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ing over second were Joseph Gateley on a Triumph, Californian Maurice Ortega on a Bultaco and Harley Sprint-mounted Michael Connell from Iowa. After running in the third spot behind Gately for most of the race, Ortega finally got past and held on to the runner-up position ahead of Gately and Connell in fourth. The second Classic 500/750cc heat race provided something of a preview of th.e finaL, as Michigan rider Craig Breckon managed to hold off the aggressive Richtmeyer for several laps before making a mistake and Letting the class champ past. When they thundered off the line in the final, it was again Breckon out front, hounded by Richtmeyer. Closely bunched some distance back were Wills, Ortega and Gary Brennan - everyone in the top five running a Triumph 500. Richtmeyer jammed his way into the lead and never looked back on the second of eight Laps, as Wills broke away from Ortega and Brennan and set his sights on Breckon. A couple of laps Later, Wills caught and passed Breckon, but the Sparta, Michigan, rider shadowed Wills all the way to the finish. San Diego, California's Brad Holt was determined not to make the Sportsman 250cc win an easy one for Rich tmeyer. The Bultaco rider stayed close behind and used late-race traffic to close within two bike lengths of Richtmeyer by the finish. Third was Pennsylvanian Dave Scheffer on a Harley-Davidson MX250. Sportsman 600cc began with a threeman race for the Lead involving Hondamounted Rod Lake of San Jose, California, Holt on a BuLtaco and Illinois Yamaha rider David Allen. At the halfway point, Lake brought out the red flag when he fell while leading. HoLt was at the head of the line for the single-file restart, and he jetted away to an uncontested win. Allen was second, ahead of John Hildebrand and Ortega, while Lake worked his way up to seventh in the 12rider final. Arnie Mahnke grabbed the Sportsman . 750cc holeshot aboard his Norton, but Richtmeyer dived underneath his fellow New Yorker by the time they reached turn four, then opened an unapproachable Lead to the finish. Behind Mahnke was a good race for third, won by Darrell Bryant over Brian Eckhart. Maico man Gig Hamilton of Osceola Mills, Pennsylvania, got a pair of holeshots in the Over 50 Senior class. The second one came after somebody exploded a hay bale on the back straight and the race had to be stopped for cleanup. Fred Weese held on to the second spot all race, while a race over third between Rodi and Class champ Gary Brennan went to Rodi after the pipe fell off Brennan's Triumph near the race's end. L'" Municipal Stadium Daytona Beach, Florida Results: March 3, 1998 (Round 1 of 18) DINa, 1. Geo'l\e Wills (H-D); 2. 8eno Rodi (En/); 3. Lt..."O Jovanovic (H-D); 4. William Worthington ITri); 5. Oick Zrobek (H-D). eLSe 250: 1. John Bova (Bu!); 2. Maurice Ortega (Bul); 3. Joseph Gately (Tri); 4. Michael Connell (H-D); 5. Mike Metzler (Tri). eLse 5001750: 1. George Richtmeyer Jr. (Tri); 2. George Wills (Tri); 3. Craig Breckon (Tri); 4. Maurice Ortega (Tn); 5. Cary Brennan (Tri). SPTSMN 250: 1. George Richtmeyer Jr. (Mon); 2. Brad Holt (But); 3. Dave Scheffer (H-D); 4. David Allen (Hon); S. Maurice Ortega (BuI). SPTSMN 600: 1. Brad Holt (Bul); 2. David Allen (Yam); 3. John Hild~brand (BSA); 4. Billy Kennedy (BSA); S. Craig Breckon (Tn). SPTSMN 150: 1. George Richtmeyer Jr. (Yam); 2. Arnie Mahnke (Nor); 3. Darrell Bryant (Yam); 4. Brian Eckhart (Tn); 5. James Tumlin (Tn). SR: 1. Gig Hamilton (MaD; 2. Fred Weese (Tri); 3. eeno Rod; (BSA); 4. Bruce King (Hon); 5. Marvin Long (Hon). Upcoming Rounds: Round 2 - Barberville, Florida, March 5 Round 3 - Rosamond, Cal~omia, May 2