Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Steve Lamson (3) leads Jeff Emig (47) and Ryan Hughes (120) at the start of the 125cc Stock Pro class. Emig dominated Pro class racing by sweeping the 125 and 250cc Stock and Modified classes. The Race of Champions lineup: (Top I-r) Timmy Ferry. Matt SmiUl. Buddy Antunez. Joel Albrect. Jason Fowler. Spud Walters; (Bottom I-r) Danny Ulven. Tommy Clowers. Tommy Lee. Ezra Lusk. Jeff Dement. Steve Andrich. Damon Huffman and Pat Donaho. Kawasaki/NMA World Mini Grand Prix Albrecht, Clowers star in Vegas show By Ken Faught HENDERSON, NV, APR. 14-16 Team Green Kawasaki's Joel Albrecht and Tommy Clowers left Las Vegas Motocross Park with more than they expected. Albrecht won his second consecutive Race of Champions event with Clowers topping both the 80cc Stock and Modi£" d l B ' , Ie ~ ass~s. ut It wasn t only then WIns that most 22 people will remember when they think of the National Motosport Association event. In the third and final moto of the Kawasaki Race of Champions, a fight broke out between Suzuki's Buddy Antunez, who had won the Super Mini class earlier in the day, and Clowers. Throughout the threeday weekend, the pair had battled in nearly every one of the four classes theyentered,butbangingbarswasn't enoougthh. dI f h f' I ROC n e secon ap 0 t e ma molO, the pair tangled after a questionable move by Clowers, putting Antunez out of contention. Antunez slowly circled around the course and waited Jor Clowers in a turn. As the Kawasaki pilot came around where Antunez lay waiting, both riders dropped their bikes and started to fight. Within a short time the brawl was broken up, and Clowers continued on his way as Antunez walked back to the pits. Other big winners of the weekend included Missouri's Jeff Emig and Ca1ifornia's Tallon Vohland. Emig clearly dominated the 125 and 250cc Stock and Modified Pro classes with Vohland easil yearning the 500cc Pro class title. The Las Vegas Motocross Park features a sandy, high-speed, upercross-style course with lap times registering under the two minute mark for expert and pro level riders. Temperatures during the weekend were in the high 90s for the 1120 riders that turned out to race. Due to the large number of entrants, qualifiers were used to select riders for main events in more than a dozen classes, with points being carried over from their previous motos. All other classes with 30 riders or less were run on the regular two-moto system. For the ROC, 14 riders were previously selected lo race three motos on identically prepared stock Kawasaki KX80s. All of the riders were current champions from the various NMA regions or champions from other sanctioning bodies. The riders drew numbers that determined which of the bikes they \Yould ride. Between each moto the riders switched bikes to ensure that no one had an unfair advantage. A previous winner of this event was former Supercross and current 250cc National MX Champion Jeff Ward. When the gate dropped at the start of the first ROC moto, Georgia's Ezra Lusk holeshot Antunez, Jeff Dement, Spud Walters and Damon Huffman. Albrecht and Clowers were in the back of the pack trying to make up for poor starts and swiftly moved toward the front. On the first lap Antunez managed to force his way past Lusk and proceeded to pull away. While Antunez opened up a three-second lead, Albrecht shot around Lusk and moved into the runner-up slot. With two laps remaining, Clowers also managed to work his way around the Georgian for third, and held onto that position until the checkers. Lusk was fourth with Walters taking fifth. The second moto saw Dement get the early drop on the gate to lead Clowers, Antunez, Huffman and Timmy Ferry. Shortly after the start Antunez and Clowers collided, sending both riders to the ground. As Clowers retired to the pits with severely bent bars. Antunez quickly got up and shot past Dement on the third lap for the lead. Dement was second m front of Huffman, Lusk and Albrecht. Near the halfway point Albrecht started to quicken his pace and soon found his way to second behind Antunez. Albrecht tried to decrease Antunez's huge lead, but time soon ran out. While Antunez collected the checkers nearly 10 seconds ahead of Albrecht and Huffman, Lusk pres- . sured Dement for fourth. The two riders battled side-by-side through the last few turns with Dement holding onto fourth. The final molO was where all the excitement began to happen. Albrecht nailed the start with Antunez and Clowers battling a short distance behind. Antunez knew that in order for him to win the ROC, he had to finish right behind Albrecht. If Clowers were to finish in between them, Albrecht would take the overall. On the second lap Clowers tried to pass Antunez and again the two riders found themselves on the ground. As the pair struggled lo get up, Walters took command of second ahead of Dement, Huffman and Lusk. Clowers was eighth a few places ahead of Antunez. Up front Albrecht had opened up a 10-second lead while Antunez, in lOth, proceeded lo pull to the side of the course and wait for Clowers to come around. When Clowers arrived at the section where Antunez waited, both riders dismounted their bikes and staned lo fight. Immediately NMA officials pulled the two apart and sent them on their way. Both riders were allowed to continue, but only Clowers restarted. Antunez walked back to the pits. "It happened to me last year," said Antunez, referring to a similar incident involving another rider that cost him last year's championship, "And Tommy (Clowers) DNF the second moto, a little tangle-up between us in that one corner, so I think he (Clowers) decided to go into the last moto to take me out. I figured that's the reason he went out there. It happened to me the year before, and I wasn't going to put up with it - it had to stop somewhere. I waited in the corner to see what he wanted to do. He got off his bike and I got off mine." Clowers said, "In the second moto I was behind Dement, and Buddy (Antunez) hit me and we both went down. But I felt he did that on purpose. He's done it to me before, so it was time to get him back. We were in second and third - I came in and we hit, we hit again and we both went down. I kept on the track, didn't cut it or anything. Buddy stopped riding, cut the track and came over and we both stopped our bikes, dropped them, and started fighting. He's used to winning a lot. He's been winning this whole year and I did very well here, won two classes, but he didn't win what he wanted to and I think he's kind of mad." Team Green Kawasaki/Answer/ Smith/Dunlop/NGK/Tsubakil DMC/Silkolene/Acerbis-sponsored Albrecht cruised to an easy win, ahead of Ferry, Huffman, Dement and Danny Ulven. "I didn't feel all that great in the ROC," said Albrecht. "But I was riding good. I got two seconds and then in the last moto I finally got a holeshot. When I noticed that no one was behind me I figured out what happened (between Antunez and Clowers) and I was just glad I wasn't around them to go down." Albrecht's consistent 2-2-1 moto'

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