Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

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C 92803 A Black Coal gold to CnnninghalD By Brian & A n n Palorm o LYNNV ILLE , IN . SEPT. 15 .CANADIAN IGNmON ROTOR FOR 600 NINJA Amazing inexpensive perlormanceincrease. Changes Califomia 600 Ninja ignition curve to same as Canadia n 600 Ninja . Call or WrIte: Champion Moriwaki USA 1980 Harbor IlMl. Costa Mesa, CA 92627 (714) 642-2040 ~ . ", ~-- bY -.., EXTRUDE, T wo and Fo ur S t r o k e A TV • Karts • Jet S k i s S nowm obiles . Road Ra cers 8800 E. Compton 8 Ivd .. Paramount. CA 90723 . (21 3 ) 531 -2767 16 .1,....-- - - - -:--- .... Husqvar n a 's T erry Cun n in g h a m took a ride through the coal fie lds of southern Indiana a n d emerged as w inner of th e 1 5t~ Ann ual Black Coa l Natio nal Enduro . The win all but a ss u red C u nnin gh am would co nt in ue as National Champion fo r a n o ther yea r hi s third suc h tid e in the last fo u r vea rs. C un ni ngham 's closest co m pe ti tion for tha t title wa s fellow Tea m Husky rid er Da ve Bert ram . who fini shed th ird overall, dela yin g Cu nni ngham 's c:I in ching o fth e rirle ur lea st unri l th e nex t series ro u nd , October 20 in O h io. Seco nd o vera ll hon ors for the day went 10 Husk y-m ou n ted AA r id er Randy H awkins wi th a loss o f 2 1 points 10 Cu n ni ng ha m's 19, wh ile Jim Stanfield topped th e A class, lo sin g 24 po ints en ro ut e 10 th e 250cc cl ass w in a nd fo u n h o vera ll. T im Surdyke was th e to p B class rid er . win n ing the 200cc class a nd adva ncing to A r id er sta tus in rhe proc ess. R ichard Fran ce, ri d ing in h is first e nd uro since " q ua lifyi ng" for th e S u per Senior cl ass in Jul y. ed ge d O U I r idi ng co m pa n io n R icha rd Le nover by a sing le po int 10 take top honors in th e class. Lenov er explained that he lost so me tim e by sto p p in g 10 ass is t a fa llen rider : " T ha t could be m e so m etim e, yo u know." Emmell Cox o n ce aga in topped th e Senior class. a nd th e club has been tempted 10 pre-e ngra ve h is na m e on that fir st p lac e tro p h y. Th ree-fou rth s of the r iders entered sa w t he fini sh line - 154.8 m iles a nd six a nd a half hours la ter. It was a da y wh ich saw ea r ly m orn in g g ro u nd fog a n d d us t give way 10 bri ght su n lig h t a nd ide a l weath er. P lea santl y cool te m peratu res g ree ted th e entra nts ra ther th an th e seve re heat /humidit y fact o rs o f th ela st I wo yea rs. Cunn in g ham wasn 't rea ll y pl eased wit h h is rid e, " I've d on e better ," he ad mitted, reviewing h is sco reca rd after th e run . " I got o ff to a really sha ky sta n. got lost wi th a ll th e dust a nd d ropped fi ve poi nts in th e first secti on. T hen I miscalcu la ted a nd h it the second check 30 seco n ds ho t, whi ch added a no ther two points so I was down at least three poi nts o n m y co m peti tio n in th e first th ird of th e run." T hi ngs got better in th e m iddle sec tio n where Cunn in gham 's woodsr id in g ski lls got hi m th rough o ne sec tion two seconds faster than a nyone els e. Cunni ngham 's co mpetition from AA riders was thinned somew ha t by a bsence a nd inj u r ies. Ca n -Am 's j ohn Manin a nd H onda dev elopment rider Drew Smith wer e n o -sh ows, while Team G reen 's J eff Fr ed eue a nd Yama ha ri der