Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ARENACROSS ~ AMA National Arenacross Series: Round 1 Hawthorne conquers Cowtown. e By Kat Spann FT. WOR1H, TX,JAN.1-3 ive-time ational Arenacross Champion Dennis Hawthorne, kicked off the '93 Rad-n-Bad AMA ational Arenacross Series with a bang, claiming Friday night's 125cc Pro class main event win and then topping both the 125 and 250cc Pro class features Saturday night in front of a packed house on his hometown turf at Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth. Grayson Goodman led Friday night's 250cc main event to a point just short of the 18th lap, but he came up short on the last Honda Rocker and Jimmy Gaddis, who had been hounding Goodman during the race, slid into the lead position and stayed in front the remaining two laps for the win. F Friday Inclement weather was to blame for Friday night's less than expected turnout of just over 5000 spectators at the Mike Kidd Promotions event. Four heat races were held in both the 125 and 250cc classes in addition to two semis that would produce 14 riders for the main event in each class. Prior to the semis, over $630 was contnbuted by the spectators as a winnertake-all purse for the Dash For Cash race which pitted the four fastest riders based on heat race lap times. Cliff Palmer, Jason Upshaw and ·Snowy" Smith were upstaged at the start by Gaddis who pulled the holeshot and went on to win. Smith was the only other rider able to keep it on two wheels as both Palmer and Upshaw fell victim to crashes. LCS/Shoei/Dunlop-backedHawthorne holeshot the 125cc main event with Upshaw in pursuit as they blasted through the Yamaha Dirty Dozen whoops. Roy Schellenberger was third to cannon off the triple jump followed by Palmer, Goodman and Gaddis. Hawthorne kept the lead as Gaddis picked his way through the field to the number three spot by end of lap three. Then Upshaw boggled midway through the Honda Rockers on lap six and that gave Gaddis the hole he needed to move into second. On lap 10, halfway through the 2(}'lap race, Gaddis made his move and took the lead by passing Hawthorne after the triple jump in the bowl sweeper before the Honda Rockers. For the next seven laps Hawthorne shadowed Gaddis until Gaddis overshot the last whoop of the Yamaha Dirty Dozen and kissed the hay bales. That was all Hawthorne needed and he stayed there for the remaining three laps to claim the win. "I was really lucky to get out of that turn without going down 'cause I didn't have a clutch lever and 1 was trying to keep the bike running, but Dennis ran a good race," said runnerup Gaddis. When Hawthorne was asked about all the traffic he and Gaddis had to ride through, he said, "Well, 1 wanted to make sure I had the drive to do the doubles and the main thing 1 wanted to do was make sure 1 had the room so they couldn't get back under me. 1 tried to ride as hard as 1 could, that fall I took in my 250 heat race really messed up my knee and my wrist and I just wanted to put out a big effort and try to win this one. Jimmy started coasting there near the end and I made a run at him..." Goodman led the 250cc main event with Palmer and Pro Circuit/Spitfirebacked Gaddis chasing him for the first five laps. Gaddis finally made a move on Palmer for second in the whoops and took off after Goodman, who had a fair sized lead. Goodman maneuvered his Suzuki RM250 like it was a trained cutting horse around the comers, through the whoops and over the triple for 12 gruelling laps, but Gaddis was slowly but surely reeling him in. With only three laps to go, Goodman got his timing off in the Honda Rockers when he tried to double a set only to case the top of the last rocker and go down. That opened the door for Gaddis and he took over the lead and went on to win with Butch Smith, who had gotten around Palmer in the same lap, taking over the number two spot for good and Palmer moving into third. Hawthorne and 15-year-old Clint Latham rounded out the top five. Saturday A sold-out crowd was on hand Saturday night and Hawthorne was definitely fired up after the previous night's 125cc main event win. He took the lead at the start and held it for almost eight laps before Gaddis cut under him in the bowl sweeper that led to the triple jump. Gaddis's time in the lead didn't last long as Hawthorne returned the pass in the next lap at the same spot and took back the lead. Gaddis chased Hawthorne for two more laps before he went down in the whoops and handed over second to Palmer who had just passed Upshaw, whocrashed shortly thereafter. When the white flag came out, Hawthome still led with four lapped riders separating him from Palmer. Hawthorne cruised home the winner. Questioned about the Gaddis pass, Hawthorne said, "Jimmy stuffed me in the comer so I only returned the favor on the next lap." He added, "I would like to dedicate my win to a very good friend of mine (who is) here tonight and that's Keith Mundie of Sammy White's Kawasaki Gty." As the rubber band snapped to start the 250cc main event it was Hawthorne again out front. Smith followed Hawthorne into the whoops out of the first turn with Terry Tinney, Upshaw and Gaddis behind·rum. Hawthorne was untouchable as he glided to the win. Smith followed Hawthorne for 20 laps and took second with Gaddis in third from start to finish. Hawthorne was elated. "I really felt good tonight and feel even better after winning three of the four main events this weekend and getting the points. I look forward to racing at the Cow Palace in San Francisco and hope to do as well there." Sunday Over 250 entries were filed for Sunday afternoon's amateur program which consisted of 35 heat races, eight semis, and 18 main events. Andy Bowyer holeshot the 85cc Open main but went down in the first tum and Charley Bogard took over the lead into the whoops with Daniel Lariviere and Jay Grimm in pursuit. Bowyer remounted with lightening speed and went from dead last to ninth inside a lap. By the end of the third lap he was in third, and he immediately began to pressure young Travis Elliott. For four laps Elliott refused to give any quarter to Bowyer, but Bowyer made his move on the finish line straight and used the first turn wall to blast past Elliott into the whooJ'S' to take over second. With less than two laps to go, Bowyer tried to reel in Bogard, but Bogard would have none of that and took the checkered flag first, ahead of Bowyer and Elliott. Bogard also topped the 85cc (14-15) and 125cc Schoolboy classes. Kyle Parks holeshot the Over 25 class Two-aelBrock (Yam); 2. 5reve Fetters (Yam~ 3. Tab!> Stanbury (Yam); 4. MiJ

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