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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/142442
Darrell Shultz grabs an early 500cc lead while pursued by Goat Breker (15), winner Danny Chandler (34) and Mike Bell (behind Chandler). AMA IZS/SOOee National Championship MX Series: Roands6/6 Barnett, Chandler rule edBud By Tom Mueller Photos by John and Tom Mueller BUCHANAN, MI , JULY 4 Suzuki 's Mark Barnett and Honda 's Danny Chandler celebrated Independence Day in style, each romping to I - I mo ta scores in the 125 and 500cc classes, respectively, in the Hallman USA National rounds . " at Gene R i tch ie s R ed Bu d Track 'N Trail. Barn ett put away H o nda 's Johnny O'Mara 8 in the first l25cc rnoto, then disposed of Kawasaki's Jeff Ward in moto two after a race-long dice for his perfect tally. Chandler once again proved h e's the fastest -when he doesn't crash-and o u tp aced Yamaha 's Mike Bell in both 500cc motos for his firstever National win. Barnett, the rei~ning 125cc c~amp, nowholdsa21 point edge over 0 Mara in the 125ccstandingsand looks a bit more secure in his '82 title bid. Honda 's Darrell Shultz retained his 500cc points lead with a 3-3 day at Red Bud. Shultz rode conservatively, yet still came away with a 42 point cushion over Suzuki's Alan King with. two rounds remaining. Heavy rains hit the southwestern pans of Michigan on Friday night, leaving Red Bud a sloppy mess. The amateur race on 'Sa turda y was held on the pro track, instead of on an alternate track Ritch ie usually runs, which helped to churn some of the muck under for Sunday's event. Sunny skies and temperatures in the high 80s on Sunday dried out the high sections of the course, but the lower sections after the dropaway jump were one line and m udd y. Barnett practiced with two Suzuki RA125s. He ran the first muddy session on the bike he rode throughout the first half of the season, then hopped on his high power "theory bike" for the second drier session. Barnett opted for the updated ver.sio n. which he and tuner Jeff Clark had been working on all week. "Magoo" Chandler was his usual passive self, at least until he hit the track on his Steve Caner tuned Honda RC works bike. Then he was once again the one to watch, cutting lines through slop where no one else would ride. Shultz, sometimes cra sh -h a p p y earlier in the year, was looking towards the end of the season more than the race at hand. "I just want to hang in there for the points. I'm riding in agony with this knee of mine, so after this race I'll be able to give it a rest, " said Shultz. The next National rounds will run on August 8 in Washington. . A swift program ran off under direction of AMA"referee Ron Denny and crew in front of a large and energetic crowd, approximately 5,000 strong. 125cc National The stan straight was worked over by Ritchie's crew before the first I 25cc rnoto got underway, but riders still had to contend with tacky mud a foot deep through the first left hand sweeper. It was WFO all the way with any line the right one. Barnett, O'Mara, Suzuki 's George Holland and Honda teammates Brian Myerscough and Jim Gibson led the pack off the dropaway j ump. By lap two Ba rnett had p ulled a slight lead with O 'Mara checking his every move. Holland had faded a bout 50 yards bu t held third. Myerscough fell back to a bout 10th and Gi bson, Ward a nd Yamaha's Bob Hannah were 4-5-6. O 'Mara looked like he was settling into a secure second behi nd Ba rn ett , but then Johnny 0' fell on lap four, l~tting Holland and Gibson by. Ward and Hannah closed the gap in 5-6. On the next lap O'Mara and Ward showed their speed and moved into the 3-4 .slo ts. O'Mara pushed Hol - . , land onto a high line and retained second, and Ward moved into third while Holland was still working back up to race speed. Hannah rode a fast ' line to the outside around Gibson, then hung over the rear fender , getting every bit of horsepower to the ground to take over fifth. It was Barnett, O 'Mara, Ward, Holland, Hannah and Gibson at the halfway (20 minute) mark. Almost a half lap behind the front-runners . was Yamaha 's Troy Blake in seventh, followed by Suzuki's Chris Heisser and Yamaha's Doug Jackson, who were fighting over eighth. Barnett never let off. He rode like a machine on one of the tracks he had grown up 0!1 and put an eight second lead on O'Mara in the late stages of the moto. O'Mara almost tipped over when he hit a berm wrong but held second over Ward. Hannah worked on Holland until he got past for fourth, and Gibson paced his way to sixth, back from the leaders. Seventh went to Heisser, and Suzuki's Gary ' Denton pushed past Jackson for eighth. Barnett pulled his jersey out of a cooler of ice water, suited up, and went to the line for mota two. Though the start straight was once again dragged, it still remained tacky and wet. Barnett had the lead, then Gibson took it away. Jim almost bailed off.