Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Ne. Medco-Colol'ado-Wyomlav-Moat_a- ol'lh Dakota-loath Dakota-Nebl'a.ka-Kaasas-Oldahom.-TelUU- Ne. Medco-Colol'ado-WyomlJ CeDtral PipeliD~ Carroll Richardson topped the 1255 at the GNC Regional.(File photo.) Vreeland svveeps Minis; S.urber takes Prosa-tGNC Regional By Joe Milian Photo by Pat McClure WHIT EY, TX, DEC. 4 Oakley Factory Pilot representative Dana Duke and Kawasaki field technician Greg Quador were pressed into service as trophy "girls" as cash and awards were handed out at Lake Whitney Cycle Ranch after today's GNC Regional. The presence of Duke and Quador along with other industry luminaries bore testimony to the size and importance of this race, which attracted more than 500 entrants. Riders qualifying at this event will be eligible to compete in the GNC International Motocross Final to be held next Marcb at Whitney. Mexican riders Stefano Ulrich, Fabio Bellesia, Raul Gomez and John Zamarripa joined competitors from Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama in vying for one of the 760 spots in the finale. Duke, visiting the Lone Star state for the first time, was impressed with the spaciousness of Texas' premier motorcycle recreational facility. "They're right, everything is bigger in Texas," Duck stated as he gazed out on the 640-acre expanse. "And I can also tell you that these are the biggest trophies I have ever seen." Quador was happy about the fact the nine overall winners in 19 classes were aboard Kawasakis. One of his charges, Byron Clayton of Mobile, Alabama, took wins in three of the Minibike divisions and Team Green's ~rroIl Richardson won top money in the 125cc Expert class. Richardson held off a determined Danny Storbeck in the second moto to register a 2-1 effort for the day, with Storbeck going 1-2. Richardson committed something of a tactical error in moto one when he tried to pass Jerry Surber Jr. on the fourth lap. Richardson attempted to get around Surber in a turn where discretion might have been the better course_ "Yeah, I guess I should have waited to make my move, but with Storbeck and Tinney right behind me I wanted to get the lead and let them fight it out with Surber," Richardson stated after the completion of the heat. . Rather than waiting, Richardson tried to stuff inside 'Surber and the two leaders went down. Danny Storbeck adroitly avoided the fallen duo and took command of the lead position. Richardson remounted hurriedly and quickly dispatched Tinney, who had also slipped past while meditating in the mud. Surber was not as fortunate and he spent the duration of the moto working his way back to fourth place. Round one ended with Storbeck, Richardson, Tinney, Surber, and Kirk Dillon filling the first five positions. Richardson Jed the second moto from start to finish but had Storbeck and Dennis Hawthorne keeping him company for the duration of the heat. Tinney had the misfortune of having h is front brake cable snag in his front wheel as he dove into "Banzai Gulch" and subsequently crash out of contention while lying fourth on lap two. Wendell Trigg, after terrorizing the Junior ran..ks! got his first taste of money racing and finished a creditabre 10th overall. Kirk Dillon registered two solid performances to put him in the top five for the day. Storbeck also rode in the 250cc Expert affair as well but despite the fact that he won the second moto handily, he still finished well out of the overall money. His lead in the first round lasted somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 seconds as he slid out in front of 34 riders in turn two. In the ensuing melee. Bryan Abernathy, who just signed a support contract with Honda, was victimized by his proxim ity to the leader as, unable to avoid the carnage, he crashed hea· vily. Storbeck. was able to get up and continue but Abernathy was taken to the hospital where X-ray treatment revealed a chip on the small bone in his right leg. Dennis Hawthorne was fortunate to avoid the bodies and bikes and he, Surber and Darren Rhoten pulled away from the rest of the field. Tinney, Yamaha Support pilot Ron Dunfee, and Kirk Spencer rounded out the first six at the flag, with Hawthorne the winner and Surber second ahead of Rhoten. Hawthorne made an untimely error in moto two under someofthe rough· est track conditions in recent memory which resulted in a ninth-place finish. Storbeck was able to fend off Surber for the victory, but Surber's 2-2 tally gave him the overall win. Rhoten, with a 3-5 total, was runnerup and Spencer, Tinney, and Hawthorne filled out the first five. Dunfee captured consecutive wins in the Open Expert race but was pressured relentlessly by Matt Bracken both times out. The two traded the lead on more than one occasion, and were never more than a few bike lengths apart during the entire.clash. Gary Tucker and Ronnie Kimbrell had a duel similar to the two front runners as they staged their struggle for the rights to third place. Track conditions in the second moto required the utmost in stamina and concentration from the big-bore combatants and the attrition rate was high. Big Tex Yamaha of San Antonio rider Jeff