Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Elva Earll of Fresno. California. cl inched the Western Pro Gas Association Championship with her second-place fin ish in the Bakersfield finals. Class winners of the Southeastern Motocross Championship Series assembled for a group portrait at the final race in Macon. Georgia. OPEN: 1. Bill y DePriest (Kaw ); 2. Marc Baker (K8W); 3. Ke~(nM ~~~d~·8~(Ka~~4~~~~~:ITiH~i:vs.~::o(~S~~ 3 . Allan McBee IHon);: 4 . Raben Damr on (Rtx); 5. Rick Ji m Bob Mor r is (Klw); 6. Shaun Mu rphy (Kaw); 6. Paul Bishop (Hon) . Crem ona (Yam ). Higuera blasts Monterey ST Montero, Martin battle at Echeconnee MX By Mike Vancil MONTEREY, CA, NOV. 4 A hard-eharging Jimmy Higuera put together on e of hi s fin est races ever to cap ture th e hardfou ght fin al for 600cc Experts at th e R&D Enterprise-sponsored Monterey Sh ort Track. Two sepa ra te heat races wac conducted for the 12 riders with only the firs' four fin ishers (rom each heal bein g a llo wed a front-row sta n in th e Iin al , In hea l o ne Allon McBees' win strea k was broke n as he got crowded O Ul o f th e action. Sieve Stewa rt was to recei ve th e sa me trea tm en t. Win ni ng th e eve n t was Robert Damro n on his ROLax. The o the r hea l race wi n wen t to Da n Ca hoon as he o u tbro ke a nother tal en ted grou p- In 'his one Mike Inderbiu in fell hard enough to ca use him to wit hdraw a nd so the fin al was narrowed 10 11 riders. At the green light Cahoon came away the lead er in to a nd o ut of turn one . McBee was in the th ick of th e actio n as he looked to mak e it three feature wins in three tries . At the midpoint of the Hl-Iap fin al it was sti ll Ca hoon in the lead on hi s Yam ah a foll o wed by H igu era o n h is Rotax a nd Damron had pa ssed McB"e for th ir d. T he rev ital yzed Hi gu era then began d iving deeper int o turns one a nd three and was ga in ing ground o n lead er Ca hoon. \rV ilh two laps to go H igu era found opening comi ng out of tu rn two , acce lera ted har d and dove under Ca hoo n in tur n three. He clearly had the lead a t th e while nag and kept it for th e Final circui t aro un d th e tin y oval. Cahoon kept seco nd ill the checkers and McRee repassed Damont for an third, in th e 250cc Junior heat race Lonnie Pauley rod e flawl essly to th e win o n hi s Yamah a IW Ostroke foll owed by Dan Han o n his Kawasaki tw o- stroke. T hey rea ppeared in th e class Final and fin ished in the same order bu t th e racers were close the w hole rim e. Perry La n$' G regory Enya rt and Troy WallS trai led this pair across the fin ish line. The 500cc Jun ior class heal race win we n t a very determined J eff Eklu nd. Traili ng Eklund wa , Hart a nd Mich.ell e DiSal vo . Pauley had fall en and was a warded a nimh place fin ish . In th e fina l Paul ey gra bbed 'he hol esho' bu' was o nly sta lked briefly by Hart before Ha rt made lhe pass. Lap a fter la p Pauley tried to Fi nd a wa,,' back around Han bUI no nt" became availablt". At the chec kers it was Han first, Pauley second ao d Kenn y Waag lh ird. '0 Resu lts P/W 50 : 1. Rylan Hansen (Yam);: 2. Bryan Gr ier (Yam); 3. Dan.el Adkins (Suzl: 4 _ Christopher Canepa (Yam);: 5. 