Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

class after several years of trying. Hart, however, charged right back, and within two laps Casey's high hopes had been shot down in flames, as Hart not only caught Casey but quickly displaced his nemesis to pick up win number two. Casey led Legarra, Montesa VR-mounted Charlie Strayer, AMA Expert Troy Rose and Yamaha rider Randy Brown to the finish. Hart then came back to win the Over 30 A' main, where he beat Casey and fish. Then he added a win in the Gran Prix, which was open exclusively to only the first- and second-place riders in the A mains. Hart's name then would be engraved alongside those of past winners Jim Pomeroy, Buck Murphy, Doug Grant, Dallas Nyblod and a few select others as the top motocross performer. SUNDAY The first in a series of 18 main events on the well-groomed oval was the 12Scc A main, in which Harry Taylor, who is well into his 60s, scored a win over Rickman-Zlmdapp-mounted Dean Welsh. Taylor, a former factory Hodaka rider, posted his only win of the weekend, ahead of Welsh, Dirk Murphy and Erik Giertsen. Steve Olson, riding a Honda XL2S0, and Rickman-Montesa-mounted Randy Hart battled back and forth in the 250cc Sportsman A main event, in which Hart earned a win. Olson netted second, ahead of Larry Ward, Kam Todd and Ben Bushnell. An overflow of Open Twin machinery was on hand, forcing three qualifiers and also a lie" and liB" main event before the lineup was finalized. Qualifying wins went to Kendig in the first heat, while Mike Harritt, the former AMA District 27 number one, 'lopped heat two, ahead of the current number one, Gary Beach. The mother of all heats, though, came in the third and final preliminary, as Cochran, riding a Triumph, beat likewise-mounted Jim Monegan in a close finish. Yamaha-mounted Willie Ward, Hyde and Tim Williams spent much of the Open Twin B main battling for supremacy, but it was Ward putting the stops on Hyde, who remarkably displayed a fine showing in a rare dirt track appearance and earned second, ahead of Williams, BSA rider Rod Estes, Randy Jamison and Dan Dickinso~. Harrill sat on the pole position for the 12-rider, 10-lap Open Twin A main, sitting among some pretty heavy hillers such as former Experts Kendig, Cochran, Tom Tarrant, Chuck Hodson and Monegan. At the wave of "Bouncin'" Bob Malley's green flilg, Harritt put his 7S0cc Yamaha out front ahead of Kendig and Cochran. Harrill, who knows this particular track like the back of his hand, increased his lead with each lap, but with only a lap to go, he developed a flat front tire. This allowed Kendig to post a narrow win over Cochran, who did all he could to beat Kendig down the short homestretch out of the final turn. Kendig finally earned the class win that has eluded him for the past several years. He was followed closely by Cochran, Hodson, Beach, Hart and Harritl. "I couldn't believe it," a dejected Harrill said. "It couldn't have happened at a worse time. That's what happens when you run an old tire with an even older tube in it. It just chewed up the tube." Several classes were geared toward newer machinery, such as the Almost Vintage (now commonly referred to as Evolution) Open A main, in which Cochran would finally pick up a win in two days of trying. Cochran, though, didn't know that current AMA Expert Jeff Hiatt, who started from row two, had carved through tile field at a stellar pace to close in on him; but Cochran had built up a substantial lead - one that would be his for keeps. He took the checkers ahead of Hiatt, Kleeve Hodson, Neil Giertsen and Ed Bushnell. Bob Smith, who rode a 1961 HarleyDavidson KR7S0, led BSA-mounted Saxton, Ron Predmore and Tim Merritt at the unleas.hing of the day's final event the Premier A main - but Smith's lead was short-lived. Merritt slid out, which brought the highly anticipated race to a premature end. On the restart, Smith and Saxton were again out front, but it was Saxton taking the lead a lap later, and he held on for a narrow victory over Smith, who earlier had won the Over 60 final. Tarrant finished third, ahead of Predmore, who was aboard a 1963 BSA 500, and Jim Coppedge. a Dlno Daze McCleary, Washington Results: June 6-7, 1998 Motocross . 125 A: 1. Grayson Hart (Hon); 2. Mickey Fay (Hon); 3. Rory Clevenger (Suz); 4. Greg Blazek (Pen); 5. Rob Moen (Hon), 12S B: 1. Cody Sprague (Hon); 2. Chris Poitras (Hon); 3. Dan Osborne (H,cn); 4. Mark Lester (Hon); 5. Colby Campbell (So2). 250 A: 1. Crayson Hart (Hon); 2. Joe Casey (Hon); 3. Larry Legarra (Hon); 4. Charlie Strayer (Mon); 5. Troy Rose (Hon). 250 8: 1. Dave Fechtel (Hon); 2. Mike Stone (}(aw); 3. Sean Light (8ul); 4. Chris Poitras (Hon); 5. Phil Knutson (Hon). 30+ A: I. Grayson Hart (Hon); 2. joe Casey (Han); 3. Ron Fish (Yam); 4. Neil Giertsen (CZ); 5. Nick Smith (Yam). 30+ 8: 1. Todd Badham (Hon); 2. Dave Fethtel (Han); 3. Mark Baldwin (Hus); 4. Dave Chappel (Ric); 5. Jeff Anderson (Han). 40+ k I. Tom Rapp (BuI); 2. Greg Blazek (Mail; 3. Bill Row (Han); 4. Larry Saxton (Yam); 5. Kenny Brynn (CZ). 40+ 8: 1. Dana Salsman (Yam); 2. Ron DeLaunav (Hus); 3. teve Sprague (Bul); 4. Gene Boere (8ul); 5. Jeff Gleason (Bul). . UW 250: 1. Dirk Murphy (Oss); 2. Hank Frenna (Aer); 3. Erik Giert.sen (Bull; 4. Rick Downing (BuI); 5. Victor Cassen (BSA). OPE 4-STRK: 1. Tom Sheard

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