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/126933
Garth Sweetland. another factory Husqvarna rider. gassed his big Husky to fourth overall. third in the Open Expert division. "It was definitely dusty, and then some," said Sweetland, who was covered from head to toe with a silty brown film. "My only problem was that I'm riding injured from a bad crash two weeks ago. I thought the course was great." "Beautiful," was the word sixthoverall Lance McPhee used to describe the course. "It was marked really well, and the danger arrows gave you plenty of time to sort yourself out," said the Open Expert from Walnut Creek, California. "It was real dusty, but long enough to where you could spread out and pretty well call your own shots. Please say thanks to Joe of ProCycle in Concord. He's really helped me out." Recent ISDE Gold Medalist Duane Summers was the first C-Class rider to cross the finish line (seventh overall), giving Summers five firsts and one second in the championship series, as well as a 52-point lead over Yamaha rider Kevin Case in the duel for the National title. Case placed third in this round of the series. Summers, who is backed by Cagival Alpineslar/O'NeallScott/Kalgard, told Cycle News that his race had been one of careful riding - not speed. "On the stan it was so dusty that I just stayed back," Summers said. "For the first 20 miles, all I did was make sure that I didn't fall. I think I was founh or fifth 125 at that stage, but I wasn't worried about it. All I needed to do was to win this to get my class championship so I decided to be . really conservative. I just wanted to make sure that I finished." Second place in the 125 class went to KTM-mounted John Braasch, who thanked Duralube, ProCycle KTM and Mark Zoller. "My bike was jetted way too rich for up here, but apart from that it was fun - a blast," said Braasch. The first Amateur to take the checkered flag was D-37's Clarke Coleman, who rode in holding his Open Class Honda's seat under one arm. "I guess I lost the seat about 10 miles back," Coleman said. "It's pretty rough riding without a seat, but I had to finish. I've won three o[ these Nationals as an Amateur and I wasn't going to give up on this one." Coleman said his only other problem was in reading the terrain. "The open desert stuff is really hard to read up here," he said. "We were weaving in and out of those little bushes all the time. And you really have to dodge them. They have big branches in them and don't give an inch." Joel Ellis, riding an Open Class Honda, was first across the finish line (ninth overall) in the Over-30 class. Southern California's Richard Jackson took second in the division (17th overall), racking up National points in the Vet class rather then his usual Senior division. . A close race for third in the Vet class saw Can-Am-mounted Steve Pitts of Utah narrowly edge out Southern California's Wayne Carlton (M-Slar) to lake the checkered flag and the class points lead. Going into the round, Carlton had held the lead in the Vet Open Class by just one point over Pitts. "I got a flat right off the Slart and had to ride the whole first loop on it," said Pitts. "I lost time changing it in the pits, and I missed a couple of corners too. I thought I was way out of it." Carlton said Pitts got by him when he ran out of gas about a mile from the finish. "I was coming in, I could see the pits and I thought I was going to make it," said Carlton, "then all of a sudden, the bike went 'blub, blub' and died. I watched him go by - that was tough. But I had a good race, and I didn't fall at all, which is really good for me." Carlton thanked Eric Jensen (Eric's Motorcycles) for keeping his bike running. • Unofficial Results OVERALL: 1. Dan Smith (Hus); 2. Ron Navlor (Can Am); 3. Paul Krause (Suz); 4. GanhSweetland (Hus); 5. Scan Morris (Hus); 6. Lance McPhee(Hon); 7. Duane Summers(Cag); B. Clarke Coleman (Hon); 9. Joel Ellis (Hon); 10. John Braasch (KTM). 0-37 desert ace Paul Krause powered his 250 Suzuki to third overall and to first place in the 250cc Expert class. Duane Summers, who leads the race for the National title in the smallbore class. rode his factory Cagiva to first 125, seventh overall. OPEN EX: 1. Dan Smith (Husl:2. Ron Navlor (C-A); 3. Ganh Sweetland (Hus). 250 EX: 1. Paul Krause (Suzl; 2. Scon Morris (Hus); 3. Darvl Folks (Husl. 125 EX; 1. Duane Summers (Cag); 2. John Braasch (KTM). OPEN AM: 1. Clarke Coleman (Honl. VET OPEN EX; I.Joel Ellis(Hon); 2. Richard Jackson (Hus); 3. Steve Pitts (C-AI. SR OPEN EX: 1. Walt Fleving; 2. Raben Torgerson (KTMI. SR 250 EX: 1. Jack Coulmbe; 2. AI Watters 17