30 Derri Ck. Patt erso n (Yam). M INI 60 /80 NOV: , . Jeremy Twitt (Kaw ); 2. CurtIS Peebles (Kaw);: 3. Lesley Peterson IKawl. MINI 80 EX: 1. Greg M iller (Kaw); 2. Brian Sgheiza IKaw); 3. Joh nny Murphree (Kaw ); 4 . Shaun Russell (Yam); 5 Robert Stevenson (Yam). 125 NOV; 1. RIchard Russo (Yamt 2. Charli e Coleman (Yam); 3. Gary Velt enhelmer (Yam). T/W: 1. Vance Bellran (Han); 2. Mike Olas(Hon); 3. Ralph Gomez (Yam); 4 . Can Riding (Hon); 5. Jamie Gilmed (Han). 250 NOV 0 -1 : 1. William Luker IHon ~ 2. Don W ilh ile (Yam); 3.Jim Poff (Yam); 4 . Mart. Anthony (Hon); 5. Robert Caw IBul) . 250 NOV 0 -2 : 1. Jason Calhoo n (Yam); 2. Ricky Baker IYam); 3 Mik e Benen court (Han); 4 . Doug Flinch (C·AI ; 5 . Ja mes Barrow IHonl . 250 JR: 1. Lonn. e Pau ley (Yam); 2. Oan Hart (Kaw); 3. Perry Lang (Yam); 4 . Gregory Enyart IYam); 5. Troy Watts (Yam). 500 NOV 0 -1 : 1. Aaro n Twin (Kaw~ 2. Larry Crawford (Yaml; 3. William Luker (Han); 4 . Tom OiSalvo (Yam); 5. Keith Rain8Ud (Yam). 500 NOV 0 -2 ; 1. Allan McClellan (C-At; 2. John Pierce (Yam); 3. Berai e Cabanilla IYam); 4 . Kevin Deupser (Han); 5. Peler Au ..n (Yaml. 500 J R: 1. Oan Hart (Kaw ); 2. Lonni e Pauley IHon); 3. Kenny Waag (Han); 4 . Lon nie Lacy (yam ); 5. Gregory Enyart (Yam). 600 JR: 1. Lonnie Pauley (Hon); 2. David Freeze (Yam); 3.Jeft Eklund (Yam);4. Dan Hart (Rtx);: 5. Si ewn Gr ier (Yam). 600 EX: 1. Jimmy Htguera (Rut); 2. Dan Cahoon (Yam); Eric Pinson (Suz); 4. P.J. Howe ll (Hon); 5. Jason Coleman (Hon). By Gary Crider MACON, GA . NOV. 4-5 Sco tt Pin son, Johnn y Dean , Donny Banks and T ommy Manin wrapped up -their respective double-class series Victori es as rid ers from a seven Slate area co nverged o n Echecon nee MX for th e two-day fin al event in th e Pep si Col a/ Pit Stop Racing/Cam-I /PJ IIScoll-sponsored Southeas tern MX Ch am pi onsh ip Series . The week en d was hi ghl igh ted by spectacu la r ba ules between Louisia na 's Chad Montero and loca l sta r T o mm y Mart in in both .I25cc A motos , When ' he ga le dropped for ' he opening l25cc A moto, Montero gassed his Kevin Thomhifl/Too Trick R&D-luned Hon da into the lead foll ow ed by the Ho nda' ridden by Martin, Ashl ey Ep ps, Allen Ross and J ason Co lema n. The Montero /Marr in / Ep ps tr io soo n pulled away . tearin g up th e track in a high- speed fight for th e lead. O n lap fon r, Montero mad e an erro r in the whoops section and dro p ped to thi rd. But just two tur ns lat er. Montero had passed bo th riders and ma naged to hold o n (o r th e win ov e r M ar t i n . Missi ssippi-resident Ross moved by Epps durin g th e final laps lO finis h th ird over Epps a nd Co lema n. Honda o f McCom b/ G ear / Sco ll / Sh oei l Max ima-backed Montero holes ho t rno ro two a hea d of Answ er/Lusk MX Schoo l-backe d Martin and Epps. Montero held his ad vanta ge unt il th e third lap whe n Ill'; slid down in a fast sweepe r. Montero remo unted third and even tually got by Epps for second. Martin was lon g go ne for th e Will a nd the o ver ll. Montero a took runner-up honor s whi le Ep ps, Ross a nd Co lema n rounded o u t the a ll-Honda top five, "The cro wd here was grea t," sa id M onter o . " I co uld hear th em cheering me o n , especially after [ fell in the seco nd mom. 1 tho ught th at was reall y cool. since I' m not (rom arou nd here." The 40-Plu, d ivision