Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

" Darren Rhoten (878) and John Smith clear Whitney's Chuck Sun hill. Storbeck, Rhoten battle bulging GNC National By Karel Kramer LAKE WHITNEY , TX, JULY 4 Over 500 riders from eight states descended on Texas' Lake Whitney Cycle Ranch to do battle in the yearly Fourth of July showdown - the Good Times National. Riders ranging from Mini Minis to Over 30 faced the same track as the factory shoes did at the National early this year in addi- 14 tion to crushing heat and humidity. When the dust cleared, two riders stood above the field of standout riders . San Antonio, Texan Danny Storbeck had pushed his Yamahas to victory in every class and every mota he entered. Storbeck carried home three six-foot trophies for wins in Mini Stock, Senior and I05cc Open classes. The fastest of the day's Dallasbased competitors, Darren Rhoten, went home with nearly as good a record and $1,250 richer. Rhoten faced all three Expert classes on his WRW Racing-sponsored Yamahasand won five of six motos with $250 coming his way for each mota win. Weighing in at 175 pounds and standing six feet tall, Rhoten has ' never been considered a 125cc class competitor, but he won both motos on a borrowed bike. In the Expert classes, the most successful marque, percentage-wise, was Husqvarna. Only three were entered, and Dennis Hawthorne rode two to win the Open class and take a strong , third in the 250s. In the Mini Senior class, Danny Storbeck took the first qualifier with a large lead over th e field with th e first four holding a wide spread. Storbeck was followed in by Lufkin, TX resident Billy Whitley, on a Kawasaki, Kansas' Bryan Emig (Yam ) and Chris Wallace (Kaw). Team Green's Eddie Vreeland, Bryan Bruner Stacy Marek led a grasshoppr sweep of the second qualifier, much to the , chagrin of Tiger Foytik from Mesquite, TX. Foytik got a poor start and slashed through the pack on his Suzuki until he hit the Team Green trio in front and was held to fourth. The cream lined up for the final. and 35 minis swarmed onto the track behind Vreeland. Foytik, Kansan Mike McClain (Suz) and Storbeck comprised the first four on the first lap. . , Storbeck began a charge rerrurnscent of Hannah in his best days. He swept past McClain outside a sweeper high, sideways and wide open. Three turns later he put a stuff on Foytik going into a horseshoe turn. A lap later, he came out of the woods in front. Vreeland said later, "Storbeck's not that much faster, but he's a little faster, and that's enough." Almost unnoticed was Billy Whitley's 15th-place start. Whitley began his charge to the front also, and in the Danny Storbeck hammered his Minis to three wins. four laps allotted to the final, he carved his way to fifth behind Bruner who had moved into fourth. The qualifier scores were added to the mota scores, and Storbeck took the win followed by Vreeland, Bruner, Foytik and Whitley. The Mini Stock class came down to a showdown between the same riders. The result was slightly different as Whitley took second overall behind Storbeck. Vreel and was third ahead of Foytik and Emig. In Mini Junior action , Kansan Jeff Emig (Yam) used a consistent 1-2 tally to take the overall. Emig took the first rnoto, but Cody Marek holeshot the second mota, and the two fought over the lead until the last lap when Emig grabbed the lead asthey di sappeared into th e woods. Unfortunately fo r Emig, Marek ca me out of th e woods alone. Emig did manage to finish second and sec u re his o veral l. Marek was second a nd Shawn Huggins of Amarillo th ird. As the 125cc Experts hi t th e loam fo r th eir first mota, a co llective murmur went up from the spectators, " Wh o is that guy in the lead? It looks like Rhoten, but he doesn't ride 125s." He does, and he did. Darren Rhoten led every lap. Greg Fouts from Amarillo tucked into second and Atlanta, Georgia's John Dale Smith was a surprise third on last year's air-cooled Kawasaki 125. Carroll Richardson was the first to displace Smith as he moved into third. In