Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Oklahoma , Bert ram fin ish ed seco nd place in th e 250cc class and fourth overa ll. He a lso has pl en ty of expe rie nce at th e Six Days. In five ISDEs, Bertram has ea rned four golds a nd o ne sil ver m edal a nd had th e distin ction o f being " T o p Am eri can " a t th e tough Polish Six Da ys in 1987. . Bertram is kn own as a n intelligent rider, wh o usu all y n ever tak es a ny unnecessary risks a n d on ly goes a ll o u t o n the tra ilwhen he has to. He's a versa til e rider who does well o n a wide 'va riety o f terr ain, but h e says he feel s most co m fortable on rocky, steep o ff-ca mber a nd loo se gro u nd. In Germa ny, Bert ra m wi ll be riding a mod ified Suzuki RMX2S0 in th e O pen class. His RMX will be bored o u t to 2S3cc, m a k in g hi s Suzuki Open- class legal. Last year's o vera ll individual wi n ner in France, Fr en chman Ste p ha ne Pet er hansel rode a bored- out Yamaha YZ250 in th e Open cla ss. Terry Cunningham Age: 30 H ome: Athe ns , O hio ISD E events ridden : 6 ISD E reco rd: 4 go lds , I si lver , I DN F Class / MC: 12Scc/Ka wasa ki KX l25 Other accomplishme nts : Four-time Na tio na l Enduro Cha mpion Fou r -t i m e Nat io nal Enduro Champio n, Terry Cunn ing ha m , is back o n th e top o f th e charts a fter medi ocre performances during th e past th ree years, mostl y due to inj u ries. Cunningham is currently in the hu nt for th e Na tiona l End u ro title, a n d he shone brightl y in this year's Qual ifiers. T his is Cu n n ingham's first year ridi ng for Team G reen Ka wasak i after ridi ng Husqvarnas for man y years. T he cha nge has g ive n Cu nn ingham a renewed interest in o ff- larry Roeseler Ag e: 32 Home: Bloomington; California ISDE events ridden: II ISDE record: 8 gold, 2 silver, I bronze Class/MC: 80ce/Kawasak i KX125/ 80 Other accom p lis h me n ts: Four-time Baj a 1000 winner ; S-time Baja 500 w!nner; S- time L a s Vegas 400 win ner. Larry Roeseler is the m ost experien ced ISD E rider o n th e team. H e's rid den II ISD Es a n d has fin ish ed every one of th em, as well as ea rn ing eight gold meda ls a nd being To p Am eri can three tim es - th e last time in Spain in 1985. In th is year's ISD E Qualifiers, Roeseler took th e overall win in Okla ho ma a nd fi nished second in th e 5~Occ class in Mich igan. H owever. 1Il Ida h o , Roeseler suffered a ba d fall in a da y three special test a nd co mpressed three vertabrae in th e m iddl e o f h is back , fractured a vert abra in h is neck, tore liga ments in hi s ribs and br o ke his th umb. WIll . Th is will be H ough's fourth ISD E, but German y will be h is first try as a Trophy tea m mem ber. For the la st three years , he's ridden o n th e U.S . J r. Wo rld team. Desp ite his success in th e U.S . Q ual ifiers, Hough h as yet p ro ved himself to the world. In h is first Six Da ys in Ita ly, H oug h crashed a nd dropped o ut ; in Po land th e follow·in g year, he a lmost snagged a gold m edal , but he suffered b ike prob lems on th e last day, relega tin g h im to silver meda l status. And la st year in Fra nce, H ough inj ured h is kn ee a nd was u nable to finish. H ough is go ing to compete in th e 250cc class o n a Team G reen -backed Ka wasak i KX250, an d h e is due for some good luck in th e Si x Da ys. He's a lways had th e speed; b ut now h e has th e experie nce. Jeff Russell Age: 25 H ome: Chauncey, Ohio ' ISDE events ridden: 4 ISD E p erformance: I bronze, 2 silver, I go ld Other accompl ishm ents: Seco nd 1988 N ati onal Ch am pi on sh ip En d uro Seri es Class / MC: 2S0ce/Yam YZ2S0WR road competition , a nd h e's ridi ng wi th th e de termina tion th at he once had w hen he rul ed the woods in 1982 and 1984-'86. In th e Qualifiers, Cu n n ingham fi nis hed seco nd p lace in th e 125cc class in O kl ah oma , but h is best fi nish ca me in Id ah o where h e cap tu red th e overall honors a t the fou r-day event. In Mich igan, Cunningham was slowed by a n in j ured knee a n d did no t ri de th e Oregon Qua lifie r, h aving a lready cli nched a spot o n th e T ro p hy tea m ros ter. Last year in th e Fre nc h ISD E, Cunningham was -one o f America's to p sco rers a fter taking 13th in th e 125cc class - desp ite su ffering from tendoniti s in h is w ri st - thu s proving hi s effectiveness as o ne o f th e fines t 125cc o ff-road rider s in the co u nt ry. Kurt Hough In spite of hi s inj uries, Roesel er feels he will be ready to compete in Germa ny and is cu rr ently spendi ng his recovery ti me d oing all the train in g a nd rid ing that h e can possibl y do. A littl e more tha n a month a fter th e acci de nt, Roeseler was a lrea dy back on h is m o to rcycl e . a nd doing easy ridin g. Wh en th e Si x Da ys begin in Germany, Roeseler will be o ne of th e fir st rid er s o u t o f Par e Fa rm e, because ' he'll be