Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

FRI. A.M. Sweetland Uncrates New Husky 430 FRI. P.M. Dealer Hastily Assembles It SAT. A.M. 199 Whiskey Pete's Riders Eat His Dust Arizona desert specialist Garth Sweetland's spectacular performance with an "out of the box" Husqvarna 430 was certainly one for the books. Sweetland picked up his new, crated Husky at the airport Friday morning. Less than 24 hours later, he was on the starting line, ready to go up against a large, impressive field of top desert riders from 16 states and Italy. One hundred fifty miles later, Sweetland's Swedish rocket roared across the finish line to win the $3,850 first place prize in the Whiskey Pete'sNissan World Championship Hare and Hound. Husqvarna's domination of the prestigious event was underscored when Los Angeles police officer Joanna Brownell took her Van NuYs Husqvama sponsored entry to the overall women's victory. A rock put her Husky 400 down in the early going, and she landed seat first on a Nevada desert cactus. Bristling at her bad luck, the game Brownell climbed back on her durable Hl,Jsky 400 and finished the remainder of the race standing on the foot pegs. Sweetland's and Brownell's victories are two more reasons why Husqvarna continues to reign as the undisputed "King of the Desert:' Hekki Mikkola at the 1978 Motocross des Nations in Germany. can in eight of the II races LO take series Top American honors. The U.S. team of Brad Lackey, Jim Pomeroy, Jimmy Weinen and Gary Jones finished seventh at the Motocross des Nations in Holland. This wasn't the fir r American effon, but it did initiate annual American appearances in world team racing. ineteen-seventy-two saw several other American firsts. The first separate AMA 250 and 500cc National Championship Series, the first stadium motOCTo event and the first official world championship points scored by Americans. Gary Jones (250cc) and Brad Lackey (500cc) won those first two National titles. The first spans stadium event was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum on July 8, promoted by Mike Goodwin, a former rock concerteer. Thestadjum, builtforth~ 1932 Olympics to hold 100,000, drew slightly less than 30,000 spectators to watch a just 16 Marty Tripes electrify the crowd with thewin in the three-rna to format then used. Tripes repeated the following year. '.' . Bryan Kenney became the second American to score a GP point, the first since Bud Ekins' European Championship point in 1952. Kenney finished lOth in the 500cc GP at West Germany. Then Billy Clements picked up a point in the final GP at Luxembourg. The 1973 racing season began with a bang for America. Jim Pomeroy, in Spain by invitation of the Spanish Bultaco factory, made his first GP ride a day to remember. He won the 250cc Spanish Grand Prix. He took the first mota, then finished fourth in the second moto after crashing. The 250cc class saw an end to Joel Raben's reign. Swede Hakan Andersson, aboard a new single shock Monocrosser, gave Yamaha their first world title. Pomeroy finished a very creditable seven th in his first year of 250cc GP racing. Over in the 500cc class Roger DeCoster won his third straight championship as Brad Lackey, also tackling his first full season of GP racing, finished 13th overall. A single 125cc European championship race was won by Andre Malherbe. Nineteen seventy-three saw the introduction of long travel suspenSiOJ1. The success of the longer (approximately six inches) travel Yamaha monoshocker inspired the Maico factory to begin experimenting with moving the shocks forward on the ~. METZELER Husqvarna OlstriWod by Cogl.. N_ Amorico, Inc. 700 W. 190th St., Gardena, CA 9200&8 ~_~:!. E;:==:: Round Two, Jan. 11, 1987 Huron Cycle Park, Huron. CA ,.# 1at 250cc Pro JEFF WAID 1 st600cc Pro_1IYERSCOUQH ,... c....,.., Cw4J r.,.,."", .... III

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