Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Yamaha's Broc Glover attended the Kyle Fleming Memorial MXand went 6-1 in the 250cc Pro class for fourth overall. Tommy Watts took the overall. . KYle Fleming Memorial MX Over 600 MXers compete in Blythe By Darryl Drake Photos by 3-D Photography BLYTHE, CA, NOV. 15-16 Over 600 racers turned out at Blythe Raceway for the 4th Annual Kyle Fleming Memorial Motocross. They came from as far as Kentucky to compete for over $25,000 in prizes .. and conungenCles and to honor the memory of Bruce Bunch, Rick Himme and Kyle Fleming . .' three young racers who l~st thel.r ltves m a uagIc 1982 aUlO/uam acadent. First held in !983,. the memorial race was. the bralnchild ~f Don and G!1ye Wineland, close fnends of the LnO. Gay.e told us why the race was orgamzed. "It was brought on by a poem (enclosed) ! found at one ofthe G?ld.en State !>enes races. The poem said it all. "Its author, a young girl by the name of Liz Taylor, told me, 'I feel as if my feelings and feelings of others about this accident have tried to be dismissed.' "It was then and there that we decided lO show everyone that it had nOl been dismissed. "The name, 'Kyle Fleming Memorial,' was given as the title of the race because Arizona w.as Kyle's home and this is where his motocross career began. Rick, Bruce and Kyle were team riders and should. be remembered as a team. We want this race to be a day that all racers will remember ... and to say that Bruce, Rick and Kyle's race was the best ever!" Runn~n~ at Phoenix-area tracks for the fIrst two years, the race found a new home in Blythe last year so more California racers could panicipate. Each year the race has grown and this edition counted over 70 sponsors. The Pro class winners received uophies and cash awards, while Amateur class racers took home trophies awarded down lO fifth place in each class, as well as goodie bags stuffed with tires, pans and accessories going lO first through third place finishers. Humphrey Brothers Construction of Phoenix hosted a "Pig-Pic-N" bar-becue Saturday night, feeding all the racers and their friends. Perfect racing weather greeted the racers each day and the sandy one and an eighth-mile track was groomed to perfection. S~turday's racing featured ATV, Beginner and Novice action with the Pros and Intermediates going at it Sunday. In the minicycle racing, Tim Tilton grabbed the Zingers' holeshot each time lO take the win while Jesse J ames won four motos to take the Junior Cycle Stock and Modified trophies. Jason Stephens le~ throug.hout the day for the 83cc Beginner Win. Craig Decker and Jacob Swain trad- ed wins in the 83cc (9-1 I) Modified class with Swain winning the second malO for the overall. Twenty racers vied for the 83cc Novice Stock honors, but it was Louie Ramo across the line first in both motos. Ramo then came back to take the 83cc Novice Modifed trophy as well. In l25cc Beginner action, Jeff Korhonen held the first malO lead until the final lap when Dannon Burg snuck by for the win. Second time out Korhonen was out frail{ again and this time held off Burg for the win and the overall. The l25cc Novice Stock class was S? big it had to be split into two diviSlons. In Division One, Darren Green won the first mota and Brandon Sperling the second while Levi Noble put on good charges in both Division Two molOS to take the wins. Noble was hot and lOok the final easily over John Edwards and Willy Champlin. In the first l25cc Novice Modified malO, Steve Wamboldt was thhd and then came back with a win in the second mota to earn top honors ahead o[ Champlin and Edwards. Kevin Cook and Ronnie Kuble diced it up, trading mota wins in the 250cc Novice Stock class with Cook earning the overall victory by taking the win in the second. Mike Mennig was a close third each time. The same pair turned in firsts and thirds in the 250cc Novice Modified class, with Kuble coming out on top this time and J eb Brock second ahead of Cook. Sunday's racing started with a roar as 17 Pro Sidehack class entrants hit the track. Bob and Paul Schnoor put their ELM out front for most of the race while Pete and Scott Whitney battled for second with John and Perry Palfreyman. Schnoor then dropped back with troubles and the Palfreymans moved into the lead. On the last lap, the Whitneys got by for a couple of turns and then fell back to second. But when they reached the double jumps, they went for it and sailed over the Palfreymans (who were taking thejumps singularly) for the win. Ralph Whitney and John