Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

John Kitch (219) and Jay Mann (1 6) fig ht for the lea d in a 1 2 5 cc B moto. (A bove right) Florida 's 500cc A c ham pio n Jeff Stanton. A tir ed bu t happy Li les commented, " Flo rida tra ck s have a lways given m e trouble. I'm sure g lad to have finally broken the jinx and win a series down here. Fri sz rea llv ca me o rr th e ga te well tod a y. H e rod e pretty fast and was hard 10 ca tch ." Ja panese Nati onal 250cc Cham p io n St eve :\Iartin o pe ne d th e fir st 500cc rn or o with a quick lead o ver Pederson. Wails. Mu rph y a nd va n der Ven.Martin sa id la ter , " Peo p le are di sappo int ed th a t I haven 't done betrer in th is series . T his is m v vaca tion li me o f yea r. and sinc e I enjoy ridi ng m y home tr ack s. I bou gh t a bi ke just 10 part icipat e and stay in shape. :\1y rea l effo rt ~()('S int o th e racin g season in J apan . I ge l no hel p fro m H onda in th e I. .5 ." Watts pa ssed Martin in th e best moto o f hi s rookie yea r. keeping h is Bill y Will an -wren ch ed T eam G reen/EP / SCOII Ka wa sa ki ch u rn ing unti l the chec kered na~ dropped. Mu rph y a nd Pederson wer e joined briellv bv van der Ven in th e baili e for seco nd , iJlll il the Dut ch man bac ked o ff. Wife Marieue van der Ven sa id. " Kees was ba nda ged like a mummy all week after bein~ hi t a t Brookesvill e. H e a lso injured hi s ankl e in training. Wh en h e felt something wrong with the front end . he de cided not to push it and ride safe." Pederso n . wh o fini sh ed seco nd, explained , " I had a good race with Murph y. but Wail s wa s going fast tod a y a nd I had 10 sa ve so me th ing lot th e 125cc race." Dave H oll is. J ohn Collins a nd Andy Stacy 1I10ved up 10 fill th e la p six SpOIS. Mart i n 's H on d a era sed Sha ne Drew' s hol e-hot in mo to tw o . with van der Vcn , Wails. Pederson and Murph y in th e hunt . Van der Ven 's Yoco /Scon v'Ga rn e KTM re tu rned to its usu al pl ace a nd led Mart in fo r five la ps . T he Du tchman seemed to slow o n la p eig h : a nd the Murph y/Ped erso n ex p ress look o ver. M urp h y hun g tig ht a nd held o ff th e Ca nadia n to ea rn h is first wi n o f the series. " Pederso n di dn ' t giv e me an y rest tod ay . He is nOI a rider wh o gives up. " said th e fo n n er series champion . Murp hy ad ded , " I had surgery to remove bone frag men ts from m y a n kle five weeks befo re th e series beg an . 1am j ust now feel ing stro ng aga in ." Pederso n co mmen u-d . " Mu rp h y had a ll th e lines. I shoul d n ' t have let him get a wa y in the beg in n ing. In 125cc A a ction T eam Green Kawa sa ki's Keit h Fo x negat ed Gl en Somervi lle's hol eshot, ho p ing to break the Yam aha domination of th e Expert division . Ken n y Bo llmeier's Hall m an /Scali Yamaha moved up a nd th e pair tangled for seven laps before Bollmeier put it away. Fox said, " Ken n y a nd I bumped several times before 1mi ssed a shi ft a nd he got by." After Bollmeier dominated the fin al for th e cha m p io ns hip, he com me nted, "The Yamaha su p port gu ys are a big hel p to a ll of u s. I want to thank Kent Smolek, especia lly for hel ping me