Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Cycle News 1989 06 07

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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Jeff Stanton (7) goes inside Dennis Hawthorne (35) in pursu it of Jeff Ward and Ron Lechien at the start of the first 250cc class mota. AMA National Championship 12~1 250cc MX Series: Rounds SIS . Stanton, Holland hot at High Point By Nate Rauba Photos by Davey Coombs and Rauba MT. MORRIS, PA, MAY 28 T eam Honda 's J eff Stanton rolled to his fourth consecutive 250cc Na tional overall win while Honda teammate George Holland became the first rep ea t winner of th e 125cc 'series at Hig Point Raceway. S tanton pasted a I -., ta y to 2 11 outscore Kawasaki s R o n 6 .Lech ien , who went 2-3 on the da y. Lechien led early in both of the 30minute-plus-two-lap motos, before succumbing to Stanton in the first outing and then to both teammate Jeff Ward and Stanton again in moto two . Ward kept Stanton at bay to win the second moto, but a first-lap crash in the opening moto left the factory Kawasaki rider fourth in the overall column. After straightening his bik e, Ward remounted from his crash long after the pack disappeared, but managed to fight back through the pack to finish 12th. Team Suzuki's Johnny O'Mara filled the third overall spot with a pair of fourths, and Honda privateer Fred Andrews rounded out th e top five with a 5-6 score. Although Stanton was the overall winner, extending his points lead over Ward to 35, he wasn't thrilled with the way he got the overall. " I got beat, and I wanted to win (the second moto)," said Stanton. "Jeff rode a good race and' mage a lot of mistakes. I'm not good on rutty tracks." Rain a few days prior to the event left the tra ck moist and soft in some spots, and deep ruts quickly formed in the corners. Warm, sunny weather prevailed on the weekend, however, drying several areas of the tra ck and making conditions ideal for the estimated 15,000 fans that attended th e Wiseco-sponsored National. In the 125cc class, Yamaha's Damon Bradshaw pa ssed Holland for second ear ly in the first rnoto, then took the . lead from Honda privateer Donny Schmit on the fifth Jap and stayed out front to the end. Schmit claimed second in the moto over Holland, Mike Kiedrowski and Guy Cooper. Bradshaw also led a few laps of moto two after taking the lead from Holland, but the Honda rider struck back and took th e win. T eammate Cooper also snuck by Bradshaw , a llowing Holland to lock up the overall win. Bradshaw was second overall, Cooper third and Schmit fourth after finishing I Ith in the second moto following a couple of crashes. Kiedrowski, who also had to cha rge through the pack after a first turn crash in the second moto, rounded out the top five. Holland said that being the first to pull off a repeat win (his first win ca me in round two a t the Hangtown National) gives him confidence for the rest of the series. His consistent finishes also puts him third in the standings, one point behind Bradshaw and only three behind leader ' Kiedrowski . Cooper lies only another seven points back in fourth. " T here's still a long way to go," said Holland, who thanked American Honda, mechanic Cliff White, Hondaline, Bell Helm ets, Scott USA and Dunlop for helping him win. Stanton took home $1600, plus cont ingencies, of the $15,000 250cc class purse, whi le Holland's share of the $10,000 125cc class purse was $880. 125cc Holland led the charge up the start hill into the first sweeping left turn , but Schmit charged by in th e corner. Cooper followed in third ahead of Michael Craig, Bradshaw, Kiedrowski, Jeff Beckington and Larry Ward. Bradshaw quickly got around Craig and on the second lap also demoted Cooper. A lap la ter Bradshaw ' was on Holland's tail , while Beckington fell back behind Ward, Erik Kehoe and Mike La Rocco. At th e beginning of lap fo ur Bradshaw stuffed Holland at the finish line corner, then tailed leader Schmit for a lap before putting the same move on him in the same corner, ta king over the lead in the process. Cooper still held third but was losing touch with the leaders. " I didn't feel comfortable," said Cooper. '" knew the speed it would take 10 ca tch them , but' couldn't go that fast." Kiedrowski and Craig battled over fourth for several la ps until the radiator shroud on Craig's Yamaha bent straight out, hindering.• his movement in left turns. Further back, Ward and La Rocco were going at it in a battle that would last several laps until mistakes would ultimately cost Ward the position. Up front, Bradshaw he ld a threesecond cushion on Schmit, who had about the same distance on Holland. Kiedrowski was on the move and passed Cooper, but Cooper repassed him within a lap. '" repassed him on his own mistakes," said Cooper. . Kiedrowski got by once more, but this time made no mistakes and slowly reeled in Holland. Further . back La Rocco was closing on Yamaha teammate Craig, but ended up falling back behind Ward. By this time Bradshaw had extended his lead to six seconds over Schmit,' while Kiedrowski gave Holland some pressure but cou ld never get by. . "He held his lines and didn't make any mistakes," said Kiedrowski. '" tried different lines and wou ld drop back." The pressure actually helped . Holland. " Fo r the first half of th e moto I was riding really stiff," Holland said. '" was riding really cautiously, but when Kiedrowski came up behind me I rode a lot better." It improved his riding enough that he caught up to Schmit near the end, and all three came across the line fairly close together, but more than five seconds behind Bradshaw. . Cooper was a d istant fifth, while La Rocco and Ward raced to the finish line and La Rocco held him off to take sixth. Craig was eighth with Kehoe and Jeff Matiasevich rounding out the top 10.' Cooper ro unded the sweeper first in moto two followed by Holland, Matiasevich and Carlo Coen. Schmit got out of shape off the gate, tapped Bradshaw and crashed somewhere in the first turn. The tap cost Bradshaw as he slo wed and lost momentum up

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