Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126665
Sam Wills do~ned Elmer Trett for the Top Fuel win at Gulfport. Wills also grabbed the IDBA Number One plate in Top Fuel. Bo O'Brochta took the Funny Bike win with a solo pass. George Bryce, O'Brochta's opponent, had mechanical problems. The Pro Stock final pitted Mike Bruso (near lane) against Charlie Gressman. Bruso, in his first Pro Stock outing in years, took the win. Titles decided at IDBA World Finals GULFPORT, MS, OCT. 8-9 The International Drag Bike Association's World Finals at Gulfport International Dragway saw Sam Wills, Bo 8 O'Brochta, Mike Bruso and Ray Bellucci take wins in Top Fuel, Funny Bike, Pro Stock and Pro Comp, respectively. Wills and O'Brochta took Number One plates in their classes while Chip Solley grabbed the Pro Stock title and Mike Pizzitola took the crown in Pro Compo Originally scheduled as a 16-bike field, the Pro Stock ladder was upped to !l2. The opening rounds proved qualifying well didn't mean an auto- rnatic shot at making thE: final. Randy Mason and Solley, qualifiers one and two, went out in round one. Solley was also the points leader, but Russ Nyberg, Joe Folgoreand Mike Keyte, who followed in the standings, also went out quickly. The Pro Stock final saw Charlie Gressman, a dairy farmer from Callahan, Florida, on a Suzuki sponsored by Ron Turner Cycles, run his only pass out of the eights (9.28/ 14!l.54). He was passed by Mike Bruso, on a borrowed Kawasaki owned by Carl Nyberg and sponsored Qy C&:W Cycleworks, Bruso's MBI, MeR eE, Murry, ·Babor Performance and Wiseco, at 8.89/145.72. It was Bruso's first Pro Stock outing and win in years. In the semis, Bruso defeated Dave Schultz while Ralph Pitlock went down to Gressman. Pitlock and racing partner Phil Palazzola had rebuilt their Kawasaki Saturday with a Nyberg-loaned head after splitting their original. There was speculation at Gulfport on whether Elmer Trett or Sam Wills could find the right ingredients for one or more 200-mph runs. TheY didn't make it in qualifying. Wills earned the top qualifying position on his Racing Innovations/MeReE/ Suncoast Cycle/Falicon Performance/ Babor Motors/Pro-FoL\rmen/Sudco/ a Tsubaki Kawasaki with 7.44. Chris Hand, on his Motorcycles Unlimited!. MTC Engineering/Azuza/Karata Kawasaki; posted a 7.78 while Roland Stuart, on his Stuart Cycles/MTC Engineering Suzuki ran 7.86. Larryt Hayes was fourth on his Hayes-Marchman-Thornton Racing Honda at 7.99\ Treu ran a trouble-plagued 8.77 on' his Treu's Speed &: Custom/MTC Engineering/Karata/Performance Machine Kawasaki. Dave Covey was issued his Top Fuel license after an approved representative run on his Johnson Hi-Performance/Steve's Radiator Kawasaki. Covey trailered Stuart while Treu downed Hand and Wills blasted Hayes in the first elimination session. In the second Session, Treu gated by Covey to win with an 8.!lO/168.94