Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

c .~ 0 ..... 0 "#0 a:: u :t: a.. ~ z w 0 ..J a:: w > CD ~ 6 z ~ ~ ::J w 0 ..... 0 a.. (,,0 > ~ "- :t: - :t: , 00 '" 0') ~ Q.) ::::: :s I---) Ed Runkle (459) passed Mark Long (398) and Mich~el G~rdner(60) to win the Middleweight Superbike Novice race at Summit POint. Mike Munther was second overall in the Bike Barn Hare Scrambles. being escorted off the track by her son, Rusty. North Forks HS to Wingert By Paul Nielsen BELLINGHAM, WA, MAY 10 Canadian Tiger Wingert scored the overall win in the North Forks Hare Scrambles which was hosted by the Me Baker M.e. WingertLUrned in seven laps on the six-mile course in the two hour race, with 17-minute lap being his fastest of the day. The race started in a gravel pit that had three levels, starting down a steep hill, then crossing a flat stretch before funneling into a narrow, steep hill to the trail below. The bulk of the course consisted of good trails, fast logging roads and real tight sLUff. Two of the trails were connected via a primitive trail that drew some unfavorable remarks from some of the riders. It was in that stretch that Wingert showed his ability and experience. The A class was first off, followed by the B' class. then the C class and finally the Over 30 class. MLke Vail hit the trail first with the rest of the A class and then the field inpursuit. Scott Drafs showed 'the -B class competitors how to get to the- trail below as he jumped his bike orr the second level to take the class lead. By . the second lap Drafs was running second behind Wingert. Vail had relinquished the lead when he had some problems in a mud bog. Kent Thompson took the B class lead from Drafs by the start of the second lap, but Drafs fought back and ended up the B class winner and second overall behind Wingert. Wingert's margin of victory was two minutes and 40'se onds. The Mount Baker M.e. donated $100 from the event's proceeds to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial which is I being constructed in Everson, Wash-. ington. a Results 52 :t: a.. ~ ~. > CD 0 ..... 0 A: 1. Tiger Wingert; 2. Mike Vail. B: 1. Scott Or.15; 2. Kent Thompson; 3. Bill Van Woodenberg', C: 1. Roger Smith; 2. Tim Mount; 3. Aaron Young, POKER RUN: 1. Stan Sytsma: 2. Paul Nielss~: 3. R an Van en. Getz gasses it to Bike Barn HS win By Merle Acord MORRISON, IL, MAY II Kelly Getz passed Mike Munter for the overall win just after the scoring barrels during the sixth lap in the third round of the Bike Barn Hare Scrambles four-race series. Getz powered his 250cc CanAm through the 2.3-mile course, finishing two laps ahead of'Munther for his second overall win trpphy. Cetz sul£ered a DNF in his other series outmg. Munther, riding a Bike Barn 200cc Can-Am, won his class but lost any chance of winning the series number one jacket when he twisted his left knee so badly that it will require surgery. "I knew after I put a foot down in a corner and the knee popped out I was in trouble," said Munther. "But it wouldn't hurt any less back in the van than it was while riding so I finished the race. I did have a real bad moment on the next-to-Iast lap when I ran into the back of some guy parked on the trail and I went over the handlebars. Luckily I had about 10 seconds on Larry Berquist and was able to get going again before he gOt by. " Berquist, not showing any after eUects from a bout of mono, holeshotted the A riders from the deadengine start and was into tHe second~ lap before dropping to second place. Berquist was second in class and third overall. "Gabby" Hayes on the Senior class with a 350cc Can-Am and said, "i got a good start and was around fourth or [ifth into the barrels on the first lap but that pace was tOO fast for me. I slowed down." Hayes is a perennial favorite to win the District's Senior Hare Scrambles claSS, and as part of his race psyche always wears a black derby hat in the pits to accent his curly white beard and spends an inordinate amount of time telling the competition it just isn't safe to go very fast in the woods. Husqvarna rider Greg Shafer and Can-Am pilot Garry Gibbs ignored Hayes and diced for most of the two' , .. hours before Shafer took command of the lead and went on to the 250cc A class win. Mark McCrimmon won the Open A class but Ron Whipple learned the lesson in trail marking. Whipple, caught up in the excitement of the race, ventured beyond the ribbon markers in the swamp and spent valuable time and extended a lot of effort digging his big-bore Yamaha out of the mire. Bill Gusse, who IS