Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Road, the course evemually wound up on lhe westsideofthe 1-15 freeway with the second gas near Halloran Springs. The route then wem over Clark Moumain with the lhird gas at Stateline. The final 50 miles were all in Nevada. Out of lhe second gas Smith and Ogilvie stayed consistem, wilh Baker up to third and leading Lapraik and Morales. Kevin Hopkins was running fifth on a Honda XR500, but just before Stateline his ride ended with a blown base gasket. ''I'm really bummed out," he aid, "I was having a good time." Roeseler's fortunes also turned sour just before Stateline. He was up to fifth when he ran out of gas. "The CR tank is just a little LOO small for the desert," said Roeseler, "And when I lost the 10 or 15 minutes, that just put me right out of it." The final 50 miles was the roughest, and gelling a flat from tire didn't help Baker's effort when he dropped from third to fifth. Morales advanced to third with Lapraik taking fourth. At the finish line in Sloan, Smith was the first of ule 530 or so riders that would make the distance. "It was a neat ride, and the only problems were with the cold and the wind. My neck is a lillIe sore from having lhe wind pull on my visor," said the first· time B to V participant. Ogilvie, who had suffered minor injuries in the Baja 1000 and hadn't ridden umilthe week before the evem, was also happy: "It wa nothing but fun; the whole thing was a gas. We were sliding around corners, and going down miles and miles of virgin washes. It was the kind of race where you wam to turn around and go the other way becau e it was so much fun." Morales brought his Yamaha in for third overall and third Open Expert, in spite of some trouble in the final leg. "The bike stopped twice. I think it heat seized about 15 miles down the road and I thought the race was over then. I had some guy hold the bike because' couldn't reach lhe ground, and I managed to get it staned. It was a tough race and I rode hard and just tried to concentrate," said Morales, who also indicated that he would take up desert and off·road competition exclusively in 1984. Lapraik, who has been away from active competition for some time, finished a miling fourth, saying, "It 'was just a nice, pleasam ride. I just cruised, there were no mishaps and the bike ran excellem." After crashing three times becau e of the flat tire, Baker took fifth overall and fir t in the Open Vet Expert class. "It was a bitchin' ride," said Baker, adding, "I wasn't even going to ride until it rained. Thursday lhe bike was just an engine in a frame and I spent just about all of that day getting it togelher." It was Hondas taking lhe next three places, with the PfeiHer broth· ers sandwiching the XR500 of Bob RUllen. Kent was the 250cc class vic· tor, although his brother closed the gap by having a trouble· free ride after gelling "stoned." The Desert M.C.'s john Blakeney finished nimh overall and lhird in the 250s. Because he was the first private Husky entry, he received a Husky riding outfit at the following day's trophy presentation. To make it a 100% finish for the Team Honda entries, Tom Kelly TOunded out the top lOon an XR500. He, like RUllen, spent a lot of time playing catch up after gelling lost at the start. Neil Christman, a prominent name In lhe desert during the early '70s, returned for thi race and finished II th, fourth 250cc, after his chain came oH three times. He was fol· A tired-but-happy AI Baker, top Open Vet Expert. lowed in by Open Expert riders Lee Scheffers, Troy Hollis and Morgan Malocco. Paul Palmer took fifth quarter-liter at 15th, and Roeseler salvaged a 16th. Peter Po tel took first in the 175c Expert class - top C bike to D-37 regulars - at 17th on his Honda. "I had a few troubles," said Postel. "I got a flat going over lhe mountains and we were changing it at Stateline when Duane Sumners came in on his Cag· iva. I got the flat fixed and his bike wouldn't start, so I got out first and never saw him again. It was a good ride." Ron Griewe, a Cycle World editor who hasn't raced in the desert for awhile, topped the Open Senior Experts with a 24th overall finish. "That last section was rough," said Griewe. "If there were 54 miles in, 52 of 'em were those whoops made by the car races and rocks." Three positions behind him was 'SDE/enduro rider Dwight Rudder from jackson, Mississippi. Rudder, who made the trip to California with his employer and two co-workers. blurted out at the finish, "You guys aah nuts! Do they always go this fa t? Aren't there any trees? I was wide open all the way, but I want LO extend an invitation for lhese guys to come back east." Rudder finished eighth 250cc Expen in his first-ever desert ride. Ridinga 250 Yamaha, Brett Shaner was first overall Intermediate - Amateur to D-37 regulars - at 34th over· all. "I got lost a few times," said Shaner, "Bul other than