Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

second while Brooks followed in third. A few laps later, Larson also went down dropping to the back of the pack. Smith, who only a few moments earlier snuck by Brooks, took over second. Mike Fisher, on a Yamaha, worked his way into fourth after a fair stan From there, things stayed the same to the finish. Round two saw Mark Flesia and his Yamaha roost to the front of the pack inches ahead of Larson, Smith, Holland and Brian Manley on a Yamaha. There was no taming HoIland who, by the end of the first lap, had already control of the lead after passing Flesia on the inside of a tigh t left-hand turn. At the end of lap two, Holland's lead grew to over sevenseconds over Smith, who a few turns earlier, had snuck by Flesia. Fisher put the move on. by picking off riders until he landed sel'ond a lap later. Beier, after a fair start. put himself into third near the halfway point. Gary Bowman, on a Suzuki, moved up to fourth, then near the end of the moto, Bowman zapped Beier. But Beier retaliated quickly. Holland took the win ahead of Fisher, Beier, Bowman and Smith. C(') 00 0') M q; ~ o .... u o 250 Main One of Team Tamm's hotshoe is jeff Hids. Hicks rides a 1984 production Honda and he is proving to be a ~I threat in the 250cc class. During the past two Trans-Cal races, Hicks has, at one time or another, led or won every moto. As usual, Hicks was again in top form and was found in the front of the pack at the start of molO one. Hicks was folJowed by Kawasaki-mounted Robert Laughlin, Oavid Taylor, on a Honda, Bill Grossi, current points leader Brian Myerscough, Mike Tripes and A.j. Whiting. By the end of the second lap, -Myerscough took control of the second spot. Myer cough, during practice, broke his current mount and had lO ,ride his '83 CR. He managed to reeljn Hicks anyway by the third lap. .Hut, Myerscough stalled his Honda o'n the bottom of a very steep downhill. He managed lO restart it quickly enough to hold on lO second. How~yer, Myerscough lost six-seconds lO Ilicks, but "Flyin' Brian" again lasoed ):ticks, then the two leaders engaged J .a very exciting dogfight for the top spot. Myerscough did all he could lO g~t around Hicks, but the Team Tamm rider would shut the door on Myerscough in every tum. This battJt; remained this way for the next five laps. Then, in the bad section, M'yer~ough put his Bill Chapintuned Honda into the lead. A lap later, Myerscough was able to stretch his lead lO a few seconds over Hicks. Whitting was having a great ride after putting his Yamaha into third ,only a few laps into the race. Grossi followed ahead of Bryan Maloney and Jefferson. For Myerscough, it was smooth sailing to the checkered flag. Hicks followed in second ahead _of Whiting, Maloney and Harrell. -Myerscough put his Honda into the lead at the start of the second ,molO, while his main concern was found in fourth, Hicks. In between followed Laughlin and Harrell. Jerome Heiberger was back in fifth. By the end of lap one, Harrell took over second while Hicks followed Harrell ~nto third. The Team Tamm teammates battled for a couple of laps, then Hicks took control of second. Myerscough, by then, had already developed a sizable lead. He went on to take the win ahead of Hicks, Whiting, who put in another great ride, Heiberger, Jim Tarantino and Harrell. "( wanted to get a good starl," said Myerscough after his win. "} had to get out in front of those guys really early instead of h3Vit'lg to work my Brian Myerscough (45) and Jeff Hicks spent most of the first moto this close. Hicks led for about eight laps before "Flyin' Brian" made his move. Myerscough won the second moto with ease and took the overall. way up. Luckily I got a good start. I cut lO the inside and gOt ahead of them." "( had a bad start," said