr BergIHus); 3. John Holl and (H ul). 200 EX: 1. Chuck We lls (Kaw ); 2. Pat Sams; 3. Joe Lieuall en . 125 EX: 1. Steve Henry l KTM); 2. Mike Kellay (Han); 3. Robert Tschada (Yam). CLASS 30 EX: 1. Rick MCUne (Hus); 2. Dave Merklin (Hon); 3 _AJan Seymore (H us). CLASS 40 EX: 1. Jack Burgoyne (Hust 2. Chuck Scheibel; 3. Dewsin Beard . CLASS 50: 1. Jack Carlson (Hus); 2. Billy Toman lHusl . 250 AM : 1 . Richard Doo ms (Hon); 2 . Br ian Finch (Yamt 3. Jerry Stelflug (Husl. OPEN AM : 1. Kipton Farm er (Han); 2. Tracey Burkey; 3. Dave Pauling . 200 AM : 1. Wesley Anderson; 2. Jerry Benson ; 3. Jerry Johnson. 125 AM : 1. Dan Maude. 30AM: 1. Dave Jan; 2. Gary Baird; 3. Gary Seers. 40 AM : 1. Boyd Westberg; 2. Lanny Miller. BEG; 1. Lawrence Zoom; 2. Gerald Evens; 3.Tyler Brown . Head tops Northwest Challeng Trials ~ By Ike Fleat cher EUGENE, OR, MAR. 26 Eighteen riders from four states and Canada gathered inside the Equestrian arena at the Lane County Fairgrounds for the second annual Northwest Pepsi Challenge Invitational Indoor Trials, pitting their bikes and bodies against an adrenaline-pumping, man-made, IO-section course. In hosting the ir second indoor trial, prornters Mike Scheidt and Bruce Green proved that indoor trials not only can co-exist with traditional outdoor trials. . but actually' benefit the sport by presenting it in a more appeal ing environment for the spectators. Besides, by putting the trials inside .they finall y found a wa y to beat the lousy Oregon spring weather. The riders competed for a purse of $2000 in prizes and contingencies at the Peps i-, Herle's Cycle Town- and Olympia Beer-sponsored event, and after the last tire tra ck had been burned onto th e roof of the Ford van used as one obstacle, and the last rider had scaled the eight-foot wooden pyramid they called Mt. Everest, it was Ca lifornian Scott Head riding his new white Ita ljet into the winner's circle with th e Arizona SWMer Dave Pyle a close second. Close was the order of the weekend for these/ two feet-up fanatics. They made the trip to Oregon together, and they were still together after the first lap of the two- lap event with 'eq ual scores o f 13 points, Head th en secured his victory by riding the second lap with a four-point total to Pyle's ninepo int score. T h ird pla ce wen t to Monresamounted Stan Bakgourd, th e twotim e a nd cu rre nt Ca na dia n cha mp as well as number seven in th e 'S2 i'\ ATCI AMA series . Fourth, with 43 poin ts, was Dal e Drocus from Washington on a Fantic, and l6- year-old Van ce Walker (SWM) rounded out th e top five wi th 47 points. A new format was used at thi s year's Pep si Challenge. AlliS start ers rode a pre-competition practice lap to decide th e starting order for the actual event. The first lap of th e actual trials was used as a qualifier, with the best 12 riders transferring to the final lap. The combined qualifier and final lap scores decided the winner. The riders were not on a time limit but were required to move at a steady pace. The sections were impressive to say the least. Super. tight wh eelie turns, roll backs, front and rear wheel hops and stationary balancing were required. No section could be cleaned without th e use of one of these trick techniques. This is not to say th e cou rse lacked aggressive sections; two required a ll -o u t, dump-the-clutch , third-gear assa ults. A quick tour o fthe cou rse included the fo llo wi ng sectio ns: - Section o ne - Two parts. First a stationa ry balance of 10 seconds on a two- foot-high bikelength tabl e. The seco nd part cons isted of a handleba rheight limbo stick th at offered a cho ice o f ei the r riding across and orr th e tabl e, then under the li m bo stick or ju m pi ng bo th the tabl e a nd th e limbo stick. Cleans were posted both wa ys. - Section three - The truck-bed turnaround. Ride into th e bed of a standard pickup, make a ISO degree " U" turn and ride back out. A clean of this section required a wheelie turn that would make a ballerina stare in awe . Pyle and Head cleaned it both laps. Bakgourd cleaned it once. - Section six-Cross over two.threefoot diameter logs set less than a bik elength apart; then banzai up and over a six-foot-high log pile. Jay Terry exemplified the word teamwork when he attempted to cross the fir st two logs and became sandwiched between th em. Trapped but still balancing, he yelled for advice to fellow SWM rider Pyke, who told him to lean back and gas it, which freed Terry, allowing him to complete the section for a two. Because of the slippery condition of th e logs , the last part of this sect io n was perhaps th e most difficult of th e event. Ride on top of a two-foot diameter log lengthwise, then make a 90 degree wheelie turn onto anoth er two-foot log butted against it. Ride an additional five feet down this log to the section's exit. Head posted one clean, Pyle a one. - Section seven - Hop up onto the bed of a flatbed truck, ride th e length of the eight-foot bed, then bounce onto a seven -foot-wide platform built on top of the cab. Turn around on the platform and ride down th e same way. P yle and Bakgourd cleaned it using wheeli e turns, Dorcus cleaned it by using a series of roll backs and front wheel hops. Tom Young misjudged his turn and set his from wheel down in thin air instead of on the platform. He quickly discovered that when mere humans attempt to fly it's always straight down. in his case about seven feet. _ C(j - - .... " :::.. {~ ,~, I<,~

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