Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Anderson, Burgett, Michlitsch top Mt. View Gold Cup By Brian Barnes SANDY, OR, J UNE 5 The 1983 Yamaha Perpetual Gold Cup made its fourth of nine stops this weekend near Sandy, Oregon at Mountain Mile Klettk...leads Leon MacDonald and Gary Kuest over a Mt. View jump. Michlitsch and Anderson. With only a couple laps remaining, Anderson made his move and streaked by, taking the win with Michlitsch second. Watilo held off McConn for third. Michlitsch went wire to wire for the second win with Watilo taking the second spot after Anderson was disqualified for what was billed as an illegal bump. Oster rode his finest moto of the year, taking third while McConn got used to Mulkey 's tricky surface and scored another fourth. Arne "Holeshot" Hettman lived up to his nickname, roosting all the other Open riders on both starts, but it was Christian who ran away with both wins. Hettman took second both times, followed by Skeet Hise. Results PP: 1. Patricia Lyons (Yam); 2. Erin Rochette (Vam). WEE PEE WEE JR: 1. Turtle Mann (Vam); 2 . John W ilson (SUl); 3 . Ben Stewart (Vam ). WEE PEE WEE INT: 1. Jason Summerlin (Han); 2 . Jeff Grant (Vam) . PEE WEE JR: 1. Brett Holm (Vam); 2 . Tracie Markell (Yam) . PEE WEE INT: 1. Richie Abrams (Vam); 2 . Geoff Goldspink (Han) ; 3. Chris Flem ing (Kaw). MINI JR : 1. James Price (Kaw): 2. Ryan HOlm (Yaml; 3. Mike Sorenson (Kaw). MINIINT: 1. Joel Sitts (SUl): 2. Paul Winn (Kaw); 3 . Dawn Piazza (Yaml. MINI EX: 1. Larry Ward (Kaw); 2. Grant Bergstrom (Vam); 3 . Kurtis Rogstad (Vam) . 100 JR : 1. Mitch Caldwell (Vam); 2 . Dan Livingston (Suz); 3. Tim Bolte (Yam) . 100 INT: 1. Grant Bergstrom (Yam) . 125 JR ; 1. Dwaine Seeler (Kaw); 2 . Kurtis Rogstad (Yam); 3. Eric Winters (Yam) . 125 INT : 1. Mike Kiemele (SUl); 2 . Jeff Miles (Vam) ; 3 . Jim Sawtell (Han). 125 PRO: 1. Tim Michlitsch (Kaw); 2. Robb Watilo (Vam): 3. Shawn McConn (Han). 250JR: 1. Eric Clark (Han): 2. Tony Buyas (Suz); 3 . Rick Calorie (Yam) . 250 INT : 1. Steve Hiersch (Hon); 2 . Gary Piazza (Yam); 3 . Undsay Wurn (Han) . 250 PRO: 1. Tim Michlitsch (Kaw); 2. Doug Lange (Vam); 3. Jon Buyas (Vam) . OPEN JR : 1. Bryan Reader (Vam); 2. Patrick O 'Grady (Han); 3. Steve Shepherd (Han). OPEN INT: 1. Bill Cook (Mai); 2 . Mike Hess (Han); 3. David Starner (Yam). OPEN PRO: 1. John Christian (Han); 2. Arne Het tman (Han); 3 . Rob Hise (Kaw). OTH NOV; 1 . Gary Traglin (Hus): 2. Denny Robbins (Suz); 3. Steve Gresete (Hon) . OTH INT : 1. Gary Backstrom (Vam) ; 2. Richard Duncan (Kaw); 3 . Jack Monteith (Yam). OTH EX: 1. Jim Parks (Suz) ; 2 . James Gladish (Hus). OT NOV : 1. Lance Lusk (Vam) ; 2 . Denny Femrite (Kaw); 3 . Richard Abrams (Yam) . OT INT: 1. Jerry Hiersche (Kaw). OT EX: 1. Bill Cook (Yam); 2 . Bill Naylor (Yam) . Peterson powers to Livermore wins By Dave Turner LIVERMORE, CA, MAY 29 On an absolutely perfect day for hillclimbing, approximately 1500 spectators were treated to some great co mpetitio n as th e 40' best riders from southern Californi a faced off against th e best from th e northern 'pim .of th e sta te: . '. "". . . Some of the best hillclimbers in the country are from the Golden State and they were all there, including current Widow maker Champion Kerry Peterson and past Widowmaker Champions Keith Roeseler, Jim True, and Vince Bertalucci . After the Sportsman classes there was a short intermission and then the Exhibition bikes had their turn on the hill. The first class to run was the 0-600cc bikes and it soon became apparent that " T h e Wall" was no longer a problem, as the first three riders went over the top. Before the end, eight ofthe 18 riders who entered had been over the top. This meant that the