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/126996
how important this race is. Many of our riders, here for the first time, were really impressed with the concept. "I Promoter Bill West said, " We worked hard this year to see that all riders go home happy and uninjured. We redesigned the stadium course , keeping safety uppermost in our minds and it paid off." West's efforts to improve scoring and tabulation accuracy was also apparent with few protests in this area. Other popular changes this year added two 12-15 125ccYouthclasses,created the Grand Prix event; and left the final Sunday open for a travel day. At the end of a demanding fourevent schedule, Olympiad Champions were crowned in each division. Greg Rand, Craig Decker, Butch Smith, Brian Swink, David Beckington,Jeff Matiasevich, Chad Pederson, John Kitsch and Brian Broussardeach received six-foot tall trophies, Yamaha or Kawasaki jackets, Yokohama tires, Scott goggles and other merchandise. TT Olympic Champions: Top row (left to right) Jeff Matiasevich. Chad Pederson. John Kitsch. Brian Broussard• . David Beckington. (front row) Brian Swink. Butch Smith. Craig Decker and Greg Rand. . Ezra Lusk (298) topped Butch Smith in the 85cc (12-13)TT. Yamaha-mounted Michael Craig (76) leads Damon Bradshaw (6 8 ) during the 125cc TT final. Craig won the hard fought battle. Florida WinferOI.lmR.ics Swink, Kitsch garner top honors at Gatorback By. Mike and Anne Adair GAINESVILLE, FL, NOV. 24-28 Brian Swink and John Kitsch earned the top awards in a field of 1900 combined rider entries from 33 states in the 16th Annual Florida Winter Olympics at Gatorback Cycle Park. The two Michigan Kawasaki racers were the only co m pe ti to rs to log perfect " records In the five days of com- 6 petition and at the awards presentation Yamaha 's Greg Quador presented each with a Ri va Scooter as a bonus prize for their efforts. Kawasaki/Scott USAlPJ IIDMC- sponsore<;l Swmk also coppe~ ~e new B!onze BIke Awar d ~y a~tammg the highest score of an ynder m the Youth division. Swink commented later, "Thiswin gi ves mea really good jump on the season. My parents hav e enrolled me in school down here in Florida so I can ride the Winter AM. Series. I'm reall y looking forward to the next couple of months of racing." Aft er retiring the prestigious award, Damon Bradshaw and former winnerHankMoree,returnedtomake ' their bid for the Bronze Bike, formall y known as the Bronze Boot. John Kitsch, who has been earning Olympiad Championships since he was in the 7-11 classes, competed this year in the 125cc B division to earn the Scott/USA Golden Goggles Award. Kawasaki/American Competition/Scott USA/PJl backed Kitsch accumulated the highest point tall y in the Ama teur divis ion. The 1986 Golden Goggle winner Kenny Kizzar graduated into the Expert class for '87. Kitsch said, " Both my mom and Curt Johnson did a great job of ' Ikeep ing the bikes going." Sharon Kitsch , John 's mo ther , was also singled out and honored for th e Faststand Top Mechanic Award. .The WorldSport-promoted, AMAsanctionedeventofferedover$IOO,OOO in trophies, purses and contingencies. Yamaha YZ Bucks totalling $42,600 led theparade of Kawasaki and Honda awards. Yamaha's Rider Support manager Mike Guerra said, "T h is event is vital to the sport. It is the only event that uses four different skills to determine a true champion. Some West Coast folks didn't realize . The TT circuit was used to open the program this year rather than the stadium MX, and the less technical TT proved to be a better warm-up. In order to minimize speed and reduce injuries, sand was blended with the original cla y surface. The tabletop jump and sets of doubles were wisely placed prior to the faster sections. Robbie Scaggs and Greg Rand opened the 65cc division competition with a split. Scagg's Malcomb Smith/ Scoti/PSI Kawasaki led all the way in the Stock opener with Rand dominating the Modified event. Scaggs said, " You don't look back on a track this tight. There's always someone right behind you. " In the 85cc (7-11 ) class, Kevin Windham 's Maxima/Gear/Scott Kawasaki rolled toadoublewin. "The new Kawasaki runs plenty good enough stock to also win the Modified class ," the Louisiana speedster explained. T he 85cc (1 2-1 3)shoot-out featured Ezra Lusk, Sean Thornton, Butch Smith, Bill y Schlag and Jeff Dement. Lusk hoped to start an other Olympic sweep with a Stock win, butThornton passed him for the Modified score. Thornton said, " I followed Ezra and waited for him to slide out a little. I dove insidefor the pass, but he didn't give up. We swapped positions two more nmes before he finally slid out." Brian Swink came from behind in both 85cc (14-15) heats, nipping Joel Albrech t in the first and Heath Kirkland in me second. David Beckington and Jeromy Buehl diced in the 125cc (12-15)class, each taking a final win. Beckington said, " J erom y passed me down the strai~ht with four laps to go in the Modifiedfinal. I'll get him next time." Action in the 125cc Expert class saw Michael Craig's Pro Circuit/ Maxima /JT/Scott USA Yamaha explode to a quick lead and he then fended off Mike Larocco, Kenny Kizzar and lastly Damon Bradshaw . forthevictory.Bradshawsaid, " I came back from fifth and was right on Craig at the flag."Craigadded, "Today feels' a lot better. T wo years a~o I broke my arm here." Craig arnved at the Olympics direct from a winning performance in Tahiti. Kawasaki 's newly signed 125cc supercro ss rid er, J eff Mati asevich , topped the 250cc Expert class after . gettingby Craig, Kizzarand LaRocco. The winner said, "The TT course wasn't very technical. After I took the lead, I found it pretty easy to hold. " LaRocco's combined 125cc thi rd and 250cc second earned him the Expert TT championship. Chad Pederson fended off Erick Hilton in the 125cc B Stock final and