Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

(Above) ~ennis Ha~horne rode his KX to a second in the 250cc Expert class. while Paul Wmn (below) also placed second in the Mini Sr. race. 10th Annual Grand National Championship Finals: Watts, Surratt, Simmet tops in Texas By Todd Eschberger LAKE WHIT EY, TX, MAR. 7-9 Tommy vVatts, "Wild" Willie Surratt and Rick Simmet were some of the weekend's fastest riders at the 10th running of the motocross Grand National Championship Finals at Lake Whitney Cycle Ranch in Texas. Kawasaki rider Watts was the most productive .. h o f t h e tree, wmnmg not one C. 2U' but two classes, the 250 and 500cc Expen races, while Surratt LOpped the 125cc Expen class and Simmell the-t05cc- Mrrn-div1~ton.·ftnother u • Kawasaki rider, Jeff Emig, from Kanas City, Kansas, captured an overall title. after going 3-1 in the Mini Semor class. Friday's racing began with qualifiers for riders needing a chance to get in on the weekend's action. After the last chance qualifiers, the excellently prepal'eth:ounecby Ken1telh~son and crew was opened for practice. The weekend was overflowing with great and close racing all the way from the Pee Wee clas to the Over 30 Masters cia s. Race were run smooth as silk and the event was very well organized, con ideri ng there were just over 1000 at the event. ome of the highlights during aturday's racing began with the run offs for unday' final. It seemed Kawasaki was going to dominate the Mini classes after DMCI cOll/Gear Racewear- ponsored Jason Langford (Kaw)andMalcolm mith/P]I/ ott! DMC-sponsored Dennis tephenson (Kaw) each won their heat races. However, Honda rider immet(P]I/ Oakley/Axo) beat Langford in the 105cc outing. In the l25cc Expert heat race, Yamaha rider Todd DeHoop (SCOll/ Gear Racewear/Shoei) led right from the tan LO the final lap only LO be passed by Dennis Hawthorne over a set of double jumps to take the win. However, Hawthorne wa protested for that double-jump pass and was dropped back LO second place in the results. In the next I25cc Expen beat race, Surralltook the win, but in the race, Yamaha rider Dale SLOrbeck crashed and LOok out Carroll Richardson, who uffered an ankle injury. Mike Larocco and Lowell Thomson ballled in the first 250cc Intermediate heat race with Larocco emerging on top, while David Campbell (Gregory' Motorcycles/Gear Racewear) won the second heat race. unday's racing featured all the finals in every class, and in the 250cc Expenfinal, Yamaha rider ]eHSchumacher (Malcolm Smith/Yam) jammed inLO the early lead ahead of Watts, Kit Vick, Jeff tanLOn and Ha wthorne. This order remai ned the sa me for the fi I' t fi ve la ps before Hawthorne moved into second. Again Hawthorne made a pass on the next lap after slipping by Vick for third. A the race neared its end, WallS was pushing Schumacher in every turn then passed the leader. WallS went on to take the win, while Hawthorne nipped Schumacher on the final lap for second place. StanLOn LOok third followed by Vick. • The 125cc Expen race aw Honda rider Roben NaughLOn (Gear/Oakley/MoLO Pro) jam inLO the lead, while Surrall (AXO/FMF/Kal-Gard), Don Schmit, Scott Chesser and SLOrbeck chased. During the first lap, LOrbeck's fork leg lodged into Chesser's swingarm and he couldn't pull it free. As the race continued, urrall was hounding the leader, aughLOn, and finally found an opening during the fifth lap. Following closely in third and fourth were Schmit and Shaun Kalos (]T Racing/Oakley/Hon). For the rest of the ra e, the battle for the lead was intense, but Surrall held on to take the win, followed by NaughLOn, Schmit and Kalos. "I was real nervous running that close, and I wanted LO keep it a clean race," said urrall. "I was worried about Schmit more than anything." In the 250cc Expert race, WallS quickly took the lead with Hawthorne, tanton and Doug Fellers in pursuit. Watts, Hawthorne and tanton began pulling away from the rest of the pack as the moLO progressed. It was a close race right down to the finish with WallS hanging on LO take the win ahead of Hawthorne, Stanton and Fellers. "I felt good, today, but I got blisters on my hand from not riding mu h back home." said WallS. "It's pretty tough to ride three classes Uke this." It was Larocco's day in the Intermediate ciasse , winning