winner would be decided by the fastest time, so the second run was all-important, as the riders geared up for more speed. After the first round, Tom Johnston on his Yamaha was in the lead at 19.980 seconds with Dave Turner close behind at 20.889 on a Maico. Things changed fast in th e second round as Kerry Peterson ( W h e e l s m i t h / Tsubak ilHi-Point /M aico West / Palmdale H -D), ca m e back from a first round mechanical problem to blast the hill and set a new fast time of 17.726. This put the pressure on Johnston and Turner as they tried to make up time. Johnston lost it at "The Wall" and failed to go over; Turner went over but was not able to improve his first round time, so the win was Peterson's. After the 0-600cc class came the big 601 to Open monster bikes, some rumored to be as big as 1800cc. These bikes were what the spectators had ' been wai ting to see, and they were not let down as the riders set a blistering pace in the first round with three sub17second rides put in by Keith Roessler, Kerry Peterson and Steve Stith. Roessler held the fast time at 15.663 seconds. The second round of the Open class went much like the second round of the 0-60Occ class as Peterson came back to make an ultra-fast run, clearing the hill in 15.278 seconds. Roessler and Stith also made great rides in the second round, but it wasn 't enough to catch the big Harley of Peterson's as he got the win with Roessler second and Stith third. Results SPORTSMAN 0·25Dcc: 1. Peter Shank (H-D) ; 2. Pat Johnson (C2I. 251-400: t . Tom Johnson(Yam); 2 . Jerry Elmore (Vam) ; 3 . Larry Van Middendorp (Mai) . 401 -600: 1. Steve Stith (Ma i); 2. Carl Collier (Yam); 3. Mike Carlton (Yam). EXHIBITION O~600: 1. Kerry Pete rson {Ma il ; 2. Tom Johnson (Yam ); 3 . Dave Turner (Mai l , 601 -0PEN : 1. Kerry Peterson (H-D); 2. Keith Roessler (Hon); 3 . Steve Stith (H-DI . View Ra cewa y. Three hundred sixtyfour riders, an excellent spectator turnou t and perfect weather combined to m ake for a great day of racing on the newly laid-out course at Mountain View. Eighty-three Pros battled for the bucks and Gold Cup points, with defending Gold Cup champ, Jim Anderson (Yamaha Support/MX Fox/ ATK/Dallas Baker/Kal-Gard) ca p tur in g the 250cc class via two fir sts . Rick Burgett (Town Center Yamaha Support/MX Fox) celebrated his 27th birthday with a two-mote sweep of the Open Pros. Tim Michlitsch (Kawasaki Support/HRP/ ATK/Eastside Kawasaki) took the 125cc class with seconds in both rounds. The Open class was the first of the Pro motos and Arne Hettman, Mike Larson, Burgett and Montana's Emry Woolsey flew around the first corner leading. Both Larson and Burgett swept by Hettman during lap one, with Burgett getting by hard-charging Larson on lap two. Burgett was unable to shake the younger Larson until the mid-point when he pulled out a small margin and kept it all the way to the flag. Larson impressed with a second, Ron Sun put a lastditch pass on John Christian Jr. for third. Bob Buffaloe was fifth and Hettman finished sixth. The second moto found Larson and Burgett dueling for a number of laps and the spectators loved it. Burgett swept by on lap four and took his second win of the afternoon. Larson was once again second, Buffaloe held off Sun for third, Christian fifth , Heuman sixth and Idaho's Warren Hickman took his second seventh of th e day . When the 37-entrant 250cc class rounded the first turn for moto number one, Anderson , Larson, Rob Burkhart and Michlitsch were in front of the huge field. Anderson wasted no time getting out front as he stayed a modest distance in front of Larson and Michlitsch. Burgett and Scott Tyler were charging and Burgett moved up to fourth behind the Kawasaki