Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Yen, who had ridden alone unlil the last lap when Geukens nearly caught him. Geukens had earlier fought off Geboers, but the champ made a mistake and lost contaCt, settling for a safe sixth withoul allowing the threatening Mervyn Anstie lO get too close. Martens had been one of the victims of a firsl-turn pileup and quit at half distance when he Slarted to feel dizzy. Similar symptoms affected Vimond, who quit after losing eighth to Persson and falling rapidly down the field. Res'ults ·Scott Summers aced the Heavyweight Four-Stroke class. every one of lhese leslS, Roeseler had' eilher lhe besl or second-besl lime. Thal strength was showcased in lhe final mOlocross, too. Fritz Kadlec ShOl out of the hole first on his Yamaha YZ360 - a converted YZ250, similar to lhe one that won the ISDE in France. BUl a few laps later Roeseler had CUl his way lhrough the dusl and passed Kadlec. L.R.'s time was the fasle l of all the motos. The mOSl exciting mOlO, though, was the firsl 250cc race. Al the Slart, Bertram grabbed the holeshol while Jeff Russell salon the line kicking his bike. In the second lurn, everything seemed lO happen al once. BOlh Kurt Hough and Halcomb passed Bertram, Joe Zierman suddenly looped OUl in the dusl and Russell finally gOl his bike going. For the reSl of lhe race, Russell lurned in some of the faslest lap times of the day, but in a five-lap moLO, there was only so much lime he could make up. Halcomb won, evidently unbothered by his wrist or his foot. Hough worked hard on the dusty lrack to get a second, ahead of Hawkins and Bertram. Both the I25cc and the Open FourStroke moLOS were predictable, with Aaron walking away from the 125s and Summers taking a narrow win over Hines on the thumpers. Summers' bike was the only one that fired on lbe first kick of lhe deadengine Slarl, which made for a very dull firsl turn. The Lightweighl Four-Stroke moLO had a surprise winner in David Rhodes on a Yamaha 350. Class winner Lewis finished right on his tail but couldn't manage a pass. Overall, many of the riders felt that riding the John Zink Qualifier wasn't outrageously difficult, but il was an awful lot of work. Six-days rider Bob Bean summed it up ralber well: "That's why lbey only have this race every three years. That's just long enough so you'll forget the last one." • Results 125: 1. Aeron Hough lKawt 2. Terry Cunni"llham lKaw); 3. Jeff Fr_e lKawt 4-. Drew Smith (Suz); 5. Kelby " " - ; 6. Donnie Simone (Kaw); 7. Brad Lowe; 8. Tiz Havey (Kaw); 9. William Perkins (Vam); 10. Russ Charry. 250: 1. Kun Hough (Kaw); 2. Dave Benram (Suz); 3. Randy Hawkins (Suzt 4. Frad Haass (Kaw); 5. Jeff Russell (Vam~ 6. Charles Halcomb (Suz); 7. .Joaeph Zierman (Hon); B. Todd Harris (Suz); 9. Dan Richerdson; 10. Chris Coplinger. 