Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

00 00 0') ....... I . Points leader John Van den Berk went 8 -8 at the 250cc Yugoslavian l GP, los ing ground to America n Rodney Smith. s Bayle turned in a two-second faster lap time over Strijbos during Saturday's timed practice, but wh en th e gate dropped for the start of th e first ' mo to, it was Irishman Alan Morriso n and his KTM blasting into th e lead aft er passing initial leader T eu s Visser. . t How ever , Morrison felt th e effects of a recent knee operation which gave him too much pain to keep up his qui ck pace. H e eve nt ua lly drop ped to the middle of th e pack before pulling out of th e race. This gave the lead to Strijbos, who was holding back Bayle. Bayle crashed on the third lap, but desp ite crashing and stopping to ch an ge goggles, the Fr enchman managed to work his way back up 'to second by the 13th lap. Even Strijbos had to bump up his pace, as Bayle closed in to within three seconds of the leader. Allesandro Puzar and Mike Healey , were running second and third until Bayle swept past both of them by th e tim e they crossed the finish line. .> The second moto saw Bayle gate poorly and was running seventh by the end of the first lap, while Strijbos had clear sailing out in the lead. It took seven laps before Bayle squeezed past Puzar to take control of seventh. At that point, Strijbos held a 20second lead ' o ver Bayle. Running third was Tragter followed all alone in fourth by Healey. Jobe was found I back in the field after having crashed into Massimo Contino. Contini picked up his Cagiva mounted in 28th and pressed forward to eighth. Healey, who was running fourth , crashed heavily five laps from th e finish and dropped out of contention, whil e Lejeune fell victim to a front flat tire . Strijbos easily took the win followed by Bayle, Tragter and P uzar. Puzar's third overall jumped him past fellow Italians Contini and Corrado Madd ii to third place in the Championship point sta ndings. _ Results 0 / A: 1. Dave Str ijbos (Cag) 1- 1; 2. J ean-M ich el Bayle (Hon) 2· 2; 3. All esandro Puzar (KTM) 3-4; 4. Pedro Tragter (Hon) 6-3; 5. Ma ssimo Contini (Cog) 5-8; 6. Corr ado Madd ii (Hon) 8· 7; 7. Teus Visser (Yam) 10-9; 8. M ike Heal ey (Cog) 4-0; 9. Alai n Lejeune (Hon) 7 -13 ; 1D. Christ ian Bayle (Hon) 0-5. Finland's Pekka Vehkonen captured the overall victory in Yugoslavia for the Cag iva team and is now fourth in the standings. Ped ro Tragter continues h is consistent riding and is third in 125cc po ints. World Championship 250cc 'MX Series: Round 8 Vehkonen on top in Yugoslavia O REHOVA VAS, YUGOSLAVIA, JUNE 26 Finland's Pe kka Veh konen captured his second 250cc G P victory in a row with a 2-1 ride in Yugoslavia. The Cagiva rider is inching his way closer to th e titl e Championship, while points leader Yamaha's John Van den Berk . was restricted to two eighth-place finishes. Not only did Vehkonen gain on Van den Berk, so did Suzuki's Rodney Smith and Jeremy Whatley, who are sitting second and third in the series. In the first moto on the demanding Yugoslavian track, Rob Herring jumped out into the early lead and wa lked away with the moto win :.unchallenged. In second place, Vehkonen was chased by Whatley, Diepold and R ick Ryan. However, Die p o ld dropped back to II th with suspension blues, and Ryan crashed. Smith was charging with the lead ers only to crash, as well , and had to work his way back up. Up front, Whatley was giving it his best and keeping the pressure on Vehkonen. But, feeli ng the effects of KTM 's A lessandro Puzar from Italy took second place in t he 125cc GP · in Ireland and is fourth in points behind Pedro Tragter. a cold, and with the second moto in mind on the gruelling track, Whatley decided to settle for third and save som e energy for the second moto, Herring easi ly won the moto with Vehkonen taking second ahead of Whatley. Fourth went to Peter Dirkx, with fifth goin~ to Smith. Vehkonen slipped past team Gert Jan van Doorn early in the second moto and led ' from there to the finish. Herring was third for a while, then began his charge after th e Cagiva riders 10 minutes into the moto, However, five minutes later, Herring fell complaining of blisters, making it difficult for the Brit to hold on to the handlebars. Herring got up in third but had Whatley and-Smith to contend with. These positions remained the same for the next couple of laps, until the silencer fell off Whatley's Suzuki. It lost horsepower and he eventually dropped to firth , while Smith was on the gas and passed Herring for third. Van den Berk struggled in the moto after a 17th place start. The Dutchman could only labor up to eighth. - Results 0 / A : 1. Pekka Vehkonen (Cag) 2-1; 2. Rob Herring (Yam) 1-4: 3. Rodney Smit h (Suz) 5-3; 4. Jeremy Wh atley (Suz) 3-5; 5. Gen -Jan Van Doorn (Cag) 10-2; 6. Pet er Dircloc(Hon) 4-7; 7. J ohn Van dan Bark (Yam) 8 -8; 8. Patar Jo han sson (Yam) 610; 9. Soran Monansan (Kaw) 9·9; 10. Giuseppa Andraani (Hon) 14- 6. 33

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