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/126912
•• ""-'.'':;iI' ~~ (.0 00 0"> Eric McKenna took his Hond. to -the Virgini. City GP overell win. McKen'na conquers Virginia City GP By James Gillis VIRGINIA CITY, NV, MAY II Honda-mounted Eric McKenna powered his way to an overall win at the 16th annual Western States Racing Association's Viginia City Grand Prix. Husqvarna factory rider Larry Roeseler came all the way from Lhe back of the pack to claim Lhe runner-up spot, and Honda-mounted Lance McPhee finished third. Over 350 riders challenged the tough, 22-rniJe course, which was made especially rough by a thunderSlOrm Friday. The rains left me race course filled with long, deep rulS, Kevin Brown led the first lap on a Husqv.rne rider llIrry Roeseler finished second over.II. Honda, quickly building a oneminute-plus lead over second place Mark Mason. Darrick Lucchesi sellied into third. McKenna was running seven minutes behind the leader, in eighth place, and Roeseler was weB 0[£ the pace, 14 minutes back. Brown still held the lead on lap two, but the hard-charging McKenna had passed six riders to move into second place. Mason dropped to third. Both McKenna and Brown piued on the second lap, and both were back on the track in less than two minutes. McKenna inherited the lead on lap three when Brown dropped out of the race with gearbox problems. Roeseler spent the late stages of the race on the gas, after pacing himself for the first couple of laps. The Husky rider had not planned lOcom- , "" , . pete at Virginia City, and had lO settle for me rear-of-the-pack staning position which comes with a late entrY. Roeseler said his strategy would be lO let riders spread ou t, let the dust sellie for the first two laps, then allempt to make up time the rest of the race. McPhee and Donnie Joyner were crowd-pleasing showmen during the third lap. Joyner came £lying down the paved start/finish line run on his YZ250 Yamaha, grabbed a handful of front brake, and did an impressive front-wheel wheelie. McPhee, riding his Red Neck Rooster Honda, later gave both spectators and pit crews a show by riding a rear-wheel wheelie for 200 yards down the paved from straight. By the beginning of the fourth lap, Roeseler was running 16 minutes behind pace-seller McKenna. On lap five, last year's winner, Anthony Pasqualotto, dropped out of the race with a malfunctioning front brake. McKenna was still leading the race on the sixth lap when he pulled into the pits with a rear flat tire and bem handlebars; he was back on the track in minutes after a few frantic repairs. When Roeseler made his second pit stop, his crew took the time lO bleed some air from his suspension, but he was back in the race in less than a minute. By the seventh and final lap, it was clear McKenna would win, with Roeseler and McPhee rounding out me lOp three. Fourm place went to Yamaha-mounted Bill Grossi, while Duke Dowell powered his Suzuki across the finish line in fifth position. Results OVERAll: 1. Eric McK.,na IHonl; 2. l.arTy Roe- .... (Hust 3. U1nce _ _ (Han); 4. Bin G.--i (Yaml; 5. Oulce e-IISuZ). • 16 Battles are raging across the country. Battles that pit 500 Interceptor'" racers against each other for thousands of dollars in prize money. It's the 1986 500 Interceptor Championship Series,and . . m every regIon the racing is heating up. So far, the standout performance is in Bill DeBere: Current points leader. the West. Bill DeBere is unstoppable. He won the first three AFM rounds, picking up $2100 and 60 points. Temple City Honda, DeBere's sponsor, has another rider in the top three-last year's 500 Interceptor Series Champion, III Steve Reynosa. Self-sponsored Ben William and Tustin Honda's Richard Moore are hanging tough in second and fourth. As the action in the other regions picks up, you can count on one thing. With only the first through fifth-place riders in each regiongoingtothe HONDA Championship :final at Road Atlanta, our 500 racers are gomg to keep fighting to get into the top 5UCJ I\IIElLEPIDH· five positions. ~ S D a : : : s ......... NIGEL GAlE SeIf-spa18lftd 23 Pta I $2'l5 t~t 1,.,,1 .