pro vided plenty of. excite me nt as Ran dy Ti llery a nd Cha r lie O wen s (ought for the win whi le injurftl series win ne r \Varn er Wilbourn wa tchrtl from lh e side lines. Owen s ope ned a good lead in molO o ne bUI Tillery d osed for a wheel -to-w hee l cha llenge in ' he final two lap, . Owe n, held fur Ihe wi n. ~t oto IWO was Ihe same. excepl lhat wh en T illery closed o n O we ns, tht"du o encou ntered a la p ped rid er. Owens and T illery sleered aro u nd the rid er a nd then locked bars, resu hi ng in a sJ>('rtanilar crash. Ti llery remo un ted quickl y (or lhe win and lhe o \'era ll wh ile Ow en s, sha kt"n tip, was slow to get back un derwa y. Ownes fin ishnl fift h, neu in g th ird (wera H beh ind Larry Brinkley: In lh e 250<:c B first mOlO, Misler Sweeperbacked Kevin Knighl ha d hi s sig hts se' o n ~r ies winner Brian Ro bert so n, Knight tried lO tak e Ihe lead (rom Robertson o n lap three bUI cras hed. 'T here was a big bum p lhat I didn 't st:'t" and I end oed insll'ad of passi ng," sa id Knigh t. Knigh ' evelll ua lly posted 4-2 fO! th ird behind fellow Suzu ki pi lot Robert son while Steve Sa unde rs came o ut lh e winner with a 2-1 s(:ore, Knighl rt'lUrn ro to win th e P lus 25 class over Saunders and Dell Ella nso n. Resulu 50 AUTO; 1. Jam es Garren Jr . (yam); 2. Aaron lindsey (Yam); 3. Jimmy Reeves Jr . (Yam ); 4 Chad A lbrlnon (Yam); 5. Man Dickerson (Yam). 60 : 1. Shae Ben tley (Kaw l; 2. Scon P,nson (Kaw ); 3. Man Walker(Kawl; 4. Mati Boone (Kaw); 5.Ja mes Garren (Kaw). MI NI C: 1. Bill Cain (Kaw); 2. Brandon Cantrell ISu z); 3. Ada m Humphrey (Yam); 4. Scan Pinson (Suz); 5. Rayman Sian elle (Han). MINI B: 1. Kevin W indham (Kaw~ 2. Dway ne Bone (Honl; 3 ,J ason Sybert (Han);:4 . Scon Bryanl (Hon): 5. Kevin Sm ith (Kaw) . MINI A: 1. Ezra Lusk (Kaw~ 2. Ryan Reynolds (Han); 3. . (Hon). ny 125 C: 1. Jo hn ny Dean tHon ); 2. fCen ·Tiplon (Han); 3 . Bri an Stokes (Han ); 4 . Will McEntyre (Kaw ); 5. Br ian Burn ett (Yam). 250 C: 1. Johnny Dean (Hon); 2. Kenny Tipl on (Hont 3. Aaron Day (Hon); 4 . Chris McNeil (Han); 5. Kipp Brule IKowl. - 125 B: 1. Stacey Barn ett (Han);: 2. Aaron Yales (Han); 3. Lonnie Brown (Kaw l; 4. Den Lipscomb (Hon) ; 5. Kevin Cozadd (Kowl . 250 B: 1. Sieve Saunders (Hon); 2, Brian Robertso n (Suzt 3. Kevin Knigh t (Suz); 4. Dell Ellenson (Ho n); 5. Jeff Ballard (Yam). 500 B: 1. Jeff Ballard (Yam);: 2. Bill earl_CHon); 3. Kennelh Wood (Hon);: 4. Paxton Owens (Hon); 5 . Benny Durr ough IKTMI. - PLUS 25: 1, Kevin Kntghl (Swl: 2. Steve Saun ders (Hon ~ 3. Dell Ellanson (Hon);: 4 . Jeff Byers (yaml; 5 . Ray Carroll (Han). • 30+: 1. Roben Aber (Hon);: 2. Jay McClellan (Yam); 3. Ray Carroll (Hon); 4 . David Wall (Yam);: 5. Randy Powell (Hon). . 40+: 1. Randy Tillery (Hon );: 2. Larry Brinkley (Kaw); 3 . Charl ie Owens (Hoo); 4 . Eugene Goode ISuz); 5. David Waldrop (Han). • 125 A : 1. Tommy Martin (Hon): 2. Chad Mon lero (Hon ); 3. Ash ley Epps (Hon);:4. Allen Ross (Hon); 5. Jason Coleman IHon). 250 A.: 1. Tommy Manin (Honl; 2. Earnest Harbin (Kaw); 3. J ason Coleman (Hon ); 4 . Ron Johnston IHon); 5. Kevin Doll ar (Sw). 500 OPEN AM : r . larry Crook (Hon); 2 . Shane PopeIHon J; 3. Jeff Nichols (Hont 4 . Ron·Slokes ISuz); 5. Henry Avant (SUl). 