wi th m y trai ni ng ," Boll meier retu rned to ac tio n a nd joined M ike Larocco in Irying to break j eff Sta nton 's lock on the 250cc class. Bo llmeier led th e fir st m ot a and La rocco th e seco nd , but Stanton 's H iPoint /B arr Competition Yamaha with stood both cha lle nges 10 co mpler e a series sweep. " I had to ~O h ome thi s week for exa m s," said th e winner. "The on ly thing I could rid e in Mi chi gan was a sn owmobile." Suzu ki of Pa lm Beach 's J eff Fisher rode well to top Pat Post a nd Ri ck Lindell for th ird in the ser ies. Sta n ton led every la p of 500cc A ac tio n 10 ea rn th e onl y lfi-rnot o winnin g record in th e series, with th e class battle going o n between riva ls POSI a nd Lin de ll for th e runner-up po sition. Lindell , wh o to p pe d Post in both m ot os, exp la ined : " It was m y turn tod ay. " St ant on ela bora ted . " [ u sed to be a 250cc rider , bu t I like th e ·190 Yama ha be ue r eac h rac e." Kenn y Kizza r, Ashl ey Ep ps, J ohn Kitsch a nd J ay Mann all shared th e lea d in th e 125cc B mOIOs. Kitsch took th e o vera ll. bUI the Dou gla s Ka wa sa ki / Hi -Poilll / Barr-sponsored Man n ear ned the series c h a m p io ns h i p points. Mann said. " Kitsch was Ilyin g in that las t mo ro. H e ca ug h t me w ith three la ps 10 go." KTM 's Kevin Hin es re tu rned 10 the ser ies a nd do m in at ed a ll four rn or o s o f 250cc B and 500cc B ac tion . H ines sa id . " I' ve o n lv ridde n five MX s in m y li fe. bu t th e'officia ls have prom oted me to the A d ivisi on today." To n v Bu llard a nd Todd Adams set the pace Ior H in es in the 250cc mote s. with Hu sqva rna 's P h il Alderto n end ing in the seco nd-pl ace sl ol in bot h . In 500cc B act ion . Hines warred wi th event ual ser ies cha m p io n J imm y Swa n so n in bo th motos. Sinsa lo / Spectra-sponsored Swa nso n tir ed o f h is ca tch -up ro le in moto o ne a nd h is Ka wasa ki b litzed th e start of moto tw o. puu in g th e ball in Hines ' co u rt. Hin es stal ked Swa nson for seven laps Japan Na t ional Champion Steve Marti n (1 ) and To mmy W atts battle in t he 500cc Pro class. Martin fin ished fi fth in t he series. before fin all y m aking his m ove in th e fin al co rner of rno to two. " We did th e wh ol e thin g, " sa id Sw anson , " i t wa s fun a nd th e ti me seem ed to fly by." For me r class c h a m p i o n Ke v in . Math ews st yled hi s KT:\I fo r the ru n ner-up spot in the series a h ead of Hines. H onda 's Brett Mel ton and Kawasa ki's Ezra Lusk returned to th e ser ies to put th e pressu re o n 7- I I 85cc class leader Bro ck Bullard . Melt on bested th e opening moto, Lusk look th e last. but Yamaha /G ear/Scoll-spo nsored Bu lla rd kep t hi s cool for th e series o vera ll w in . " I put my Ya ma ha co n tingency bu ck s to work ," sai d Bullard with a broad smile. " I bought my bro ther. Tony . a YZ250." • Res u lt s PROFESSIONAL 12 5cc: 1. Guy Coop er (Han); 2. Keith Turpi n (Honl: 3 . Tommy Wans (Kaw ); 4 . Rodn ey Barr (Kaw ): 5. Ross Peders on (Yam); 6. Vince DeVan e (Yaml; 7 . Terry Tinney (Kaw ); 8. M ark M elt on (Hoo ); 9. M ike Roth (Yam); 10 . Steve Hendricks (Yam). 