Hicks. "I gave up a lot of ground at the gate, but I made up for most of it before I even gotlO the first corner. Luckily I had a gap on both sides of me at the gate, so ( wasn't immidiately boxed off. " After a first-molO restart, Yamahamounted Scott Manning jammed in lo the lead in the Open class ahead of Tim Locey, on a Honda, John Whelchel, KTM's John Finkelday and Greg Torgerson. But, in the second turn, both Locey and Whelchel dove under Manning taking over the first and second spot. During the second lap, Locey held a three-bikelength lead over Whelchel then Manning. Larson was in fourth followed by Finkeldey. A lap later, Finkeldey passed Larson for fourth. Locey and Whelchel pulled away from the pack in a duel for the lead. Many times the two leaders were side by side. During the fifth lap, Whelchel saw his chance and made his move taking over the lead. Whelchel held the throttle wide open and went outside of Locey in a wide, sweeping turn. Then Finkeldey also snuck up and passed Locey soon after. A lap later Whelchel dropped his bike. "My front wheel washed out on the right hander through a groove in the tree section," commented Whelchel afterwords. Finkeldey inherited the lead 'while Whelchel got going again in third. But Larson quickly slipped past Whelchel and he then set after Locey. Larson and Locey battled with the advantage going lo Larson shortly after. Whelchel also nipped Locey a few turns later. Near the end of the molO, Finkeldey developed a 19-second lead over Larson. Finkeldey easily took the win ahead of Larson, Whelchel, Dan Conway and Locey. Manning hot into the lead again at the start of the second molO, but Mannings efforts ended early on the first lap when he came lo a sudden halt handing the lead over to Whel- John Finkeldey finished tops in the 500cc class, but trails Whelchel by four points in the standings. Finkeldey rode to a 1-2 tally. chel. Jim Ellis, on a Yamaha, followed in second ahead of Finkeldey, Conway and Larson. Before the second lap, Finkeldey stuffed itaround Ellis. Finkeldey ran into some problems and dropped back two spots. However, Finkeldey didn't give up. He quickly made up the positions he lost. Near the end of the race, Finkeldey reeled in Larson and took control of second. The KTM pilot began making up distance on Whelchel, but time ran out. Whelchel took the win ahead of Finkeldey, Larson, Larry Wosick and Ellis. After the race Whelchel said, "He (Finkeldey) almost caught me, he was right there in the end. For a while, my chalkboard said we were the same distance apart throughout the race. Then all of a sudden a last min ute charge'."· "Finkeldey was about 10 bikelengths behind me," said Larson. "And within two corners, he went by me. I don't know where he came £rom." Whelchel still managed to hold on lo a slim four-point lead over Finkeldey in the standings. • Results 125 PRo: 1. George Hollend (5uz). 1·1; 2. Mike Fisher (Vem). 4·2; 3. Rodney Smith (Yem). 2·5; 4. Gery Bowmen (5uz). 7-4; 5. L.erry BrooQ (Han). 3·9; 6. Brien Menley (Veml. 8-6; 7. Chris Hei...r (Han). 6·8; 8. Mike L.erson (Han). 5·11; 9. Jeff Frisz (Han). 13·7; 10. Steve VlehoIIHon). 11·10. 250 PRO: 1. Brien Myerscough (Han). 1·1; 2. Jeff Hickl(Honl. 2·2; 3. A.J. Whiting(Vem). 3·3;4. Todd Herrell (Han). 5-6; 5. Bill Grolsi (Yam). 6- 7; 6. Bryen Meloney (Han). 4-10; 7. Andrew Jefferson (HuI). 11·9; B. Jim Terentino(Hon). 16·5;9. Micky Dymond (Hus). 13-8; 10. Shewn McConn (Vam). 10·11. 500 PRO: 1. John Finkeldey (KTMI. 1·2; 2. John Whelchel (Vam). 3-1; 3. Phil L.erson IHan). 2-5; 4. L.erry Wosick (Han). 6·3; 5. Den Conwey (Han). 4·6; 6. Jim Ellis (YomI. 7-4; 7. Scott Johnson (Vem) B·7; • 8.Do/1 TwkJr. (t:tonl. 10-8; 9J etlilliIiOveI.tIC1(Hul). 11·9; 10. Gordon Word (Han). 12-12. 7

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