Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

(Above) This second turn, with its steep uphill, caused major problems at every start. (Right top) Ron Lechien put in a strong ride. (Right bottom) David Bailey is proving himself a major American MX star. time 250cc National Champ Gary Jones ona Husky 500. Minis Paul Denis grabbed the series Mini title in a race that came down to the last tum of the last lap in the second, and final, moto of the series. Tiny Bob Moore used his weight advantage to grab holeshots on the power robbing uphill start in both motos. Denis gassed his Kawasaki 80 into 'the lead on the first lap and, after battling with Moore, pulled away. Texan Danny Storbeck was way back i'n the pack. Denis crashed going up Bonzai Hill and found the grade too steep to lift his bike on without a few tries. Moore went into the lead to stay. Kawasaki teammates Kyle Lewis and Willie and went down in a highspeed heap. Surratt went to the hospital with a suspected broken wrist. Eddie Hicks and Yamaha teammate Storbeck moved past Mike Healey's Honda to set the .top four to the flag. Moto two saw the second Moore holeshot and Moore saw Denis go by on the first lap again. This time Denis was not headed. Storbeck pushed Moore to within striking distance of Denis, but the three finished in that order. Bader Manneh put in a fine ride on his Yamaha for a second moto fourth. 125 Pro Jim Gibson jetted his factory 125 Honda to a giant holeshot, but lost the lead to Scott Burnworth's works Yamaha at the bottom of the start hill. Ridin~ in third place was Rudy Dickinson In his first ride as a Pro. Dickinson's machine showed the obvious influence of his brother Dean who builds the R&D Suzukis. Jeff Ward, in his first ride in the series for Kawasaki, was storming through the pack from a bottom of the top 10 start. Most eyes turned to ~he teenie meanie a~ he and Gibson traded paint and second place several times before Ward took it. By the third lap, Burnworth and Ward were dicing for the lead followed by Gibson, Yamaha's Ron Lechien, Jim Anderson - also Yamaha-mounted , Honda's Brian Myerscough - the only rider with a shot at Gibson's series lead, and 0' Neal/Klemm Research rider Ted Brady on a Honda. Gibson was starting to fade, saying later, "I must have"hit a rock really hard on Banzai and pinched a tube." Gibson dro'pped a low as fifth, but rallied to fourth by the finish. Ward was relentlessly pushing Burnworth. The two were side by side on succeeding laps in the Webco Hill portion of the track. Ward tried a different line up Banzai and blew by Burnworth on the downhill pulling an immediate five bikelength lead. Suddenly, Burnworth's drive deflated when his rear tire gave the example. His excellent ride was relagated to 10th, place. With Burnworth's misfortune, Ward lead by one quarter of a lap over Lechien who, in tum, lead Myerscough by a substantial margin. Anderson passed Gibson briefly, but Gibson repassed and the top five was set. Gibson lead the second charge also, but Ward went by early and was on the gas. His good day ended before the first lap. He cruised around in .last on a green pogo stick before pulling off. By the third lap, Gibson was out front in a fitting end to his outdoor association with Honda. Burnworth had taken a few stabs at the lead but dropped back. Lechien was riding hard and looking good in third, as was Myerscough in fourth, but the top four were set for the race. Privateers Rick Maki, Chris Heisser and Rick Ryan filled in the next three spots on Suzukis. Gibson commented after the race with a satisfied smile, "This is a good way to leave for Europe. I'm glad I could win a series for Honda and Cliff White. He's been a really good mechanic, one of the best." 250 Pro Honda's David Bailey had a clear view of the first moto first tum, but Broc Glover sailed by him on the massive triple-tiered uphill named "Miller Mountain" for the lead he would hold for nine of the 10 laps. By the end of the second lap, positions had settled a little with the now characteristic Glover/Bailey battle keeping roughly 6-7000 fans on their feet. Ricky Johnson, the only rider who seemed to be able to keep the front duo in sight, was in third leading a cast of Jeff Jennings, Kenny Keylon - on an '83 production bike this week, Andy Guth on a Honda and Mike Brown on a Kawasaki. Suzuki's Mark Barnett was up to an amazing 10th place after falling twice in the first few turns and starting last. Barnett moved steadily up until midmoto before breaking a wheel and retiring. Perhaps the best battle on the track was between Jennings, on an '82 Yamaha, and Keylon on an '83 Honda. Keylon had some trouble getting around Jennings, and apparently Jennings didn't like the pass when it came. He and Keylon tore up the track with Jennings coming out on top. , Bailey began his charge shortly after Johnson dropped from the field with unknown problems. Bailey and Glover were close for the remainder of the moto. Coming into the final straightaway, a lapped rider got in the way and Bailey zipped by for the win. Jennings was third followed by Motorcyclist Magazine test rider Willy Simons on an '83 Kawasaki 250. Keylon and Guth were next across. The story was reversed for the second moto as Bailey led from the start followed by Keylon, Glover, Barnett, Johnson and Jennings. As early lap positions sorted, the Bailey/ Glov~r battle moved away from the pack. For awhile they even left the third/fourth battle of Johnson/Barnett. Mike Shoemaker settled his Honda into fifth place and the top five were pretty much set, but serious racing was going on between the two leaders and also between Barnett and Johnson. Barnett seemed careful to stay out of the way of series leaders, but once Johnson masde his pass, he was gone. Johnson started his. late moto drive and reeled in the leaders after Glover made his mid-moto midair pass of the leader Bailey. Bailey tried to the flag, but Glover took the win, the series and a Motocross Action Magazine rider of the year truck was wai ting for him in the infield area. "I am happy," was Glover's comment, "the racing has been excellent, I don't think anyone who saw a race was disappionted. We showed that our production bikes can run with the works bikes. It is too bad that the purse money wasn't better. You ride the hardest race of your life and get $300." 500 Pro Honda's Phil Larson shot to the lead of the first 500cc moto ahead of Juan Benavidez who crashed in the second tum and took over half of the field with him. As the riders tried to extricate themselves, Tim Locey's YZ 490, Scott Johnson's Moto-Meister Maico, Mark Murphy on a Yamaha, Honda Support team member Jim Ellis and perrennial CMC Pro Val Tamietti led the field. Fortunately, both of the series leaders went down in the pile-up so the series was not decided by accident. Series leader Mike Bell got going in 25th and Steve Martin in about 12th. Larson was gone from the get-go. By lap three Bell was already in 10th and Martin in sixth. Locey, Murphy and Ellis now trailed the leader. Eric McKenna was making it difficult for Martin to keep away from Bell. Bell caught Martin on the seventh lap and they stayed together past Murphy with Bell taking the lead on the final lap. The order read Larson, Locey, Ellis, Bell and Martin. It was go for broke time for Martin in the second moto. He had to beat Bell by a good margin to take the series. He grabbe~ the lead ahead of Larson, and Bell, although Ron Turner had· the holeshot on a used looking CR480. Martin headed the first two laps, but Larson took it away on the third. -Bell and Martin started dicing heavily in the Banzai section of the course. Bell kept the pressure up saying later, "Steve was riding prettty agressive, he didn't want to give up easily, but the points situation was pretty much go for broke. That was the atitude I had in the first moto, but in the second I rode a little more conservatively." Bell went into second after following Martin for two laps, and the positions were set. Ellis held solidly to fourth while Turner was fifth followed by Locey and Benavidez. Every class had the series lead up for grabs coming into the final round, but every class left Saddleback with the same leader as it came in with.• Results MINI: 1. Paul Denis 2-1 (Kaw); 2. Bob Moore 1-2 (Yam); 3. Danny Storbeck 5-3(Yam); 4. Mike Healey 4-5 (Han); 5. Bader Manneh 6-4 (Yam); 6. Eddie Hicks 3-8 (Yam); 7. Cory Falter 12-9 (Han); 8. Shaun Kalas 10-11 (Suz); 9. John Canney 8-13 (Suz); 10. Frankie Brundage 9-14 (Kaw). 125 PRO: 1. Jim Gibson 4-1 (Han); 2. Ron Lechien 2-3 (Yam); 3. Brian Myerscough 3-4 (Han); 4. Scott Burnworth 10-2 (Yam); 5. Rick Maki 9-5 (Suz); 6. Jim Anderson 5-1 O(Yam); 7. Chris H"eisser 11-6 (Suz); 8. Mike Larson 12-9 (Han); 9. A.J. Whiting 7-14 (Yam); 10. Gary Bowman 6-19 (Suz); 11. Rodney Smith 14-12 (Yam); 12. Jahner Kight 13-15 (Han); 13. Mike Fisher 21-8 (Han); 14. Rick Ryan 25-7 (Suz); 15. Troy Blake 19-13 (Yam); 16. Jeff Ward l-DNF(Kaw); 17. Robbie Brown 17-18(Suz); 18. Brent Blount 24-16 (Suz); 19. Scott Sargent 16-24 (Suz); 20. Steve Wiseman 20-21 (Suz). 250 PRO: 1. Broc Glover 2-1 (Yam); 2. David Bailey 1-2 (Han); 3. Jeff Jennings 3-6 (Yam); 4. Andy Guth 6-8 (Han); 5. Willy Simons 4-11 (Kaw); 6. Mike Shoemaker 10-5 (Han); 7. Jim Coffey 12-7 (Yam); 8. Scott Manning 9-10 (Yam); 9. Dean Cates 11-9 (Han); 10. Pete Snorteland 7-13 (Yam); 11. Keith Bowen 15-12 (Yam); 12. Jim Brodie 13-15 (Han); 13. Rick Johnson 29-3 (Yam); 14. Mark Barnett 27-4 (Suz); 15. Brian Manley 16-14 (Yam); 16. Brian Maloney 8,22 (Han); 17. Don Turk 14-1B (Suz); 18. Fritz Schlegal17 -16 (Suz); 19. Pete Murray 1B-20 (Mai); 20. Mark Anderson 25-17 (Suz). 500 PRO: 1. Phil Larson 1-1 (Han); 2. Mike Bell 4-2 (Yam); 3. Jim Ellis 3-4 (Han); 4. Tim Locey 2-6 (Yam); 5. Steve Martin 5-3 (Han); 6. Ron Turner 10-5 (Han); 7. Clint Hardick 7-8 (Suz); 8. Eric McKenna 8-9 (Yam); 9. Juan Benavidez 13-7 (Yam); 10. Greg Zitterkopf 12-11 (Yam); 11: Clark Jones 14-12 (Han); 12. Mark Murphy 6-20 (Yam); 13. Val Tamietti 11-16; 14. Scott Johnson 9-18 (Mai); 15. Gary Jones 15-15; 16. David Gerig 17-14(Hus); 17. Jim Holley 21-13 (Yam); 18. Randy Rodriguez 1619 (Mai); 19. Bill Jewell 19-17 (Mai); 20. Jo Jo Keller 27-10 (Han). 11

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