Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

(Above) Terry Cunningham rode to his first victory of the year while Mike Melton (below) took the points lead with a second. AMA National Championship Enduro Series: Round 7 Cunningham bags B~ckeyeNational By Raymond M. McCoy ATHENS, OH, JULY 8 Husqvarna's Terry Cunningham finally pulled everything together to 'grab his first National Enduro victory of 1984. The Buckeye 100 win was important for the 1982 title holder, for it moved Cunningham into definite contention ." . f for an?th,~r tlt~e. I felt ~ued or a whIle, saId CunnIngham 14 afterward. "Even though I fell off several times in one section, I feel I had a good day." The point standings saw a shake-up in the top three positions with Mike Melto.n moving to the top ahead of Cunnmgham and former senes leader Kevin Hules. Melton, at 153 points, leads Cunningham's 152, while Hines holds third at 151. Dave Bertram is a close fourth at 142. Cunningham's 29-point ride was a cool 10 points beLler than his c1o~est competitor, defendIng champIOn Mike Melton. Husqvarna's Melton dropped 39 points to place second overall and first in the AA ranks, well above the rest of the top 10. "I stalled my engine once and got hung up, I just didn't get it all together," said Melton. Only 10 points separated the next fi ve overall and e'mergency check scores were needed on two different occasions to determine final standings. The first tie was at 46 points for third between ·Can-Am-mounteq. Randy Kline and Husky rider Fritz Kadlec. Local rider Kline edged Kadlec for ,the spot. "I thought I had a terrible ride going," said Kline.. "I was riding hard, but not fast." Kadlec had a different view, ''I'm surprised I did so well. I rode until the first gas without a front brake," said Kadlec. Fifth overall, went to Kevin Hines who rode his Husqvarna to an uncontested 47 points. ''I'm just detuned," said Hines. "I burned a couple of checks and JUSt wasn't with it." Sixth place was also decided by seconds when Jeff Fredette and Dave Bertram posted identical 49 point rides. FredeLle gOt the nod and put his Kawasaki in ahead of Bertram's Husky. Kevin Brown placedjustoutside the trophy sPOt with a 50-point ride on his Can-Am saying, "I rode like grandma. I was mentally tense." John Manin rode his Can-Am to a 62 point finish. Said Martin, "I didn't feel safe with 'the broken bone in my left hand still healing. It was really just survival.", Placing unusually low in the AA standings was Husqvarna's Mark Hyde. "I was down 50 points by the first gas because I lost my radiator cap early on and had to keep refilling the radiator with water from the creeks," said Hyde. ' , Interrupting the AA dominance of the overall standings was Open A rider Jim Robson. Robson motored his big bore Husky to High Point A honors with a score of 49 points. "I didn't have any problems," said Robson, "I was on the same number as Hines. I thought we were £lying on the trail." Putting together the best ride of all the B riders and, in fact, a beLler ride than most A riders was Gene O'Nail. O'Nail rode his Husky 250 to an 81 point score for High Point B honors. O'Nail said, "Everything went well after the morning loop. I had bad rhythm and the bike didn't take to the creeks'too well, plus all the new trails were tough.," With Robson out of the way, Gary Johnston and Ray Mungenast bumped heads with 52 point scores in the Open A class, Johnston 'faired better in the emergency checks, which put him first over Mungenast. "I had a slow start and I was riding like an old lady in the morning. I collected 26 points by the third check," said Mungenast. Just fi ve points off the le~der's pace was Wally Wilson. His 58 was good for third and was well above the rest of the Open class, "I had a good ride, just a lillie 0[£ here and there," said Wilson, "I had a bad ride and I was just lucky," was how