Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Donnie Cantaloupi (above) and Jim Tarantino tied with points after the four race series in Canada. but the tie-breaking final moto went to Cantaloupi. CMCLL.abatf's Invitational Su~ercross Series: Rounds 1-4 Cantaloupi edges Tarantino in 'Hockeycross' By Ron Lawson EDMONTON/CALGARY, CA ADA, FEB. 5-9 After four consecutive days of racing and 40 separate heats in two Canadian cities, the Labatt's Wild Rose Invitational SupercToss Series ended on an unlikely note. Donnie Cantaloupi and Jim Tarantino were lied wilh 120 points and one overall win each. The Continemal MOlospons Club.wasl' 12 ed no time, though, in breaking the tie and declaringCantaloupi the overall winner on the basis of his thirdplace finish in the final round, where Tarantino placed fourth. The£inish wasn'llheonly unusual aspect of the series, either. The races were held in hockey stadiums before fans who, in most cases, had never seen any manner of motocross race before. And because the courses were tight, onsistingof only six turns and five double jumps, l25cc machines were used. And perhaps the strangest aspect of the series was that the riders almost entirely were American privateers. The sole Canadian was Gerry Nelson, who only tied for the main in the first event. Edmonton/Monday A few hours before the tan of the fir t race, Jim Taramino walked inlO NonhlandsStadium. "OK, I'm here. Where's my bike?" he mumbled. The other riders had been in Edmomon for days, and many had walked, rid- den and memorized the tiny course. Tarantino, on the other hand, barely had time to even think about the race. A day earlier he had been in California racing in the Golden State/Skoal Bandit Series. Friends bad brought his Bow Cycle I 25 Suzuki up so he could fiy to the race at the last minute. On lOp of that, it had been years since Tarantino had raced a 125. So much of the pre-race publicity went to Cantaloupi and Jim HoUey, while Tarantino was expected to finish somewhere in the middle of the pack. Those expectations changed, though, when Tarantino won hi qualifier easily. In the main, Tarantino came out of the gate in econd behind Mike Larson's Honda. The two diced briefly before Tarantino took the lead. For the rest of the race the Suzuki rider just motored away while the second-place ballie heated up with Gary Demon, Rodney Smith, Larson and Jim Holley all trying lO squeeze illlo the same turn. Larson tangled with Holley before the halfway mark, and both went down. Lar on was the first to remount, but bl:fore he made it to the next turn, he tangled with Tarantino, who was already coming around for another lap on the 30second track. Both riders came lO a dead slOp in the worst possible place: the lip to a gulch tbat no rider had yet cleared in anything less than second gear. Larson turned around to make another run; Tarantino dropped the clutch and gassed it. "Screw it, I thought, and I went for it. Larson should have tried it too," Tarantino said later. He made the jump by bunnyhopping his Suzuki across the I5-foot gorge before Smith and Denton could catch up. Tarantino went on to win the race with Smith second, Denton third and Donnie Cantaloupi a disappointing fourth. Edmonton/Tuesday . For the second night in Edmonton, the same track was used with slight modification. The gulch thatalmost ate Tarantino and Larson was changed so rider could roll through it at less than wide open, and several double jump were tamed down. one of that really mallered to Denton, though, who came determined lO better his previous night's third-place fini h. "The track i 0 tight, and last night lappers were everywhere," Denton aid. "If I could just get around some of those guys who are down a lap or two, I think I can win." Denton' prediction was more than jut pre-race hype, as he demonstrated by taking a convincing holeshot in the main. Jim Holley and his Topline Yamaha came Out of the hole in second just ahead of Rodney Smith, whoalso was equipped with a Yamaha. Denton was mounted on the oldest machine in the field, an '82 RM. But the machine also was the fastest in the pack, and Denton put that extra horsepower lO work, stretching out a solid lead.

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