Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Paul Denis (21), Don Hudson (93), Jeff Bowling (61), Danny Storbeck (9) and Brent Freed (290 in dust) lead the 105cc 12+ final's first lap. NMA/Yamaha Grand ~ational Championship . Thousands pack Ponca City By ~arel Kramer PONCA CITY, OK, JULY 27-AUG. I A multitude .of parent-pit-crews, over 1,000 riders froni ages four to 21, four factory teams and equipment conservatively estimated to be worth $15 million-plus descended on the Oklahoma town of Ponca City for the National Motosport Association's Yamaha Grand National Champion- 14 ship Motocross. For the entire six days of racing and practice, performances by the young riders were polished and professional.. Unlike past years, there were no massive runaways. Several riders scored convincing wins and double and multiple wins, but nobody won without working for their trophy or cash. The week was marred by the tragic deaths of Suzuki riders Bruce Bunch and Kyle Fleming in a car-train accident after the event was concluded. Suzuki's Rick Hemme and Oakley rep Dana Duke were seriously injured in the same accident. ~ Ponca's chapter of the American : Businessman's Club (AMBUCS) were responsible in great measure for the success of the event. The town hosts the roughly 6,000 people who attend the event every year and provide excellent services at the track including electrical hook-ups, concession food worth eating and a portable video arcade in a tent. Yamaha and Team Green both had trucks to cater to the needs of the riders again this year and had.emergency parts, help and advice available. Yamaha offered entertainment while Kawasaki kept a plentiful supply of ice water on hand for all. Yamaha had a motorcycle for all stock class winners for the same class the rider was competing in and gave away II YZs in all. They also had Rick Hemme, 105cc 12-plus winner, heads a trio of Suzuki stars. For a moment, Hemme, Larry Brooks and Bruce Bunch were this close. $1,000 cash for the winners of nine classes if they were won ori Yamahas and gave away 20 bikes by drawing for the 60 and 80cc riders in all the . NMA regions. Kawasaki had $500 for the parents of Kawasaki-mounted class winners and a $500 savings bond for the rider. Honda had cash awards for Honda winners too. Several manufacturers had contingency and class winner awards including Griffs, Jones, Bell, Bel-Ray, IRC, Cycle-Am, ND and So-Cal fuels. ProTrac gave a trailer away at the track as entertainment on the final day. Despite the good reasons for trying that extra bit harder, riders used their heads and injuries were down from last year. Most accidents were of the first turn variety and receded as the riders got closer to the finals. Riders were on hand representing ' 40 states but the winningest rider was not from any of the well known motocross states. Lowell Thomson, a Yamaha rider from Post Falls, ID, took four classes in the 9-11 Intermediate ranks. Thomson put in a perfect ride in the Junior Cycle Stock Intermediate 9-11 class to win with two points over Kyle Lewis' 2-2. Illinois Yamaha pilot Junior Jackson finished third over fellow Yamaha rider;Jeff Emig, who was from nearby Kansas . Lewis was mounted on a new Kawasaki KX60 for the Junior Cycle Modified race and won convincingly . in the first moto over Thomson. Lewis got a poor start on-the second drop of the gate and proceeded to reel in traffic. He was on the move, quickly up to second and looked like he would take the win when he missed "the double jump and went over the bars. Only Arizona Suzuki rider Shaun Kalos, aboard a handmade RM60 Floater, got by, but there was not enough time remaining to improve on his third place and Lewis debuted his new "greenie" iri second overall. Thomson took his second win. Kalos was third. Kalos, Thomson, Michigan's John Kitch (Yam) and Emig battled for the win in the 83cc Modified Intermediate 9-11 class along with Junior: Jackson. Thomson took his third class with a 3-1 moto tally. Emig won a moto, but Kalos and Jackson were more consistent for second and third overall. Thomson's last win came in the I05cc9-11class where he again battled with Kalos (6-1). Thomson's 4-1 gave him the overall with Kalos second and Mike Pascarella.(Kaw) third. Hank Moree was another rider who gave the new KX60 a fine debut. Hank has taken home to South Carolina five Junior Cycle titles, including one in the Stock class (6-8) for Yamaha and one in the Modified class for Kawasaki. Moree went I-I in both classes and Jimmy Button of Arizona ran a less consistent second in both classes. The Mini Expert classes and the 250cc Expert classes had the big guns in attendance and were the ones being lavished with factory attention. The 83cc Stock class received somewhat more attention than usual. Kawasaki protested the factory supported stockers of Rick Hemme, Larry Brooks and Bruce Bunch. Suzuki felt that they were being harassed and protested all Stock Kawasakis, lOin all. There were some detail questions, but at least the first place Kawasaki and the second place Suzuki were pronounced legal. The teardowns were. still in question at the time word was received of the accident involving the Suzuki team riders and all protests were mutually withdrawn. All four factory reps said that they would welcome teardowns of all winning bikes to avoid future problems. Despite the controversy, the 83cc Stocker provided the best of action. All four factories had factory riders entered. Ponca City is run on a heat and final basis with all points added for an overall finish. That required 65 motos and 21 finals. Going into the final, Denis, Hemme, Kyle Fleming, Colorado's Kevin McKnight (Kaw) and Ray Sommo were low point men in the

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