Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Alex Lopez (129) leads Roy Chambers fly at Corona (above). Dave Emde (2) and Denny Doherty (below) duel in Open Superstreet at Sears Point. - 125 NOV: 1. John Holmes (Kaw); 2. Derek Persons (Kawl; 3. Derek Nott (Han). 1251NT: 1. Mike Mclain (Kaw); 2. Wafer Schaeffer (Han); 3. Roy Chambers (Yem). 250 BEG: 1. SIeve Koyac (Han); 2. Jim Peralta (KTM); 3. Jim Neelo (Yam). 250 NOV: 1. Todd Johnson (Han); 2. Cortland Brown (Honl; 3. Doug Miller (Yam). 2501NT: 1. Steve Piattoni (Han); 2. Tom Brown (Han); 3. Don Calhoun (Han). OPEN BEG: 1. Danny Cukar (Suz); 2. Bryon Cayanough (Honl. OPEN NOV: 1. Jon Thomas (Han); 2. Greg Carson (Han); 3. Don Abdella (Mai). VETS: 1. Larry Sequeira (Yam). PRO: 1. Gordon Ward (Han); 2. Bruce Harcrow (Han); 3. Steye Stewart (Kaw). Emdebests Doherty at Sears By Roger Smith SONOMA, CA, JUNE 10 The exciting and sometimes controversial competition between former National Champion Dave Emde and AFM 38 Superstreet Champion Denny Doherty has been resolved, at least for the moment. Doherty and his 1973 Motors West/Hannan Machine Kawasaki yielded two wins to Emde and his Kozman/Vance & Hines Kawasaki. The first duel was in the Open Superstreet race. Doherty and Emde charged out of the front row and led the entire field from the green flag to the checkered. Doherty was first into turn one, but Emde was first into turn two, and that was the story of the race. After one lap, Emde had a half- . second lead on Doherty, and 10 seconds on the third place rider. Doherty kept up the chase, but never caught Emde. Kevin Dolan and David Lang contested the third place spot, with Lang in front at the end. Formula One provided an exciting rematch. Doherty took the holes hot but Emde took the lead away in the Carousel. The big surprise arrived when they came back into view after the esses. The leaders had a run away from the pack, but there were three bikes out in front. Doherty regained the lead in turn nine, and Edwin Woo on a :rZ750 threatened to pass both in turn 10. Woo tried to slip between Emde and Doherty in the turn II hairpin but he held off on the brakes too long and slid into the haybales. He promptly jumped back on the TZ and rejoined the race, still in third place, but well behind the leaders. Doherty led across the start/finish, but Emde worked his magic again in the Carousel and took the lead. Doherty closed on Emde several times, but never regained the lead. A bruised and battered Woo took third, 30 seconds behind. The Formula Three race showed that you can race, and win, even if you can't walk. Pre-grid spectators saw Kurt Bickel hobble up to his Red Line/Lockhart TZ250 on crutches, sporting two sprained ankles, souvenirs of a crash at the Sears Point ProAm. When the race started, Alan Scott took the holeshot, but a huge pack was hot on his heels. Three laps into the race, Scott was still in the lead, with David Sadowski and Bickel in hot pursuit. The rest of the field was still close behind, with waves of riders three and four abreast charging out of the corners. Wayne Montoya pulled away from the pack. Bickel turned up the gas and slipped into second when Sadowski succumbed to the pressure and took turn two a little hot. Sadowski and Bickel both got past Scott in turn seven and left him to battle with Montoya. Eric Kondo had worked his way through the field after a slow start and joined the fight for third place. Bickel and Sadowski lengthened their. lead, but Sadowski retired with mechanical problems, leaving Bickel alone in first. The wheel-to-wheel fight for second and third continued right up to the checkered flag. At the finish, Bickel took first, Montoya won the dragrace for second, with Kondo in third. Visiting New Zealander Richard Scoular gave the 600cc club racers plenty of opportunity to study the rear view ofhis new La Habra Yamaha FJ600. The' £i;stopp~r~unity 'fo;s~~dY came in the 600cc Box Stock race. Scoular, standing out from the crowd in glowing orange leathers, took the lead in the first lap. Ed Ragle on a GPz and Mall Riolo on a GS550 provided an exciting dice for second. Ragle demonstrated superior horsepower, but Riolo was quicker through the corners. Riolo gOt past Ragle in traffic, but Ragle regained the lead on the white £lag lap to take second. In 600cc Modified Production, David Sadowski on a GS550 provided stiff competition' for Scoular as they raced side-by-side for the entire race, until Scoular slipped past him in the last turn. . The 600cc Superstreet class has grown to be the most popular class in club racing, with 70 entries. Scoular mounted slicks on the stock Yamaha and went out to take on the AFM's most competitive class. Class Champion Waller Nitto on his Champion/ Moriwaki GPz led off the line. Scoular, David Sadowski and Allan Yarrow on a Yamaha thumper made up the rest of the freight train leading the pack. Scoular took the lead in turn seven, but NillOwas nOlcontent with second place. Nitto pulled alongside Scoular time and time again, but could not find the room to get past. Sadowski and Yarrow were having their own duel one second behind the leaders until Yarrow's motor failed in a hard charge out of turn II. Sadowski fell behind the leaders in lapped traffic. The fantastic duel for first continued, with N itto constantly probing and testing. On the last lap, Nitto found a weak spot and his way past Scoular in turn 11. The final order was Nitto, Scoular and Sadowski. Results FORMULA I: 1. Dayid Emde (Kaw); 2. Denny Doherty (Kaw); 3. Edwin Woo (Yam). FORMULA II: 1. Doug Filangeri (Kaw); 2. Walter Nitta (Kaw); 3. Dan Bieva (Kawl. FORMULA III: 1. Kurt Bickel (Yaml; 2. Wayne Montoya (Yam): 3. Eric Kondo (Yam). FORMULA IV-A: 1. James Enos (Honl; 2. Michael Johnson (Han); 3. Myron Sheldon (Han). FORMULA S: 1. Michael Kane (Suz); 2. Allan Yarrow (yam); 3. Loyel Ream (Han). 750cc FORMULA T: 1. Paul Galliyan (Tri); 2. Eric Swortsfigure (Nor); 3. Steve Fleming (Han). OPEN FORMULA r: 1. Elmer 'Bud' Riddle (Yam); 2. Harry Long (BMW). OPEN SUPERST: 1. Dayid Emde (Kaw); 2. Denny Doherty (Kaw); 3. Dayid Lang (Suz). 750 SUPERST: 1. Doug Filangeri (Kewl; 2. Don Sieva (Kaw); 3. Kenneth Evan (Suz). 600 SUPERST: 1. Walter Nitta (Kaw); 2. Richard Scoular (Yam); 3. Dayid Sadowski (Suzl. OPEN MOD PROD: 1. Keyin Dolan (Kaw); 2. Dayid Wright ([

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