Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

z ~ m w IX: w > w III z ~ . :i 0 > III In ~ 0 00 O"l t5 :I: A. '" O"l >- l-I ~ = t:: ~ ~ Mercede. Gonzale. (161), Sue Fi.h (184) .nd Akin (hidden behind Gonz.le.) battle in the 126cc Pro ci•••. Fi.h'. bike blew it. tr.n.mission. A fir.t and a.•econd in the 260cc .nd 126cc Pro cl..... were enough for Y.m.h. rider Usa Akin to emerge •• the Women'. N.tion.1 Ch.mpion. Women's National Motocross Akin claims Women's Nationals By Anne Crawford Gonzales was. big thre.tto Akin: She took her K.w.saki to • 'first overall in the 125cc Pro cl....nd finished second owrall in the 250s. ADELANTO, CA, DEC. 16 Women n.d ers turned 'In f ' out orce to b att Ie for the $1,000 purse in the Women's Motocross Nationals at Sunrise Cycle Park. Sixty riders from throughout the U.S. braved icy winds and a sprinkling of snow . Lh . h-a • to COI!1pete ln he mnt nnua. runnIng 0 f t e women-on Y event, which was sponsored by 1O .• Coors Light. It was a closely fought race all Lhe way to the championship, with Michigan rider Lisa Akin narrowly edging out California's Mercedes Gonzales LO take Lhe overall Pro title. The championship was decided from overall poims in four molOS; twomoLOswereracedon 125ccbikes, and two were raced on 250cc bikes. According to Race Promoter Denise deVines,thetwo-classcompetitionis very popular with the women riders. "For a win in the Grand National Championship you have to race both classes LO get the combined overall points," said de Vines. "1L makes for an interesting day and it makes the racing more challenging. lL's someLhingtheguysdon'tdoeiLher, because its so much riding in one day," In Lhe first 250cc moto, the race for the championship shaped up to be a three rider duel, when past women's champion Sue Fish stormed imo the early lead. But Yamaha-supported Fish, who was making a racing comeback after injuries in 1980, was out of Lhe race by LhefourLh lapwitha blown transmission leaving the way clear for Akin and Gonzales. 'That's it for Lhe 250 class - al1d for the title too," said Fish after the first moto. "I took some time out since I gOt hurt in 1980 and just started racing again this year," she said. "I wanted to ride the national&to ~e ifl could genhe title again, but I s.uess it didn't work out that way. Sull, I'm only geuing started again, and Lhere's always the 125 class." The first 250cc moto set the stage for the day's racing, wiLh Gonzales and Akin in close competition throughout the 20-minute moLO. On the fast one-and-a-half-mile track, in ' conditions reminiscem of past Mammoth motocross events, the two were seldom more than 100 feet apart. Akin, riding a factory-sponsored Yamaha, edged past Kawasakimounted Gonzales in lap six LO take 'the checkered flag in the first moLO. "InthefirstoneshewasgoodandI got tired," said Gonzales. "When I had the lead I was trying LO pace. myself, but Lisa went by me. I tried to get her back, but the moto ran out before I had time." Fish was back in the hunt in the first 125cc moLO, and once again it started out as a three bike race. Goozales took .an early lead and gained some distance on Fish and Aiken, who were locked in a close baule for second place. Fish missed a gear change in lap five, allowing Akin to through on the inside of the corner and dose the gap on Gonzales. Gonzales and Akin settled into another two-bike skirmish. Aiken took Lhe lead in lap eight, and again took the flag less than two bikelengths ahead of Gonzales, with Fish hanging in for third. With Fish ouLofthe running in Lhe second 250 m,OLO, (1)e field was clear for AKin and Gonzales to open up a healLhy lead Qnthecompetition. Once again Gonzales took theholeshotbut' was overtaken by Akin on the back straight in thefourth lap. The race for third place was touch and 'go too, wiLh Amy Brooks on a Yamaha narrowly beating out Karen Leitinger on a Honda to capture a third overall in the championship. "The racing was great," said Akin. "We were so dose I couldn't believe it. I like LO race against women riders that I can learn from, and you don't get a lot of chances to do that. I usually race against guys, and whenever I race wiLh just women I tend lO run away from the rest and that's no fun. But today's racing was great and I know it helped both of us learn a lot." The last Pro race of the day in Lhe 125cc class saw Gonzales take her fourth holeshot of the day, but this time she held Lhe lead. Akin gained in traffic, but Gonzales broke away again and again to re-open the lead. "I wamed Lhatlast moto so bad," she said. "1L was pure desire Lhat made me win. I was so nervous in that race - and so tired. Halfway through I thought I was going to die and not finish, but I wanted LOwin so badly that I held on. I JUSt couldn'tgo home with noLhing at all, And once I saw the white flag, I knew I could do it." Between Pro motos, excitement was provided by head to head competition in the Sportswomen divisions. HI' e ena LeHner proved herself a winner by streaking home LO win the 250cc Intermediate class on a borrowed YZ250. "I II . h but I ~~k: ~i~a;eo~~a~:r~ tw~t~~hs~ women a lot more," said Leimer. "You can't really measure yourself against Lhe guys. Racing oLher women makes ita lot more funanda 1m more imeresting. The guys would probably say Lhey wouldn't wam to ride in a girls' class. ILs the same thing for us only nobody thinks about that." ,Thirteen-year-old WashingLOn State entry, Tara Harrison LOok the win in the 125cc Imermediate class, while well-known local rider Dana Bell took the honors in the 25Occ· Novice class. The award for the closest race of Lhe day went to the four riders in Lhe Vet Sportswoman class, who set off in a split start behind the Vet Pro riders. These four women ran neck 'n' neck throughout both Lheir moLOS, often racing three abreast on the track in search of the title. Susan Brennan edged through for the first place trophy, with Barbara Perry only inches behind. de Vines said the women could look forward LO another nationals competition nexl)'ear. "We got off to a late start in organizing the nationals this year and that, along with the weaLher, kept Lhe emries down a bit. But we're seeing a lot of new imerest and that's very encouraging," said de Vine~. We got a lot of support this year from Coors and CaJifornia Cooler· in the sponsorship, and also from Lhe local people. The desert people are rea+ly into accepting motorcyles' which you don't get anywhere else,': With prizes ranging from a ski package donated by ScOll USA to makeup and facials from Mary Kay Cosmetics, the Women's Nationals has also drawn a lOt of interest from outside the motorcycle community. "We'reaprofessionalsportandpeopIe are starting to recognize Lhat," said de Vines. "But with Lhe coverage we're gelling, women's motocross is also moving out of sports and imo the emertainmem area as well. "We had a film crew from Japan shooting Lhis year's events as part of a feature they're doing on women in America. They were intrigued by the idea of women motocrossers. They weren't covering it as a sporting event. They were covering the fact Lhat women have their escape too. This is what these housewives, mothers and professional women do to have fun," • Results 125 PRO: 1. Mercedes Gonmles; 2. Lisa Akin; 3. Amy Brooks: 4. Stephenie Jones; 5. Debbie ~~PR'6: 1. Lisa Akin: 2. Mercedes Gonmles; 3. Amy Brool

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