Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Ross Pederson (11 soars over a jump with Jim Gibson (partially hidden) right behind. The two battled to the finish with Pederson on top. Mark Murphy was one of the last qualifiers, but zipped to fourth in the final. Chuck Sun (144) leads Jo Jo Keller (24) iii their semi battle, Murphy zapped both, . Canadian Sup-ercross Champ-ionshipSeries: Round 2 Pederson wins Montreal gold By Marc Lachapelle MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, JUNE 2 All-round Canadian Supercross and MX Champion Ross Pederson notched his second straight win in Le SuperMotocross Laurentide to the roar of 60,127 people who had come LO Montreal's Olympic Stadium for the eighth edition e the event a 16 . . ThiS year, though, the 24- year-old Suzuki Canada-sponsored Albertan's ride was anything but a runaway. Pederson had to ballle with Californian Jim Gibson all through the final, leading the Yamaha YZ2S0mounted Gibson in the last half of the IS-lap affair. For the founh straight year, "Diamond Jim" took second place honors and the over $2,000 that went with il. Pederson's prize was a pound of gold, worth an estimated $6,000. Third place honors went to Mike Fisher, 17, yet another MX whiz [rom Cali.fornia, who rode a Honda CR250. Founh was Florida's Mark Murphy, aboard a Yamaha YZ250, while Canadian Doug Hoover, also Yamahamounted, rounded out tbe ·top five. Mike Fisher turned in a strong ride in his qualifying heat, then grudgingly gave up the lead and finished third in the final. Mark Barnell, a three time winner of the race, and many other AMA rIders passed up the event due to the Superbowl of Motocross to Califorma. . The series' sanctioning body, the Canadian Motorcycle Association, adopted a special qualifying format for this year's events which allowed direct transfer to the final by the top two i.n each heat race, unlike the qualifying procedure in the U.S. The first twO riders to benefit from this rule were Darren Sharuga and Mario Paquelle as haruga won the first heal. Tom Carson led wire-to-wire in heat two with fellow American Fisher charging from fifth to second in the seven lap race. The third heat belonged to Gibson, but behind him a duel was taking place for second. Hoover finally won out over Jo Jo Keller and Murphy, A jubilant Pederson hoists his trophy. The winner's prize was a pound of gold. Pederson earned h is spot in the final with a strong ride in heat four, leading fellow Canadian Pierre Couture by over 10 seconds at the finish. Highlighting the quarter-finals was a runaway performance by former AMA 500cc MX National Champion Chuck Sun on a privately entered Honda. Sun came back in the final semi to stage a spectacular race with Murphy. Murphy edged Sun by inches at the fini h. Sun holeshot the stan while Murphy was caught in traffic. Sun built up a sizeable lead by the half· way point while Murphy sliced his way to the front, taking second when Keller fell on the last lap and sprinting past un at the flag for the win, When the gate dropped on Ihe 15lap final, Fisher and Gibson were the fi.rst riders to turn one with Jeff Sutherland and Sun right behind. Half a lap into the race, Gibson had taken over the lead, while Fisher was being chased by Pederson, who had problems starting. "I don't know what happened and why," said Pederson, "but my gate didn't drop. It was the same for a few guys around me, I hit the fron t bra ke, pu lled back and got goi.ng. [ really charged to get to the front as soon as I could." During the firsl lap, Pederson did ride for a few tenths of a second in front of Fisher, while over the main jump where he had earlier won the Rotisseries St-Hubert jump contest by soaring9S-feel. But Fisher held on to second until the third lap when he bobbled while selling up for a whoop section and Pederson passed him as did Murphy. ow fourth, Fisher was followed by Doug Hoover with the five riders already separated from the rest of the finalists. Seven laps into the final, Pederson ::ts' nly two se 0"nd'S'beh1r1d G~I'\ 0'11' , and pushing hard. One lap later, Pederson moved by the Californian in heavy traffic after a hort series of whoops before a right-hander leading to the track's well-spaced triple jump, For a few seconds it seemed Pederson would be able to stretch out the lead, but Gibson would have none of thal. He stuck to Pederson's tail and was never more than a second back up to the closing laps. Gibson then went all out to pass the Suzuki rider and at times nosed slightly ahead of him. [n a bumpy section where he almost looped out a lap earlier, Pederson touched a hay bale, but somehow regained his balance, Gibson tried to take advantage of the mistake and went to the inside for the long finish line straightaway but bobbled on someth ing on the track. In the last lap, the two were elbow-to-elbow. Rounding the last corner, they were side-by-side, Pederson got a beller drive to the flag and crossed the line a few fe t ahead of Gibson. "It was certainly the hardest race of my career, especially after the kind of start I had," said Pederson. "When [ came up to Jim he had started passing lappers and, for once, I could take advantage of that situation. Then he made a lillIe mistake and [ snuck inside for the lead. After that, I felt the pressure, but I knew that now he had to take the chances to pass me. [ also knew I couldn't afford mistakes.• Results 15·LAP FINAl: 1. Ross Pederson (Suz); 2. Jim Gibson (Yam): 3. Mike Fisher (Hon); 4. Mark Murphy (Vam); 5. Doug Hoover(Vam); 6. Jeff Surwall (Yam); 7. Terry Hofoss (Yam); 8. Mike Harnden (Hon); 9. Chuck Sun (Han); 10. Tom Rice (Kaw); 11. Jo Jo Keller (Hon); 12. Andy Stacy (Hus); 13. Steve Burdette (Yam); 14. Tim Krogh (Hon): 15. Dean Welsh (Hon); 16. Dave Beatty (Hon); 17. Dennis James (Yam); 1B. Tom Carson (Hon); 19. Jeff Sutherland(Yam): 20. Pat Bastedo (Hon); 21. Darren Sharuga (Hon): 22. Pierre Couture (Hon); 23. Scott YIIjlson tHOll); 24. Mario P~ye'l~ (H9n);. 2.5, Jim Kutches (Suz).

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