Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/143889
, New Nexico-Colol'ado-Wyo_lag-NoblaaiP ola-Soalb Dakola-Nebl'aska-Kaasu-Oklabo.a-'I'exas- New Nexlco-Colol'ado-Wyo_l. Central Pipeline Smokey Joe Milian, long-time Texas motocrosser, rails his VZ465 around an Austin berm in search of fame. Burke gives and takes at Kansas MX By Brad and Sharon Jones PITTSBURG, KS, OCT. 31 Joe' Burke has been winning Pro races for more than a decade but this event was different for him. The unusual part was that 34 Joe Burke was the promoter. He put up $1000 for the Experts, prepared the Freddy Van's Cycle Land track to everyone's liking, then proceeded to win back a big share of the purse by winning all four motos he entered A well thought out track made for a multi-line, wide open course. Thrilled spectators watched as riders passed each other lap after lap. Bobby Lowman took an early lead in the first 125cc Expert moto and was beginning to pull away when he fell. The Lambert brothers were next on their Metropolitan Yamahas, followed by Robby Peters on a Honda. Meanwhile, Joe Burke was riding hard to work his way up from last place. Scorekeepers were kept busy as the riders swapped places nearly every lap of the 20. minute free-for-all. Peters was leading when he fell, taking John Lambert with him. Burke, who had moved up to a distant third, now took the le,ad and ultimately the win. Brad Hallak survived the battle for second place. Burke did better at the start of moto two. By the end of the second lap, he passed both Lamberts and cruised to a first place finish. The battle for second place came down to the wire. Bobby Lowman pushed Jack Lam- Lowman's last pass attempt nearly put him in the lake! Bobby quickly collected himself and jumped back on for third. The 250cc Expert class was all Joe Burke. B9th Lamberts 'hounded Joe, but never pulled within striking distance. Mike (Factory) Farrar flew in from California to make the race and visit old friends. Carburetor problems kept him out of top placings. Brad Jones' early lead in the Open Expert class was soon spoiled by Bill Williams and Jay Horn. Horn took the win with Williams claiming second place. In moto two, Jones led from start to finish on his Horizon's Honda. Williams came in second and Horn was third, creating a three-way tie for first. First place cash went to Jones, who got the nod for the overall over Williams and Horn. Terry Nicholson is looking like good Expert material, winning three of four motos in the 250cc and Open Amateur classes. A seized Open bike kept him from making a clean sweep. Jerry Post fought off local rider Roger Bellamy and brought his· Suzuki in for a solid I-I showing in the 250cc Novice class. Results Greg Cook. _ OPEN EX: 1. Brad Jones; 2. Bill Williams; 3. Jay Horn. Joe Alsop was at the head of a 19 bike charge into the first turn as the I25cc Novices thundered by the grandstands in moto one. With three different winners in as many .heats it took some hectic work by the scorers to untangle the point total and determine that Ernie Kessell was the winner over Harry Lamb. "Smokey' 'Joe Milian,and Bill Kasson, two names synonymous with motocross in Texas since its earliest days, were expected to be the primary contenders for the Over 30 crown, but when the dust cleared it was upstart Wiley Evans who took home the first trophy. After winning the initial round by a wheel over Kasson, Milian tanglep with a downed rider in the second stanza and stalled on the line in the third. While Evans took aJlawless wire-to-wire win in the final moto, Kasson was doing some uncharacteristic crashing on consecutive I~ps in the infamous (and dimly lit) U -turn section. He recovered with sufficient haste to take third overall behind nemesis Milian. "Mister Holeshot" Marvin McKim and Brian Briggs conducted a spirited struggle for the gold in the Open class which featured imaginitive detours from the track by both riders: Tied for points going into the final go-around, the two rivals banged bars furiously for three laps before both went down together in a spectacular sliding fall. McKim managed to get started first and went on to take the checkers. In Expert racing, it was Austinite Jack Beckham holding off a strong bid by riders from Houston, Fort Worth, and San Antonio to capture the cash in the 250cc class. Beckham demonstrated the most skillful performance of the evening by coming from well back.in the pack and surviving some rough treatment in the turns before finally emerging victorious. "I just got some poor starts and they left me in the dust. Ricky (Glaser) is a strong rider and he wouldn't give an inch, but once I got by him I just kept the throttle on. I don't even remember where I passed Rogers," a weary Beckham said after collecting his money for the night. Jerry Farmer made his first appearance on a large displacement bike a success by taking 500cc Expert honors on a Russ Lynas tuned 490cc Yamaha. Lynas, after long being associated with stock car racing, has turned his tuning talents to motorcycles and Farmer will be the first of three riders on the newly formed Lynas Racing Team. Butch Lake is expected to be added with a third pilot to be chosen at a later date. Ricky Glaser, although encountering his share of difficulties during the night, showed that he has a strong spirit by shaking off adversity and garnering the top spot over the assembled 125cc Experts. •