three out of four classes. Larocco didn't win without a ballie by Kawasaki rider • f:.: "e'I1 Thorn O~' ( 'cltffl' i!en.r. Malcolm Smith/DMC/EP/Scoll/ P] I). Thomson did, however, steal the win in the 125cc Modified Intermediate class but finished runner-up to Larocco in the other three races. Dennis tevenson captured the hole hot in the 105ccrace, butSimmet (P]I /Pro Circuit!AXO), Chad Montero (C&W Racing/O'Neal/Yam), Emig, and Jason chultz (Kaw) were close behind. tevenson and immet were the star allraction in tbis race a they ballied for the lead. Eventually immet made his move and darted by Stevenson, taking over the lead, and went on LO take the win. Both Montero and Emig (Team Green/P]I/ScOll/Answer) lipped by tevenson by moLO's end, finishing second and third. "I had some bad luck in mv other race," said immell, "but this win makes up for it." There was quite a thrill in the Mini Senior class as Chad Montero (C&W Racing/O'Neal/Yam) took the early lead ahead of Paul Winn (Scott/P]I/Yam). Montero and Winn engaged in a heavy-duty dogfight for the next few laps, then everything went haywire. As the two leaders headed up Chuck Sun Hill. Montero and Winn collided in mid air,the two crashing hard. As they raced to remount, Emig and Chri Neal motored by, while Winn recovered ahead of Montero. Shonly after, Stevenson passed Montero, and the first five riders remained bunched up for the remainder of the race. Atthe finish, it was Emig taking the climactic win followed by Neal and Winn. Colin Edwards II (Yamaha Motor Corp./O'Neal/BeIIlScoll) emerged as the weekend's only three-class winner. Edwards and his Yamaha swept the Mini Mini, Mini ]r. and the Mini Stock (7-11) classes easily. Honda rider Butch Smith (American Honda/ ScotllP]l)linished econdLOEdwards in the Mini ]r. and tbe Mirti Stock (7-11) classe, while Mack Vander Beek placed second in the Mini Mini race. Yamaha rider Robbie Reynard, from Moore, Oklahoma, easily handled the Teeny Mini (50cc) class with strong first-place performances. Reynard's (O'Neal) nearest com petitioI' was Kevin Windham, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who finished second overall. Third and founh fell to Shawn Mann (Yam) and Jeffrey Easley (Yam), while Robbie Skaggs (Yam) rounded out the top five. Colin Edwards (Yam) used a 2-1 score to steal the overall win away from Butch mith (Hon, 1-3) in the Mini ]r. class. Michael W. Walling (Kaw), Mack Vander Beek (Kaw) and Steve Petres (Yam) finished 3-4-5. • Results TEENV MINI15Occ): 1. Robbie Reynard (Yaml; 2. Kevin Windham (Yam); 3. Shawn Mann (Yam). MINI MINI 16O<:c): 1. Colin Edwards 11 (Vam); 2. Mack Vande< Beak (Kawl; 3. Steve Petree (Yaml. MINI JR.: 1. Colin Edwards 11 IVaml; 2. Butch Smith (Hon); 3. Michael W. Walling (Kawl. MINI STK 17-11): 1. Colin Edwards II (Yam); 2. Butch Smith (Honl; 3. Michael W. Walling (Kaw). MINI STK (12-15): 1. Chris Neal (Yam); 2. John Kitsch IKaw); 3. Rick Simmet (Hon). MIN.I SR: 1. Jeff Emig (Kaw); 2. Paul Winn (Yam); 3. ChriS Neal (Yam). MINll 05: 1. Riel< SimmetIHon); 2. Chad Montero (Vam); 3. Jeff Emig (Kaw). 125 NOV: 1. Roy Schellenberger (Vam); 2. Jeff Carpenter (Yam): 3. Mike Tate (Kaw). 125 STK NOV: 1. Roy Schellenberger (Vam): 2. Jeff Long (Kaw); 3. Chris Walter (Hon). 1251NT: 1. Lowell Thomson. Jr. IKawt, 2. Dennis Stephenson (Kaw); 3. Bren Schum8te (Hon). 125 STK INT: 1. Mike Larocco (Vam); 2. r.J.Mooney (Hon); 3. Brett Shumate (Hon). 125 EX: 1. Willie Surran(Hon); 2. Roben Naughton (Hon): 3. Don Schmit (Kaw). 250 NOV: 1. Chad Clay (Hon); 2. James Skinner ISuz); 3. Ricky Lester IHon). 250 STK NOV: 1. Jimmy Brewer (Kawl; 2. Todd Kale (Vam): 3. Carl W. Browning (Vam). 250 INT: 1. Mike Larocco (Vam); 2. Lowell rhom· son, Jr. (Kaw); 3. Tony Bullard IVam). 250 STK INT: 1. Mike Larocco (Vaml; 2. Lowell Thompson. Jr. (Kaw); 3. Jeff Bailey (Kaw). 250 EX: 1. Tommy Wans (Kaw); 2. Dennis How· thorne (Kawl; 3. Don Schmit (Kaw). OPEN INT: 1. Andy Michnar (Kaw); 2. Sean Blanchard (KIwi; 3. Troy Rogers (Vam). OPEN EX: 1. TommyWans(Kaw); 2. Dennis Hawthorne (Kaw); 3. Jeff Stanton (Vam). OVER 30: 1. Darcey Bra.el (Vaml; 2. Dave DeArmond (Kawl; 3. Paul Burnett. OVER 30 MSTR: 1. Dave Miller (Kaw)l' 2. Ro!Jby. Neltley (Kaw); 3. Jeff Jane. (Han). 1 I ) I I,

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