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/127118
Bob Hannah (26) blasts out of the gate in the second 250cc Pro moto ahead of Kevin Foley (111) and John Reinholt (163). JoJo Keller (43) leads Glen Lofley (691) and Jon McCabe (168) early in the second 500cc Pro moto. Keller won the race to take the overall. Hannah (center) appears to be instructing 16-year-old Jay Mann (left) how to open the victory champagne whi le Keller looks on . Florida Winter AMA Motocross Series: Round 4 Mann, Hannah and Keller churn up Diamondback By Mike and Anne Adair COCOA. FL, JA N. 16-17 J ay Mann, Bob H annah an d J oJo Keller churned Diamondback Cycle Park 's deep sand for Pro wins in th e fourth round of the Florida Winter AMA Motocross Series. 6 For Kell er, th e Open P ro wi n was sign i fican t since the for mer series champion has been p lagued with problems throughout the month. Beuencou rts/H onda West/AXO / Sca li USA backed Kell er sai d, " I had tru ck trouble and miss ed th e first race of th e series. After I won a mota at Dad e City, I hurt my hand. I'm sure glad I d id well toda y. I had to prove to people that I can still rid e." Hannah , a fter sp l i tti n g 250 cc motos with Mike LaRocco, said, " T ha t kid rode two classes a nd still gave me a race. Next week I hope th ey find him an 80cc and a 500cc to rid e too. " In the 125cc Pro class winner Mann u pset previous round winners Keith Bo wen and T odd DeH oop for a 16th birthday present to himself. T he Kaw asaki/ Scali USAf Answer/ PJ I hacked rider said, " T ea m Green Ka wasaki 's Eric Postom made this wi n possibl e. He did a gre a t job of setti ng up my shoc k and ga ve me a lot of enco u rage ment." T he fourth round of the Suzu ki/ Sco tt USA spo nso red series featured th e legendary Diam ondback sa nd -track, wh ere Hannah fir st earned Nati onal recognition in 1975. The Buffaloe family of Beach Sportcycle in Cocoa prepare a nd opera te th e trac k, havin g resurrected it from closure year s before. Manufacturer su p po rt tru cks from Yamaha. Kaw a saki , H onda and Ca giva were o n hand to assist rid ers. Pirelli tire's Rick Bogdon ad vised riders o n the use of th e officia l tire o f th e ser ies and Bill L arson , Natio na l sa les manager o f Sco tt USA, was o n hand to ens ure clear vision for compe ti to rs. T he first 500cc Pro mo ta saw Gl en Loflev's hol esh ot erased by an erra nt berm. J on McCabe, Kell er, David McClean, Jim Ka pitan and Mike Spear the n had a clear track. Kell er led lap one with McCabe o n h is trail. Kell er foug ht har d and controlled th e pace for six laps un til McCa be's VP E/Bo yesonlTF eq ui pped Honda bounded by on the tunnel jump. Mike Stahlma n mad e a run o n Keller at th e flag, but the wil y vetera n was too cra fty to allow the pass. McCabe said later, "J oJ o eased off after I go t by. I g uess he's waiting for th e second moto." Kell er pulled off a bullet start in the final mota, with Lofley, McCabe, Stahlman and Chuck Weinberg on the g"d S. T he cro wd anticipated a Kell er /M cC ab e sh o wdo wn that fai led to develop. Kell er o wned th e fina l mot a a nd h is first o vera ll of th e year . Kell er com mented, " It's easy to find a n excuse to lay back. You get tired a nd maybe feel a little pain. I made up my mind to win. I forgot ab out all the excuses." McCab e added, "j o] o ~ot away clean , but I wanted to try him again. My shock heated up. I ask ed Fred Vertucci to work o n it for next week. " Bo yesen Engineering/O'Nea ll Sm ith/ Silkol en e-sponsored Kaplan scored third overa ll by topping Spear and Weinber!? in th e final mota. The Suzuki 125cc team was down a man, with Ron Tich enor home with th e flu , but Keith Turpin and T odd DeHoop were on hand to carry th e co lors. Tuf R a cing' s Dale Spangl er bli tzed J eff Fritz, Turpin, Brian Carrol, J ohn Kitsch a nd J eff Gl ass off the ga te, bu t Mike LaRocco stormed by to .com mand th e mota after the first la p. The La Rocco Cycle/Gear/ Scott/ Yamaha su p ported rid er said, "T he bike felt stro ng a nd I held it on up th e sand hill a nd must hav e pas sed four guys. Dad mounted a P irell i sand tire tod ay a nd it work ed." J eff Frisz , who kept his WK R tweaked Suzuki in second unti l th e white flag, said, " I was trying to ca tch him until my chain broke." Turpin comment ed after finishing second, " La Rocco can reall y ride this sa nd. H e didn 't give us any slac k toda y." Mann rode aggressi vely from midpack o n lap o ne to a third place finish a he ad of DeHoop. Series lead er Keith Bowen limped in for an eig h th pl ace fini sh with a damaged reed valve. In mota two Mann headed a threeway barn ~ for the lead with LaRocco a nd Ki15c1•. Kitsch stormed by up the hill after the tunnel for th e lead a nd set the pace for a lap wh en LaRocco too k co m m a n d . Bowen 's Tufl Answer/Bell Suzuki clicked . off the front ru nners a nd nail ed th e moto win o n lap four. LaRocco fell , bent hi s bars and boogered hi s throttle. By th e ti me he stru gg led back to the pit area th e mot o was h istory. Mann locked into second a nd earn ed the first overa ll Pro win of hi s young career. After Mann was congratu lated by hi s mom and dad, he said , " VP E/ Boyesen Racing started helping me today. I tried one of their p ipes and it worked." Hannah was late to the first 250cc Pro race and was awarded last pick on th e ga te. H e said, "T hey used to pr egrid th e to p five here, but I forg ot that th ey don 't anymo re." J on Carey released th e ga te and J eff Frisz, J eff Surwall , Mike