late laps Bandera's "Flyin' Bryan" Taylor moved into third behind Fouts and Rhoten, and the top three stayed that way to the flag; Oklahoman Chris Swank put his Suzuki -in front of the second mota followed by Louisiana's Wendell Simmoms (Kaw) and Rhoten . Positions began to sort out, and Rhoten moved to the head of his class again. With $250 waiting for the winner of each mota and only $125 for second, everyone was on the gas. Taylor grabbed second, but seemed down on horsepower, and Fouts moved out of the pack and into third. , Taylor and Rhoten were having a terrific duel. but Taylor came out of the back section in third, and the three finished as they did in the first mota for the same overall. Rhoten was completely in command of the 250cc Pro class, and the . top five finished in the same order in each mota - Rhoten with the win, David McClain (Suz) second followed by Dennis Hawthorne (Hus), Kirk Spencer (Yam) and Mickey Pizzitola (Kaw). Dennis "Skylab" Hawthorne displayed his atomic approach to motocross on his potent 500 Husky. He seemed intent on single-handedly destroying all of the Cycle Ranch berms with his one-gear-too-high-andclutch-the-crud-out-of-it cornering. Rhoten was trying for the hat tri ck , but fell on the first lap and retired to save his energy. Mike Bradshaw put his 500 Husky into second, and Kirk Spencer finished third. Tom Curry put his Honda into th e lead of the second moto, but Rhoten took the win followed by Spencer and Hawthorne, who had to work up from a nearl y last place start. • Results TEENY MINI : 1. Ross Dhayer (Yaml; 2. Chad Hub bard; 3. Len Bazile. M INI JR BEG: 1. Scott Davis (Kaw); 2. Wayland Kindhart (Yam); 3. Michael Tate (Yam). MINI SR BEG: 1, Brian Jones (Yam); 2. James Kooms (Yam); 3. Greg Schaub (Suz). 250-0PEN BEG: 1. Roger DeVore (Suz); 2. Eddie Gillette (Yam); 3. John Morell (Kaw), OVER 30 BEG: 1. Tommy Hulsey (Hon); 2. Max Ross (Kaw); 3. Harold Parton (Kaw). OVER 30 : 1. Roger Bailey (Hon); 2. Billy Click (Hon); 3. Tom Johnson (Yam). MINI MINI : 1. Jack Ricks (Yam); 2. Charlie Winn (Yam); 3. Mike Grosjean (Suz); 4 , Eric Alstrin (Yam); 5. J.R, Larose (Yam). MINI MINI SR: 1. Shawn Huggins (Yam); 2. Cody Marek (Kaw); 3. Cliff Palmer ; 4. Jeff Emig (Yam); 5. Mike Grosjean (Suz). MINI JR : 1. Jeff Emig (Yam); 2. Cody Marek (Kaw); 3. Shawn Huggins (Yam); 4. Cliff Palmer (Suz); 5. Gary Stevenson (Kaw). MINI STK: 1. Danny Storbeck (Yam); 2. Billy Whitley (Kaw); 3. Eddie Vreeland (Kaw); 4. Tiger Foytik (Suzl; 5, Bryan Emig (Yam). MINI SR: 1. Danny Storbeck (Yam); 2. Eddie Vreeland (Kaw); 3. Bryan Bruner (Kawl; 4. Tiger Foytik . ISuz); 5 , Billy Whitley (Kaw). MINI 105 OPEN: 1. Danny Storbeck (Yam); 2. Billy Whitley (Kaw); 3. Bryan Emig (Yam); 4 . Brent Freed ' IKaw); 5. Eddie Andry. 100: 1. Greg Thomas (Yam); 2. Whisper'n Smith (Yam); 3 , Jeff Gibson (Yam); 4. Ron Dawson (Yam); 5. Brent Carrizales (Yam). 125 NOV: 1, Chad Calvert (Kaw); 2. Dan Olsen (Yam); 3. Jack Perry (Yam); 4. Michael Hammer (Yam); 5. Kirk Sutliff (Yam). 125 STK: 1. Ken Fox (Kaw); 2. Morris Troxell (Kaw); 3. Rusty Dovall (Suz); 4. Bobby Wahnee (Kaw); 5. Mark Filler (Hon). 1251NT: 1. Mark Filler (Hon); 2. Rusty Pipes (Suz); 3 . Ed Cook (Kaw); 4. James Felts (Hon); 5. Robert Felix. . . 125 EX: 1. Darren Rhoten (Yam); 2. Greg Fouts (Yam); 3. Bryan Taylor (Hon); 4 . Carroll Richardson (Yam); 5, Tim Butler (Hon). :50 NOV: 1. Mike Driggers (Hon); 2. Mike Gillit (C-A); 3. Todd Fox (KTMI; 4. Ty Carter (Kaw) ; 5. Danny Schaub (Yam). 250 INT: 1. Marvin Shockey (Yam); 2. Richie Hull (Yam); 3, Ron Sussman (Yam); 4, Woody Atwood (Yam); 5, Tim Green (Suz). 250 EX: 1. Darren Rhoten (Yam); 2. David McClain (Suz); 3. Dennis Hawthorne (Hus); 4. Kirk Spencer (Yam); 5. Mickey Pizzitola (Kaw), OPEN INT: 1. Jim Vaughn (Hon); 2. Delbert McDonald (Yam); 3. Roger Bailey (Hon); 4. Larry Thompson (Hon); 5. Ron Hendryx (Suz). OPEN EX: 1. Dennis Hawthorne (HuI); 2. Kirk Spencer (Yam); 3. Mike Bradshaw (Hus); 4. Jeff Shaw (Hon); 5. Tom Holtan (Han).

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