Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

CeDlraJ PipeJiDe turn side by side as Friend followed in third, but Berry quickly took command, and Friend slipped into the runner-up slot coming out of the five back-straight whoops. The leading duo set up a fierce pace as they went head to head for the leading position, but Berry held strong despite Friend nudging a wheel ahead in a few double-berms. Berry's Kawasaki was superior in top speed, and could pull the Honda down the many long straights, and all Friend could do was settle for a runner-up ride. On the final lap Berry got careless, slowed down, and Friend uied a last-suaight blitz out of a double-berm, but again Berry's Kawasaki mOlOred ahead into the final turn and across the line. Todd Gikling picked up third on his Black Hills Yamaha behind Friend. Jack Yost took both the 250 and Open Amateur titles at the Southem States Championships. despite a DNF in the last 250Cc race of the series. Vost roosts at Wichita Falls By Frank H. Harrison WICHITA FALLS, TX, SEPT. 4 Mike Kidd's three-day Labor Day weekend Southern States Championship series ended up with a half-mile event at the Wichita Falls Speedway on this hot, dusty Sunday afternoon in blistering north Texas. With the 50, 60 and 80cc junior events won by jason Adcock, Scott Williams and Ronnie LeBleu respectively; the 80cc Senior riders put on a good show with Trace Pison and Mike Hale engaging in a real battle at the start. Hale had suetched a good lead, followed by Polson,Tim McKay and Chad MCCracken when Ronnie Le Bleu fell and the race· was red flagged. The restart again saw Hale and Polson resume battle, with MacKay in third and McCracken in fourth, and that was the order at the finish. In the 25Occ,Amateur division, it was jack Yost, riding his Motorcycle Specialties Yamaha, getting the holeshot, followed by james McQuaid and jack Surber on his Carter's Yamaha. Surber passed McQuaid by the second lap, and Rocky Fivecoat hung in for fourth as Yost set sail, only to roll to a stop on the start/finish line, leaving Surber temporarily in the first position. The battle conti~ued to the finish as Fivecoat zapped McQuaid and Surber 10 take the win. 44 Nottobeoutdone, Yost jumped on his bigger bike for the Open Amateur final and chased james Huddleston into turn one for a big battle for several laps, with Yost coming out in the lead on his Terry Bishop-tuned Motorcycle Specialties-sponsored Triumph. Yost and Huddleston battled in a wheel-ta-wheel duel, but the race settled down, with Mitch Houden several lengths back in third and Fivecoat in fourth. Yost pulled out a comfortable lead at the finish, with Huddleston second and Houden third. Results 50: 1. Joson Adcoctt; 2. leah Richards. 60: 1. SCott Williams; 2. Tim McKay. 60 JR: 1. Ronnie LeBleu; 2. Bill Richards. 60 SR: 1. Mike Hale; 2. Trece Polson; 3. Tim McKay. 125: 1. Milte Hale; 2. Trace Polson; 3. Willie McCoY. 250 AM: 1. Rocky Fivecoat; 2. Jack Surber; 3. James McQuaid. OPEN AM: 1. Jack Yost; 2. James Huddleston; 3. Milch Houden. 250 PRO: 1. Gene Fisher; 2. Gary Kidd; 3. Alan Powers. OPEN PRO: 1. Gene Fisher; 2. Gary Kidd. SOUTHERN STATES CHAMPIONSHIP CLASS CHAMPIONS: 6Occ: 1. Joson Adcock. 6Occ; 1. SCott Williams. 60cc JR: 1. Bill Richards. 60cc SR: 1. Mike Hale. 125cc: 1. Mike Hele. 260cc AM: 1. Jack Yost. QPEN AM; 1. Jack Yost. Friend flyin' again at Osage MX By Brian George OSAGE, WY, AUG. 28 One hundred motocross racers from a five-state region converged upon the Osage Motocross Track just outside of Newcastle, Wyoming, Sunday for the 19th round of the Borderline Racing Association's 21-race series, and with .the points battles in every class growing tighter, this points-paying event was important as the season draws nearer to the end. . Spearfish Honda's "Flyin' Mike" Friend extended his overall win sueak in both the 125 and 250cc Pro categories with back-to-back overall honors in the two divisions, despite very heavy competition in the 125s from LeeVern Berry, and Dave Molder in the 250cc wars.. Round one of the 125s saw Rick WooI~.and.Berry..go .iIUO ~he ~fitsl In round two, it was again Berry with the holeshot and Friend right , behind, and at the end of the first lap the race looked like a rerun of the final lap ofthe opening moto. Friend tried an outside line in a double-berm to get the drive on Berry's Kawasaki, and when Berry went for a rougher inside line in the final corner of the firST lap, Friend blasted around the outside and the pair' went side by side through the air off the finish-line jump. Friend pulled ahead going into the next corner, and from then on it was all Friend's mota, as Berry could nOl mount a serious charge on the leader. As the maIO wound down and Friend pulled away, Berry slowed considerably, and with two laps 10 go, Gikling reeled in the Kawasaki and put a late pass on Berry for the runner-up slot in the mota. Berry came out on top of Gikling in the overall standings behind Friend. The start