Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Kawasaki rider Jeff Emig (47) claimed overall victories in the Mini Stock (14-16) and Mini Open classas. GNC International MX Final Thomson, Emig score at Lake Whitney By Nate Rauba WHITNEY, TX, MAR. 7-8 Team Green Kawasaki riders Lowell Thomson J r. and Jeff Emig dominated their respective classes at the lIth Annual Grand National Championship International Motocross Final held at the Lake Whitney Cycle Ranch. Th d) o~son rna e a. c ean sweep m both motos In both 6 the 125 and 250cc Pro classes, leading every lap throughout three of four motos. Yamaha's Brian Manley was the only rider to keep Thomson in sigh t 10 the 250cc class, as he rode LO second overall. And in the 125cc ranks Manley just missed another se ond overall when fellow Yamaha nder Shaun Kalos made a last-lap charge in the final turn of the second moto to snatch a position from Jeff Matiasevich and grab the overall runner-up position from Manley. Emig was equally successful in the Mini ranks, winning five of the six motos he raced and taking the overall victories in Mini Stock l4-16-year- old class and Mini Open class. A bad stan, a run-in with some tires marking the course and John Kitsch II stopped Emig from also taking the Mini Senior 14-16-year-old class victory. , The event was run over two days, with the first molOS taking place on Saturday and the second rounds on Sunday. The first moto was used for eliminations for classes split into divisions with the LOp 15 riders going directly to the second molO and their scores carried over as well. The remaining riders could qualify via a consolation race, but no points would be carried into the second moLO. Thomson began his dominance early on Saturday when he grabbed the holeshot at the stan of the first 250cc Pro Division One molO. Kawasaki rider Eddie Hicks, Matiasevich and Suzuki-mounted Scooter Stafford followed, but by the end of the first lap, Thomson had left them all behind. By the halfway point of the nine-lap moto, Thomson had built up a five second lead over Hicks, who had gained a few bike lengths on Matia evich. Stafford was close behind and tried several moves on Matiasevich, none of which worked. A lap later, Stafford passed Matiasevich then quickly moved in on Hicks. Thomson's lead was insurmountable, and although Hicks and Stafford never really got close enough to pose a serious threat, they did get close enough to catch a glimp e of Thomson's unusual line around a small jump. Thomson's win was questioned when Stafford brought the matter up with race officials, but it stood when they decided that since the banners marking the course had been knocked down and not repla ed, the line was legal. Stafford was left in third behind Hicks, and Matiasevich took fourth in the moto ahead of Kalos. Dennis Hawthorn, fre h off a win at a local arenacross the previous night, led the start of the second division's first molO, with Andy Michner, Denny Stephenson and Ty Davis close behind. Stephenson went down on the first lap, and Mike LaRocco quickly moved up into second. By lap two Manley had charged inw third and Davis dropped Michner to fifth. At midmow Hawthorne, LaRocco and Manley were all very close, and the positions began to change. Manley got by LaRocco first, then a couple o'f laps later LOok the lead from Hawthorne. As Manley began LO pull away, Hawthorne slipped back LO third, and the LOp three were set to the finish. Manley took the win, followed by LaRocco, Hawthorne, Davis and Chris Young, who moved into fifth on the final lap. Hawthorne jumped into the lead at the start of the second moto, but was bumped out of first place. "I got knocked out into the mud (in the first turn)" he said. "It's hard LO get SLOpped in the mud, so I wasn't gomg LO try and stick it on the inside and fall down." As Hawthorne drifted wide, Thomson exited the tum with the lead as Jeff Bailey, Manley and Doug Fellers also slipped by. Bailey fell back on the fir t lap, and on the second go around, Hawthorne had taken third behind Manley. Thomson held a few seconds on Manley halfway into the 10 lap race, while Hawthorne had Fellers breathing down his back. Kalos got off LO a poor start but quickly began to pass riders and was fifth and rapidly approaching Fellers. On the next lap, Kalos was behind Hawthorne, and out in front,' Thomson was gradually stretching his lead on Manley. Hawthorne fought Kalos off for the next two laps, but finally gave in on the eighth circuit. Manley began lo drop off Thomson's pace near the end of the .race, finishing over 10 seconds behind. Kalos' was on the gas and crossed the line a few seconds after Manley, while Hawthorne was pas ed on the last lap by

• Cover