Carl Alteir viewed his 250cc A class win on his Can-Am. His frustrations were not the only ones in this class, Local A rider Jeff Russell never saw the start line because of a pre-war collision, and Geoff Ballard seized his Can-Am engine twice before the third check and decided to retire. "You can't see the trail," said Ballard, "The only way you know you hit a log was to feel it through the bars." , Heinz Raidel was surprised at his win in the 200cc A class. Riding an '82 Yamaha, Heinz said, "It comes and goes, I'm just real surprised I won." Scott Ford took command of the 125cc A class by pacing his KTM to a 53 point score. "I had a lack of enthusiasm," said Ford, "This just wasn'ta I25cc ride. There were lots of woods and slippery creek sections that were long." Riding on an early number may have been the ticket for Bob Ellis as he rode his Husqvarna to the Open B class win by dropping 102 points. w '" ~ > aI ~ o :I: ll. Thierry Michaud's Austrian win moved him close to the points lead. Heath Salyer found riding on number 13 to be lucky enough by posting a 116-point ride on his Kawasaki' for the 250cc B class win. The 200cc B class was nabbed by Ken Wilson who rode his Yamaha toa I54-point score, while Bruce Ray found himsel£ at the top of the 125cc B class. Ray added this win to his increasing list of District II wins on a KTM. The Athens M.C. put on a neatly organized event that many said was, "good, well marked, and had fun trail - definitely a National caliber ride." The 140 starters began their I07 actual riding miles at the club's grounds. From there the trail looped around north and west for approximately 40 miles and returned to the club grounds for the first gas, Before the riders could return to gas, they were hit with a I0.2-mile woods trail between checks one and three. "We expected to take at least eight points from the Nationalriders in the morning loop," said referee Mike Frazee. By the third check, the club had done just that and more, Cunningham dropped four between checks one and two while he lost eight between checks two and three. The remainder of the riders were all hit hard. With clear sunny skies prevailing, the riders headed out from the first gas in a southeastern direction to complete the rest of the event with the second loop that also had its tough section, Around 79.5 miles the course led into a 12 mile section of mostly virgin trails. • Results OVERALL: Terry Cunningham (Hus) 29. HIGH POINT A: Jim Robson (Hus) 49, HIGH POINT B: Gene O'Nail (Hus) 81, AA: 1, Mike Melton IHus139; 2, Randy Kline (C-A) 46; 3. Fritz Kadlec(Hus)46; 4. Kevin Hines(Hus)47; 5, Jeff Fredette (Kaw) 49, OPEN A: I. Gary Johnston (Hus) 52; 2. Ray Mungenast (Hus) 52; 3, Wally Wilson (Hus) 58; 4. Alan Rand! (HusI75; 5, Randy Stephenson (Husl77. 2500c A: 1, Carl Altier IC-A) 66; 2, Paul Kinnison (Yam) 77; 3. Eric Salyer (Hus) 10B; 4. Tim Newell (Hus) 109; 5, Dave Stevens (KTM) 134, 200cc A: 1. Heinz Raidel (Yam) 86; 2. Tim Amos (Kaw) 90; 3, Mike Cluse (Kaw) 109: 4, Gallie Ward IYam) 112; 5, Stefan Salyer (Cog) I 13. 125cc A: 1. SCott Ford (KTM) 53; 2, Randy Hawkins (Hus) 57; 3, Brian Mull (HusI91, OPEN B: 1. Bob, Ellis (Hus); 2, Rick Nalle (Hus); 3. Scott Stille (KTM); 4, Leslie Wolfe (Hus); 5, Lennie Rhoades (Hon). • 2500c B: 1, Heath Salyer (Kaw); 2. Michael Burke (Hus); 3, Paul Moore (Hus); 4. Mark Shube (Hus); 5, Eddie Eberts (KTM), 2DOcc B: 1, Ken Wilson (Yam); 2, Paul Breeding (Yaml; 3. Paul Johnson (Suz); 4. Jeffery Hupp(Hon); 5. Jim Haruk (Yam), 125cc B: 1. Bruce Ray (KTM); 2. Kevin Pritchard (Hus): 3, Bernard Evans (Hus); 4. Jeff Taylor (KTMI; 5, Keith White (KTM), SR: 1. Charles Wyman Jr. (Hon); 2. Dick Nalle (Hus); 3. Carl Scharphorn (Hus); 4. Richard France IHus); 5, Ronald Monning (Hon), SUPER SR: 1, Richard Lenover (Kaw); 2, George Townsend (Kaw). PP: Diane Soucy (Hus).

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