25 Occ: 1. Bill y Utes (Kaw): 2. Kenny Keyl on (Yem): 3. Tom Car son (Hon ): 4 , J eff Frisl (SUl): 5 . J ohn Shay (Yem); 6 . Todd Harrell ISull; 7 . Dev id M oegle (Yam); 8 . J eff Su rwall (Kaw ): 9 . J oe Wa ddin gt on (Sull; 10 . Jim M itc he ll (Suz). OPEN: 1. M ark Murphy (Yam): 2. Ross Peders on (Yam ): 3 . Dave Holli s (Yam ); 4 . Kees van der Van (KTM) ; 5. St eve M an in (Hon); 6 . Tomm y Watt s (Kaw l: 7 . John Collins (Yam ); 8. sha ne Crew (Honl; 9. red Van Nest (Hon ); 10 . Earl M ay (Yam ). AMATEUR 125 cc A : 1. Kenn y Bo llmeier (Yam); 2. Keit h Fox (Kaw l; 3. Curt Li bbey (Kaw l. 250cc A: 1. Je ff St anton (Yam ); 2. M ike LaRocco (Yam ): 3. Kenny Boll meier (Yam). OPEN A : 1. Jeff St anton (Yam); 2. Rick Li ndell (Yam); 3. Pet Post (Yam ). 12 Scc B: r . John Kitsch (Kaw) ; 2. A sh ley Epps (Hon) ; 3. Jay Me nn (Kaw ). 25 0cc B: 1. Kevin Hin es (KTM ): 2. Phil A lderton (Hus); 3 , Emi ne l Neda (Honl . OPEN NOV: 1. Kev in Hin e s (KTM): 2. Jimmy Swanson (Kaw ); 3 . Kevin M at h ews (KTM) . MINI 85cc 7-11 : 1. Br ett M elton (Han); 2. Ezra Lusk (Kawl: 3 . Brock Bullard (Yam) . M INI 85cc 12-15: 1. Jo hn Kit sch IKawl: 2. Jay Me nn IKaw): 3 . Rob Henso n (Yam). SRS : r. Robby Neeley (Kaw l; 2. David Clemence (Hon); 3. Paul Eet on (Yam ). 125cc C: , . Keith Perry (Kaw) ; 2. Jeff Finkhausen (Yam ); 3 . Steve Kiesler (Kaw) . 250cc C: I . Rodney Orr (Hen); 2. Jon He id enthal (Yam); 3. Steve Young (Han I. OVERALL M X SERIES WINNERS PROFESS IONAL 125cc: t , Guy Coope r (Kaw) ; 2 . Rodn ey Barr (Ka w) ; 3 . Keit h Tu rpi n (Hon): 4 . Ross Pederson (Yam); 5. Ter ry Ti nney (Ka w) ; 6. Ron nie Tic henor (Kaw); 7. M ike Roth (Yam); 8. V in ce DeVane (Yam) ; 9 . Stev e Hend ricks (Yam) ; 10 . J eff Glass (Han ). 25Occ: 1. Billy Liles (Kaw): 2. Tom carson (Hon); 3. Bob Hann ah (Su z); 4 . Kenn y Key lon (Vam); 5. Todd Ha rrell (Suz ); 6. Da vid M oeg le (Yam ); 7. Jo hn Sha y (Yam); 8. Tom my M artin (Han); 9. J eH Hicks (SuzJ; 10 . Kees van der V en (KTM) . OPEN: 1. Kee s van der Ven (KTM) ; 2. Mark Murph y (Yam ); 3. Ross Ped er son (Yam ); 4 . John Colli n s (Yam ); 5. Steve M an i n (Hon ); 6. Dave Hollis (Yam ); 7 . Tom myWans tKawl; 8 . JoJo Ke lte r (Yam); 9 . Sh an e Drew (Han ); 10 . Rich ard Sirois (Ha n). A M A TEUR 12 5 cc A : 1. Kenn y Boll meie r (Yam) ; 2. Kei th Fox (Kawl; 3. Mike LaRocco (Yam). 250cc A: 1. J eff St anton (Varni; 2. Kenny BolImei er (Yaml ; 3. J eff Fis her (Su z). O PEN A : I . J eff Stanton (Yam) ; 2. Rick Lin dell (Yam ); 3 . Pat Post (Yam). 125cc B: 1. J ay M ann (Kaw) ; 2. J ohn Kitsch (Ka w ); 3. Kenn y Kiuar (Yam ). 2 50Cc B: 1. Phil Alderton (Hus); 2. Emi nel Netta (Hon ); 3. Kevi n Hi ne s (KTM I OPEN NOV: 1. Jimm y Sw anso n (Kaw); 2. Kev in M ath ew s (KTM); 3. Kevi n Hin es (KTM) . 85 cc 7 - 11: 1. Br ock Bu ll ard (Kaw ); 2. Timmy Ferry (Yam); 3. Pat Sla te (Yam ). 85 cc '.2 - 15 : 1.Joh n Kitsch (Kawl; 2. Bobby M ann (Kav') ; 3 Rob Ha nso n (Yam ). SA . 1. Robby Neeley (Kawl; 2. Paul Eaton (Yam ); 3 Wo ody St rick lan d (Kaw l. 125 ce C: 1. Jeff Fink ho u se n (Yam); 2. Russell Grat er IKawl; 3. Tod d Gardn er (Kaw ). 250cc C: 1. Rod ne y Orr lHon ); 2. Steve Young (Han) ; 3 . A ndr e Pafo nune (Yam). 15

• Cover