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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126950
Another early casualty in the meI chanical department was last year's
King of the Desert, Larry Roeseler..
The Team Husky rider got off to a
fast start and was running sixth overall at the three-mile mark, but came
to grief in the rollers soon afterwards.
"I hit a rock reaJly hard in the
roJlers and broke the rear brake backing plate," Roeseler explained.
"There was no way I could go on like
that so I had to go back to the pits and
work on the bike for about 20 minutes. After that I was in a real hurry to
catch up again." .
Lap two saw Sweetland maintain
his lead and pick up another $100
lap-leader bonus. Butthe going began
to get more difficult as the leaders
closed the gap on some of the slower
riders.
"There's usually a big advantage
to being out in front because you
don'thaveany dust," said Sweetland,
"but that didn't happen today. From
about the start of tap two we got into
so many lapped riders that we never
got out of the dust. Even if you were
leading you were still caught up in.a
cloud of dust and that made it tougher
than our usual races."
Sweellapd's sizzling 35-minute time
(or the second lap put him a full
minute ahead of La Porte going
through home check, with Smith
still hanging on in third. Five minutes back from Smith was Mike Baker
in fourth overall, with Walker, Krause,
Summers and 125 pilot Flores in hot.
pursuit.
Honda-mounted Ruhstofer was still
out in front of the Vet Class in 13th
overall. His closest competition,
Yamaha-mounted Brett Cushing from
Costa Mesa, California, was way back
in 22nd.
Lap three saw Marty Smith launch
a determined eHort from back in
third position. The 250 pilot swept
past fellow Kawasaki pilot La Pone,
then set out to catch the elusive Sweetland. As the riders appeared at the
end of the loop, it was evident Smith's
scramble for the lead had paid oH.
The 250 Kawasaki was out in front
by just over 30 seconds, with La PoTte
hard on the gas in second and Sweetland relegated to third. Baker was
still holding onto fourth overall, and
Summers had taken the point in the
Summers/Krause ballie for fifth, b,ut
(,nly by a few bike lengths.
Moving up fast, further back in the
pack, waS Larry Roeseler. The reigning King's mechanical problems had
put him way back in the middle of
the ATVs, running 82nd overall at
the end of the first lap, but Roeseler
refused to give up. A gutsy ride took
the ISDE specialist up through the
ranks and into 39th overall by the end
of lap two, and the end of lap three
saw Roeseler oHicially back in contention - he appeared out of the dust
an amazingly high 21st overall.
Smith's lead was cut short in the
early stages of lap four when his rear
shock reportedly snapped in two.
With Smith out o( the running, La
Porte was left in charge of the number
one position, trying to hold off a
determined push from Sweetland.
Mike Baker still held the lead in the
250 Class (third overall), and Krause
had stolen fourth overall from the
tenacious Summers.
MotOCTosser John Flores was putting in the ride of a lifetime to hold
onLO sixth overall. In his [jrst-ever
desert race, the Yamaha pilot was
working his tail oH on the wide-open
course to keep. the 125cc machine in
contention with the larger displacement bikes.
Roeseler had worked up into II th
overall, just ahead of Ruhstofer, who
was still out in front of the Vets.
As the white flag came out for the
start of lap five, La Porte was ahead
of Sweetland by just 23 seconds and
~~I
--=:--~=,-----......ll
MOTORCYaE
CENTERS
r-
GSX·R SERIES: ROUND 2
AT Wlu.oW SPRINGS
fl'J8I8fIteed and your MW
bike _ t y mmains in
e/l'ecl IbeIieve_lMlfY bike
Is maJIy. perfofmance bike:
no matter what size it is or its '
use. you wanl ff to flJ(I its
best.- In msponse to his awn
belie! Hines created tile mosl
thorough tune-up ~
available anyw/lefe.
So. c.JIfomla-GSX·R racing
conr;"ues at Willow Springs
RIJC8WBY Match !4-15 for
round two with AFM (SouIh)
sanctioning and sponstlf!Ihip
by vance & Hines MoIofcyde
centers NalionB/5eries finals
.'" Oct. 9-11 at FIiwfside
RIJCflWBY
This )'881, IoIa/ series
contingencies for all regions
combined willar e><~ /tie
S285.000 posted;, 1986.
Nationally, hundt8ds rI ridefs
S1JlY1UIEDWITH
...cE& . . . .
am expected 10 parlicipete
and thousands rlspeclatots
willII18nd. According 10
indJstTy_/tIeGSJ(·R
series _ _ - -
ract>g at tile grassroots _ - AttendIInce for
1987 series is",-Io _ SUfPIISS 1!lll6.
"Wo'", sponsoring this _ _ because ....
stnlflgIy _
that ract>g enhances tile spat,-
liw7y14lnce, Ilnle& HInes ~ centers
said. "This is one_ that_
pr-. tile dlance 10 ~ apoi'lsI-=h
_
8qUII//y arw:J ffISpOf'ISbIy... lal oomes-'
to ~ both ridrtg snd
~
.,i6d.at:a£..
-..:E
R·
....
S'DUCD
I/arlce amounoed. MW contiI'll"'lCy prcr
gnJtn for ridefs in boll> 750 and noo (open)
classes: S50 for Iitst arw:J $25 -=h for second
arw:J 1tIifd. _
must disp/Ily \lwlce & Hines
decals on boll> sides rI tile fairing and use \lwlce
& Hines &dvatICe units. btaI