Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ ~ ~ a: ~ 0 '": « ~ >al en 0 I- ~ ~ :I: a.. 00 O"l ..- 0 G(j >- C\l ~ (Above) Jim Gibson came out of semi-retirement to finish third both nights, (Below) JoJo Keller fared better Saturday by placing second. Jimmy Ellis (left) and Donnie Cantaloupi split wins for the two-day race. Burger KingfCMC Supereross Cantaloupi, Ellis roost in Rhode Island By Mark Kariya/Dirt Rider PROVIDENCE, RI, MAY 11-12 Mud riders don't usually get a chance to strut their stuff in Supercrosses, but things were different at the Burger King/Continental Motosport Club Supercross doubleheader held in the confines of the Provid~nce Civic Center. An inch of rain the day the racing soil - composed primarily of 16 clay - was picked up by Ron Crandall's crew guaranteed some sloppy conditions generally found only in winter outdoor races, not inside covered arenas. Nevertheless, Team Tamm's Donnie Cantaloupi and New England Cycle Works' Jimmy Ellis waded through the slop the fastest on their Honda 125s and split wins in two nights of racing. Ellis picked up the biggest share of the purse, though. He finished behind "Loupi" the first night and controlled the second while Donnie was in Atlanta preparing for the AMA National MX there. Bettencourt Honda ace JoJo Keller muscled his CRl25 to fourth on Friday night, then came from dead last to second on Saturday. Jim Gibson came outof his semi-retirement, borrowed a Kawasaki and slipped into third both nights. New England's top riders made up the bulk of the 32-rider field; beside Ellis and Keller, Don Grahn, Jim Meenan, Richie Sampson, Graham Barber and Weymss Scott were a few of the eastern favorites. Facing them in the CMC-sanctioned events would be California's' Donnie and Cory Cantaloupi, Gary Denton, Mike Fisher and Gibson. The format was much like any major Supercross, with riders advancing to the l2-man, 20-lap main through a series of qualifiers, quarterfinals, semi-finals and a consolation event. Despite being limited to a hockey arena-sized area, the track featured an exciting layout, with a number of·double jumps, a table top ana tight turns. Due to the muddy conditions, unfortunately, many of the doubles didn't hold up and the track turned into a maze of ruts through deep, sticky mud. Clutches took major abuse and everyone fell at least once. Friday Four riders immediately established themselves as the ones to beat during practice and the four qualifiers. Donnie Cantaloupi, Ellis, Keller and Gibson each won their events with relative ease. The two semis found Cantaloupi and Ellis, then Keller and Gibson, go 1-2. SkyCyde Yamaha rider Wemyss Scott and Manchester Honda's Bob Weber wen t 1-2 in. the consy, the last chance to make the main. As had happened all night, Cantaloupi got the holeshot in the main aboard his Ward Ring-tuned racer. Smooth, smart riding1<.ept him out of trouble and away from all challengers as he easily picked up the $1500 firstplace cash. "Any time there's ever been a mud race, it seems like I've always been able to pull it off," Cantaloupi admitted. "It just takes a lot of strength and a lot of techniq ue tb pick your lines through there. I knew there was no room for error; one mistake on a track like that could ruin you. That's the first time I've ever ridden a 125 Honda, too. " Gibson held off Ellis for much of the race while running second. Unfortunately for last year's third-ranked GP runner, he hit a soft spot at the bottom of the table top immediately after receiving the white flag. The Kawasaki's front wheel stopped and sank as surely as if he'd locked the brake and Gibson somersaulted over the handlebars in slow motion and finished third. Keller dispatched Fis'her for fourth place midway through the race but couldn't get the leaders. Saturday With the elder Cantaloupi absent the second night, Ellis and Keller appeared to be the ones to beat. No one did in their qualifiers. Gibson also took a preliminary round. Fisher swapped number plates and used Cantaloupi's bike ("That thing's a rocket," he proclaimed after practice.) to win the last qualifier. There were few surprises in the first semi, with Ellis and Gibson netting the top spots. Manchester Honda racer Joe Waddington stunned a few observers by beating Keller in the second semi, though. Midtown Kawasaki's Randy McCann aced the consy with Weber again using a secondplace finish to squeak into the final. Gibson wheelied out of the first turn in the lead at the start of the main, with Ellis, Fisher and Cycle Design Suzuki rider David Rudnicki tagging along closely. Keller was left at the gate and started alone in last, but by the end of the first lap, the husky redhead had muscled his way to seventh. Ellis kept the pressure on Gibson at the front, but the Californian was having more problems with the track. "I can't ride that mud, I guess," he admitted later. "I thought it might be all right - I got the hol.eshot - and I felt OK the first couple laps, but immediately I got into trouble paddling, and the front end was digging in on me. Finally I just went down and got bad up and from then on I was just having a hard time." Gibson dropped to third behind Ellis and Fisher, staying there to the checkers. Keller had been steadil y slicing his way through the pack and shortly after the halfway mark hewas in second to stay. Rudnicki and Suzuki-mounted Denton rounded out the top five, Fisher had problems with the mud and fell to sixth. Afterwards, Ellis revealed that not only had he been racing with a recently broken thumb and two fingers on his clutch hand, but "tonight I broke my ·little finger (when he dipped a stake in a haybale) ... My left hand's taken quite a toll. '" was pretty pumped coming into both races and because of last night's performance, , was a little more pumped coming into tonight. I wanted to win it,'1 felt' could and' just went out and did the best job I could possibly do on a 125. This is the first time I've ridden a 125 in three years. , thought it was really fun." • Results FRIDAY: 1. Donnie Cantaloupi (Hon); 2. James Ellis (Hon); 3. Jim Gibson (Kaw); 4. JoJo Keller (Hon); 5. Mike Fisher (Hon); 6. Leo Fauteux (Kaw); 7. James Meenan (Suz); 8. Robert Weber (Hon); 9. David Rudnicki (Suz); 10. Joe Waddington (Hon); 1'. Wemyss Scott (Yam); 12. Richard Sampson (Kawl. SATURDAY: 1. Jamos Ellis (Hon); 2. JoJo Keller (Hon); 3. Jim Gibson (Kaw); 4. Da.... id Rudnicki (Suz); 5. Gary Denton (Suz); 6. Mike Fisher (Hon); 7. Joe Waddington (Han); 8. James Meenan (Suz); 9. Randv McCann (Kaw); 10. Robert Weber (Han); 11. Don Grahn (Kaw); 12. Wemyss Scott (Yam).

• Cover