Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ 00 ..... Rob Sa ssen (37) won the 125cc Novice class at Perris ; here he leads ' ru nner-up Robert McCay (57) at the start of the second mota. (A bov e) Elmer Trett went 195.22 mph on his Kawasaki to win the To p Fuel class. (Below) Charlie Gressman (10) and Benny Mens go head-t o-head. A ..net takes two at Pe....is . By N ate Rauba PERRIS, CA , SEPT. I Ed Arnet had a busy and successful day in the Pro classes at th e second round of the Cali fornia Racing Club/ IRC Tri- 'DBA National Championship Drag Race Series: Round 5 Trett takes Norwalk Top Fuel win By Lee Bida NORWALK, OH , AUG . 10- 11 Elmer Trett took his Kawasaki-based Top Fuel er to victory in the IDBA Summer N a tionals a t Norwalk R aceway and wi th it knocked rival Sa m Will s ou t of the to p spot in th e p oint stan dings . The Funn y Bike win went to Bobby Baker while relat ively unknown Benn y Means was th e Pro Stock 26 vict or. Ji m :\l cClu re co ll ected h is th ird straight P ro Co m p win . T re tt a nd Will s took turns lo wering th e q ua lifyi ng time with Treu finall y droppi ng it to 7.20 seco nds with Will s second at 7.29 a nd Larry McB r id e th e final qual ifier a t 7.47. Ka wasa ki rider Will s a nd :\/ cBr ide m et in ro u nd o ne of elimi na tions with Suzuk i rider McB r ide grabbi ng th e win after Will s wa s left to co ast th e last half o f the qu arter-m ile wh en [h e blower belt o n th e' engi ne ca me o ff. Th e T op Fu el linal wa s the last o f th e day. Treu unleashed a 7.341second blast at 195.22 mph for th win on his Tret r's Speed and Custom mount. McBride struck m echanical problems halfway through his run a nd coasted acro ss the finish line. Th e Funny Bik e fin al wa s a n a ll Ka wasa ki sh ow after a number o f unusua l happenings in elim ina tio ns . George Bryce, th e po ints leader, was th e top qu alifi er a n d th en took him self out of competition by drawing a red light o n his fir st run - so m eth ing Bryce ver y seldo m does. By th e tim e the final go t to [h e lin e it was Bobby Baker a nd Ma rk Mifler .goi ng h ead-to-head-Bak er had been co ns iste nt a ll da y. but had to be think in g a bo u t th e 191.48 m ph pass wh ich Mill er ha d put d ow n in q ua lifyin g. Mill er was first off th e lin e. but th en sh u t th e en g ine down a nd Ba ker was th e winn er wi th a 7.59 / 178.2 1. It was la ter lea rn ed that th e waste g at e on Mill er 's t urbo had mal fun ct io ned a nd that co st him a possibl e win. Less th an half a seco nd separa ted the 16 q ual ifiers in P ro Sto ck wi t h Dav e Sch u lrz at th e top o f till' lad der. T he winn er didn 't co me from th e na mes o f reg ul a rs, but was a rider w ho had never ru n an IDB A P ro Stoc k ra ce. " We' ve a lways wanted 10 try o u r lu ck a t a n IDBA even t," sai d winn er Benn v Means a fter he defea ted Cha rli e G iessm an in th e fin al. " 1 o w n tilt' (Suzu ki) mo tor a nd Zack Kaczala O W llS the chassis . We'd p lann ed 10 e n te r Pro Gas, but d ecid ed 10 go a ll th e wa y and run Pro Stock. I can 't believe we won. ' Means c u t a str ong .213 reacti on tim e on th e start of th e final a nd cros sed the l ine with a 8.73/ 150.50 run in hand. Gressm an , the seco nd half o f th e a ll Suzu ki fin a