and Honda riders. Michlitsch got by Larson at the midpoint and followed Anderson in second for the remainder of the race. Burgett got by Larson with two laps left , taking third, while Larson was fourth, Buffaloe fifth, Tyler Scott sixth, Hondamounted Kevin Jansen seventh and Watilo took eighth. Anderson completely dominated the second stanza from the moment it started to the completion. Maico riders Tom Poage, Sun and Tyler kept the gas on following him, while Michlitsch made his move and got past four riders to jet into second. The real race was between Sun and T yler, the two Maico Support riders. who put on a great race that lasted until the flag. Sun finished third behind Michlitsch . Tyler was fourth. Burgett moved up from a bad start for fifth. Larson was sixth, Buffaloe seventh and Ma cDonald rounded out th e top eigh t. . Results 125 PRO: 1. Tim Michlitsch (Kaw); 2 . Robb Man ning (Yam); 3. Jim Anderson (Yaml ; 4 . Leon Mac Donald (Vam) ; 5. Ted Holt (Vam) . 250 PRO: 1. Jim Anderson (Yam) ; 2. Tim Michlitsch (Kaw); 3 . Rick Burgett (Yam) ; 4 . Scott Tyler (Mai); 5 . Mike Larson (Hon) , OPEN PRO: i . Rick Bu rgett (Yam); 2 . Mike Larson (Han); 3 . Ron Sun (Mai): 4 . Bob Buffaloe (Han) : 5. John Chr istian Jr. (Hon). Racing day and night at Sand Hill Ranch By Sally Sideliner BRENTWOOD, CA, MAY 22 It was a busy Saturday at Sand Hill Ranch for the first "twoeventer" of the summer season. A daytime motocross brought number one plate holder Michael Whalen to the track for another 125cc Pro win. Steve Nauman of Walnut Creek Honda got the holeshot with Whalen and Mark Hearns on his tail. Whalen passed Nauman early in the race and Brad Bruns moved to third just before the checkered flag. Nauman darted out in front of Whalen again in moto two with Craig Christain close behind. Nauman dumped it on the downhill and Christain sailed by Whalen and Nauman, while Kimo Casey pulled into third. Bruns made a last-lap pass on Casey and Whalen, who never managed to get by Christain, still took the overall. The second event was the evening Marathon. The 200cc class was won by Kimo Casey and the Open class went to Jerry Brandt of Concord Yamaha. Results OPEN : 1. Doug McRae (Vam) ; 2. Wayne Archer (Vam) . 250 PRO: 1. Mike Holmes (SUl); 2. C. Christain (Vam) . 125 PRO: 1. Michael Whalen (Han); 2 . Brad Bruns (Suz). McRae, Silhanek strike again at SHRMX By Sally Sideliner BRENTWOOD, CA, MAY 29 Doug McRae continued his winning streak at Sand Hill Ranch by winning the 250cc and Open Pro classes for the fourth week in a row. McRae had to do battle with Jon Nelson in the 250s and all 10 laps were tight. McRae holeshot rnoto one with Nelson on his tailpipe. As they pulled away from the field , Nelson kept the pressure on for six laps, sometimes passing, never falling more than three feet behind. McRae kept the pace up, however, as Nelson slowly backed down and settled for a second. George Hopper, riding his first Pro race , held a third place throughout the moto. Nelson took the lead in moto two and was able to ward off McRae for four laps. But McRae made an inside pass on the grass section to 'once again take home the bacon. The 125cc and Open Pro com bined was a start-to-finish race. Allen Silhanek holeshot both the 125cc motos followed by Craig Christain. The only swapping of positions was between Mark Hearns a n d Kimo Casey for third. This battle ended when Kimo lost his cl u tch . McRae again enjoyed an easy win in the Open Pros. The class was small and a crash on lap four by Bob Sweeney gave McRae an easy win. McRae was able ~qf.i~ish.11,lo~o.tw.o. on ~ p ~~ t,ire , ~ ti!Y -, . mg m iront of Wayne Arch er. ' •

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