Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ ii2 ell 3: 0 Z ..J ,., 0 e ~ 0 ~ > al ell ~ 0 ~ 0 O"l 0- 00 ~ ~ ~ ~ Q,) ,.c 8 .... Q,) 0. Q,) CJ"J Terry Cunningham. here battling a fem forest. finished second. Mike Melton slashed through the woods for a one-point victory. AMA National Championship Enduro Series: Round 9 rimel~ moves .~ Melton in Jaell Pine By Tom Kolnowski MOORESTOWN, MI, AUG. 19 Husqvarna's Mike Melton went to work in the forest at the Jack Pine National and when his work day was over - more than eight hours and 200 miles later - he had struck pay dirt and .scored the overall win by the narrow . f' . margin 0 a smgle p~mt over teammate Terry Cunmngham. the 58th Annual' Jack Pine was a tough one: "The scores r~ally don't tell the whole story. Nine pOints really isn't all that much, but you rode a lot harder for a much longer The reigning National Champion's period of time than the numbers third win of the '84 series fell his way indicate. Most of the time you had to following a nine-point score tallied really go for it - the average was set over the twisting woods trails of at 24 (miles per hour) and you could northern Michigan, while former maybe ride at 23 if you went all-out. champ Cunningham finished histrek You would get a minute late and through the trees with 10 points, there was really no way to make it up, A pair of privateer riders broke the I'd have to call it a long, tough run stranglehold Team Husky usually tougher than the run they had here a has on the top overall spOts at year ago." Nationals: Gary Johnston, owner of Much of the point-taking was done Suzuki of Laurel, Mississippi, rode a in the early morning sections. The Husky to third overall and the High sun had barely broken over the treePoint A trophy with an II-point tOpS as the first rows of riders made score, while LansingCyc1e/Hi-Pointtheir way into the woods beginning backed Michigan rider Alan Randt at 7 a.m. The Lansing M.C., under forged to fourth overall with 15. the direction of Louie Hunt, laid out Husky's Kevin Hines rounded out a course with nearly 180 g-round the top five overall with 16 points. mi les lhat never look the riders With the exception of Cunningham, more than Ir, miles from thl' staging who rode a Husky 500 Automatic, the area at the .Jack Pine Lodge, which rest of the top five were mounted on meant Ihal ther.. would be plenty of Husky 400WRs. twisty woods between each of the 16 The chase for the series title is now checks. Melton lost points at each check focused on three riders - Cunningham, Melton and Hines. Melton's through the first 50 miles of the run, win moved him to within three points as did Cunningham, and by the time of the leader, '82 series champ Cunthey reached the third gas stop at 116 ningha, 204 to 207, with Hines still in miles for a 30-minute rest, Melton the hunt in third with 192 with three already had eight of his nine total rounds remaining. points, with Cunningham sitting at Mel on w¥ q.uick to poinlouLthaL _ nineloslouLoLhis eventual 10. Both, • ' .. ':10 ::. : '.2~.~_._ .. ': l.. . :..;~ •••• ,' To. : •• ::~ .. however, had problems up to that point. "I was cooking along in the tight woods," said Cunningham, "and I ducked to avoid hilling the branch. Before I picked my head up I got hit by a second branch I didn't see. It cut me right near the eye and my vision was blurred for a while. I got back into the swing of things, then made another mistake in the only muddy spot in the entire run. The line I took wasn't the best and the bike dove so deep into the mud that it stopped and I was thrown clear - up and over the bars without ever touching the bike." Cunningham was sporting a black eye by the finish. Melton was recorded as hilling the third check a minute early as was Cunningham. "The guy running the check marked me a minute early, but there was no doubt in my mind I was on time," said Melton. "They took their time flipping the card as I came into the check, and my dock showed I was a full 12 seconds into my minute, which was the same as the check clock. I rode the rest of the run thinking about the two 'hot' points, and knew I would have to ride even faster to have a chance at winning overall. I nearly took out a few trees right after that check." Many top contenders were out or having problems in the first half. Husky's Friu Kadlec had matched the scores of Melton through the early sections, then became a spectator. "I was having a great time," said Kadlec. "They made you stay on the gas all the time and I like runs like that. Then a branch punched a hole straight through the radiator, which was bad enough, and then another branch came along and sheared off the fuel petcock. I just pushed out of the woods." Carolina Tool-sponsored Randy Hawkins forgot to set his computer on the start line. "I hit the first check three minutes early and the second a few minutes hot," said Hawkins, "I decided to drop back and rode the rest of the run with (Ray) Mungenast, who started six minutes behind me. I was JUSt riding for fun the rest of the way:' Husky's Dave Bertram crashed in the same mud bog that nailed Cun_ .njpgham. "I decided to really gas it 1 after doing an endo in the mud," said Bertram, "and was heading down a sand road with a couple of riders . ahead of me. They put on the brakes and I was in a cloud of dust; when I got stopped I was right in a check, but was a minute early. I didn't have any chance to check my clock." Hines was forced to contend with throttle cable problems in the morning sections. "Once I got the problem straightened out things actually went pretty well," said Hines. "If the run had been 100 miles longer, I might've had a chance to win. It's frustrating; there are about five of us who have the ability to win, btu only the guy who has his Ijead on straight that day wins. " The final 80 miles brought more tight woods sections, with enough open woods in between to keep point losses to a minimum for most AA and A class riders. Melton and Cunningham racked up their respective final point at check 15 after a lengthy session of dodging uees along a path lined with waist-deep ferns, and then some sandy two-uack uaiI. "My afternoon went pretty well," said Melton, "and it feels super to win. With three runs left, I have to win some more to have a good shot at another tule. Terry (Cunningham) has come back so suong, and it's coming down to basically just the two of us. He already has nine good finishes and I only have eight (a rider's best 10 rides count for the championship)' so I can't afford to make many more mistakes." • Results OVERALL; Mike Melton (Hus) 9. HIGH POINT A; Gery Johnston (Husl 11. HIGH POINT B; Ken John..,n (Husl3B. AA; 1. Terry Cunninghem (Hus): 2. Kevin Hines (Hus): 3. Rick Scherphorn (Hus): 4. Deve Bertrem (Husl: 5. Jeff Fredene(Kew); 6. Mike Keen (Hus); 7. Jeck Penton (KTMI; 8. Dwight Rudder (Hus); 9. Men Cullins (Hon). 125cc A; 1. Briln Mull (Hus): 2. Larry Dobson (!:tusl; 3. Rendy Hewkins (Husl; 4. Bill Webb (KTMI. 200cc A; 1. Eldon Keen (Husl: 2. Tom McKimmy (Hus): 3. Willie VenZee; 4. Dennis Wegner (Klw): 5. Tom Klauster. 2500c A; ,. Jeff Russell fHus); 2. Briln Lohmln (Hus); 3. Brien Grlbll (Mli); 4. Scott King (Hus); 5. B.rry Bell (Yam). OPEN A: 1. Alln Rindt (HUll: 2. Willy Wilson (Husl; 3. John J. Hoffmln (Husl; 4. Steve Smigiel (Hul); 5. Ray Mung.nult (Mus). SR. A: 1. Clrl Scherphorn(Hu.); 2. Tid Proffer; 3. Jerry Plcholke; 4. Dick Frence (Hus); 5. Ron Sepe (KTMI· 4-STROKEA; 1. S_ EIIi.(Hon): 2. Vern PKhoIke (Hon): 3. Rick Giboon (Hon); 4. E. Oensmont (Hon) 5. Tom lloyd (Hon). I J 1

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