500 OPEN PRO: 1. Tim Morrow (Han); 2. Cecil Pettway (Hon); 3 . Jo hn Wil son (Hon); 4 . Mark Whidby (Suz); 5. Jason Coleman (Hon) TEAM RACE: 1. Tommy Marl in /Mike Floyd ; 2, Dwayne Bone/Kevin Dollar; 3. Aaron Day/Ezra Lusk; 4 . Kenny Tipl onlWill McEntyre; 5. Denn is Harris/Brandon Smilh. Benusches wins Bakersfield Drags By Bob Johnson BAKERSFI ELD, CA, NOV . 12 Mati Benusch es of Canyon Country, Californi a, won th e final event of th e 1989 Western Pr o Ga s Association, motorcycle series wh en he defeat ed Elva Earll in th e fina l round at Bak ersfield Raceway. Qualifying for th e season finale saw 'he toughest fight (or th e number o ne spar the entire seaso n. Ah er three rounds of side-byside actio n , Mark Mansfield had 'he top positio n nailed down with a 9.204 (9.20 seco nd index) : next was 'he lad y from Fresn o, Elva Ea rll wit h a 9.2 16; Benusches was third with a 9.2 17: 1988 seaso n runner -up Dal e Barber was fourt h with a 9.220; Don Earll was fihh a, 9.230, and Charlie Fulks was sixth at 9.240. The seco nd round of elim in ations began wilh 1988 WPGA Cham pi on Don Earll ge ni ng th e win as Mansfield's Suzuki brokeOUI; Benusch es ran a perfec' 9.20 to defeat Las Vega s series event winner Joe Savat gy 's '89 Su zu ki: Elva Earll ran a 9.40 edge Charlie Fulks" Kawasaki at 9.40; a nd La rry Sta nton beat Da ve Earll , 9.37 10 a losin g 9.43. Incid en tall y, Da ve Earll's win over Dal e Barber de med Barber the ru n ner-up spo' in Ihe '89 series poin ts chase. Dra~ racin g at its best too k pl ace in th e semi fina ls. when Benusches 10 a 9.22 to bea t m Don Earll's Trac Dynamics Can yon Co un tryl Cycle Tune Fresno sponso red '75 Kawasaki. Elva Earll th en pu, a hol eshot o n Sta m o n's React ion Concepl Mo'orsports-backed '76 Kawasaki, 9.40 a losin g 9.37. T he fina l round paired th e Trac Dynamics, Va nce & Hines Su n Vall ey, Ca r loo n ies Cus to m Paint-sponsored '87 Kawasaki Ninja of Benusches against th e Trac Dynamics! Cycle Tune-sponsored '86 Kawasaki of Elva Earll. The race was over at midtrack, lhough, wh en Mau ran a 9.30 to earn hi s firs t series even t win of '89, as Elva 's Kawa saki suffered breakage a nd slowed 10 a losin g 11.60. Dur ing the (irst two year s of th e Western Pro Gas Assoc., existence , th e Earll famil y ha s dt"Cided lO sh are amo ng them selves the series number one plate. Last yea r Don Ea rll gra bbed Ihe tOP hon or , and in '90, his wife Elva will claim th e coveted number o ne o n her bike. The fina l points sta ndi ngs a re as follows; Elva Earll (1363), Man Benusches (1178), Dave '0 '0 Ea rll (1053), Da le Barber (1044), Joe Savatgy (922) and Don Ear ll (889). The WPGA cap~ the season with a banq uet in Bakersfield, where the series top sponsor, J ay Esh bac h of American Perfor man ce Engineering' (APE) presented Elva wi th a bonus check for $1000. Benusches second place award was $300, and Dave Ear ll's third placing was worth an extra $200. McBee buzzes to Monterey ST win By Mike Vancil MONTEREY, CA, ocr. 28 Allon McBee ga ve his relat ively -new pro career aboost as he look th e feature win of the night .short 'rack event hosted by R&D Enterprises at th e Monterey County Fairgr ounds. McBee rides a Honda four-stroke sponso red by Sowle Ra cers, Pacific Undergr ound Co n