Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Jeff Stanton finished second in the big-bore battle to clinch the 500cc championship; he wrapped up the 250cc title the week before. Doug Dubach (18) battles with fellow Yamaha pilot Brian Myerscough (22B) in 250cc Pro action during the Trans-Cal finale at Ascot. CMC/Dodge Dakota Trans-Cal Series: Final round Stanton, Manneh wrap up Trans-Cal titles at Ascot By. Mitch Boehm/Motorcyclist Photos by Karel Kramer/Dirt Rider GARDE A, CA, ocr 18 "It feels great to win 'em both" said an exuberant Jeff Stanton at the end of the night's racing during California Motosport Club's Dodge Dakota-sponsored Trans-Cal finale at Ascot Park. Young Mr" Stan ton had every . . reason to f e~ I .go~d . WIth hIS runner-up f10lSh 10 the 500cc 6 Pro class, Yamaha-mounted Stanton added the 500cc Trans-Cal Series Championship to the 250cc TransCal title he clinched a week before at Argyll Park in Dixon, California. Stanton is the first out-of-state rider in Trans-Cal history to claim both the 250 and 500cc crowns. tanton's strength didn't stop Yamaha-mounted Russ Wageman from taking overall honors in the 500cc class tonight, however. Wageman won the hard-fought battle despite constant pressure from Stanton, Kawasaki-mounted Tommy Watts and Honda rider Brian Manley. Yamaha-mounted Bader Manneh a l.so gai?ed a Tra,:!s-<:;al Series Champlonshlp by WinnIng the hoLlycontested 125cc fray. Honda riders Kyle Lewis and defending 125cc champ Willie Surratt hounded Manneh throughout the 20-lap feature race, but couldn't force Manneh into a mistake. The flawless-ride earned Manneh the I25cc Trans-Cal title. Suzuki riders Buddy Antunez and Jimmy Gaddis finished 1-2 in the Mini Expen class, while the Vet Expen win went to Gary Semics. Early afternoon practice turned Ascot's track surface inLO the consistency of dry pavement, but after an hour-of watering and track preparation, combined with cool evening temperatures, the track surface was ideal; soft, loamy din that offered superb traction. The evening's race schedule differed somewhat from previous TransCal events. The usual two-moto format was scrapped in favor of one 20-lap main event for each class. Also, 125 and 250cc riders had to qualify for the main via two semis and a Last Chance Qualifier. Nine riders from each semi and three from the LCQ would transfer into the main, bringing the main event gate total to 21. The opening race was semi number one in the 125cc Pro class. Scott McElroy got the stan followed by Manneh and Lewis, who immediately stormed to the fron t and stayed there. Brian Myerscough gated fifth but by lap five was closely following Lewis. Michael Craig also recovered from a mediocre stan and settled in behind Myerscough. The four leaders pulled slightly ahead of fifth position and took the checkers in that order. Initial leader McElroy had problems and had to wai t for the I25cc Last Cha nce Qualifier. Defending I25ccTr,ms-Cal champ Willie Surratt holeshot semi number two, followed by Larry Brooks and JeU Matiasevich. Surratt held the lead umillap eight when an o((-track excursion put him back to fourth position. Matiasevich took the win followed by Brooks, Ty Davis and Surratt. Semi number one in the 250cc Pro class was up next, and Kawasakimounted Tommy Watts blasted into the lead, closely followed by Matiasevich, Shaun Kalos and Myerscough. On lap four, Myerscough passed Kalos and proceeded to follow Matiasevich past leader Watts. Myerscough then gOt by Matiasevich on lap nine; the semi's final tally was Myerscough, Matiasevich, Wausand Doug Dubach. The second 250 c semi saw JeU Stanton grab the lead, followed by Michael Craig, Eddie Hicks and Shawn Wooten. The big story of the semi was Russ Wageman, who jammed himself in the starting gate and was dead last into turn one. Wage- man slammed his way through the pack and was running sixth by lap six. Craig took the checkers with Stanton a very close second and Manley third. Wageman was flying; he finished fourth. The 125cc LCQ was won handily' by Michael Craig with Wooten second and McElroy third. Gordon Ward recovered from a poor stan to win the 250cc LCQ. Todd Lehmann, who holeshot the race, finished second while Tim Rutherford finished third after a hard ride from deep in the pack. Qualifying was unneccessary in the Open Pro division, and when the gate fell for the 20-lap main event, Brian Manley put his CR500 Honda into the lead followed by Wageman, Stanton, Watts, Greg Torgerson, defending 500ccTrans-CaI champ Willie Simons and Salt Lake City, Utah rider Terry McGinnis. Lap two saw Wageman get by Manley, initiating a battle for the lead that would last most of the race. By lap eight, Stanton had glued him elf to Manley's rear fender and the trio set a blistering pace, pulling a four-second lead on Watts. Simons had di placed Torgerson and was trailing Watts by three seconds at the race's midway point. Manley stuffed his CR underneath Wageman for the lead on lap 14 and held his position for five laps until his Honda's rear shock lost its rebound damping a few laps from the finish. "When the shock bottomed out it wouldn't return," he said, "At first I thought the rear wheel was broken, but I wasn't sure 0 I kept going. When the rear end stayed down again, I ligured the shock blew so I slowed down a bit so I'd finish the race and not crash." Manley's slower pa e must have had an affect on Watts because on lap 18the Shelbyville, Kentucky rider got by the limping Manley, then passed Stanton and briefly put pre sure on leader Wageman. The surpri ed StanLOn decided he would stand for none of that and quickly repassed Watts to

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