ri ding in th e 80cc class o n a highl y modified Kawasaki KXI25 with a KX80 p ow erplant. Roeseler 's decision to ri de in th e 80cc class will help benefit th e U .S. Trophy team as a whole. Although the 80cc class in th e ISDE is very co m pe titive, Roeseler is expected to pl ace near th e top o f th e class a nd ea rn low evalu tio n points. (In th e ISDE th e team wi th th e lo west co m bi ne d eva lua tio n p o in ts for each Troph y tea m m e m ber wi ns the event). co ntentio n for th e overa ll before h is bike b ro ke 01; th e seco nd day. In Ok la homa, wh ere Roesel er won , H?ugh sti ll ca p tured th e 250cc class Age: 24 Home: Ne w Pal est in e, Indi ana ISD E events ridde n: 3 ISD E record : I si lver, 2 DNFs Class / MC: 2S0cc/ Kawasaki KX250 Other accom p lish me nts: Currently fi ft h in the Nat io nal End uro C hampions hi p Ser ies Kurt H ough (p ro no u n ced Huff) has domi na ted the U.S. ISD E Qualifier scene for the past two years . H ough has wo n th e overall six times out of th e last eigh t Quali fiers; a ll fo ur events last year a nd two this year. T h e o n ly riders th at have beat en hi m arc T erry Cu n ni ngha m a nd La rry Roeseler (bo th defea ts came th is year). In Id aho, H ough was in medals a nd suffered one DN F, wh ich . wa s d ue to a m ech a nical fai lure. H oess has become kn own as Mr. Rel iabl e. If hi s bi ke doesn 't break, he'll fini sh n o ma uer wha t it takes . In 1986, H oess sta rted th e Spanish Six Da ys with a bro ken foot a nd . ea rn ed agold medal ; two years lat er in Pol an d , he tweak ed h is kn ee, bu t h e stilled ea rne d a go ld medal. In 1988, H oess a nd two o the r American r ide rs j ourneyed to Aus tra lia to co m pe te in th e grue ll ing Internation al Four-Da y End uro - he wa s the 'o n ly Ame rica n to fi nis h. Last yea r ill th e Frenc h Six Days, H oess was recogni zed as Top America n. After finis hing fou rth place .in th e 250cc class in th e O kla homa a nd Michiga n Qual ifiers th is year, H oess sat ou t the rest o f the ser ies, k nowi ng h e'd be a top ca ndidate for th e Jr. Wo rld tea m . H is record in pr evious Six Days merits automa tic qualifica tio n for th e Jr. Wo rld T eam. This yea r in German y, it wi ll be Hoess 's la st rid e as a J r. World rid er. After turning 24 next yea r, Hoess will hav e to seek a position o n th e Trophy tea m for n ex t yea r 's IS D E in Switzer land. Aaro n Hough A~ :W J eff Ru ssell is one o f th e co un try 's top en d uro riders. H e is cu rre nt ly in co nten tio n for th e' Nati on al End uro C ha m pio ns h ip titl e, a nd h e h a s ridde n the ISD E fou r times as a mem ber of th e J r. World sq ua d. T his will be Ru ssell 's first attempt on the U.S. Trophy tea m . In this year 's Q u alifi er Series, Ru ssell showed he had the speed a nd th e d urabi li ty to m ak e th e tea m. Competing in th e 250cc class, R ussell finished fift h in Ok lahoma , seco nd in Mich igan a n d fir st in Idaho . H a vin g already secured a posi tion o n th e Trophy tea m , R ussell opted no t to ride the Oregon even t. R ussell th rives o n rid ing in the wo rst ridi ng co ndi tions. He's a n ace in the mud a nd is lighten in g fast in th e woods a nd over th e roots. R ussell shou ld be a major asse t to th e Trophy tea m , si nce much o f th e ter rain in G ermany will be to Russell 's lik in g a nd expert ise. J r. World Team Fred Hoess Age: 23 Home: S tan hope , New Je rsey ISDE events ridde n : 5 ISD E Performance: 4 golds, I DNF Class/MC: 250cc/ Kawasa ki KX250 Fred H oess is a hi ghl y ra ted hare scra m bles a n d en d uro rider , bu t H oess' forte is th e ISD E. In fact , h is record shows th a t he is o ne of th e best ISD E ride rs this co u ntry has to offer. Out of five Six Da ys that he 's ridden , H oess has ea rned fou r go ld . H o m e: New Pal estin e, Ind iana ISD E even ts ridden : 2 ISD E Perform a nce: 2 golds Class /MC: 125cc/Ka wasa ki KXI 25 Wh en Aaron H ough firs t rode the Six Days Ior th e first time two years ago in Pol a nd , he sur p rised everyone by claiming a go ld meda l in w ha t was described by many rid ers as th e to ug hest ISD E in recent yea rs. At that time, th ere was do ubt w hether he shou ld ride o n the J r. World team as a roo kie, bu t Hough elim ina ted a ny quest ion abo ut hi s a bility in Pol and a nd the followi ng yea r a t th e . Fre nc h ISD E, wh ere he co llected his seco nd go ld meda l. Aaron mi ssed m ost of thi s yea r's Qual if ier Ser ies with a sho u lder injury. But in th e series' opener in O kla homa, Aaron ca me wit hi n seven seco n ds of bea ting Larr y Roeseler for the overa ll victory: he had to set tle for seco nd but he did take firs t in the 125cc class, beating Cu n ningham. In Mich igan, H ou gh crash ed and (Continued to page 55) 11

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