Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ Cj) C'.( .... v ..0 o ... u o Husqvarna pilot Dale Knapp flew to third overall. second 250cc. . Front runners Don Griewe (469) and Cliff Thomas battle during the Prairie Dogs M.C. Hare and Hound; the order was reversed at the finish. AMA/D-37 Prairie Dogs M.C. Hare and Hound Thomas' powers .to Prairie Dogs victory By Anne and Tom Van Beveren Photos by Tom Van Beveren LUCERNE VALLEY, CA, OCT. 12 Cliff Thomas of the Checkers M.C. held off the Open class bikes to take the checkered flag on a 250 Yamaha at ~he Prairie Dogs "Dog-Gon-It" Hare and Hound, held at Soggy Dry Lake. , Thomas polent 250 ballled it oul for the lead with Don Griewe's Open class Kawasaki 18 . for most of th.e 70:ml!e rac~, and crossed the fImsh hne only mches ahea~ of Griewe's big green machine. Wllh desenace Dan Smllhaway 10 Holland for the famous Dutch sand race, the race was up for grabs as the nders hned upon Soggy Dry Lake for the stan, which was scheduled for 9:00 a.~. . But Just mmutes before the banner went up, one of the riders practicing on the ~mb run cras.hee! hard a.nd broke hiS leg, necessllaung a nde back LO LOwn in the race's only ambulance, and causmg a two-hour postponement of the start. There were a loto(frustrated riders and some very tense nerves by the time the banner finally dropped atll a.m. Griewe gunned his Kawasaki off the line and was out in front'of the pack on the way to the bomb, but Thomas was not going LO be left behind. As the riders left the fastpaced sand wash about two miles past the bomb and ran into the first of many rocky sections on their way toward the Camp Rock Road riding area, Thomas was already hard on Griewe's heels. In third place in the early running was Paul Krause, who, having already locked up the number one plate in the 250cc class, had abandoned his usual 250 Suzuki for a brand-new 1987 Open class Honda. Krause's shiny new Honda was followed through by Yamaha-mounted Ted Hunnicull, with the 250s of Dale K dE' H II th d be hi~'d.P an TIC a ga 0 e Hallg-,llh, who eventually crossed the finish line in fourth overall (third 250cc), and Cagivia facLOry rider Duane Summers who finished ninth overall, (first 125cc), .were disqualified after the race, according to a repon from Prairie Dogs President Ken Carpenter. Hallgath apparently failed to officially enter the competi-tion while Summers reponedly missed a'check. Darrol Taylor was leading the Amateurs just past the bomb, and Honda rider Dave West was first through off the Novice/Beginner start, charging hard to open up a comfonable margin over the rest of the Novices. . Out in front of the pack, Griewe was having problems with Thomas. The gutsy 250 pilot was pushing hard for the lead, and it was all Griewe could do to hold onto h.is number one spot. Griewe maintained his rapid pace as longas hecould, butas the35-mile first loop made a wide circle and he-dded into some tight canyon sections on its way back through the Camp Rock area, Thomas used the "250 terrain" to slip by and into the lead. Thomas led the way down a tough, rocky downhill - an obstacle that caused numerous problems for riders further back in the pack - then rode the rollers along the base of Fry Mountains, and back LO home check for a much needed gas SLOp on Bessemer Mine Road. Griewe was only 20 seconds behjnd Thomas as he slid into home check and thundered down pit row after the leader. Another 10 seconds back at the half-way point was Knapp, still being chased by fellow 250cc rider Hallgath, with Team Husky's Dan Ashcraft in hot pursuit. Ashcraft was forced LO retire soon after, when his Open class two-stroke seiloo just a few miles inLO loop two. Bill Saltzman (Husqvarna) was the first Senior through home check, running a high 10th overall, with Summers leading the C bikes in 12th overaIt; Yamaha-mounted Mike Sixbery was out in front of the Vets. Mall Alexander, on a Honda 250, had a five-bike lead in the Amateur class as he headed inLO the pits, and D.ave West was still OU.l in front of the Novice field, with a comfortable margin over the second Novice, who was running more than 30 places behind. The Thomas-Griewe ballie continued inLO the second 35-mile section of the race, which took the field through the Reagan Mountains and along the border of the Marine Corps Training Center. Despite the lead built up by the front-running duo, the race was far from