st., Kasror s' Auto Bod )" a nd Biomet. A tal ented field of experts raced an eig htlap heal to determine star ti ng posi tions for 'he IO-Iap fin a l, and the Best per forme r was Danny Cahoon o n his Yamaha TT. He was trailed 10 th e chec kers by J immy H iguera , Craig Johnson , McBee a nd ' he rema ining lour riders in th e eig h t-rider even t. At 'he gree n ligh t of th e final it was McBee darting int o th e lead . There was a bit of bar banging and wall scra ping exit ing turn two as th e pack began lo sort o ut, but McBee was the clea r lead er into tum three o n th e first lap. Kevin Cro wley had his Rotax in the middle of 'he baule for th ird with Johnson and Cahoon. As the race progressed McBee 'co n tin ued to win g it in th e lead. Crowley was dropped lo fourth and H iguera worked his way Into second. AI th e chec kers it was McRee. Higuera; Ca hoon and Johnson. In the 250cc and ·500cc Junior class races Dan Hart a nd Lonnie Pau ley battled wheel 10 wh eel every la p. For ma ny laps of the 250<:c heal race Pauley led but wa s under consta nt pr essure from 'Hart until Hart bobbled and Perry Lang go t by. AI th e checkers it was Pauley, Lang, Hart a nd Greg Enyart, The fin al was handlebar to handlebar th e entire di stance with Pau ley and hi s Yamaha two-strok e getting a narrow victory o ver Hart. Pauley is sponsored by J&J Trucking, Bob Basliney Racin g, K.c. Suppl ies a nd Yam aha of Salinas. Wh en th e !:t'een light nashed to sta rt lhe 500cc Junior fmal Michelle DiSalvo grabbed 'he holeshot and held lh e po im for one lap befor e being engulfed by th e pack. By lap Iwo 'he banle be'ween Pauley and Hart devel oped while J eff Eklund , brolher of former Grand Nat ional Champion Sieve Eklund, worked h is wa y o ut of 'he pack and was 3 race- lo ng th ird, At the checke rs it was again Pauley by a sligh ' margin over Hart. Pauley and Hart also raced in lhe 600cc Jun ior class bUI were beat in th e final by Nick Slevens o n hi s Fox Faclory , Corbin Sadd les a nd Gran it e Conslruni on- sp onsor ed Yamaha. Pauley managed a seco nd place and close o n hi s heels was Hart . Results p/w 50: 1. Ken ny Hens (Yam); 2. Rylan Hansen IYam); 3 . Bryan Gr ier (Yam). MINI 60 NOV: , . Curtis Peebles (Kaw ); 2. Lesley Pelerson (Kaw) . M INI 80 NOV; 1. Junior A lvernaz IKTM); 2. Curt is Peebles (Kaw); 3. Jeremy Twin (Kaw). MIN I 80 JR: 1. Greg M ill er IKa wl; 2. Gary Mi ller (Kawl. MI NI 80 EX: 1. Br ian Sgheiza(Kaw); 2. Johnny M urphree (Kaw ); 3. Shaun Russell (Yam); 4. Robert Slevenson (Kaw) . 250 NOV: 1. Aaron Twitn (kaw); 2. W ill iam Luker (Hon); 3. Don Wi lhile (Yam); 4 .James Barr ow (Han); 5. Doug Flinch (Kaw). TIW NOV: 1. Joh n Brill hart (Hon); 2. Mike Dias (Hon); 3. Rober1 Hall (Hon); 4. M ichael Tucker (Hon). 250 J R: 1, Lonnie Pau ley (Yam); 2. Den Har1 IKaw); 3 Perry Lang (Yaml ; 4 . Gregory Enyan (Yam). 500 NOV: 1. Larry Crawford (Yam); 2. John Pierce (Yam); 3. Keith Ralnaud fYaml; 4. Robert Robinson (Honl; 5. M ike Bene ncourt (Hon), , 500 J R: 1. Lonnie Peuley (Hon); 2. Dan Hart (Kaw); 3. Jeff Ekl und (Yam); 4. David Freeze (Yam); 5.Kenny Waag (Han). VET: 1. Kevin Ctowiey (Rtx);: 2. Gordon Rudy (Hon); 3. Tom DiSalvo (Yam); 4 . Bobby Ingle (Yam).

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