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/127794
high, this straightaway is the true test of
the machines, but the 156 turns clearly
test the riders.
Over 100 motorcycle entrants were
divided into ix classes for this year's
annual affair.
Carrying an AMA Pro-Am sanction,
the $15,000 purse was distributed to the
two Pro bike classes and a Quad cla s,
while the three Amateur classes raced
for huge bronze replicas of Pikes Peak.
An exhibition Sidecar class - won by
Damon Doherty and passenger - was
run for the first time and the masses lining the road cheered their approval.
The Open Pro &ont row was set with
Durelle the fastest, followed by Brian
Anderson, Randy Triplett, John Parker
and Steve Wilson. Entered, but disappointingly not showing were Ricky Graham and Terry Poovey.
With the crisp snap of Referee Sonny
Anderson's starting flag, another of the
now legendary jump-free starts sent the
first five up the famous road. Anderson
hung close to DurreUe for a time, but
would eventually fade. Both had to deal
with Triplett, who could easily capitalize on any mistake. The three would
achieve the summit in the same order as
qualifying.
The tightest race went to fifth-place
Rick Gunby on a Knight-Rotax when he
squeaked ahead of Kenny Perkin's
Husky by less than a second.
While the 250cc Pro class does not
attract the out-of-state talent that the
Open and Quad classes do, the Colorado riders are nonetheless very fast on
their native gravel. The four fastest qualifiers were within a second and a half of
each other. This would be the race of the
·day. Although Geoff Cesmat had qualified his Kawasaki on the pole, Chuck
Lee's determination would prevail.
Lee's Honda CR250 blitzed the hill setting a new record with a time that
would have placed him fourth in the
Open Pro class. The rest were left to
fight for second, and fight they did.
Michael Jones came in second on his
Honda by less than a tick over Cesmat.
Four seconds behind carne Chuck Hopper and his Honda with a two-second
lead over the first non-Colorado rider,
Las Vegas KTM rider Destry Abbott. fN
Results
OPEN PRO: 1. Davey Durelle (W-R); 2. Brian
And"""", (W-R); 3. Randy Triplett (W-R); 4. Paul Zinke
(W-R~ 5. Rick Gunby (Rtx).
250 PRO: 1. Chuck Lee (Hon); 2. Michael Jones
(Yam); 3. Geoff Cosmat (Kaw); 4. Charles Hopper (Hon);
5. Destry Abbott (KTM).
OPEN AM: I. Randy Mcintyre (Kaw); 2. Tun Lee
(Hon); 3. Larry T