Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Damon Bradshaw (68) holeshots the first 125cc A class mota at Gatorback. Bradshaw took the win . Greg Naumec (115) gets the jump on the rest of the 250cc B Divison Two pack. Amateur Triple Crown of Motocross: Round 2 Bradshaw,.Mann,. Bolton tame Gatorback By Mike & Anne Adair GAINESVILLE, FL, FEB. 27 Damon Bradshaw, Jay Mann and Brad Bolton tamed a tough Gatorback MX circuit to earn overall Expert wins at the Triple Crown of Motocross. A total of 740 rider en tries from many states made th e race the largest single day motocross event in recent history. P romoter Bill West said, 42 " Who sai d motocross is dying? We th ank all of you for makin g thi s series so successfu l." Bradsh aw returned to the Florida cir cu it for th e fir st time since a n a n k le in jury h e su sta ined i n December. The Yamaha/MX Fox sponsored rider sai d, " I've ridden at home for two weeks andit feels rea lly ~od, but I have an en tire season in front of me a nd don't wa nt to ta ke any unnecessa ry ri sks." The first 125cc Ex pert m o to fea tured Jeff Beckin g ton , Br adshaw an d J a y Ma n n going for the first tu rn lead . Beckin gt on 's H onda ope ned up a good lead with Bradsh aw reso lving a two lap duel with'Mann for seco nd. Bradsh aw sai d later, "Jay is going a lot fa ster th an before I was h urt." Beckington held a fast p ace a nd Bradsha w had to sett le for a close . second at th e flag. Moto two featu red th e "othe r' : Beckington, David, wi th a quick . hol esh ot ahead of Brad shaw , T odd Wolfe a n d J eff Beckin gton. Bradshaw described th e wild first la p, "I passed David but lost m y line o n the doubles an d Jeff leaped right by me." Bra d sh a w h eld the o utsi de o f a swee per a nd repassed j eff-Beckington for th e m ot o and overall wi n. A sim ilar cas t o f rid ers co mpeted for th e 250cc Expert go ld. Bradsh aw a nd Ma n n battled in a tight first m oto , wit h Bradshaw taking,th e win. Mann ' s VP E Bo yesen / Sinisal o / Sco tt/Tea m Green Kaw asa ki roosted th e final start a nd do mi nated th e moto for th e overall victory, n ot giv ing Bradsh aw a cha nce to close in. Keith J ohnson to p ped Jeff Beckington for th ird. Beck ington comm ented , " I wa nted to be in there wi th those guys but I crashed in m ot o o ne." In 500cc A ac ti o n Earl Ma y ret urned to the track w here h e took an ove r-the -ba rs tro u nci ng a m onth ago, a nd p a ced th e fi rst moto. Co lorado rider Brad Bolton m oved p ast J ohn Am erman and Bob Sorenson before ta king sigh t on Mays' rea r fender. Bolton e x p la i ned, " Ame rman , Soren son and I have been living and trainin g to ge ther th is wi nter. We take deli g h t in beating each 'other on th e weekend. This time th ey slo wed m e up. May was really cookin g an d almost got away ." Bolton's PC Printing Honda reeled in May and took th e lead with a lap to spare. May said between go es, " I h ave m y confidence back, but I tookit a little easy in go od old tum t w o. " . Ma y reran hi s hol eshot in m o to two a nd hung to hi s lead for three laps as Bolton h ad to work h is magic on Chris Locke, J oe Rogers, Am erman, an d Sorenson before th e fin al la p showdown. Bolton entered th e fa st sweeper five len gths down an d exi ted on Mays' fender . : '1 lik e th is Bradshaw also took second in the 250cc A division. freeway type stuff he re today; the h arder the be tt er ," said Bolton. Bolton ea rned a lock 'on th e tri pl e crown tit le wi th two wins in a row. O ' N ea II D u n l o p /K a was a k ibacked Todd Nea l extended his 125cc B a nd 250cc B moto winn ing streak to eigh t as the talented young rider dazzled h is divisi ons in bo th classes a t Gatorback. Neal's T eam Green teammat es G en e ' Na u rnec a n d Mike Brown 'wo n 125cc B and 250cc B vi ctories in th e other di visi o ns . Naumec sa id, " I led Nea l in th e first 250cc mo ta but he had a bett er lin e an d passed m e a t th e doub les." Rob by Neeley 'retu rn ed to Senior . competi tion a fter six" weeks off to ' me nd h is shoulder and tested it by win ning two classes. I n 25- P lus actio n, Neel ey's fellow So uth Carolinian Mark Ashworth p assed J oe Rogers to win th e firs t m o to , Neeley ex p la ined fro m hi s pi t, ''I was trying to pass Bob Sorenson wh en hi s KTM th rew a roc k ' th e size of a baseball a t m y goggles. It shook me up and cu t m e between the eyes . Ri ck y Palmer a nd .Sorenson led th e final for two laps, until Neeley's An swer/ Boyesen /Yok ohama Kawasaki blew' by for th e overa ll win . Neeley con tinued . " Pa lme r was £l ying tod ay. H e sh ou ld have wo n, but fell. " Neeley m ad e h is day co m p lete with a m oto sweep in the 30 Plus class. • Results 125 A : 1. Damon Bradshaw (Vam); 2. Jeff Beckington (Han); 3. Bobby Mann (Kaw); 4. David Beckington (Han); 5. Jon Ag in (Han). 250 A; 1. Bobby Mann (Kaw ); 2. Davon Bradshaw (Yam); 3. Keith Johnson (Kaw ); 4. Jeff Beckington (Han); 5. Tommy Martin (Han). OPEN A; 1. Brad Bolton (Vam); 2. Earl May (Han); 3. John Amerman (Han); 4. Joe Rogers (Han); 5. Greg Diremyo (Kaw). 125 B 0 - 1: 1. Gene Naumec (Kaw); 2. Jason' Coleman (Han); 3. Todd Down (Vam). 125 B 0 -2; 1. Todd Neal (Kaw); 2. Milte Brown (Kaw); 3. Chad Laugh (Suz), . 250 B 0 -1; 1. Mike Brown (Kaw ); 2. Jason Coleman (Han); 3. Jeff Lampe (Han). 250 B 0 -2 : 1. Todd Neal ( Ka w~ 2. Gene Naumec (Kaw); 3. Jeff Finkhousen (Vam). OPEN BIC 0 -1; 1. Robert Patterson (Han); 2. Dave Curry (Han); 3. Dann y Hicks (han). OPEN BIC 0 -2 : 1. Glenn Myatt (Kaw); 2. Rick Perry (Yam); 3. Keith Varnell (Kaw ). 125 C 0 ·1 : 1. Bill y Mayo (Yam); 2. Lance Brannon (Han); 3. Lanny Bischoff (Han). 125 C 0 ·2 : 1. Jon Heidenthal (Han); 2. Doug Comrad (Kaw); 3. Jeff Warrington {Han). 125 C 0 -3 : 1. David Weis (Han); 2. David Johnson (Han); 3. Brad Sheiley (Han). 250 C 0 ·1 : 1. Ralph Lermandy (Yam); 2. Cary Norris (Han); 3. Randy Barfield (Han). 250 C 0 -2 : 1. Harry Byne (Kaw); 2. Steve Rodriguez (Han); 3. Robert Achero (Yam). 250 C 0 -3 : 1. Gary Graham (Kaw); 2. Mark Cassells (Vam); 3. Mike Teylor (Vern). +25 : 1. Robby Neeley (Kew); 2. Ricky Palmer (Han); 3. Joe Rogers (Han). SR 30+: 1. Robby Neeley (Kaw); 2. Doneld Leddy (Vam); 3. Bruce Dengler (Kaw). SR 336 +: 1. Gary Peak (Yam); 2. Dave Curry (Han); 3. Ed Longace (Vam). 657·11 ; 1. Kenny Voho (Kaw); 2. Scott Julien (Kaw); 3. Je ff Easley (Kaw). 80 10-13 : 1. Zya Braun (Kaw ); 2. 8illy Cantrell (Han); 3. Patrick Slaate (Vam). 85 14 ·15: 1. Brian Swink (Kaw~ 2. Jim Neesa (Suz); 3. Jos eph Falla (Han).

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