responsible for course layout, said, "Sometimes ribbons mark places we don't want you to go and other times places you don't want to go." David Berquist continued to dominate the Mini class with another win. Tom Sharp got the holeshot from the dead-engine start but Berquist had the lead before. the comple: tion of tne first lap and never looked back. Promoter and Bike Barn-owner Gusse has held each of his three races at different locations. When asked about the final race, Gusse said he was saving the best for last. The final race of the four race series will be run over rolling hills and tight trails at Dale's Timber. Results OVERALL: KeUy GelZ (C-A). OVERALL B: Phil Banks (Han). 200 A: 1, Mike Munther (C-A); 2. Larry Berquist (Kaw): 3. Gary Peterson (C-A). . 250 A; 1. Greg Shafer (Hus); 2. Garry G,bbs(C-A); 3, Dave EdssU(KTM). OPEN A: 1. Mark McCrimmon (Hus); 2. Glen Fuegen (Yam); 3. Monty Gusse (C·A). SR: 1. Gabby Hayes (C-A): 2. D~vid Diamond (CA); 3. Peul Fisher (Yam). 200 B: Robert MitcheUs (Kaw); 2, Jemie Nees (Kaw); 3. Rusty 'Mills (C-A). OPEN B: 1. IDoug Reed (Han): 2. Scan Leverton (C·A); 3. John Huntress (C-A). MINI: 1. Devid Bargquist (Kaw); 2. Tom Sharp (Yam); 3. Jeson Kauzlarich (Yam). Nelson nabs Summit Point RR By Michael Green . SUMMIT POINT, WV, MAY 10-11 The AMA Championship Cup Series moved to Summit Point for the Mid-Atlantic Region season opener. After a day of five-lap heat races on the slippery.I.Smile circuit, Saturday's proceedmgs ended with twO IO-lap finals. The combined Lightweight One/Formula Twins race was dominated by Cliff Niblock on his Honda 500cc Ascot and he cruised to the checkered £lag with a 50-second lead. The RZ Challenge final was an easy victory for David Leppelmeirand his Northridge Yamaha/RSC machine. Leppelmeir finished half-a-Iap ahe-ad of runnerup Da~id Murray. . . Traction was a little more eVident on Sunday and the day began with the Supertwins event. Devin Battley cruised to tire win on Ifi BMW'wttll- Novice Blaine Paulus closing in th~ final laps aboard his Moto-Guzzi LeMans. Joe Nelson rocketed into the lead of the Formula One event on his Cycle SportiSuperTrapp Yamaha FZ750 and looked to be an easy winner. Bruce Nield had missed the warm-up lap and was in hot pursuit on his Hardees of Winchester/Martinsburg HRC Interceptor. The pair fought for the lead over the last few laps and coming into the last turn Nelson had it by a few feet. It was Nield who had the drive out of the turn, however, and he passed Nelson . yards from the 'line with one arm raised in a victory salute. Nelson and Nield met again in the Unlimited Superbike final and this time Nelson did not let up. "I rode the whole race as if Bruce Nield was on my tail," he explained. "I looked behind me once, on the final lap, and there was no one in sightl" With a victory in the Heavyweight Superbike event, unsponsored Nelson came away from the weekend with a very welcome $1050 in Yamabucks and prize money. Mark Long and Ed Runkle dominated the Novice races. Long, on hlS Bill Himmelsbach-tuned Yamaha RZ350 won the RZ Challenge and Light~eight Two events. Runkle, aboard a Kawasaki Ninja GPz 6OOR, was a winner in Heavyweight Superbike and a hard-fought Formula Two race. Long and Runkle met in the Middleweight Superbike final. The bigger Kawasaki got the holeshot and Runkle led for the first three laps. Long squeezed by at the tight turn one and the two riders traded the lead as they carved their way through backmarkers. Runkle seemed to have the advantage on the last lap but Long nipped pa$t at the final tl~rn and lOOk the flag by a few bike lengths.. The final race of the day was the Lightweight Two final. Leppelmeir led all the way but the excitement was the battle for second. A blanket could have covered John Reardon, John Loman and Cliff Bigoney, all Yamaha RZ350-mounted. Reardon had crashed hard in front of Loman the day before and was anxious to finish his weekend on a high point. Loman was having troubles of his own.as disintegrating front w~eel. beaTIngs sent him into some halr-ralSlng wobbles. Reardon and Loman swapped second place throughout the race as Bigoney bided his time in fourth place. Reardon led the group on the last lap and Bigoney flew by Loman on the ~ome straight, taking his motor well 10 the red zone to grab third at the Jlag. Results uw 1 EX: 1. Cliff Niblock (Han): 2. George FilZ (Han); 3. Chris Bloch (Suz). UVI( t 11I0\!: ,'. Bober) .tlal)bjJ'1/ (Han): 2. Alan Newco;;.." (siJz); 3. Mark Butler (Suz).

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