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/127789
ou If Clark wins the next two races he will tie the record five-race win streak set by former champion Neal "Fast" Lane in 1994. Steve Drake took the Northeast Nationals Arias/S&K Pro Modified title . for the second year in a row. And just as in 1995, Drake took on a first-time Pro finalist in the money round, this time beating former Sportsman champion Rick Bunting, 7.'22-7.25. Pro Modified has been one of the most hotly-contested classes on the AMA/Prostar tour, and the New York event was no exception. Every round featured its share of upsets, surprises and razor-thin victories. Points leader Billy Vose, still harried by electrical gremlins, rewired h is bike Saturday night after qualifying with little success as he bogged badly off the line in the first round against Tony Sabino. Number-one qualifier Rick Perry (7.19/184) lost to a Bunting holeshot in round two with a 7.27 to Bunting's slower 7.28. Mimmo Marciano proved to be the race-day favorite, running a pair of seventeens - including the low ET of the event at 7.18 - in the hot conditions, but he lost to Bunting in the semis when he sheared the bolts off his rear sprocke t. Drake, running solid 7.20 numbers throughout eliminations, got past Bernard Johnson in the semis to make his second final-round appearance of the season. While he slipped out of gear in the Gainesville final, the S&K rider kept it all together in New York to take his second Pro Mod title. "The bike is not performing like we want it to, but we'll always take a win," Drake said afterward. The Metzeler 600cc Supersport series saw a first -time winner in New York as Jon Cornell got by series standout Rickey Gadson in the final. Cornell, one of the hardest-working racers in the class, got the holeshot on Gadson and never looked back, taking the win with a 10.83/124 as Gadson missed a shift and could only produce an offp ace 10.94. Andrew Abney soloed to the title in the 750cc Su perbike class with a 10.58/125. The story in the sportsman ranks of the 1995 Northeast Nationals was Ron Blake, who went to two finals, taking one win. In '96 the former champion of the now-defunct Super Mod class is running a limited schedule and proved he hasn' t lost his touch despite his lack of national-event competition. Blake again went to two finals in this year's event and beca me only the thir d rider in AMA/Prostar history to win two classes in one event. Blake, on what he conside rs his home track, won the Scimitz Super Gas series, getting by Todd Paiano in the final, and scored the double when he beat Bob Lavoie in the Pingel Pro ET final. Number-on e pla te ho lder Mike Konopacki took the title in the Star Performance Parts Top Gas Series for the second year in a row, running a dead-on 8.20 in the final over James Rester. Tony Ochs beat Paul Cooksey in the APE Super Comp Series, and Janae Bran ch took home the trophy in Street ET. C¥ Lebanon Valley Dragway West Lebanon, New York Rasults: June 8-9, 1996 (Round 5 of 10) FIBK: 1. Gal)' Clark; 2. Keith Lynn. PRO MOD: 1. Stev e Dra ke; 2. Rick Bunting. 600 SlS PRT: 1. Jon Come Do 2. Rickey Gadso n. PR O SlBK: 1. Andrew Abney (bye). TIC : 1. Mike Konopacki; 2. James Rester. SIC: 1. Tony Ochs; 2. Paul Cooksey. S/G : 1. Ron Blake; 2. Todd Paiano. PRO ET: 1. Ron Blake; 2. Bob Lavoie. STREET ET: 1. janae Branch; 2. Shane Murphy. Upcom ing Rounds: Round 6 - Rockingham . NC. July 12-13 Round 7 - Indianapolis. IN, August 16-18 1996 Yamah a Virago 750 1996 Yamaha Wave Venture 700 Call for Details (714) Over 100 items to give away, all day long Give-a-way drawings every 20 minutes * Free food & drinks • Meet KIK FM's Charley Tuna during Live Remote * Amazing Victor Mclagl en Motor Corp 's motorcycle show * Meet Factory reps. * Largest Accessory Dept. in Orange & LA County Thanks to the following sponsors : * * 1996 Kawasaki Jet Ski Xi 563-1700 Whe.n: Saturday June 22,1996 Where: New Ana heim Yamaha Kawasaki fac ility (off 5 & 57 fwy 's in Anaheim) • 125 E. Ball Rd. Anaheim ANAHEIM YAMAHA KAWASAKI What's at the leading edge of motorcycle news? Cr.c!e News Online! Now you con access instant race results and the latestbreaking stories in the worldof motorcycling, with Cycle News' home page on the World Wide Web. Updated weekly (and oltenmid-wee", as the Iotest news is developing), Cycle News Onlmeprovides: • • • • • • • • • ::::~=::~;;=:::;====~~ Complete ond current happenings "In the Wind" The 1996 Cyde News Motorcycle Buyer's Guide Currentlntemotionol and National Championship Colendar listings Instonlfyupdated roce resultsin "Rocewald," Roce Coverage Highlights, Molortycle Tests, ond Interviews The latest offerings from Cycle News YK!eo Theater Onfine molortycle odvertising from the leading componies in the induslry Team Smitty Archives(con you befieve that?) Bock Issue Archives of Cyde News Online Check it out, ond tell your friends! Motorcycle newswill neverbe the same - you can occessCycle NewsOnline anytime, day or night, an the World Wide Web at 4