over; with only five miles to go, the race leaders almost blew their chances completely by losing the course. Thomas missed a turn and charged off on a tangent, taking follow-theleader Griewe with him. The leaders sped away from the pink-ribboned route and went up a dead-end canyon. After a quick look around, the lead pair soon was off agajn, bush-crashing their way back to the course in a fullout rush LO finish before anything else could go wrong. Thomas held ontO the lead just longenough to power past the checkered £lag and take the overall honors, forcing Griewe to seule for second overall by a mauer of inches. "It was great - except for the last 10 miles," said a tired Thomas. "The last pan was big whoop-de-doos all the way, but apan from that the course was really fun. "There was a lot of everything - a lot of sand washes, wide open roads, some interesting hills. And it was marked really well, except for the bit where we got lost," he said. Thomas LOld Cycle News that a cracked frame had almost put him out of the running before the .race even started. "I noticed my frame was cracked yesterday, and to be able to race, I had to run back to the valley to get it welded, and then come all the way back again," he said. "But I guess it was worth it." Griewe described the Prairie Dogs' route as "a real 250 course." "The course was really tight- just perfect for 250s most of the way," he said. "But there were some fast sections too, and I just couldn't catch that guy (Thomas). I was right on it, but that 250 outran my bike. He would pull me by three or four bike lengths every time. I don't know how tha t bike goes so fast." Thomas cleared up the discrepancy by explaining that his motorcycle's speed was the result(of gearing "way up - as high as it can go." Crossing the finish line in third . overall, second in the 250cc class, was Dale Knapp, who thanked Dave Babrock, Pro Circuit Husky and Suzuki of Van Nuys. Hallgath and Morris came home behind Knapp, taking third and fourth, respectively, in the 250cc class, but third officially went to Morris after Hallgath was disqualified. Yamaha-mounted Kenny Parry took fifth overall, fourth in the 250cc class; he raced in with fellow 250 pilot Zoller only inches behind. Downhill Alexander took second in the Open class, finishing eighth overall, and was followed home by Duane Summers' Cagiva, the first 125cc to cross the finish line. The top spot in the C bike class went to Mike Heyler, however, when officials disqualified Summers; Heyler finished 24th overall. Kenji Gauthier finished eighth overall, (sixth 25Occ). Rounding out the top 10 were Bill Saltzman, who took ninth overall with his CUSLOmary win in the Senior Open class, and 10th overall went to Yamaha-mounted Ted Hunnicutt. The first Amateur rider to cross the finish line was Shaun Devlin on his Open class KTM, running a high II th overall. Coming in hard on Devlin's heels was another Amateur - Matt Alexander - who took top honors in the 250cc class on a Honda. Mike Sixbery - whose new job in the "A-Team Stunt Show" at Universal Studios has kept him working rather than racing-led the Veterans home, taking first in the Vet 250cc class, 13th overall, despite running out of g-as lale in loop one. The race for first place in the Vet Open class saw another sprint to the checkered flag, with Wayne Carlton's M-Star narrowly edging out Jim Robinson's Yamaha to take the win. Dave West took the checkered flag in the Novice division with plenty of room to spare. _ Results OVERALL: 1. Cliff Thomas (Yem): 2. Don Griewe (Kaw): 3. Dale Knapp (Husl: 4. Cherlie Morris Jr. (Hus): 5. Kenny Perry (Yeml: 6. Mark Zoller (KTMI: 7. Mike McDoneld (Kew): B. Kenji Geuthier (Yem): 9. Bill Seltzmen (Hus): 10. Ted Hunnicutt (Yeml: 11. Sheun Devlin IKTMI: 12. Mett Alexander (Hon): 13. Mike Sixbery IYeml: 14. Cherlie Berney (C·A); 15.. Dave Chese (Hu.l: 16. SIeve Kirk IYaml: 17. Downhill Alexander (Cag): 18. Oe"nis Creason. OPEN EX: 1. Don Griewe (Kawl; 2. Mike McDonald (Kew): 3. Ted Hunnicutt (Yem). 250 EX: 1. Cliff Thome. (Yem): 2. Dale Knapp (Hus); 3. Charlie Morris Jr. 125 EX: 1. Mike Heylar: 2. Julian GuerrelKawl. VET OPEN 'EX: 1. WIIyne Carlton IM-SI: 2. Jim Robinson (Yeml. OPEN AM: 1. Sheun Devlin IKTM): 2. Clark Cole· man (Hon): 3. Jack Urich (Hus). 250 AM: 1. Matt Alexander (Hont: 2. Andy Nelson (Hon): 3. Kelly Pale (Yam).

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