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/127188
A crash at half-distance cost Lacher a lot of ground as his left eye filled with mud and he had difficulty seeing where he was going. Similar problems hit early challenger Kees Van der Ven, who had to go for medical attention, while Jo Martens' hands were so covered in mud that he could hardly turn the throttle. It had been a filthy race but there was to be another to come, albeit in sunshine which only made some of the mud stick in even greater quantities to the machines. Anstie powered away from the pack at the start of round two, but to the delight of the crowd Jacky Vimond surged past him on an adverse camber uphill when Anstie lost momentum over a jump. The Frenchman was keen to escape before the works riders worked through the pack and that was exactly what he did. By the time Thorpe, having passed Nicoll along the way, found a way around Anstie he was 15 seconds behind the leader. Lap by lap Thorpe, totally unable to see from his left eye from the stones and mud which hit him there in the first race, closed in on Vimond until, with two laps to go, they were together. Thorpe then passed the Frenchman. "I don't think I could've managed (to pass) if Vimond hadn't made a mistake, but he did just that," said Thorpe. "At the same place he passed Anstie, he made exactly the same mistake and I couldn't believe my luck. I knew I was faster, but with my eyes the way they are, I couldn't attack as hard as I would've wished. " Vimond had been just half a lap away from the win and 'the home crowd saluted his effort. Anstie incredibly stayed third to the finish. "I got a flat tire on the front when David (Thorpe) went past," Anstie said. "But the biggest problem was when a rider crashed and his bike almost totally blocked the track in front of me as we lapped him." Anstie had to push his Honda up a 20-meter climb before continuing. Nicoll wasn't so lucky as he was stuck on the camber for more than two minutes before eventually getting going again to finish seventh after being lapped by the winner. Martens, who had been chasing the British trio, gratefully accepted fourth and Geboers was fifth after going up the leaderboard like a yoyo as mud-covered hands made it difficult for him to hold on to the bike. Van der Yen, unable to see properly, had stopped early, Geukens had crashed and Georges Jobe's motor 'seized solid after losing its water. He even tried filling the radiator again but that inevitably boiled out too. Liles made a good start but slumped to 21st in the mud as Persson fought back from a firstcorner collision. Leisk had been unable to get clear of a collision on an uphill on the first lap and rejoined the race a full lap behind and rode bravely for 14th at the finish. • Mickey Thompson's Off-Road Championship Grand Prix Round 4 Round 5 New Orleans Superdome Houston Astrodome New Orleans. LA April 8. 1989 Houston. TX April 15. 1989 250cc Ultracross 1st TYSON VOHLAND 'MAXIMA RACING LUBRICANTS 10969-A Wheatlands Ave., Santee, CA 92071 (619) 449-5000 MOYUI. Pours liOn AI USGP 500...... Results MOTO 1: 1. Eric Geboera(Hon); 2. Jacky Manena (KTM); 3. David Thorpe (Hon); 4. Jeff Leisk (Hon); 5. GeorgesJobe (Honl; 6. Giovanni Cavaton& (Hon); 7. Christian Vimond (Honl; 8. Franco Rossi (KTM); 9. Kun NicolllKawl; 10. Mervyn Anstie (Hon); 11. Andre Vroman. (Kaw); 12. Romano Nannini (Hon); 13. Dirk Geuken. (Hon~ 14. Paolo Caramellino (Yaml; 15. David Serge (Hon). MOTa 2: 1. Thorpe; 2. Jadty Vimond (Honl; 3. Anstie; 4. Jacky Manan.; 5. Geboers; 6. Cavetona; 7. Nicoll; 8. Leif Persson (Hon); 9. David Wynenll (Hon); 10. Jo Manen. (Kaw); 11. Giu••epe Ga~nIone (Yam~ 12. Lao Combee (Hon); 13. PhilIppe Gey (KTM~ 14. Leisk; 15. Nennini. POINT STANDINGS: 1. Geboers (58~ 2. Thorpe (47~ 3. Jacky Manena (45~ 4. Geuker.. (36); 5. Leisk 135~ 8. Nicoll (33); 7. Vimond (26~ 8. Jo Manan. (25); 9. Van dar Ven (24); 10. Pensson (22). 250cc Ultracross 1st TYSON VOHLAND _ .......... wa.,. ~ a ov.-IGIWAIIIZ