Kevin Bro wn we re knocked off thei r m ounts by a tree limb p rorrud in g into a lu m at 80.5 miles. a nd reti red , Former Na tiona l Champion Mike Mehan , bo th ered w ith h is sti ll h ealin g w ris t, decided to cash in ea rl y. H owever. a number o f A riders kept C u n n ingha m ho nest with stro ng r ides wh ich ea rned th em five o f th e to p 10 overa ll pos itions, Rem in isci ng abo u t ea r lier runs was th e to pi c of m any co n versa tio n s as riders wai led for scores 10 be p ost ed after word go t around that this would be the fi na l Bla ck Coa l National o rganized by th e Ind ia na-Ill inoi sKentucky Motorcycle Club. J erry and Jean Schuler, w ho have been the backbo ne of th is event . m ade their retirement from th e sport official Sunda y evening a t the trophy presentation. Bud Schiff a n d Frank Grav es. who hav e been ac ti ve w ith Schuler in th is o rganiza rio n si nce th e mid-l960s. were also hon o red . Although n o rider was o n han d wh o had ri dd en all 15 Black Coa l Nat ion al s. Sen ior r ider J esse Thomas came cl o se. mi ssin g o n ly in 1984. " If I h ad kn ow n th en th at this would be th e fast o ne. I' d ha w r idden last year. 100. It 's a lways been a challe n ge 10 get through these r u ns:' sa id Thomas, Pal Sch m idt , wh o acco m pa n ied h is Iarher Ed (o vera ll winn er in 1972) 10 this a nd m an v o ther en d u ros wh ile h e wa s gro w ing'up. d emo nstrat ed h is o w n ski lls by w in ni ng the 250cc A cl ass. C u n ningham 's w in 'm ade hi m a m ember o f th e excl usi ve "three who won three" club with Dick Bu rl eso n ( 1976. '77 a nd '78 ) and Martin (1979, ' 80 a nd '82). Cunn in gham 's previous win s ca me in '8 1 a nd '84. Schuler vowed that he " wo uld n' t let up o n th em just because it's the last one." and th e co nsen sus was th a t it wa s a n excelle nt run o nce a ga in. Well designed . well orga n ized a n d well run , th e Black Co al's reputation from th e sta n was intact a t th e en d. T h is is a r u n wh ich will be missed by rider s who apprecia te cha lle nges a nd quality. Results OVERALL: Terry Cunningham (Hus) 19. AA : 1. Randy Haw kins (Hus) 21; 2. Dave Bert ram (H us) 23; 3 . Ric h Scharp horn (H us) 25 . 12 5cc A : M art y Ritt en berry (4 1). 200cc A : Gen e O' Naii (2 71 2. Richard Dun n (2 9). ; 25Dcc A : 1. J im Stanf ield (24) ; 2. Kurt Ho ugh (28; 3. Tim Newell (38); 4 . Dale Hulsey (341. OPEN A : Pat Schm idt 1 391. 125cc 8 : J oe Nov icki (4 6). 200cc 8 : 1. Ti m Sur dyke (3 6): 2. Larry Berquist (39); 3. Gr eg Su rdyke (39) ; 4 . Texal Seaton 1 ; 5 . 391 Michael Schmir sher (4 2). 2 50c c B: 'l , St eve A. Thomas (37) ; 2. Gary Hazel (42 ); 3. Noah Risner (4 8); 4 . M ike Forney (5 1). OPEN B: 1. M ichael Carey (481; 2 . St eve Und er wood (54) ; 3 . M ar k Grum ke( 54) ; 4 . Dav id Raff ert y (54); 5 . Eric Lambert (55 ). 200cc C: 'l . Don Rye (6 2); 2. M ark Pembert on (641; 3 . Dav id Rose (65) . 2 50cc C: 1. J eff M undy (5 0 ); 2 . J esse Gr eer (5 8) ; 3 . Don ald Sm ith (741. OPEN C: 1. Stephan W illett 159); 2. Ti m Spencer 160); 3 . Robe rt Fuhs (73) . ; SR: 1. Emmett Cox (3 51 2. St eve Sm igiel (51 ); 3 . Robe rt Cap linger (52 ); 4 . Char les V an W ay (52). SUPER SR: 1. Richard Fra nce (64) ; 2. Richard Len c ver f55). W OME N: Julie Caplinger (68).

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