of the first 250cc Pro maIO was a wild affair as Friend lOok the holeshot, but Kelly Olson veered across the pack out of the gate and sandwiched series poin~s leader Molder into Lynn Hyde. Molder went down, but remounted to join the pack halfway into the opening lap, riding with a fury that saw him pull all the way into fourth place before the halfway mark. Meanwhile, Friend was running off with the moto, while Gikling and Billy Stork gave chase on their Black Hills Yamahas. Neither rider was able 10 catch the leader before the wire, and at the flag it was Friend, Gikling, Stork, Molder and Olson rounding out the top five. Round two again saw Olson come off the line irratically, and this time Friend was sandwiched in as Stork and Molder took off with the leading two slots. Olson was in third until Friend moved by at the end of the first lap, but Olson crashed himself outof contention a lap later, giving the fourth place spot to Gikling, while Molder worked around Stork just before the halfway mark. At that point, all Friend had to do was stay in third if Molder rode out front to pick uptheoverall, which isjusthow they came across the line at the end. Molder took the moto win ahead of Stork, Friend, Gikling and Lynn Hyde, but overall the order was Friend, Molder, Stork, Gikling and Hyde. Results 125 PRO: 1. Mike Friend (Honl; 2. LaaVern Berry 3. T.odd Glkling (Yaml· 250 PRQ: 1. Milta Friend (Hont 2. 0... Molder (Hon~ 3. Billy Stork (Yeol. 250 B: 1. Brian Gerga CHon); 2. Joe Thompson (Hon~ 3. Eddie Poner fSuZ). 125 B; 1. Tim Schack fHonl; 2. Gene Schuler (Suz); 3. Mark MaUll" (Kawl. 125 C: 1. Willy Thap (Yamt 2. _rd Sharkey (Yam); 3. Ty T _ (Yam). MINI C; 1. Brian Klnnaon (Yam); 2. Bradley George CHon~ 3. _ FicllllHon). (Kaw~ MINI B: 1. James Fuller (Kew); 2. Danny Hanson (Kawl; 3. Chad Lundstrom (Kaw). MINI A: 1. Scon Jensen (Kaw); 2. 0... Zuhr (Honl; 3. Ban Fuller (Yaml. VET: 1. Phil Stehl. (Kaw); 2. Stephen Brocker (Mail. ENOURO: 1. Don Harwood (Yam I; 2. Dave Peterson (Yam); 3. Greg Gregory (Kawl. OLO IRON: 1. Jim Winchester (C·A); 2. Brian Schoenberner (Yaml. PP: 1. Mary Hanson (Kawl; 2. KlIUy Thomson (Hon); 3. Karen Anderson (Hon). Friend doubles at Gillette MX By Brian George GILLETTE, WY, AUG. 21 Round 18 of the Borderline Racing Association's 21-race motocross series rolled into Gil- ~ lette, Wyoming, and the Coal Country Motocross Track, where a light turnout of riders was' on hand for the points-paying event. The uaok was rough and demanding as always, with steep elevation changes and bumpy uphills and downhills that required skill and finesse to handle at speed. In the Professional ranks, Spearfish Honda's "Flyin' Mike" Friend returned 10 the winner's circle afrer severely breaking his wrist at the Highway 79 Motocross Race a few months ago, as he ran away with both the 125 and 250cc Pro classes, winning all four of the motos in the class and gaining some ground on the overall points leaders for the series, who all missed the day's race. First out of the gate were the 125cc Pros, and in round one Friend 'took the hole.shot with Greg Hyde and Kevin Forrester in tow. Hyde slayed within close range of Friend for the early going, but in trying 10 match the leading Honda'space, Hyde went down and had to remount and work back into second ahead of Forrester by the maIO'S end. Friend roUed off with the easy mOlo victory. In round two, Friend again led from the start with Hyde close behind, and this time Hyde managed 10 stay on two wheels for the duration of the maIO. Friend, however, proved to be too much for the runner-up to handle as he rode in with the second-molO victory as well as the overall, while Hyde settled for second ahead of Forrester. Friend returned in the 250cc Pros 10 take the holeshot in the opening molO, this time with Forrester and Rex White following. Neither uail· ing rider could match the pace Friend set for the race, and the Spearfish Honda rider ran off with another moto victory, while Forrester rode in a comfortable second ahead of White. Round two was another easy ride for Friend, this time going untouched from the gate to the finish flag as he holeshot and rode alone out fronl all the way. Again Forrester gave chase, - but could not get closer than several bikelenghts behind the leader and had to roll in a distant second for the molO and overall. again ahead of White on both counts. • Results 125 PRO: 1. Mike Friend (Honl; 2. Greg Hyde (Honl; 3. Kevin F_ _r (Hon). 250 PRO: 1. Mike Friend (Honl; 2. Kevin Forralter (Hon); 3. RIOJl White (Kawl. MINI A: 1. Randy Stehla (Kawl; 2. TroY Pock (Yam); 3. Dave Zuhr (Honl. MINI B: 1. David VanHorn (Yam); 2. Chad Lundtrom (Kew); 3. Jaremy Rodriguez (Honl. MINI C: 1. Mike Focht (Honl; 2. Bill Boslay (Kawl. 125 B: 1. Gene Schuler (Suz); 2. 0... Zuhr (Honl; 3. Mark Harwood (Kawl; 125 C: 1. Willie Thoy (Yam); 2. Todd Hima(Honl; 3. Ty Tisher (Yam). 250 B: 1. Joe Thompson fHon); 2. Mark Ha

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