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/127173
years and just got my TUF Suzuki last Thursda y. Giv e me so me tim e to dial it in a nd I'll be in there." Bradshaw praised hi s Yamaha and said, "J o h n Rostiel sent us 'a .good suspensio n setup, Dad put it toge ther and it worked great. Mike Ch avez will meet me in California a nd help ine for the season." The 500cc P ro-Am portion of th e prog ram began with Denn is H awthorne leading An drews, Keith J o hnson and J eff Frisz out of the gator pit. American H onda/ An swer/Pro Circu it-sponsored Andr ews p icked up th e pa ce a nd closed on H awthorne on lap three. " Dennis (H awtho rn e) was jumpin g the pit a nd I wou ld gai n on hi m there," Andrews said. " I co uld hear Frisz coming up behind me." Andrews took th e lead o n laps six a nd seven, but Frisz blew past to lead the next two laps. Andrews retal ia ted to take the win on lap 10. " I just blipped th e th rottle by mistak e a n d overra n a turn , " Andrews said. " T ha t race was just too damn lon g for me." For th e final e, Fri sz' WKR /Pro - Lo ok /Answer/PSI Pipes-equipped Kawasaki led Andrews, J ohnson, Hawthorne, T omm y Martin and Keller. Andrews later explained hi s winning pa ss: "Jeff was go ing wide up th e hill to set up th e double and I held for the in sid e a nd came o u t ahead." J ohnson ended up th ird overall with Keller fourth. Amateur J ay Mann , T im Hodes and Han k Moree excelled in Sa turday 's Amateur program by each winni ng a pair of classes. , " Fred Vert ucci of Boyeson Engineering has don e a great jo b o n tun in g my Kaw asaki 's engine a nd suspe nsion ," Mann, who won the 125 a nd 250cc A classes, sai d. . T exan Hodes topped his 125 a nd 250cc B divisions wh ile South Carolinian Mor ee earne d 125cc B and 125cc Youth class 'w ins. Mann vdo m in a ted th e o pe n ing 125cc A moto, but H onda-backed David Beckington led th e final moto while Mann co mpleted a throughth e-pa ck blitz. Mann passed Beckington for the win o n th e final lap. In 250cc com petition , Mik e Brown and Jeff Beckington ga ve Mann a run for the"gold. " Becki ng ton got awa y clean," Mann said lat er. " I finall y caught him before a jump and passed him." Earl May rod e hi s VPE /O 'N eall Scot t/Seminole-sponsored Honda at the front of every lap during th e 500cc A class. Ru nner-up Joe Rogers said : " May was hook ed up toda y. I'll have to train harder next week." In th e Pee Wee pack , Mason Williams ended Don Ledd y's Mini Ol ympics winning streak. Williams elaborated from trackside: " I get $300 in Yamaha YZ Bucks for winning toda y. I'm so exci ted." , Greg Rand took top hon ors in the 65ccclass wh ile H onda/VPE/Sm ithbacked Tim Ferry held off Kawasaki 's Ezra Lusk for a well-earned upset in the 85cc, 9-13 class. The 85cc 14-15 guys staged a good, three-wa y duel with Wally Silva nipping Byran List and Zya Braun. A record 136 sen ior riders were spli t up into five division s at th e open er. Kaw asaki / An sw er /Scott/ Boyeson -sp onsor ed Robbie Neeley, who devastated hi s Sen ior a nd Plus 25 division s, said: "It was rea lly good to have Bobb y Sullivan ba ck to help Dad and I with th e bik es." Mark Ashwort h and Rick Lindell won th eir div ision s with Lindell dedicating the race to his wife and new bab y. Super Sen ior defending John Kitsch survived a second-moto crash to top Jay Mann and Todd Neal for the 125cc Pro overall w in. Fred Andrews (17) passes Jeff Frisz on the way to w inning the 500cc Pro class. Mark Barnett (101 ) made his return to racing and put on a show with Bob Hannah in the 250cc Pro class.