Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Mike Graves (260) rode hard at Willow Springs International Raceway. finishing in a tie with Todd Rawson in 600cc Production. Riders tackle one of the many deep stream crossings that made the Blackwater 100 famous. Th is event was said to be the toughest yet. stuck on a lap three climb but still hold to win over Mik e Johnson. In the 250cc B class Buren Hamrick would finish the da y with just one drown-out, a feat that no doubt aid ed in his win over Marty Daubert. J ohn Kubli outdueled Charles Lest er on his Dirty Harry's KTM to win th e Senior B class. Kubli was quick to th ank the 93 Mud Fleas for getting h im over the top quickly on the cru cia l final lap. Dennis LaliPlert e was th ird. ,; J oseph Hull and H ar ry Gree nlee co nt inued th eir winning.ways in the Senior A and Super Senior A class ranks. T he ever-q uick " O ld Guard" o f th e cross co un try wars were conv inci ng as a lways. Hull besting Albert Brown a nd Alain DesR osiers wh ile Greenl ee put th e hurt o n Richard Karr and Dave Albert. The Masters class belon ged to Kentucky's Leon Sm ith, who topped Dal e Nice and Ernest Dru itjons after starti ng out as number 528. And in th e Juniors Tom Mar chese took over early when Tom Webb punctured the first of two tires just aft er th e start and took it all th e way home for th e win. Trailing the KTM rider were Harold Unger, Marty Strauss. and R obert Mansberger. Webb recovered for fifth. When asked what it was like to spe nd the better par t of his day playing Mi. Goodwrench , Webb replied. " Bori ng, Syndey. Boring." It was the rno tojour'nalist's first Blackwater trophy in six tries. As the race wore o n thi ngs began to open up out fro n t. H yde again avoided tro uble at th e water hazard by wal ki ng his ride th rough the waves towards the end of lap two. H e h it the bar rels for lap three nearly 20 m inutes ahead of Wilson. Frazee was 90 seconds back in th ir d with Eddie Lojak fourth. H yde added t wo more minutes to his lead on the next la p th en took the checkers at the conclusion of lap five with a 26 minute lead on . Wheelsport-backed Wilson. Third overa ll went to Harris with Hoess the top 250 in fourth. Lojak clocked in just seco nds later in fifth overall as seco nd 250 with Lemon an incredible sixth. The win ner. who cro ssed the line with four fingers raised to signify hi s new record. la ter seemed to express even more satisfaction in th e fact that he became tg e first rider in 10 years to win back to back Blackwater races. " I never would have th ou ght I co uld do it again, " said Hyd e, wh o is just now ge tting o ver a serio us an kle injury. " I g uess th at 's wh at makes thi s th e best o ne yet." • Results O/A : 1. Mark Hyde (Hus); 2. Wa lly Wil son (KTM); 3. Tommy Harris (Vam); 4 . Fred Hoess (Hus); 5. Eddie Lojak (Husl; 6. Paul Lemon (Kawl; 7. Ben Hamr ick (Kaw); B. M ike Frazee (Vam); 9. Eddie Arnet (KTM); 10. Keith Rodgers (Hon); t 1. Dave Fellas (Kaw); 12. Jim Malt ba (Vam); 13. Scott Summers (Hen); 14 . Tom Meyer s (Kaw); 15 . Brian Baker (Vam); 16. Stanley Loja ck (Vam); 17 . Berry Je ffries (KTM); 1B. Harry Greenl ee ( Ho n~ 19. Kurt Bowman (KTM); 20 . Richard Kresic (Hon) OPEN A: 1. Mark Hyda (Hus); 2. Wally W ilson ( KTM~ 3. Tommy Harri s (Yam); 4 . Keith Rodgers (Hon); 5. Stanley Lojak (Yam). 