Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Cycle News 1982 08 25

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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Eklund, Steve Morehead and Terry Poovey were among the riders opting for cooler, lightweight MX clothing to combat Peoria's infamous heat and humidity. "I got to the starting line for the National and my crew told me to go for it," said 46-year-old Sonny Burres. "I told them they were crazy. Counting the National - (where Burres finished '14th ), I ran 45 laps during a one hour period with the semi and Last .Chance Qualifier. I'm in good shape, but I don't think anyone could run strong for 45 laps. Hey, about five laps into the National I felt something hit my lap and thought I had .broken something. It was OK, because it was only my tongue draging." ยท Tuner Tex Peel had a good crew helping him repair his Harley after , Ricky Graham's practice crash at Peoria, including Clyde Denzer of Harley-Davidson. "Everyone pitched in and we "ad the bike fixed -quickly," said Peel. "UnfortunateIy, we didn't need it." Members of The Doobie Brothers, a rock group, are Harley-Davidson owners and racing fans. For their show in Milwaukee on Aug. 12, the group wore H-D Racing Team Tshirts on stage and had jay Springsteen, Scott Parker and Randy Goss as their guests. Billy Herndon, who finished fourth at the Santa Fe Short Track National, was a spectator at Peoria after spraining an ankle .t he night before the event while riding a short track in Springfield, IL. Alex jorgensen came away the biggest winner in the Santa Fe/Peoria National weekend. jorgensen, with a win at Santa Fe and a third at Peoria, . took home over $7,400in prize money. Brad Lackey returned to the United States triumphantly, met by over 100 fans and friends Aug. 9 at San Francisco International Airp~rt. The celebration was complete with banners and champagne. Lackey appeared tired from the long ordeal but was all smiles when greeted by the crowd as he left customs. Surrounded by his family and working staff, the greetings and cheers went on for over 30 minutes. Later, at home with over 300 in attendance, Brad was toasted more than once for being the first American to win the 500cc.Grand Prix Motocross title. There was no indication that he was going to hang up the boots, with more than one feeler from a major factory to defend his title and be involveefin the GP wars for at least a few more years. Photo by Bill Spencer. The results of the Aug. 15 World Team Cup Speedway Championship found the U.S. winning the title, beating Denmark by a score of 36-27. The Americans were led by Bruce Penha" and Kelly Moran with 10 points apiece, with Bobby Schwartz adding nine and Shawn Moran seven. This is the first time Americans have won the Team Cup title. Informed sources indicate that a press conference called by R.j. Reynolds the day before the Aug. 28 Winston Pro Series Indianapolis Mile National will be used to announce a change of series identification from Winston to Camel for 1983. The initial involvement of R.j. Reynolds in AMA Grand National Championship racing began with the Camel Pro Series in 1974. The name was changed to Winston Pro Series in 1979. 2 The Aug. 151 OO-mile Speedsville National Enduro in Brooktonville, NY, was won by Jack Penton (Kaw) with a score of .two. Jeff Fredette (Suz) took the AA 200cc win while Darryl Kuenzer (KTM) was the AA Open class winner. The High Point A award went to Bob Thompson (Hus). Road racer jimmy Adamo and Doug Lantz were the third team of Americans competing in the World Championship Endurance Road Racing Series round at Suzuka, japan on Aug. I. "We rode a Ducati, the same one I rode two weeks later at Pocono, and qualified rather well. We had moved to about 15th in the rain when Doug crashed and it took a long time to get the bike started. We dropped way back, but moved up to a 23rd place finish which we feel wasn't too bad considering the stormy weather conditions. " Steve Wise and Rod Spencer started something by wearing MX clothing when riding the TT Nationals. At Peoria, Wise, Steve Scott Pearson, the 1980-81 Peoria TT winner, was a bit disappointed with his seventh place finish. "1 would have liked to have won it three times in a row," said Pearson. "We tried like