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/127246
Jeff Matiasevich (2 0) leads the 250cc Pro pack at the start of the second moto. Jean-Michel Bayle (22) was the overall w inner. Mike laRocco chased Matiasevich for the lead throughout the second 250cc Pro moto. laRocco earned second overall w ith a 5-2 score. Steve Piattoni (2 6 ) is chased by Bill Foy (4 4). David Lynch (131 ) and overall winner Mark Duval in the 25-29 Intermediate class. GFI California Winter Series South: Round 3 Bayle best in first· factory showdown of season at Perris By Nate Rauba Photos by Ken Faught and Rauba P ER RI S, CA. J AN . 14 In the first confron ta tio n between the factory stars before th e start of the AMA racin g seaso n , Frenchman J ean-Michel Bayle served notice to th e American s that he's going to be a threat th is year. T he 250cc World Cham. h 'II . h p io n, "! 0 co m pete In t e U.S. th is season, was the over- 6 a ll winner in the 250cc Pro class a t Perris Raceway. Ba yle al so finished seco nd overall in the 125cc Pro class behind J eff Matiasevich . T he big four Japanese factories were ou t in force as th e entire Honda, Kaw asaki and Yamah a race team s were prese nt. Five o f Su zuki 's eig h tma n tea m were a lso present, th e m issin g riders being Gu y Cooper. Buddy Antunez and j erem y Buehl. A ra in storm moved through th e Perri s Va lley th e ni ght before the event. leaving th e track a slop py mess. T he ra in stayed away d uring the racing, a nd as the da y wore on the co nditio n o f bo th tracks used to accommodate a p p ro x ima te ly 450 en tra n ts steadily improved. Cam el Super cr o ss a n d 250 cc la tional champ J eff Stanton led the way at the start of the first 15-la p 250cc P ro mota with Yama ha's Dam on Bra d sh a w close behind. Bayle started fifth , st uffed Kawasa , J • ( • ~ l I" • ki's Joh nny O '~ara for third?n lap three then q uick ly closed In on Bradshaw. Bayle closely followed the Yamaha rider for a la p befor e taking over second. and then it ....;asn ·t lo ng before he had fir st wh en Stanton fell in a turn. " I missed a shift in a rut and went down." sa id Stanton. Ba yle quickl y pu lled away and held a com forta ble lead to th e fini sh. Stanton was left a lone in second as Bradshaw dropped back 'for a cornfortable third. At one po int 500cc National cham p J eff Ward closed in, but faded back to nimh at the fini sh. " I lost th e rebound in th e rear shock," said ' Ward. " It wasn't a very good hand ling bik e after that." O 'Mara was fo urt h at the finis h w hi le S uzuki ' s Mik e La R o cco worked up fro m the tail end of a battl e with tea mmat es R on Tichenor, Larry Ward a nd H onda's 125cc National cham p Mike Kiedrowski to claim fift h. Kiedrow ski wa sixth o ver teammate Rick J o h nso n who cap italized on a bobble by Do u Dubach . " l rode rea l sloppy, " sai d J ohnson. . ,. ... ~ '. • . I &.