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/127565
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _D-----.:tage Iron National MX Series: Round 1 AH_RMANil MOTOCROSS e e Bmy Higgins styled his 1968 BSA 10 the win in the Premier Lightweight n Expert class. Barnett bombs Ocala By Matt Benson OCALA, FL, FEB. 27 ark Barnett earned his motocross fame aboard the factory machines of the late 70s and early '80s, but "The Bomber" showed he can also go fast on the bikes of a decade earlier, as he swept three classes at the Florida Motorsports Complex. Riding 125 and 250cc Honda Elsinores prepared by Advanced Cycle Engineering, the multi-time National MX Champion aced the Sportsman 125, Sportsman 250 and +30 Expert categories. "I had a blast out there," said Barnett. "It's a lot of fun racing those old motorcycles." Over 200 entries turned out for the motocross, which was held in conjunction with Daytona Cycle Week. Built on hills which were created around an old quarry, the course was quite muddy early in the day, but conditions turned nice as the racing progressed. The opportunity for Barnett's participation at Ocala came about after he borrowed Lisa Ford's Yamaha at a vintage event at Orlando earlier in the month. Impressed with Barnett's performance, Ford and Peter Villacaro, both of Advanced Cycle Engineering, provided bikes for Barnett to ride at Ocala. As he grabbed the holeshot for the first Sportsman 12Sec class moto, it was obvious that Barnett still had a lot of his National-ealiber skills. He jumped farther, got on the gas earlier and harder, and just plain went faster than any of AHRMA's other top riders .. Hondamounted class champ Greg Bastek and Bultaco-rider Tim Weaver had a couple of good races behind Barnett, with Bastek ~g second both times out. In the 250cc Expert class, Barnett led from start to finish -m the first mota. Whether by design or otherwise, he started midpack in the second mota, and spent a little over a -lap brushing up on his passing skills. Behind Barnett, however, there was again some close racing. Moto one saw Tim Weaver finish second after a tight battle with Rob Kuhnshan. In the second M Three-time National MX champion Made Bamett easily swept three different classes. race, Rick Hudson nabbed the runnerup position ahead of Ed Gartin and Dan Field. Barnett's final race was in the +30 Expert division. As in his 250cc race, Barnett led all the way in the opening moto, then got off to a slower start in moto two and had to work his way through the crowd. Field and David Ellis traded second-place finishes. Vintage fans can expect to see more of Barnett at southeastern vintage MX races. "When they come around the area, I'll definitely ride one again," Barnett said. Arch-rivals Barry Higgins and Rick Doughty took up where they had left off at the end of last season, providing some spirited racing in the Premier Lightweight II Expert race. With Vintage Iron's Doughty on his 1968 BSA Rickman and Higgins on a distinctly less-pristine 250cc BSA that he described as "my $250 wonder," the pair stayed close early in each moto before Higgins pulled away for the wins. Aboard a '68 Triumph Rickman, Doughty ran away in both Sportsman Open Twin Expert motos. Behind him on another Rickman-framed Triumph was Bastek, who had considerable trouble getting around a four-cylinder Honda 750cc that was piloted gamely by Intermediate class rider Tom France. Doughty's luck ran out in the Premier 500cc class. Riding a 1958 ESO thumper, the Californian won the opening moto, and would have been fourth if counted among the pre-1975 Sportsman 250cc bikes that were running in the combined race. In the second moto, however, Doughty· fell off his rare Czechoslovakian-built machine after landing off a fast jump, and he took a trip to the hospital with scrapes and a sore back and hip. Doughty shook off his aches and pains to compete in the vintage road race two days later, though, and also contested the vintage trials later in the week. Trouble also kept Higgins from his usual win in the Sportsman 500cc Expert race. Leading the opening moto by a . huge margin on the last lap, Higgins broke the rear hub on his 74 KTM 400, handing the win to John Hanford and his 74 CCM 608. The second-moto win went to Ellis, with the overall honors going to Hanford by virtue of his 1-2 tally. As exemplified by the Sportsman 500cc race, a surprising number of fourstroke singles are being brought out and campaigned successfully at vintage events. Four of the top six Expert-elass riders were BSA or CCM thumpers. A beautiful example of the breed - a 1954 BSA Gold Star - was ridden to wins in the Premier 500cc Intermediate and +50 Intermediate classes by Californian Ken Marecek. Dick Mann styled his way to a pair of BSA-powered moto wins in the +50 Expert category. Robert Schultz combined 1-2 mota finishes to claim a hard-fought Sportsman 500cc Intermediate win over 0'1 Paul Burrows' 2-3 tally. Results SPTSMN 125 INT: I. Tom Fn"" (Han); 2. John J...... Smith (C-A). SPTSMN 125 EX: 1. Mark B;omelt (Han); 2. Grog HUlon; 3. Erik IOein; (. Eric Stockwdl; s. Baste.k (Hon); 3. Tim Weaver (Bul); 4. Carl Mabrey (Hon); S. Doug WentuU. SPTSMN 2SO NOV: I. Garland 8onnotl (Hon); 2. Luter Cragan (Yam); 3. DaVid Light; 4. Eric Btillo (Yom); S. Sl2ve Kame (Hon). SPTSMN 2.50 INT: I. Joe BrilIo; 2. Gil Wistrup (CZ); 3. Joel Nicholson; (. W.yne Nix (Hon); S. Eric Kraft (Man). SPTSMN 250 EX: I. Mark B;omett (Han); 2. Ed Garlin (Hon); 3. Rick Hud50n; (. Rob KLuhn.han; S. Tun We.veT (BuI). SPTSMN SOD INT: I. Rober' Schullz; 2. P.ul Burrow.; 3. Joe Brillo; (. Gary Poland (Bul); S. Gary DePietro. SPTSMN SOD EX: I. John Hanford (eeM); 2. Chuck Davi. (CCM); 3. Curt Comer (BSA); (. David Ellis; S. Steve Bissinger (Suz). SPTSMN OPEN TWIN NOV: I. Eric Pritchard (Tri). SPTSMN OPEN TWIN INT: I. Rod Sc:hng