heck to pull things off. Dan Murrel and Jerry Griffith worked their butts off on my bikes. I blew up my good one and then busted Mike Kidd's number one machine. I ended up riding his back-up bike. My number one bike was a screamer and I feel I would have made winner's circle. As it was, the bike didn't want to . shift from about the halfway point in the National." . . Gene Romero, Team Honda's dirt track coordinator, had a funny thing happen to him on the way to the Peoria TT National. He was asked for proof of" age in a Peoria disco. Romero was of legal drinking age (21) in Illinois one year before he won his 1970AMA Grand National Championship title. The appeal by Honda of Mike Baldwin's disqualification from his winning position in the Aug. 8 Pocona Superbike Championship Series round has been received by the AMA. Honda has a further 10 days to submit information backing their appeal before the matter is decided upon. The racing mayor? Folks in Darryl Hurst's hometown of Spring Valley, TX, could have called him that if he had won the Aug. 10 election in that town. "I got talked into running for it," said 1975 Houston short track National winner Hurst. "It was fun, .bu t I lost." . . . Kawasaki hu decided not to let Wayne Rainey compete at the Aug. 28 Indianapolis Winston Pro Series Mile. "1 had a bike built for him to ride," said his father, Sandy, at Santa Fe where he was helping Bubba Shobert. "However, the Superbike Championship has to be his first priority and Kawasaki doesn't want him getting hurt." World Speedway Champion Bruce Penhall made an announcement in England that he is retiring from the Cradley Heath speedway team in the British League. The move will give Penhall more time to promote the sport of speedway, and for the time being, his riding will be limited to appearances such as the World Final . in Los Angeles on Aug. 28, the U.S. Open in New York, the National Championship in Costa Mesa, CA, and the World's Best Pairs Final in Australia in December. Penhall, who will be arriving back in California on Aug. 17, will also be appearing on several episodes of CHiPs. Among those spectating at the Aug. 21-22 Sears Point road race National will be GP stars Kenny Roberts and Randy Mamola. Roberts will be working in the Jimmy Filice camp, now that Filice has had the cast removed from his injured hand and has been given a doctor's OK to race. Roberts and Filice are both working with Dean Miller, World Motocross Champion Brad Lackey's trainer, to speed the recovery of their injured hands. Roberts will reportedly ride the last two 500cc RRGPs of the year in September. The wait is over! Bob and Michele Balentine are the proud parents of daughter Shayla Rose Balentine, born on Saturday, Aug. 7. Shayla Rose passed tech and weigh-in at21~ inches and seven pounds, 14 ounces. Father and mother are reported to be doing just fine, and when Bob called us with the news, baby Shayla was enjoying meal time. Congratulations to Bob and Michelel Results are in on the 1982 Cycle News Rideaway Sweepstakes, and we're happy to announce that Fresno, CA, resident John E. Ostland is now the owner of a brandnew Suzuki RM250Z motocrosser, and that June Bell of Seattle, WA, will be receiving the other prize in the contest, a 1982 Kawasaki GPz750. . . Danny "Magoo" Chandler mysteriously vanished from the-leader board of the first 500cc National MX moto at Carlsbad, and the reason was potentially very serious. Chandler was stung by a bee, and Danny is vio- : lently allergic to bee stings. He broke out in hives, and required treatment by medics after experiencing breathing difficulties. Reports from Honda say Chandler is OK now. Congratulations to the Speedway riders who qualified for the U.S. National Championships. Those riders who qualified for the USA World Qualifier also are: Mike Faria (70), Alan Christian (61), Mike .Bast (60), Rick Miller (49), Shawn McConnell (42); Gene Woods (38), Steve Lucero (36), and Dubb Ferrell (34). Buddy Robinson (30) and Tom Burba (30) qualified as reserves for the USA World Qualifier. John Sandona, Mike Curoso and David Sims qualified for U.S. National only, with Paul Orlandi, Tom Ferris, David DeTemple and Bobby McClain as reservesior the National. Seeded to the J~a~ional

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