l, kft the lin e stro ng , but had th e eng ine burp a bo u t IDO-feet o u t. H is ru n ner- u p number s were 8.94 /147.78 . A new fuel line, install ed j us t before th e final, kept sp ti ui ng a nd was th e cul prit in th e run . • Ra ce Series at Perris Ra ceway by taking th e overall victories in both th e 125 and 250cc Pro classes and finishing second in the 500cc di\:ision. Greg Zitterkopf was the only r id er to stop Arner's strea k by winning th e 500cc Pro class. Zit terkopf (Han) led at th e sta rt o f th e fir st 250c c P ro m ota while Arnet (Ya m) was left i n fifth behind Ken Za h rt (AXO H an ), Ra ce T ech 's Bill y Frank (Ya m) a nd Mik e Kel l (A' :\I EI O 'Neal v U rii Filters Kaw). Zitterkopf quickl y opened up a sma ll. lead as Frank and Arnet m ov ed mto the second a nd third positi ons on lap tw o . Zahrt a nd Kell had a battle go ing over fourth , a nd fu rt her ba ck Mark Deck e r (S u n west Yam ah a l A'ME/Gea r ) had his hands full as Tim Ruther ford (FM F/ A'M E/ A XO I PFPI Arai /Yokohama /Century Kaw ) tri ed 10 take over six th. Ou; from Zitterkopf moved o u t 10 a comfortable lead as Arn ct tri ed to find a way pa st Frank. On th e final lap Ziuerkopf looked like th e su re winner , but with about 100 yards to go, hi s Honda 's cha in broke. Ziuerkopf began push ing towards th e fini sh l in e as Frank, with Arn et o n hi s tail. ro de by for the win . Zahrt held o ff Kcll to ta ke third , a nd Zitterko pf walked across th e line with fifth . T he second rn o to belo nged to Zit terk opf as he blasted into th e lead at th e sta rt a nd stayed th ere to th e fin is h . Arnet started fifth , th en qu ickl y m ov ed by J o hn McCaughey (Dl\IC Kaw), Deck er, Za h rt a nd Ruth erford to ga in second. Frank fo llowed a nd m ov ed up 10 pressure Arnet for a few laps before set tli ng into th ird . At th e fin ish . i t was Zitterk opf a g ood d ista nce clear o f Arnet, while Frank ca m e acro ss a few secon ds behind for third . Arnet took th e o vera ll win o ver Frank , while Ziuerkopf''s 5- 1 was good fo r third o vera ll. C raig Canoy (Ma lc o l m S mi t h Ra cing /Oakley/Kaw ) led th e cha rg e a t th e sta rt of the fir st 125cc Pro rnoro a head o f Ca giva's Ron T u rner a nd Kenny Cl ifton (T o w n & Country S u zu k i) . Arn et ( Ha n) was down a ro u nd fifth , but by th e seco nd lap wa s up to third . Turner stuck to Can o y for a few laps before fading , a nd by th e time Arnet passed h im , Canoy had open ed up a good lead . Arn et closed th e gap rapid ly a nd on lap six took ov er th e lead . From th en on Arn et increa sed th e di stance o n Canoy to take the w in, a nd Kell carn e home in third a head of Turner. . Ca noy grabbed th e hol esh ot in m ot a two but was quickl y pas sed by T odd Ca m p be ll ( l\I ~lco l m Sm it h Ra cin g / Scollil Racin g /Pro ~y ~l.e KTM ). Arn et was taken down by Kell after th e fir st co rner a nd restarted nearly la st. Campbell cras h ed hard in th e triples a t th e end o f lap o ne, giving the lead to Turner. Arnet was on th e gas and by mid-moto h ad moved up to third behind Canoy. A few laps la ter Arnet took o ver second, but Turner ha d buil t up too much distance for Arnet to m ake up . Arn et ca m e a cross sec o n d but with th e o vera ll , and Turner 's