Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

down as soon as he crossed the finish line, required allention from the ambulance crew after apparemly going over the bars and then being hit by the bike. A tired Ashcraft, still pushing his bike after about a mile, came in at lOth place overall, and sixth in the Open c1as . "I'm what, sixth in class?" he said. "I think that means Dan (Smith) has got me by about five points in the championship." After receiving his trophy at the finish, Smith said that the race wem exactly according to his game plan. "I didn't wam to get the lead off the start - I wamed to follow, follow," he said, "and that worked out well. It was a tough course and I've got more cactus stuff in me ... and my bike's kind of green from running through all the bushes going out on the third loop, but it was great." Smith also said that the course covered orne of the best desert he's seen. "This is the best desert I've ever ridden in," he said. "It's just like our Red Mountain but there are no whoops. There weren't quite as many turn arrows as I'm used to but there was plemy of ribbon so the course was easy to follow." Second-place finisher Sweetland said he'd had some trouble with Nevada's rocky terrain. "I endoed in some rocks - really badly. That last loop was real tight and I fell about five miles out in a rock pile," he said. "That bit was no fun." Fourth-placed Ed McCoy also spem a lot of time bailing off the bike. "I kept grabbing for the back brake and nothing was there," he said. "I think I fell four times - really big bail-oHs. It was fast and that's the hardest I've ever fallen - my bike is hammered. I was all over the place - I bet Smith thinks I ride like that all the time!" Like many of the other riders, 250cc Expert winner Charlie Morris Jr. had a riding jersey full of tiny holes at the finish, and hardly any of his sponsor's stickers were left on his chest protector. "It was all those bushes," he said. "The little bushes out there rip everything up." Morris said he rode most of the race on a flat rear tire. and that most of the bushdamage occurred lalt· in loop three. "With the back lIat. SCOll (Morris) got by me in the third loop. We were just wide open going through every bush on lhe way in. It wa the bitchinest course - tight, twisty, sandy. and the last loop was re-dl enduro type, it was great." The first Senior Open Expert over the fini h line was Richard Jackson, who also had problems with the bushes. "I got a bit close to one of them and caught the throttle cable. After that the bike wouldn't idle down." hI' said. First in the "C"-bike class, Duane Summers (Cag), echoed Jackson's feelings. "I pulled the lead and led the whole way," said Summers. "My only problem was that there were so many bu hes out there - I caught my from brake's hydraulic line leaving the pits and broke it, so I had to ride a bit slower." Summers, who has so far won all three championship races in the "C" class, thanked Grand Sport Tires for their support. The first Woman Open Expert across the finish line in the two-loop women' competition, was California desert racer Joanna Brownell. "It was fun, but the second loop got really chewed up out there," she said. "I had to take it easy because I've got a brand new bike. It ran great, but it takes a while to get used to it. It's a 400, not a 250 like I'm used to. It's a lot easier to ride than a 250 in a sandwash - and there were a lot of those out there today." In the ovice race, California's Tommy Voss took the lead going past the bomb and held it for the first half of loop one, but when the Novices arrived at the end of the first loop, Dave Benzler's KTM was out in from, in 64th place overall, with Voss running econd in class, in 77th overall, and Bob Ledendecker hard on his heels in 78th overall. The three held their position throughout loop two, with BenzieI' building up a 10-minute lead over the rest of the Novice field by the end of the two-loop Novice competition. "I had a really bad start," said BenzieI' at the finish. "I fell off my crate on the line and got away behind everyone else. The second loop had a lot of sandwashes - a lot of deep sand, and it got a bit fast. I love the Open class bike - a smaller bike wouldn't have pulled omeone my size,around the course." Voss, who held on to second place in the Open Novice class, said he was lucky to finish at all. "I lost my kick tarter on flat rocky ground and then I stalled the bike - I'm not sure how the bike staned again - I'm lucky I'm not still stuck out there." Voss was another of the California riders who appreciated riding on a course that wasn't well worn by previous races. "I really like the new stuff," he said. "I had never been in virgin territory like that before, and it's really something." Ledendecker (Hus), who crossed the finish third in the Open ovice class, said he was surprised that the finish came up so soon. "I thought I had to go three loops so I saved myself on the second one," he said. "I could've gone faster if I'd known." First across the line in the Veteran Open Novice class was Dan Stoy (Hon), who couldn't believe he'd won a trophy. "Really? I don't believe it," he said. "I barely made it out here thi morning. I mis ed my start and ended up starting back with the ATCs. That's what happens when you stay in Vegas all night!" Race organizer Casey Folks said the Groundshakers were pleased wi th the rider turnout, but thought some of the out-of-state riders may have tayed a,way because the club advertised an entry limit of 200 riders. "We had a problem with the BLM because the pit area runs right through the middle of a highly sen itive area it's a desert tortoise habitat." Folks told Cycle News. "The BLM restricted the number of riders to 200, and we think that may have kept some of them away." • a B e Unofficial Results OVERALL: 1. Dan Smith (Hus); 2. Ganh SwaalIand (Hus); 3. Scot Harden (Hus); 4. Ed McCoy (KTM); 5. Charlie Morris Jr. (Hus); 6. Scott Morris (Hus); 7. Tony Pasqua lotto (Han); 8. Paul Krause (SUl); 9. Darryl Folks (Hus); 10. Dan Ashcraft (Husll 11. Lee Peterson; 12. Mike Sixbery (Vam); 13. Jim McGrath (Han); 14. RichardJackson (Hus); 15. Purvines; 16. Duane Summers (Cag). OPEN EX: 1. Dan Smith (Hus); 2. Ganh Swaatland (Hus); 3. Scot Harden (Hus). 250 EX: 1. Charlie Morris Jr. (Hus); 2. Scan Mor· ris (Hus); 3. Paul Krause (Suz). VET OPEN EX: 1. Lee Peterson; 2. Mike Sixbery (Vam). 81-175 EX: 1. Ouane Summers (Cag). SR EX: 1. Richard Jackson (Hus). WOMEN OPEN EX: 1. Joanna 8rownell. 250 AM: 1. Michael Walling (KTM). OPEN NOV: 1. Dave 8enller (KTM); 2. Tommy Voss (KTM); 3. 80b Ledendecker (Hus). VET OPEN NOV: 1. Dan Stoy (Han). VET 250 NOV: 1. Jim Dranow (Vam). 250 8EG: 1. Todd Ailes (Yam). OF FINE ART· "FAMOUS RACE PLACES" By Jeff Gundlach Number two in a series of fine art prints Ornament someone', world with this Fine Art Print. signed end numbered by the ertist. EKh print is an original work of ert. pa;ntad in eight permanent colora on Archive P.... using the new technique of "Mylagrafy". No Ndot pattern" as on con_ional prints - only the pure hand stroke of the .rost. G....IlUIlId. Reedyto~. Limited Edition. ORDER NOW! r----------- only $7500 ------------~ I Okay. send me my original fine COUPON Isle of Man IT by Jeff Gundlach. I art print of I I print(s) to: (N. ".0. s•• "I. . I I pleBse send I Name I I I I~~ I I I I City State I I I u) I I I I I I I I I I I ~I I I I ~p ~OM 0 Payment enclosed (check or moneY order, payable to Cycle News). (CA res. add 6%. LA County res. add 6'h%) 0 Charge my Visa 0 Charge my Mastercard ~ ..... ~I.... Charge Customers: We must have complete account number and card expiration date. 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