500: 1. Larry Roeseler (Kaw); 2. Fritz Kadlec (Yamt 3. R~ Nealey (Kaw); 4. Thomas Ehmke; 5. Dan Ashcraft (Yam); 6. George Waller Jr.; 7. Greg Surdyke; B. John Nielsen (Kaw); 9. Steve SwenlOO; 10. Tim Willbanks. UW 4-STRK: 1. Jimmy Lewis (Hon); 2. Scott Orafs (Hoot 3. Brian Hull (Hoot 4. David Crain (Han); 5. David Rhoda (Yemt 6. Dwight Rudder lHont 7. Gene Elze"b8lget (Hon). HIW 4-STRK: 1. Scott Summers (Hoot 2. Kevin H;'" (KTMt 3. Gary Hazel lHont 4. Kevin Allen; 5. Rick BolIVia; 8. Gary N_. Points leader in the 125cc class, Holland's Davey Strijbos finished second in Portugal. while Italian Alessandro Puzar won both motos for first. World Championship SOOCC MX Series: Round 3 Thorpe trounce·s troops at Austrian Grand Prix By Alex Hodgkinson SCHWA ENSTADT, AUSTRIA, APR. 23 Dave Thorpe stormed to two devastating moto wins in the Austrian GP at Schwanenstadt which took the 26-year-old Briton to the top of the World Championship point standings, six points clear of reigning champ and HRC teammate Eric Geboers . d who sal vaged thu overall after two ~oubled ri~es. . K~rt NIC~ll made I~ an .Efolghsh. 12 w~~ 4-3 nde.s, despIte nding wIth ~ lDJured lhlgh ~d lbumb,. and climbed. to four.th 10 the stand1Ogs, one po1o~ be~d Jacky Martens. Germany s Dlelma.: La~her look fourth ove!all whII.e first-round overall WIDner D~rk Geukens rounded OUl the top f i v e . . T~orpe summed up the,~0'"!le~of the nd~s ~f?re the Slart. This first c~m~ IS ndiculou~. I k~o,:" I can w10 If I get around It, but It IS mu~ m?re dangerous ';han lhe old Slart. His fears were h~ghten~ when ~ess lhan a dozen nd~rs 10 the f!Jsl suppor~ race made It through WllbOUl fall1Og. . But wh~n the fir~t GP moto st;arted nOl one nder fell 10 the turn 1l5e1f, and Austrian Karl Sulzer took the early lead. Before the first lap was completed, Lacher had passed Sulzer, who was riding with a painful arLkle injury and would slide down LO Hlh at the finish. Martens moved in to track Lacher's every move, waiting for an opportunity lO pass and many others had the same strat~gy. BUl not Thorpe. "I knew I could win it from third, but after slarting around lOth I had LO make an early move if I wasn't going to be lOO far behind when we got into the decisive closing laps," Thorpe said. "It was just like the old days, I took risks. But I have to do that if I'm going lO win." Up to third after four laps, Thorpe was content to watch Lb~ front runners from a respectable distance. Lacher was the fust to fade and fell al the bottom of the hill and dropped back to battle with Jacky Vimon~, Leif Persson, who both got past 10 the final laps. With five laps remaining Thorpe moved in on Martens and passed him 011 a hiIJ, lhen pulled away for a comfortable win. Going into lbe last lap eilher Marlens, Jeff Leisk or Georges Jobe could've taken second as they foughl a close battle. BUl Leisk fell in a collision with Martens and was pushed back to fifth at the finish by Nicoll. On the same lap Jobe landed on Martens' rear wheel and was dragged down a hill along wilb his Honda before coming to a motionless standstill with a concussion. Marlens continued on for second and all lbe excitemem gave third place lO Geboers. Le' k k·L··rial I d fr IS lOO Ute 1m ea ~m Lacher at the Slart ~f moto lwO whl1e Thorpe was up to fiflh by the sec?nd comer. Thorpe lben closed rapidly on lhe. fastesl pa~ls of ~e track and w~nt inSide Lelsk. WIth only 15 mmutes of the 40-~nute plus lWOlap moto g?ne, as NIcoli also moved closer to third-place Lacher. -':-e~sk th~n began to slo~ alLer tW.1S~lOg hIS·. left. kfolee agam. (he ongmall'y tWlsted It 10 the preVlOUS round ID France) ~nd Lacher as.sumed sect?nd. Lelsk h.eld of( NlColl for third. for a whIle, bUl ~ell on a d?wnhill a.nd pulled out In severe