Ellis survived a highspeed detour just past "Surber's Surprise" that left him shaken but otherwise unhurt. European Cycle Sales of Temple representative Tommy Pavelka made it safely through a tankslapping endo that left his KTM battered and bleeding. When the final flag came out the overall order found Dunfee with the triumph over Bracken, Tucker, Kimbrell, and Richard Curtis. Results MICRO MINI: 1. Ross Ohayer (Yam): 2. Shay Manney (Yam); 3. Homer Hamilton (Suz); 4. Terry Richards (Yam): 5. P.J. Webster (Yam). MINI MINI JR: ,. Ross Ohayer (Kaw): 2. Brad Boodng (Kawl; 3. Rowdy Flanagan (Kaw); 4. Shay Manney (Yam): 5. Jeff Ashby (Kaw). MINI MINI SR: ,. Byron Clayton (Kaw); 2. Jerry Norwood (Kaw); 3. James Fuller (Kaw); 4. Crispy Vreeland (Kaw); 5. Willy Bowden (Kaw). • MINIBIKE JR: ,. Byron Clayton (Kaw): 2. Jerry Norwood (Kaw); 3. Timothy Hodes (Kawl; 4. Crispy Vreeland (Kaw); 5. Charlie Winn (Yam). MINIBIKE SR: ,. Eddie Vreeland (Han): 2. Brian McGary (Han); 3. Scon Chesser (Kaw); 4. John Forames (Kaw); 5. Chris Gullaksen (Kaw). MINIBIKE 105: ,. Eddie Vreeland (Han): 2. Brian McGary (Han); 3. Jason Upshaw (Yam); 4. Scan Chesser (Kaw); 5. Jason Langford (Kaw). 1. Byron Clayton (Kaw): 2. Robert MINI STK Larose (Kaw); 3. Timothy Hodes (Kaw); 4. Crispy Vreeland (Kaw); 5. Kevin Foster (Yam). MINI STK 1 Z·' 5: ,. Eddie Vreeland (Han): 2. Brian McGary (Han); 3. Jason Langford (Kaw); 4. Scan Chesser (Kaw); 5. Jason Upshaw (Yam). 125 STK: 1. Billy Whitley (Kaw); 2. Brent Carrizales (Kaw); 3. Chad Parker (Yam); 4. Vince Rizzo 7-' ,: (Kaw); 5. Chris Gunter (Yam). 250 STK: 1. Rob Springer (Kaw); 2. Scon Foster (Yam); 3. Louis Wooley (Han): 4. Bart Fuller (Han): 5. Todd Eschberger (Kaw). 125 NOV: 1. Vince Rizzo (Kaw); 2. Chris Gunter (Yam I; 3. Steve Hill (Kaw); 4. Todd Eschberger (Kawl; 5. Kevin Boulter (Yam). Z50 NOV: ,. Todd Kale (Yom): Z. Robert raylor (Suzl; 3. Arthur Young (Hon); 4. Stewart Gaines (Yam): 5. Gordon Austin (C-A). 125 INT: ,. Keith Foytik (Suz); 2. Billy Whitley (Kaw); 3. Aaron Austin (Yam); 4. Brent Carrizales (Kaw): 5. Brian McGary (Han). 250 INT: ,. Mark Cochran (Kaw): 2. Shane Beavers(Suz); 3. Scott Foster (Yam); 4. Rodney Wallace (Yam); 5. Robert O'Oonneli (Han). OPEN INT: 1. Shane Beavers (Suz); 2. James Gorman (Hon); 3. Donnie Gaddis (Yam); 4. Ty Carter (Kaw): 5. Bart Green (Han). OVER 30: 1. Tom Johnson (Han); 2. David Bibby (Han): 3. Tim McCaskill (Yam): 4. Roger Olson (Han): 5. Troy Rapp (Yam). , Z5 EX: 1. Carroll Richardson (Kaw); 2. Danny Storbeck (Yam); 3. Dennis Hawthorne (Yam); 4. Jerry Surber (Hon); 5. Kirk Dillon (Yam). 250 EX: 1. Jerry Surber (Han); 2. Darren Rholan (Kaw); 3. Kirk Spencer (Yam); 4. TerryTinney(Hon); 5. Dennis Hawthorne (Yam). OPEN EX: 1. Ron Dunfee (Yam); 2. Matt Bracken (Han): 3. Gary Tucker (C·A): 4. Ronnie Kibrell (Kaw): 5. Richard Curtis (Yam). Hynes trots to Turkey Race win By Roger Dowden LARAMIE, WY, NOV. 20 Participants in this year's eighth annual Last Chance Turkey Race were greeted by what has become typical weather for this event: six inches of snow and temperatures in the 20s. Also typical was the overall winner, Mark Hynes, who's Turkey Race victories now total four. The 60 or so riders sprinted from a LeMans-style start to their mounts, and then did a rendition of a cavalry charge across a mile of sagebrush before reaching mountainous terrain. The leader as the troops entered the mountains was Mike Birdsley on a 250 KTM, followed by Rick Robeson on a 250 Honda, Mark Hynes on a veteran 430 Husky and Richard Staley on another 250 KTM. Birdsley's reign at the point position ended about three miles into the first loop with a fifth-gear get-off into a snow drift. The battle for the lead was tben between Robeson, Hynes and Staley. Staley evidently excelled in the pushand-shove terrain of bea,ver ponds, icy trails and aspen groves, and pulled out a slight lead only to be stricken with a flat tire. Hynes and Robeson held first and second at the end of the first loop and maintained their positions through the second loop. Brian McKenna spent the first loop familiarizing himself with a 504 KTM that he had picked up the day before. He then began a charge during the second loop that carried him past Hynes and Robeson by the beginning of loop three. As luck would have it, his chain derailed in the sagebrush, allowing Hynes to pass. McKenna replaced the chain, caught Hynes, and the two began a battle royale that went back and forth for the entire third loop. Their battle went right down to the wire. Hynes led slightly as the duo entered a rutted snowdrift a few hundred yards from the finish. Hynes was amazed to see McKenna pass him without his bike. McKenna quickly remounted and finished scant feet behind Hynes. They were followed shortly by Robeson (someone should tell him that XR250s aren't really race bikes). Fourth overall went to Bob Kowardy, who spent the first two loops battling a stuck throttle on his TT600. Early leader Staley fixed his flat tire and finished seventh overall. _. - Results OVERAll: 1. Mor1tHynes(Hus); 2. BrianMcKonna (KTM); 3. Rick Robeson (Han); 4. Bob Kowordy 17

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