Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126953
Don Griewe finished second'overall and second Open Expert on his Husqvarna after getting a bad start. tight, rocky sections that District 37 riders have come to expect. "I love that stuff," said Smith. "They took us allover the hills through lots of twisty, turny stuff. It was real technical. My favorite son ofriding." Smith was enjoying an almost perfect ride in front of the pack, but back in second Paul Krause was not fairing nearly as well "I just kept falling over for some reason," said Krause, who is backed by Escondido HondaiMetzler/lMSI HaIlman/RenthaIl/F&:L Racing Fuels. "I crashed four or five times on the last loop. I guess I just liked lying on the ground." Krause's problems made him easy pickings for Morales, who pushed through to take over second. overall just before the halfway point in loop two. Coming on stroOng from further back in the pack were Ashcraft and Husky privateer Griewe. The tenacious pair, who had been back in ninth and lIth overall at the pits, were c;:harging up through the pack, picking off rider after rider, in an aU-out push for the number one spot. Their headlong rush took them past 250 contenders Alexander and 0 o Morris and then past C-class leader Hallgath. As the loop drew to a close, Griewe shot past Ashcraft and started to move in on the frontrunners. When the racers hit the road crossing at check four, about twothirds of the way around the loop, Smith was in the lead b}t!>8 seconds. The next rider through was Morales, followed by Krause and Griewe who were locked in a high-speed, side-byside duel another I4 seconds back, with Ashcraft not far behind. The final sprint to the finish saw Griewe come on strong. "Once I got Krause, I could see Randy (Morales) just in front of me, so I was pushing .to catch him," Griewe said. "He missed a turn and lost a couple of seconds and that was all it rpok. I got by but then I had to ride like crazy to stay ahead of him. We were ~oing pretty fast coming in to the fimsh." Griewe's last-minute charge had him gaining ground on Smith, but the loop ran out before he got.within striking distance. Smith completed the !>7-mile second loop in just under an hour and swept in to take the checkered flag with a mere 20 seconds to spare. "That was a great course," said Smi~t}, who is sponsored by Husq-. varna/Autolite/Golden' Spectrol Metz ler I Go Idb'el tiS co t t!Arail HRPIProGas/Renthall. "The first . loop was a bit fast, but the second loop was perfect. I had a lot of fun - even if I was riding like a geek." Griewe flashed across the finish line to take second overall, just a few bike lengths ahead of Morales. "I loved all the new terrain they had out there," said Griewe, who is backed by Uptite Husky/Cycleworld/Smith!Answer. "They didn't stick to all the old trails that we normally get. They just tied ribbon to the bushes and ran us straight out across new desert. "My only problem was my start," Griewe said. "I missed my kick and must've been about 50th at the bomb. I had to play pick up 'the whole way after that." "We were really going at it for the last five miles,," said third-placed Morales. "Both of us really wanted . that second place. We had a great race and the course was a lot of fun. The traction was perfect." Krause brought his Honda hotne fourth overall, narrowly edging fellow Honda pilot Ashcraft. "I was all over the place," said Krause. "I rode so badly I can't believe it." "If I could just work out how to get a good start everything would be fine," was the comment from Dan Ashcraft. "I got left behind on the starting line and had to try to make up a lot of time." Sixth overall, and first in the 250cc class, went to Alexander. "This is the first time I've overaIled my class this year," said Alexander. "I need to thank International Yamaha. They've really helped setting me up and they're the reason I'm doing so well." Hallgath continued his domination of the 125 class, overalling the C-bikes in seventh overall. "I lost a bit of time in the second loop," said Hallgath, who is sponsored by Yamaha/Silkolene/BeUI ScottlTsubaki. "There were a lot of hills and the bike just wouldn't get going. That's where you have problems on a 125." Morris took eighth overall, second in the 250 division, just ahead of Roeseler and fellow 250 pilot Eddie Ogden. The win in the Vet class went to Mike Sixbery of the Viewfinder's M.C. in lIth overall; who snatched the class lead from Mike McDonald just 15 miles from the finish. "We raced all the way. It was really.. close," said the Vet class ace. Sixbery was one of many riders who had problems coping with strong winds that gusted up to 40 mph during the race. "It was so windy up on top of Government Peak it was unbelievable," he said. "Up on top of the ridges the wind would blow you right over." "That's the worst wind I've ever ridden in," said McDonald, who was competing in the Vet class for the first time and recovered from a fall to finish only a few bike lenJOhs behind Sixbery. "I got blown offthe top of a hill and lost the course at one stage," he said. So Cal M.C.'s Ken Rieger took the Amateur class win, leading his division from start to finish and crossing the finish line in 16th overall. The' second Amat~ur home (19th oyerall) was 250 Honda pilot Sean Johnson, with third overall in the Amateur ranks going to YZi25 pilot Van Bogardus. The first Senior rider to cross·the finish line was 250 Yamaha racer Earl Shuler (60th overall). Ron Hall, aboard a RM250, took second in the Senior class (66th overall), just a few seconds ahead of arch rival Nate Sciacqua. The honors in the Senior Open class went to Robert Torgerson (KTM) in 74th overall. Amateur 250 rider Bill Staley, riding a Yamaha, overalled the Super Senior division in 100th overall, and Joanna Brownell was out in front 10 the Women's division. Taking the overall honors in the Novice class was Mike Korenwinderl who is sponsored' by Pixley Fooa Mart in Visalia. _ Unofficial Results OVERAlL: 1. D.n Smith CHus~ 2. Don ~ 3. Randy Mor.... CHon~ 4. Paul 1Cr,e... 5. D.n Ashcrell (Honl; 6. Mike _ _ lV.m~ 7. Eric H.llge1h lV.m~ B. Charlie Morrie. . Jr. CSuz~ 9. Larry R_.r lHon~ 10. Eddie Ogden IHus~ CHon~ lV.m~ 11. Mike S~ry lV.m~ 12. Mik. McDonald (Kewl. . • OPEN EX: 1. D.n Smilh IHusl; 2. Don Gr_ (Hus~ 3. R.ndy Mor.... IHon). 250 EX: 1. Mik. A_ncler lV.m); 2. Ch.r1ie Morris. Jr. (Suz~ 3. Eddi. ()gden lV.m). 125 EX: 1. EriC H.llge1h (V.m). VET OPEN EX: 1. Mfke McDon.1d (Kewl. VET 250 EX: 1. Mlk. Sixbery lV.m). SR OPEN: 1. Rober1 Torgeroon (KTM~ 2. Don Burch lV.m); 3. Rich.rd Jackson IHUlI. SR 250: 1. earl Shul.r (y.m); :1. Ron Hell (Suz); 3. 'Hllte Sciecqua (Vem). WOMEN EX: 1. .loIInne Brownell (HUI). OPEN AM: 1. Ken R~ (Honl. 250 AM: 1. Seen Johnson (Honl. 125 AM: 1. V.n BoaardUl (Yeml. SR AM: 1. Jerome Auzicke (Hon~ 55: 1. Bill SUlley lVaml. OPEN NOV: 1. Mike Korenwi_ (Hus~ WOMEN NOV: 1. Hellth.. ~ (Y.ml.