Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

seized up solid. Ashcraft was the first one by. The Open class staned first, and Ashcraft led it to the bomb after passing motocross star Carlos Serrano en route LO the burning tires. Smith was nowhere near the front: "I think I took about 18 kicks to get staned. [ was the last one off the line and I didn't even begin catching dust until past the bomb." Smith soon worked his way through the pack and caught up to a ballie for second involving Roeseler, Serrano and the big Yamaha thumper of Randy Morales. According to RoeseIer, the big facLOr in the ballie was the dust since it determined who you could pass and when you could do it. At the 53-mile mark, the course had made its way back LO the stan area for the first main gas pit. Ashcraft had a three-minute lead on Smith, while Roese1er, Morales and Serrano followed. Honda-mounted Chris Howard led the 2505, and had overcome the starting deficit to run sixth overall. One of the more amazing things that happened on the day was that Summers had seized his Cagiva at the smokebomb, badly enough to where he had to be towed for a restart. He seized it three more times, but still made up ground on the slim field in his class to take the lead. At the second gas, another 32 miles down the course, Ashcraft only had 30 seconds on Smith; this after crashing hard. "There was a joshua tree trunk laying across the trail," said Ashcraft later. "It was marked, but I'm not used to having the marker right on the danger spot. It caught my footpeg and I went over the bars. [ hun my shoulder and was prelly dingy for awhile." Smith, who passed Ashcraft for the lead a few miles later, agreed: "When I passed Dan he just son of let me go. That's just not like him." To add insult LO injury, Ashcraft hit somethiilg while riding in Smith's dust and crashed again. Behind the leaders Morales had slowed with unknown problems, so it was Husky riders Roese1er and Serrano running 3-4, followed by Honda-mounted Kevin Steele. At sixth overall, Arizona's Kent Miller had ovenaken Howard for the lead in the 250s. Howard was still right there, however, in spite of an ill-handling mOLOrcycle. Yamaha rider SCOll Godfrey was one position in arrears of Howard, but he too had troubles in the form of a flat rear tire. Class 30 leader Subith had already passed all the 125s while enjoying his class lead, six positions ahead of runner-up Ed Sivon on a KTM. In the 125cc ranks, Yamaha-mounted Bobby Davidson had edged slightly ahead of Summers. Class 38 had shaped up to be a duel between two Husky riders. Jackson held a three-spot advantage on Dave Miller, the father of the 250cc class leader. With Ashcraft's second crash and subsequent slowing, Smith opened up an eight-minute lead by the end of the race. "It was a good course," said Smith, who had picked up a flat tire 15 miles from the finish. "It was nice and tight. These Open-class bikes can sometimes be a real handful in the tight stuff." Ashcraft finished second, with Roeseler closing right onto his rear fender shonly .before the finish. "I feel dizzy and my shoulder is ~eally huning," said Ashcraft. "It was a fun course, but I didn't ride very well today. I was all over the place." Ashcraft was checked by medics at the finish, and they suspected a possible shoulder separation, but Ashcraft later indicated that he believed it LO be a deep bruise. Roeseler, who came as clo e LO breaking up the Smith/Ashcraft tandem as nearly anybody this year, said, "I rode really hard. [ got hung up with orne traffic in a really dusty section. I got by Smith after the first alternate gas and then I got past a pack of other guys. But when [ got hung up on a pile of rocks, they all got past again. I eventually passed them back, but I could see mith pulling away.through the du t. By the time I finally got 'clear, [ just couldn't make up the difference." Serrano finished fourth on his Eastside Cycles/Husky-backed machine. Kevin Steele had passed him in the final leg, but Serrano was the