lhat it was a lot of fun. The only problem I had with the bike was staying on it." While most of the riders opted for typical off-road garb, one rider was resplendent in a red Dainese/Marlboro jumpsuit. It was Eddie Lawson, winner of the recent Superbikers race and fourth in the 500cc World Road - Racing Champion. on aTT600 Yam· aha. '" did this LO get in shape and it almost killed me," said Lawson, who finished 128th overall and 23rd Open Expert, "I should have died outlhere a couple of times. It's a lot of fun, though. I did have to stop and fix my right foot peg with a hose clamp LO get it to stay on: And no, Yamaha doesn't know about this. They'll probably kill me when lhey find OUl. 1t Randy Morales was third. one of four thumpers in the top five. Starting from the final wave, Brad Denham advanced his Honda CR480 past a number of Intermediate LO finish 176th overall and first ovice. '" had a bad start and there were probably a hundred riders in from of meat the bomb," said Denham. "But , was second or third at gas two. The last section was the roughest and I cooled it because right now I'm tireder than hell." C. Hart of the Rams finished second overall in the green-plate ranks, with jim Brown third on another Open class machine. With special numbers issued for this race, there was only one rider carrying the number one plate. Louis McKey, the Phantom Duck of the Desert, was awarded that honor for all his eHorts to get the race reinstated. However, the four· time Cycle News/West Riderof the Year had his share of troubles, including a flat tire, and he retired at Cima Road. However, at the following day's trophy presemation, when the Duck was honored. he received a standing ovation from the more lhan 1000 people in allendance. It's not too often that you follow your father as class winner when the races are nine years apart, but such was the case. Kookie III finished as first dog, just inches ahead of the next finisher. john McCown. The D-37 SporlS Committee crew, led by jim Main and Rick and Laurie Hammel, worked hard to put the event on and they deserve credit. By the end of the weekend Main was running on instinct alone. • Results OPEN EX: 1. Dan Smith (Hus): 2. Bruce Ogilvie (Hon); 3. Randy Morales (Yam); 4. Dave Lapraik (Hon); 5. Bob Rutten (Hon). OPEN INT: 1. J. Trotter (Hon); 2. C. Bonham (Hon); 3. R. McCabe (Suz); 4. R. Holm (Hus); 5. M. Wiechmann (Yam). OPEN NOV: 1. Brad Denham (Hon); 2. C. Hart (Hus); 3. Jim Brown (Yam); 4. Steve Gildea/Hon); 5. D. White (Hon). 250 EX: 1. Kent Pfeiffer (Hon); 2. Kurt Pfeiffer (Hon); 3. J. Blekeney (Hus); 4. Neil Christman (Hon); 5. Paul Palmer (Yam). 250 INT: ,. Brett Shaner (Yam); 2. P. Gorgone /KTM); 3. R. Guilbeau (Suz); 4. J. Barber (Hus); 5. M. Gorgone (Hon). 250 NOV: 1. R. Hermansen (Yam); 2. K. Young (Hon); 3. J. Gilpin (KTM); 4. J. Nesmith; 5. B. Henson (Yam)/ 175 EX: 1. Peter Postel (Hon); 2. Brett Howell (Hon); 3. J. Lawrence (Yam); 4. L. Job; 5. Dennis Greene (C-A). 175 INT: 1. D. Theel (Suz); 2. Gary Covington (Yam); 3. J. Wentz; 4. K. Worlev; 5. C. Morris Jr. (Suz). Road race star Eddie Lawson finished on a TT600. 175 NOV: 1. J. Parkin; 2. S. Gard (Suz); 3. J. Kerr (Kaw); 4. R. Schneider (Yam~ 5. Jeff Crowe. VET OPEN EX: 1. AI Baker (Hon); 2. Bill Seltzman (KTM); 3. D. Ellis (Yam); 4. R. Daugherty; 5. Gary Vanderpool (KTM). VET OPEN INT: 1. S. Hollister (KTM); 2. M. Boal; 3. Marty Pollard (KTM); 4. R. Wirts (Mai); 5. W. Langer (Hus). VET OPEN NOV: 1. R. Baum (Yam); 2. P. Vakosky (Hus); 3. D. Winchell (Yem); 4. S. Bell (Mai); 5. D. Olen (Yaml. VET 250 EX: 1. Tom Mattox (Yem); 2. J. Vaughn (yam); 3. J. Sheehy (Yam); 4. D. DeSimone. VET 250 INT: 1. P. Bryk (Hon); 2. J. Jones (Yam); 3. R. Paproski (Hus); 4. N. Manninen (YamI; 5. G. Loren (Yam). VET 250 NOV: ,. M. Thomas (Yam); 2. T. McD0nald (Yam); 3. S. Griggs (KTM); 4. J. Gilpin (KTM); 5. S. Walker. SR OPEN EX: 1. Ron Griewe (Hon); 2. Charlie Morris Sr. (Hus); 3. B. Johnson (Hon); 4. L. Lahigh (Hus); 5. J. Froelich (Yam). SR OPEN INT: 1. R. Gray (Yam); 2. J. Benard (Honl; 3. A. Cossio (Hus); 4. L. Palmer (Yam); 5. B. Healey (KTMI. SR OPEN NOV: ,. R. Flaming (Hus); 2. W. Pattison (Yam); 3. W. Fuller; 4. H. Denning (Yam); 5. T. Rowan (Hus). SR 250 EX: 1. Jim Bringhurst (Hus); 2. J. Goldberg (KTM); 3. AI Guzman (KTM); 4. J. Herren; 5. D. Whitehorn (Hus). SR 2501NT: 1. F. Vancil (Yam); 2. D. Nelson (Mai); 3. D. Ross (Suz); 4. C. Behrle (Hon); 5. G. Savelle (KTM). SR 250 NOV: 1. D. Mosley (Yam); 2. D. Wellace (Yam); 3. H. Giese (Hus); 4. P. Mendoza Sr. (Yam); 5. N. McNabb (Hus). SR 175 EX: 1. W. Casperson (Yam); 2. L. Gordon (Kaw); 3. R. Torgerson (Hus); 4. J. Van (Yam). SR 1751NT: 1. F. Tervet (Yam). SR 175 NOV: 1. J. Thurgood (Yam); 2. A. Del Gaudio (Yam). WOMEN EX: 1. B. Heath IHus). WOMEN tNT: 1. Cheryl Waggoner; 2. Victoria ScOtt (Yam); 3. Dana BeIlIHus). 7

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