pam from his knee. . , The top three were .sel, and Lelsk s departure lelL foUrth to Kees Van der MOTa ONE: 1. David Thorpe (Hon); 2. Jecky Manens (KTM); 3. Eric Geboers(Hon); 4. Kun Nicoll (Kawl; 5. Jeff Leisk (Hon~ 6. Marc Velkeneers (Kaw); 7. Dirk Geukens (Honl; 8. Jacky Vimond (Han); 9. Leif Persson (Hon); 10. Dimmar Lacher (Han); 11. Kees Van der Ven (KTM); 12. Billy Liles (Kaw); 13. Mervyn AnSlie (Han): 14. Karl Sulzer (KTM); 15. Sluan Coyle (Kaw). MOTO TWO: 1. Thorpe; 2. Lacher: 3. Nicoll; 4. Van der Ven; 5. Geukens; 6. Geboers; 7. Anstie; B. Persson; 9. Franco Rossi (KTM); 10. Kun ljungqvist (Yam); 11. Jo Manens (Kaw); 12. Rob Andrews (Hon); 13. Johan Boonen (KTM); 14. Giovanni Cav8ton8 (Hon); 15. Liles. POINT STANDINGS: 1. Thorpe (89); 2. Geboers (B3); 3. Jacky Manens (621; 4. Nicoll (61); 5. Geukens 1561; 6. Leisk 1461; 7. Van der Ven 142); B. Lacher (3B); 9. Persson (37); 10. Vimond (34-). Worid Championship 125cc MX Series: Rould 3 Puzar perfect in Portugal CARTELHA, PORTUGAL, APR. 23 Italian Alessandro Puzar won both mota at the 125cc GP at Cortelha on the Algarve. Puzar took the lead on the first lap in moLO one and pulled OUl a 31second victory, but in the second moto Suzuki teammate Dave Strijbos chased him all the way to the finish line. Strijbos also finished second in round one bu t aggravaled injuries he suffered while praclicing earlier in lbe week, in which he was knocked unconscious for an hour, when he crashed early in the. race. Allbough Strijbos was able to work back to second from fiflb, PUlar was long gone. American Trampas Parker, who won lbe opening round of the GP series in Italy, finished Lhe firsl molO third over Frenchman Yves Demaira, while American Mike Healey took fifth despile a flat Lire. Thierry Godfroid was sixlb over American Rick Ryan. In moLO lwO Strijbos caught puzar several times but fell again and hit his knee on a comer post then settled for second behind the Italian. Parker had a race-long battle with KTM teammate and fellow American Bobby Moore which he won LO finish third. Demaria picked up fifth after coming through the pack following a firsl-tum crash. Healey got another flat on the first lap, but continued and ended up in a heated baltle with Stefan Evern, son of former World champ Harry EverlS. Healey continually closed lbe door on all of Everts' attemplS to pass and held him off LO finish ninth behind Edwin Everl5en, Harald Ott and Ryan Hunt • Results MOTa ONE: 1. Alessandro Puzar (Suz); 2. Dave Strijbos ISuz~ 3. Trampes Parker (KTM); 4. Vves Damaria (Vam); 5. Mike Healey (KTM); 6. Thierry GodIroid (Kitw); 7. Rick Ryan (Suz); 8. Teus Visser (Vam); 9. Andrea Banolini (Han); 10. Edwin Evensen (Suz); 11. Jachen' Jasinski (Suzl; 12. Stefan Evens (Suz); 13. Massimo Manzo (Han); 14. Harald Ott (Han): 15. Daniel Obeliaco (Han). MOTa TWO: 1. Puzar; 2. Strijbos; 3. Parker; 4. Bobby Moore (KTM); 5. Demaria; 6. Evensen; 7. On; B. Ryan Hum (Han); 9. Healey; 10. Evens; 11. Manzo; 12. Jasinski; 13. Banolini; 14. Charrel Sweebe (Yam); 15. Massimo Contini (Gag). POINT STANDINGS: 1. Strijbos (l08t 2. Puzar (lOOt 3. _ (98); 4. Derneria (69); 5. Heetey (47); 6. Pedro Tregler (42); 7. Contini(3Bt B. _ e (32); 9. Banalini (30t 10. Ott (29). 17

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