250 A : 1. Fred Hoess (Hus ~ 2. Edward Lojak (Hus); 3 . Paul Lemon (Kaw) ; 4 . M ike Frazee (Yam ); 5. Edwin Arnet (KTM). 200 A: 1. Ben Hamr ick (Kaw); 2. David Fallas (Kaw); 3. Jim M altb a (yam); 4 . Barry Jeffries (KTM). 4·STRK A: 1. Scon Summers (Hon); 2. Carey Stump (C-A); 3. John Gallagher (Hus); 4. Cullen Horn es (Hon); 5. Tim Hoff man (Hon). SR A: 1. Joseph Hull (KTM); 2. Alben Brown (KTM); 3. A lain Desrosiers (KTM); 4. Andrew Poole (KTM); 5. Kenneth Lauer (Hus). . SISR A: 1. Harry Gr eenlee (Hon); 2. Richard Karr (Kaw); 3. David Alben (Yam); 4 . Ronald Rose (Yam); 5. Char les Galbnith (Hus). OPEN B; 1. M ike Bruffey (KTM): 2. Paul Fex(Hon); 3. Ter ryy Shank (Hen); 4. Don Bohn (Hus); 5. Steve Lambruno (Hus). 250 B: 1. Buren Hamr ick (Hon); 2. Man in Dauben (Hon); 3. Mark Steele (KTM); 4. Ronald Drain (Hus); 5. Harold Silbaugh (KTM). 200 B: 1. Buddy West (Kaw); 2. Jac k Mullenax (C-A~ 3. Joe Schmidt (Yam); 4. M ike W eim er (Hon); 5. Steven Star k (Yam). 4 -STRK B: 1. Rick Parsons (Vam); 2. Mike Johnson (Hon); 3. Kevin Hagedorn (Hon); 4 . Todd We imer (Hon); 5. Kevin Howser (Hon). SR B: 1. Joh n Kubli (KTM); 2. Charles Lester (Kaw); 3. Denis Lalibene (Hus); 4. Richard Scott (Vam); 5. Charles Bridges (Hon[). SISR B: 1. Lee Kesselring (Yam); 2. Johnny Lee (Yam); 3. William Miller .(Hon); 4. Randall Hall (Yam); 5.' Ronald Zinz (C·A). MSTR: 1. Leon Smith (Hon); 2. Dale Nice (Hon); 3. Ernest Dru tjons (Kaw); 4. Paul Curry (Yam); 5. Roben Richards (Hon). JR; 1. Thomas Machese (KTM); 2. Haold Unger (KTM); 3. Many Strouse (Hust. 4. R_rt Ma naberger (Hust; 5. Tom Webb (Suzj. AI Garza finished second to Earl Roloff in 600cc Modified Production during ARRA road rac ing action at Willow. ARRA/KawasakijRacer's Supplyj California Road Race Series: Round 2 Graves and Rawson tie at Willow RR By Brent Ross ROSAMOND. CA, J UNE 21 R acing was so tight In the AR R A 600cc Stock Production class a t Willow Springs In ternational Raceway, that the race-long duel between Todd Rawson and Mike Graves ended in a draw; both racers crossed th e startlfri nish li ne at exactly the same time. Graves took charge of th e contest right from the sta rt and led until the last turn of th e last la p. Within Graves' reach, however, was Rawson. Hot on Rawson's tai l was Art Ca laguchi. Ca laguchi 's ride was brief. As the trio rou nded the hi ghspeed turn nine for the first tim e, he los t co ntrol and fell. escaping the 120 mph get-off unh ur t. Wit h Ca laguchi o ut. the run dow n at th e end of the first lap was Graves, Rawson . AI Garza, J im Runyan and th e class points leader J eff Brinda. Clicking off I:36s, Graves and Rawson began str etching th eir lead over the 25-bike field. Rawson was all over Graves, but he was unable to tak e command of the race. After only three la ps. they had opened a th ree-secon d lead over the four -way bash for third place ho nors. Garza was unable to hol d o n to th ird. as Yamaha-mounted Mar k King, Runyan . and Brinda all too k turns in the n umber three spot. As the battle for thi rd intensified , it bro ugh t them closer to th e leaders, but they were still o ut of reach of second-p laced Rawson . Wh ile Rawson millll;Ored Graves. the th ird place racers were diving into corners three . abreast with a different o u tcom e every time. . On th e last lap. Rawson slipped past Graves between turns eight and nine to take over the lead. But the

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