Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Mickey Fay's unusual Harley considering the new rules and homologation of a certain Austrian mOLOrwhich goes by several names. Fay won the 250cc race (where they still really use 250s) on the TT track. just ahead of late arrival Yamamoto (Yam), Reynolds (Kaw) and John Colton (Kaw). Both local boys (Reynolds, a Junior and Col LOn. a Novice) were primed at the Sportsman TT, with ColLOn looking especially LOugh. A"nother man who meant business was Brett Barkman. riding a KTM in the Open class. Bal'kmanzipped away from Yamamoto (Hon), Tom McCullough (Tri) and John Wincewiez (Tri) in this Sportsman main. YamamoLO's second place finishes in the twO big races of the evening may have been a sign of th,ings to come at the Regional. Brett Barkman (75) leac!s Frank Word (85). Steve Eklund and Mickey Fay in the early going of the Regional TT main. Ron Yamamoto was the winner. Yamamoto blasts Boise TT weekend' By Marty Gregory BOISE, 10, APR. 29 This had to be Ron Yamamoto's year towin the Northwest Regional TT Championship .at the 30th annual race on Boise's Peaceful Cove track. Ron ran fourth four years ago, third three years ago, second behind Frank Word last year and in 1984 the Spokane resi.' , dent won it all aboard a Honda 32 CR480 two-stroke! "If the track were 10 feet wider he'd be using that panof it, too!" was just one comment heard when Yamamoto was in action. He changes lines with the clashing style of a motocrosser, and his battles with the 750cc twins in years past have made him a big favorite in Boise. His win this year signified a milestone, it's the first time a "valveless wonder" has won the prestigious Idaho event.' In fact, this was only the second time (following Scott Pearson on a fourstroke 500 in 1982) that a single cylinder machine has ever won! Yamamoto's bike is surprisingly stock. There's a different pipe and carburetor on it but, as Ron noted, "It·s never seen a porting tool." The super tacky track seemed to suit the quick power delivery and light weight of the machine. YamamoLO kept the gas on to maintain the lead he grabbed on the founh lap from early leader Brell Barkman (KTM), and eventual second place finisher Frank Word III (Tri). Boisean Rod Reynolds ble,:" the doors off tbe Juniorclass in the Main event when it really counted. Popular Mickey Fay put on a tremendous show, coming from a back row stan to land in third spot among the Expens. And Winkie Freitas from Newman, California joined the ranks of Novice winners at the Boise TT (who include the likes of Eddie Lawson, Randy Green and Doug Chandler). In order to get the whole story, you have to stan on Thursday nigbt. Thursday short track . Mic~~y Fay, considered ~ "T! speClahst, shd away from em m the 250cc mam aboard a water-cooled two-stroke motorcycle which said Harley-Davidson on the gas tank. Thebike, reputedly built(alongwith Fay's Rotax-engined scooters) in Ron Wood's shop, was rumored to have been sold this weekend. One more shontrack winner who looked unstoppable was Toby Ashley (Kaw), who dusted OMC's PRman Larry Cowles (Yam) for the win in the 250cc Intermediate class. They would square off again on Friday. Fay ran econd LO Randy Green (Hon) in the Open class but not before having to get around local John Colton (Hon). John made the main with an exciting heat race win, banging under leader Many Zirbel (Yam) on the last corner LO nip the checkers. Another local, Jerry Moore (Hon). won his heat going away on Dave Norris' fire-breathing XR500-engined wonder. It looked like ColLOn and Moore were going to be ready for the big TT, still three days away. In other shon track action, NamP,\'S Mark Tapp (Hon) led the Mini Expert main umil turn four of the la tlap. Tapp was pressured throughout the race by Chad Wallwork (Yam) who made his move at the very end of the race, and made it stick. Tapp, a first year Expert, ran very strong on the TT track in 1983 and, with his fine performance in this 1/6-mile bash, looked like he mighl be the man to beat on Friday night at the Sportsman TT. . FrIday Sportsman TT No one was too surprised about Saturday motocross The Enderson family from RenLOn, WashingLOn scored twice at the "TTweekend" motocross. with Jason grabbing the overall in the Mini B class and brother Mike doing itLO the 125cc Intermediates. The big boys got underway with the Open Experts taking the drop of the gate first. The Peaceful Cove motocross track is essentially the same basic design instituted by Bill and Herb Uhl back in the 70's; the infamous "Sand Hill" and the Clubhouse Jump are still being incorporated. Warren "Pud" Hickman (Yam) dominated big bore contest with Joe Wright (Han) and John Christian (Hon) running second and third respectively. MoLOS one and two both yielded the same results, as the smooth Hickman was uncatchable 'aboard his YZ490. It