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/127607
going strong at the head of the 125cc Pro division. The Over-38 Pro battle was still too close to call as Mike Sixbery and Steve Pitts jostled their way into the pits. "We we re really close the whole first loop. We were bouncing off each other for a while there. It was great," said Sixbery. A quick pit put Pitts' Suzuki RMX250 on the trail before Sixbery's Yamaha YZ250, but as the second loop got underway, th e mileage and the chopped-up course started to take their toll. "He has more endurance than me or he's in better shape or something," said Pitts, who watched his rival pull away as the loop wore on. "Then I got a front flat 20 miles from the finish . This is the only place I get flat tires. This is my jinx race and it's holding true to form." Unfortunately for last year's winner, Ashcraft, his luck was also holding true to form. The after-market wide-ra tio transmission on his CR500 went out three miles before the end of his loop and left the factory-backed Honda racer stranded. "I've broken two of them. It's time to go back to stock," said Ashcraft. "I was running in second at the time. I was rid ing well, doing good, and I could see Hamel up there. I can't wait to get rid of this year. This has been a bad year for me." The trials continued for the frontrunners when Book got off hard in the rocks halfway through the second loop and was forced to retire from the number four spot. Further back, Destry Abbott had all but given up his attempt to grab second place in the Open Pro series points standings from Ondas, "It was awful," said the KTM 300 racer. "In the first loop I jumped into some cactus and I had to stop and pull it out in the pits. Then my brakes faded and I had no brakes in the last loop . It just wasn't a good day." With 27 miles to go, Hamel's day wasn't going well, either. As he cleared the final pit in record time, the KX500 racer knew he had made no headway on Davis' lead. And when Davis arrived for his final pit , the news was even worse than Hamel had expected. The KX250 pilot had stretched his lead to one-anda-half minutes, on adjusted time, and Hamel's only glimmer of hope was an even longer-than-usual pit, as Davis' crew screwed his gas cap on and off and carefully topped off the KX250's small tank to make sure he didn't run out of gas in the final half of the figure eight. Davis was back to a one-minute lead when he set out in pursuit of Hamel, who was still physically three minutes ahead and had the disadvantage of not knowing what was happening behind him. Zitterkopf cleared his final pit in third overall, two minutes behind Hamel on time, but the KTM pilot was starting to tire. "I thought it was good run - really tight and technical, but you had to be in good shape and that's where I really floundered," said Zitterkopf. "I'm just recovering from (injuring) my ribs so wasn't up to it." Fourth overall was still held by Book, who lost time kicking a reluctant KX500 after his refuel, and Ondas, Flores and Krause were close behind. Ha rden was racing alo ne in the number eight spot, seven minutes ahead of his nearest rival - CR500 racer Brian Schmuckle. Tichenor was continuing his wire-towire domination of the 12Sec Pros, and Sixbery had finally opened up a margin of sorts over Pitts in the Over-38 Pros. The race got more difficult as the front-runners were forced to pass Me, -------- MUNICIPAL -.+...:!. - .. .. --STADIUM --- MOTORCYCLE DAYTONA BEACH • • I VA arch 13 NA SUPE C O R R SS VHONDA saturday. March 12 . • INTERNATIONAL LIGHTWEIGHT 100k Friday. arch 11 • ARAITWIN 50'5 Thursday. March 10 Z:SR a-4. s • J,... • COMPUTER SOFfWARE ....C\>'7SA rlU.'-'& ~o~e . ENG~DESIGN 2-Cycle PROGRAMS N O W OVER-30-DESIG N AND TESTING PROGRAMS Ph.(310) 531-1619-Fax(310) 531-3524 Want Ad information - (310 ) 427- 7433 TRIALS .MIA SANCTI ONED DAVTONA INTERNATIONAL MOTORCVCI.E SHOW THURSDAV - SUNDAV MARCH '0-'3 FREE SHOW ADMISSION P.O. sox 2BO. DaytonG seGelt, FL 32.20-2BO. For Tieket InhJrmGtion CG" (9041 253-7223 call ca ••1 - Belt Covers $ 169 Clutch Cover Sprocket Cover $129 Co plete Set $395 $ 59 Chain Guard (55 01&1) $ 59 IIlIMEST QUALITY IUT 'RICES DRILLED UADY TO IISTALL FREE INFORMATION 6106 Land 0 ' Lakes Blvd. Land 0 ' Lakes, FL 34639 (813) 996-3754 59