Beaines were third. In their second outing, Schnoor went wire-lO-wire for the win ahead of Mike Curtis and Todd Redondo and Whitney and Beames. But the Whitneys were in at fourth for the overall win ahead of Curtisl Redondo and Whitney/Beames. The biggest class of the day was the l25cc Intermediate Stock class with 37 starters in two divisions. In Division One, Mike Young won the first malO and Kerry Mulligan the second, while Division Two wins went to Brent Wineland and Sean Blanchard. In the main, Young stayed out front for the win ahead of Paul Vlach and Blanchard. In 125cc Pro action Kyle Lewis built up a huge lead in the first malO only to have his bike go up in a cloud of smoke: Willie Surratt took over to win ahead of Jeff Matiasevich, Michael Craig, Scott Brown and Doug Dubach. Lewis repaired his bike and came back in the second mota to take the win with Surratt second ahead of Raben Naughton, Bader Manneh and Matiasevich. So the overall win went to Surratt on what was probably his last ride aboard a Honda. "Well, I got pretty good starts all day and was pretty lucky in the first malO when everybody either fell or broke," laughed Willie. "Got an OK start in the second and just hung in there for the overall. I'd like lO thank Honda, FMF, 100%, Scott, Kal-Gard, White Brothers. Arai and AXO. "It's a neat track here but a little hard on the bike. I seized in the first practice and blew out a front wheel in the second but it was a pretty good day after alii" In 250cc Pro racing, everyone's eyes were on Broc Glover but it was Kentuckian Tom Watts with the holeshot and a wire-to-wire lead [or the win. Jeff Matiasevich was second, Doug Dubach third, Ty Davis fourth and Jeff Hicks fifth. Glover ended up sixth after a not-too-hot start. But in their second bout, Glover was riding his Yamaha in the style he's famous for and smoked his competition. Dubach was second this time with Watts, Matiasevich, and Russ Wagentan filling out the top five. For the day's ovef!llJ, Watts came out on top ahead of Dubach, Matiasevich, Glover and Wageman. Watts said, "I had a really good time here today. I rode three classes to get in shape and the track was feeling pretty rough by the end. In the first 250cc malO, I got the holeshot and was able to build up a good lead. In the second, I got a little tired and Dubach and Glover beat me. But I still got the overall so it worked out pretty good. "I about went down a couple of times though. It's a fast track and things happen fast out there. I especially want to thank EP Performs for bringing me down here as well as Kawasaki, Scott and Arai." The Open Pro class was rather meager with JUSt four racers. WaltS won the first malO but Frankie Brundage, second in the first, took the second for the overall aboard the Maximal AXO/Scotl/Bell-backed Kawasaki. Also not to be forgotten were the strong rides by Jimmy Gaddis to take the 83cc Expert Stock and Modified wins. He pushed the PJ -IlGearIV .S. Suzuki/Scott RM80 to lap times within a second of Surratt's winning laps. Our hats are off to the race's organizers for bringing off over 70 motos in smooth fashion-and putting together such a great event. Net proceeds of the event will go into the KFM Fund for injured racers. Last year was the first time the race broken even and this time close to $5000 was raised, a fitting tribute lO Bruce, Rick and Kyle. • Results ZINGERS: 1. Tim Tilton (Y.ml; 2. Fr.nki. N.y.rro (Y.m); 3. Jerry AI.m.n (V.ml. JR CYCLE STK: 1. Jesse J.m.... (K.wl; 2. Justin Ur.te (Kow); 3. TV King (!<-.wl. . JR CYCLE MOD: 1. Je... J.m.s (K.w); 2. St..... j-tene""ld (K.w); 3. TV King (Kow). B3 99-1 1) STK: 1. Demon Huffm.n (Y.m); 2. J.... J.mes (Suz); 3. Stove Andri<;h (K.wl. B3 (9-11) MOD: 1. St."" Andrich (K.w); 2. D.mon Huff,""n (V.ml; 3. Cr.ig Deck.r (V.m). NOV STK: 1. Loui. Romo (Y.m); 2. J.r.my McGr.th-(Y.m); 3. Jer.mv Albrocht IKowl. NOV MOD: 1. Louie Romo (V.ml; 2. Jeremy McGr.th (V.m); 3. Jeremy A1brocht (Kowl. BEG: 1. JelOn Steph.ns IKow); 2. Jeff Kraus (Hon); 3. Eric F.irleigh (Hon). 83 INT STK: 1. Jeffery Gr.lton (Y.m); 2. Ryan Huffmen (V.m); 3. Shewn Morgan (V.m). EX STK; 1. Jimmy Gaddis (Suz); 2. Buddy Antunez (Suz); 3. Butch Smith (Hon). EX MOD: 1. Jimmv Geddis (Suz); 2. Jimmv Button (Hon); 3. Buddv Antunez (Suz). 125 BEG: 1. Jeff Korhonen(Suz); 2. D.nnon Burg (V.ml; 3. Mike Thomas (K.w). NOV STK: 1. Levin Noble (Hon); 2. John Edwards (Honl; 3. Willy Ch.mplin (Kow). NOV MOD: 1. Steve W.mboldt (Hon); 2. Willy Ch.mplin (!

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