was a different matter in the 250cc Expert race, however, when Jim Anderson (Yam), from Longview, WashingtOn, took over first from early leader Loren Shockey (Han). Shockey grabbed the first mota holes hot, was passed by Pud, got back in to first, and was repassed again on the second lap. On lap four, Anderson made his move at the base of Sand Hill and got by Pud fora lead he would not relinquish. Joe Wright finished third. Shockey, who had just put the mOLOr back in his bike. said practice and the first maLO were a "break-in" period. The second 250cc moLO was nearly a carbon copy of the first, with Anderson taking the lead early and holding off Hickman's charges for 20 minutes. Wright suffered sundry difficulties and left Shockey witb a 4-3 tally, good for third overall. The real excitement on Saturday was the 125cc Expert class. On th is tight course, a 125cc machine goes about as fast as anything. A talented batch of riders blasted down the chute into the first corner to stan an exciting moLO number one. Corey Klaudt (Yam) grabbed an early lead. but Corey Banon was on the move. The 17-year-old Barton was riding as an Expert under an "exhibition" status so as not to compromise his Intermediate standing with Team Green. Barton swooped Klaudtgoing up the back side of Sand Hill and had the race well in hand for most of the moto. Hard-charging Rod Habig (Kaw) worked his way into third where he eventually finished for the firstgo-'round. With only acoupleof laps LO go, Banon's brake arm paned company with the back of the swingarm, leaving Banon LO contend LO getting down the Sand Hill sans brakes. Klaudt took advantage of this situation to flash into first place and hold it LO the checkers. Moto two promised to be the best race of the day. and no one was disappointed. Jim Anderson, who DNF the first moLO. emerged from a first turn tangle to pass leader Habigcoming down the Clubhouse Jump hill on the second lap. Banon was set back in that first corner pile-up, too, but he rode like a possessed man to move inLO third, closing on Habig. About two-thirds of the way through the moLO, Banon pulled up on Habig at the LOp of Sand Hill. The two local boys bounced off one another and, in a spectacular tumble, crashed while hundredsof onlooking jaws dropped open with fear. Both Kawasaki pilots were all right, but tbeir tangle lefl Jim Anderson well ahead of new second position rider Jim R. Anderson (Kaw). At the finish, it was Jim Anderson (the one from Longview on a Yamaha) ahead of J im Anderson (the other one) by 30 seconds. In the overall tally, however, Jim R. Anderson took first overall with a 5-2 score. Jim Anderson (Yam) was out of it with a DNF-I, as were Habig (3DNF) and Barton (2-13). The predicted rain, which threatened all weekend, started to fall during the last maLO of the day, and many were wondering what the weather had in store for Sunday's big TT race. Sunday Regional TT After running in foul weather (even after last year's rescheduling) the past couple of years, it did the Owyhee Club officials good to see blue sky on Sunday morning for the 30th annual Regional TT. Randy Green qualified fastest and sat on the pole for the Expert Trophy dash, which he won handily over Frank Word, Scott Pearson and Yamamoto. Pearson, who bas won the'Boise event four consecutive times. was presented the "Mac" award (named for the late Allen MacIn,tyre) at the Trophy Dash ceremomes. In only his second professional race, Randy Roose (Hon) from Bellingham, Washington, showed 'em the way in the Novice Trophy Dash, while Chris Fitzhugh (Han) powered away. from Ryan Fisher (C-A) and Rod Reynolds (Han) in the Junior four-Iapper. Last year's winn 1', Frank Word III, was back this year aboard a Triumph sponsored by Adams Cycle Supply and Simpson. Fay sal near his Wood-Rotax TT machines, and there was an XR Harley in the wings, too. Late entry, former Grand National Champ Steve Eklund was prepared for theevent, with his new 560cc Harley thumper. Green looked like a good bet aboard an American Honda XR-basedTTbike. Noonepaida lot of attention LO Yamamoto. who was in the pits cleaning oily sand 0([ his two-Stroke Honda. They were ready, but there was still some unfinished business for a few of the boys. The crazed Novice Semi saw Boise's hope John Colton (Hon) get taken out on the firststart. Colton couldn't make it up on the restart, and failed 10 transfer. Robert Moran (C-A) stroked his way to a win in the Junior semi LO make the program. and Kim Best (Yam), John Wincewicz (Tri) and Scott Pearson (Han) had to race the Expert semi-final in order to qualify. Following the traditional ceremonics, the main events got underway on time. Freitas (Rot) led Randy Roose (Hon) comfortably from wireto-wire to grab the win for the Novices. This year, 250s are out and 499s

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