beneficiary of a teele endo and regained founh in his first major desen race. "It was interesting," said the Arizona motocrosser, "and for a desert race it was really tough. I rode the last 50 or 60 miles with a flat front tire and broken spokes. The event was very demanding and the guy who won rode his bUll off. But the guys who rode harder were the ones who finished in second, third and fourth, because of the dust." At fifth, Steele was the first Las Vegan to finish. "I got by Serrano, but then there were these two big mounds and I crashed prelly hard. Other than that, [ had a good ride," said Steele. Kent Miller rewarded sponsors Arizona Husqvarna and Malcolm Smith with a sixth-overall,lirst-25Occ finish. "I was sixth in class at the first alternate gas," said Miller, "and I took the lead before the third gas. [ had a good ride, and other than one flat tire, no problems." Husky's Scot Harden returned LO racing after the broken wrist he suffered in the Roof of Africa rally last September, moving up through the ranks for seventh overall and second 25Occ. "My plan was to ride steady and seewhatl had LOdo. Right before the last gas I staned catching Chris (Howard). Right before I caught Chris, though, Kent Miller just went right by me on the. inside of a corner and [ went 'Holy mackerel!' He bagged Chris and then I bagged Chris. " Howard was next in, taking third in class on the Tamm Racing/W.M. McLoud Corperation Honda. "The damping in the rear shock went away and as a result the back end was really kicking and the front end was a swapping a lot. The bike beat me LO death, especially in the last section." Despite the early rash of seizures, Summers continued on LO win the 125cc class on the Cagiva/Pro Gas/ Oury/DRS entry with a 15th overall finish. "[ had a 400-yard lead at the bomb, but the bike seized right at the tires. Somebody had to tow me to get started again.' I seized about four times because the jelling wasn't right, but the bike kept going. I rode prelly hard to get by everybody, but after that I paced myself and things went a lot beller." Davidson finished second, two positions back. "It was LOugh," said the Valley Plastering/Nevada Yamaha-sponsored rider, "Neat course, but tough. The competition was really good." Sandwiched in between the smallbore pilots was Class 30 winner Subith, riding for Hemet Cycle Center and Bill's ~arpet Car. "It was smooth all the way. I got of( a couple oftimes, butothenhan that it was just cruising really." Six positions back, Sivon held his runner-up position, with Nevada desen legend Max Switzer winding up third. Last-minute sign-up Jackson ended up winning the Class 38 ballle for sponsors Up-Tite Husqvarna, Kern Spon Cycles and Maxima Oils. "[ had a really good ride; one flat tire ~ 00 ,..; Larry Roeseler said he got hung up in tr.ffic early. but turned on the g.s to eventu.lly finish. clo.e third. Hond. rider Steve Subith enjoyed ••mooth ride to le.d CI••• 30 .11 the w.y .nd t.ke .n ea.y win. six .pots up on second. and that was it. Dave Miller g"t by me on the flat, but I snuck back by him. It was a really bitchin' course." Miller finished second in class, just two minutes behind Jackson at the finish. Third went to Honda rider Joe Freedom. About 32 of the 60-plus entries finished, not counting the ATVs, who had a tough time on the cour e. The first ATV finished almost three hours behind the first mOLOrcycle. • Despite four seizures. Duane Summers won the 125cc cl•••. Results OPEN: 1. Dan Smith (Hus): 2. Dan Ashcral1(Hus): 3. Larry Roeseler (Hus); 4. Carlos Serrano (Hus); 5. Kevin Steele (Hus). 250: 1. Kent Miller(Hus); 2. Scot Harden (Hus): 3. Chris Howard (Han): 4. Scott Godfrey (Yam); 5. Danny Anderson (Hus). 125: 1. Duane Summers(Cag); 2. Bobby Davidson (Yamt; 3. Ronnie Odom (Suzl. O\l£R 30: 1. Steve Subith (Han); 2. Ed Sivon lKTM); 3. Max Switzer lHus); 4. Mark Hardy(Hus); 5. Ruu Jones (Han). OVER 3B: 1. Richard Jackson lHus); 2. David Millar (Hus); 3. Joe Freedom (Hon). 9

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