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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126914
OPEN JR: 1. Tony Paulson (Hon).
OPEN INT: 1. Brian PBlterson (Vaml.
OPEN PRO: 1. Danny Paladino (Hon).
Rogers wins
.Richmond ST
By Joe Kelly
RICHMOND, VA, MAY 21
Rain helped the fanners and
got the quarter-mile clay oval
at the Virginia State Fairgrounds in. Richmond lightning fast. With more rain expected the
crowd was light, though 63 riders
were race ready.
Defendi ng Track Champion Wayne
Eckert rode his Yamaha to a clean
sweepofthe 125cc class events. Eckert
took both heats and the main, but his
main win was a bit deceiving. David
Nuckols had tied on to Eckert's rear
wheel on the third lap. Nuckols raced
hard and pulled even with Eckert on
the seventh circuit. They rode as one
though the eighth. then Nuckols slipped, going down and out. Mickey
Turner and Jeremy Lucy inherited
the runner-up spots.
The Amateur 250cc races were some
of the most exciting ever at the track.
Carroll Wh'ay, Honda-mounted, looked strong in the qualifier. but Glenn
Barr made a last-lap bid count, to win
by the light in the main. Glenn Baar,
Nuckols. Doug Elliott and Whay
were in hot pursuit. On the fourth
lap Whay tried an outside pass coming off turn four. He ran out of racetrack going over the straightaway
fence, becoming entangled with a
light pole. The race was stopped. On
the restart Rickman went back in
front, with Nuckols chasing. This
time Nuckols stayed on two wheels to
take the win.
Mark Hartley rode his Honda to
first place in both heat and rrtain in
the 250cc Pro ranks. Ray West, on a
Kawasaki, gave him a hard run, but
had his own battle holding off the
charging Rusty Rogers, riding a
Suzuki. On the winning laps in the
main West broke away fro Rogers
and closed on Hartley, but could not
get by settling for second.
The 500cc Amateur class had Glenn
Baar winning heat and feature. Chris'
Rickman finished a strong second in
the heat and appeared to have what
was needed to win in the final. He
tried an inside pass on the eighth lap,
going down in the process. The race
was red-flagged and called. Jerry Koris
found himself second by virtue of
Rickman's misfortune.
Rogers aboard his Harley, led from
light to flag over Ray West, Kawasakimounted, in the 500cc Pro heat. The
feature looked to be another story
altogether; as the light turned, Ray
West jumped his Kawasaki machine
to the head of the pack. Rogers clamped on to West's rear wheel and did
everything possible in his efforts to
get by. Rogers made it to first on the
fifth tour of the oval, but West shot
back in front on the next lap, leading
for two more rounds. Then Rogers
used all the horsepower he could
gather arid made an outside pass
work on the white flag lap. David
Hackett, in his second run at the
track this season, finished third.
John Nickens was a last-lap winner
over Ryan Taylor in the 50cc minicycle main. Travis Nuckols ran a
strong race to beat Brian Strong in
the 60cc final. Strong came back to
win in the 80cc ranks over a hard
fOL!ght Jeremy Lucy and a charging
Nuckols.
Results
125: 1. Wayne Eckert (Vam): 2. Mickey Turner
(Han); 3. Jeremy Lucy (Suli.
250 AM: 1. David Nuckols (Vam); 2. Chris Rickman (Yam); 3. Doug Elliott (Han).
250 PRO: 1. Mark Hartley (Han); 2. Ray West
(Kaw); 3. RusTy Rogers (SUl).
500 AM: 1. Glenn Baar (Yam); 2. Jerry Karis
(Yaml; 3. Alfred Ledbetter (Yam).
500 PRO: 1. Rusty Rogers (H·D); 2. Ray West
(Vam); 3. David Hackett (Vaml.
50: 1. John Nickens (Sull; 2. Ryan Taylor (Vaml;
3. Tony Paulston (Vaml.
60: 1. Travis Nuckols (Kaw); 2. Brian Strong
(Yam); 3. John Nickens (SUl).
BO: 1. Brian Strong (Kaw); 2. Jeremy Lucy (Kaw);
3. Travis Nuckols (Kawl.
.
Dietz first in
Meadowlark HS
By Bobby Nickoli
AMHERST, OH, MAY 18
A fast track was prepared at
Meadowlark Raceway to compliment the coming motocross
season, and this helped most of
the riders to power through the muddy
areas and turn in much faster lap
times than the previous ha,re scrambles here in "The Sand Trap." Fortunately the rains that have deluged
the previous races held off until the
last lap. Continuing track improvements also helped the riders stay on
the throttle throughout the day.
Jeff Dietz of East Canton on his
Yarrtaha took first in the Open class
with Don Arnold second.
John Gallagher once again took
the Senior class while Tom Boyer
moved up a notch from the last race
here. Herb Leppelmein continues to
grind it out placing first in the Senior
Two bracket.
Brent Abel continued his domina. tion of the Mini Junior class with
Mark McGrath moving up two notches from the past Face. Steve Wooledge
maintained his number one plate
from the past race over Bridget Ulizio
of Industry, Pennsylvania. This preserved his local track standing in a
field that has grown over 200% over
the last race. Bill Koleno of South
Amherst, Ohio, on his Kennedy prepared Kawasaki ste