win gave him th e runner-up spot in th e final standings a head o f Ca noy's 2-3 score. Arnet - now aboard a Kawasaki - finally got a good sta rt when he h ol eshot th e fir st 500cc moto o ver Zitterko pf a nd Su n west Yamaha 's Keith Morab ito. Ziuerkopf dropped to last o n th e fir st lap, gi ving Arnet a hug e lead o ve r T om Combs (P VK/ H iPointl A'M E). Ziuerkopf ca rne charg ing back a nd m oved into seco nd by th e fourth lap, th en spent th e next sever al ci rc u its reeling in Arner, Late in th e m oto Ziuerkopf ca ugh t th e leader, but lapped traffic kept him fr?m ga in ing first a nd Arnet to ok th e Will. Ziuerkopf led th e sta rt o f th e fin al moto bUI Arnet snuck by on th e in side of turn IWO. For th e n ext few laps Ziuerkopf sta yed in Arner 's tra cks a nd took lh t lead about halfway into th e ra ce. Arne t tried to stay with li tterkopf, but a fte r five motos he began to show sig n s of fatigue and made several mista kes that a ll o wed Zillerkopf to opcn his lead. For the remainder of th e race Ziuerkopf held first a nd Iini shed a few seconds ahead of Arnet . Combs ca me across third in both motos to claim third overal l. • Results PEE WEE 0 -8 : 1. Robbie Hammond (Yam); 2. Chr is Wheeler (Yam ); 3. Ja son Ramos (Yam). 6OD-8 : 1. Shane M or ale sIKaw); 2. Chr is Wheeler (Kaw) . 60 NOV: 1. Pet er Perez (Kaw); 2. David Cooke. 60 INT: 1. 80bby Morales (Kaw) . 60 EX: 1. Jacob Swain (Kaw) . 80 STK 8EG : 1. Jeff Lewis (Kaw) ; 2. John Peterson (Kaw) ; 3. Ben Phal en (Kaw) . 80 STK NOV : 1. M ike Chamberlain (Yam); 2. Duane Benner (Han); 3 . Jamie Morab ito (Yam). 80 STK tNT; 1. Br ia n Gipson (Kaw); 2. Robert Shipman (Suz); 3. Dana W igg in (Suz). 80 MOD BEG; 1. J ohn Peterson (Kaw) ; 2. Ben Phalen (Kaw) . BO MOD NOV ; 1. Joel Albrecht (Kaw ); 2. Duane Benner (Ho nl; 3. J amie Morabito (Yam). 80 MOD INT: 1. Brian Gipson (Kaw ); 2 . Robert Sh ipman (Suz); 3 . Dana Wiggin (Suz). 80 EX; 1. Pau l Cort ez (Kaw ). 125 BEG ; 1. Charlie Flipper tHon); 2. Danny Utile (Kaw ); 3 . Chris Valdes (Suz ). 125 NOV : I .Rob Sassen (Cag); 2. Robert McCay (Kaw ); 3. Albert Sanchez tSul). 125 INT: 1. Jeff Mabery (Kaw); 2 . David Foltz (Kaw); 3 . Sean Blanchard (Kaw). 125 PRO; 1. Ed Arnet (Hon); 2. Ron Turner (Cag); 3 . Craig Canoy (Kaw) . 250 BEG ; 1. Steven Sibell (Yam) ; 2. Mike Carde · nas (Kaw); 3 . Jim Hammond (Yam). 25 0 NOV; 1. David Bagw ell (Hon); 2. Doug Allen (yam); 3. John Gersjes (Kaw). 2 50 tNT: 1. J eff M abery (Kaw) ; 2. Sean Blanchard (Kaw); 3 . Tim Hanna (Hon). 25 0 PRO; 1. Ed A rn et (Yam); 2 . Billy Frank (Yam); 3. Greg Zitterko pf (Ho n). 500 BEG: 1. Steve FAr IKaw); 2. Rich Bl eer (Hon ); 3. Do ug Ward (Yam). 500 NOV : 1. Russe ll Garc ia (Yam ); 2. Gary Weir (Suz); 3. Kelly Doyle (Hon) . 500 tNT: 1. Loren Pochiro wsk i (Han); 2. Jeff Clause n (Han); 3. Mark Jones (Hon) . 500 PRO : 1. Gr eg Zinerkopf (Ha n); 2. Ed Arnet (Kaw); 3 . Tom Combs (Kaw). VET JR ; 1. Wayne O'Bl eness (Yam). VeT INT: 1. Robert Johnson (Hon ); 2. M ichael Johnson (Hon); 3. Dennis Boulwarie {Hon l. VET EX: 1. Frank St ein er (Yam) ; 2. Mark Heller (Hon); 3 . Ken Ratzloff (Hon). WOMEN ; 1. Brend a Con ne r (Han); 2. M ind y Smi th (Hon); 3. Laura Warnecke (Han). .. . . . . . .... . ... .. . ., ~ .

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