Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126901
(Above) A pileup in the 125cc B final . (Below) Keith Yarnell (9) outgasses Mark Williamson (5 16 ) and Jimmy Swanson (7) in 500cc B action. 1. (Above) Robby Neeley (1 1) leads Jeff Stanton (363). (Belo w) Vintage riders John Sawarazki (36). Todd White (58 ) and D ick Mann (5 ). Atlanta/Gainesville/Daytona Amateur Triple Crown: Final round 551. amateurs go for Daytona gold By Mike and Anne Adair DAYTONA BEACH, FL. MAR. 3 Keith Fox, Jeff Stan to n a n d Mario P acqu ette topped the Expert di visions in th e fin al ro u n d of the Amateur T riple Crown of Mo tocros s held at Daytona International Raceway's su percross course. Pennsylvarn..a ,s Mik e J o .nes was a d ou hi e I wmner, ea rni ng the 125 and 250cc Pro/Am division lilies. A 22 field o f 55 1 ride rs from 31 sta tes, Ca n ada, Peru a nd Bermuda co m pe ted on Gary Bailey's lat est tra ck crea tio n. One of th e highl ights o f th e ent ire co m p et it io n was th e Dick Mann initiat ed Vintage m o tocro ss cl a ss, . which proved to be a rea l crowdpl easer. Mat ch less rider Mark Wi1li arn even went so far as to use a u th entic paper pi epla tes for hi s ren dition o f o ld number 77. In th e p reliminary go o f this new class, Ba rry Hi ggin s' BSA thumped by Todd White' s Bultaco Pursang for th e wi n , wi th Mann'sclassic aluminum-tanked 250cc Os sa ca p tu rin g third. Mann , who rode h is wife's bike in th e clash , commented with a wide grin, " I paid $50 for th e o ld ma chine an d really enjoyed restoring it. There area lot of vin tage bikes out th ere in good cond iti on. We'll just have to sp read the word a little sooner next year and get m ore guys to run here. We had 150 bikes a t a vin tage MX in California a nd the spectators loved it. " Gary Bailey added, "1 wish I had realized th ere was a Vin tage divisi on . We st ill have o ne of m y oid Greeves a ro u nd a nd I would have washe d off th e cobwebs and cranked 'er up." Wh ite wh eeled off th e gate to lead Higgins, john Sawarazki 's 400 Cross Country Husky (co m p lete with 1970 Cycle News sticker )and Mann for th e first lap. White a nd Higgins swap ped spots through th e whoops in the final laps before Higgins took the chec kered flag. Higgins' wife Patti said, " Ba rry co u ld n ' t tak e th e pressure a n d fell ea rly in th e race. Then h e had to pl ay ca tch up." In 125cc A ac tio n, Fox raced with Rob johnson , T im Ra ynor and j ohn Thomson before pulling a way o n th e second lap. " I had I25cc problem s at Atlanta a nd G ainesville," sai d th e Kawa saki /H i -P oin t/ Barr /Scottspo nsored rider, "but a win here at Da ytona means more to me anyway." Fox has overcome a serious knee inj u ry from last sea son to return to top ra cing form at Daytona. Fox put it on th e line in a second cla ss to duel with Michigan 's jeff . Stanton in 250cc A action. The Team I Green charger took th e early lead . with Stanton, Carl Vaillancourt, Troy Coons and Rick Lindell on the gas . Stanton turned up the throttle on his Barr-equipped Yam aha and danced by Fox in th e whoops for the win. Stanton commented later, " My sponsors h ave been great to me , bu t lowe the most to my mom and dad. They have tak en me all over th e country to go racing and I really appreciate their efforts." Stanton hoped to double with a 500cc A win , but left the gate beh in d Kraig Constantino, Pacquette, Robby Neeley and Lindell. Pacqueue's Motosports/St. j erome Honda bumped Constantino for th e lead a nd Stanton soo n jumped by in to second place, quickly closin g th e ga p . The class wa s n ot to be Stanton 's, as he fell in a turn a nd got up as Constantino and Lindell came by. Stanton explained, (Conti nued to page 35)