Daytona Supercross

Daytona Supercross

Team Green Takes A Big One

Ron Griewe

Jammin' Jimmy Weinert out-foxed Bob Hannah to win the Eighth Daytona Supercross. Weinert won the first Supercross held at Daytona eight years ago and Saturday's win gives him the distinction of being the only two-time Daytona Supercross winner.

Gary Bailey designed the Daytona course; no easy job when given a couple of flat grassy areas between paved race courses to work with. He artfully dug pits and brought in dirt for mounds, turning the grassy flats into a fast, multi-jump, challenging motocross course. Everyone got a few practice laps in before the grass disappeared, exposing an excellent sandy loam base.

Four six-lap qualifier motos, two semis and a consolation determined the main event contestants. The first eight finishers in each qualifier transferred directly to the main, The first four from each semi did the same, but only the winner from the consolation race qualified.

MOTO ONE

Bob Hannah and Steve Wise won the drag race to the left turn at the end of the starting area, with Hannah slipping into the lead through the corner. Before the end of lap one Wise zapped Hannah and the Hurricane crashed trying to regain the lead. He quickly remounted from the bottom of the double jump, still in second but 14 seconds behind Wise’s Honda. By the end of lap three the order was Wise, Hannah, Dave Taylor and Tommy Croft. Hannah got his revenge when Wise took an unscheduled trip over the bars during lap six. Hannah took the opportunity to zip back into the lead as the crowd of 35,000 went wild. Wise quickly remounted and salvaged second, just three seconds behind the Hurricane. Dave Taylor grabbed third, Greg Robertson fourth, Mark Robillard fifth, Scott Gillman sixth, Ken Adams seventh and Tommy Croft eighth. >

MOTO TWO

First to the first corner was Suzukimounted Kent “Rhinestone Cowboy” Howerton, closely followed by Jim Weinert. Howerton and Weinert diced wheel-towheel. pulling a 10-second lead over third place by lap four. Kawasaki’s Mickey Boone and Gaylon Mosier were having their own race for that position. Weinert tried to pass over a jump midway through lap five but Howerton wasn’t having any of it. Weinert finally slipped under the Cowboy in a turn, half a lap from the finish. Howerton didn't give up and almost passed back just before the finish. The results of moto two: Weinert, Howerton, Mosier, Boone. Kessler. Moates, Theiss and Stacy.

MOTO THREE

Marty Tripes and Gary Semics exited turn one leading jthe pack on Hondas. Darryl Shultz tried to take a wide line and crashed, putting him in last place in the first turn. By lap three Shultz had piloted his works Suzuki into fourth and was trying to pass Warren Reid. Tripes and Semics dueled the whole moto with Semics taking the checkered a few feet ahead. Warren Reid held on to third making it a 1-. 2-3 sweep for Honda. Shultz seemed content for fourth and an easy transfer to the main. Arlo England grabbed fifth, Mike Kessler sixth, Jo Jo Keller seventh and Mike Bell eighth.

MOTO FOUR

Marty Smith hole-shot moto four on his Honda. Stylish Danny FaPorte put his Suzuki on Marty’s rear and the two fought the whole moto, putting 14 seconds between them and third place finisher Pat Moronev. Fourth was Tony DiStefano. fifth Denny Swartz, then Steve Stackable. Dennis Brand and Tony Summey.

With four qualifying motos completed and 32 riders transferred directly to the main, the semis were started.

SEMI ONE

Roger Brown put his Honda into the lead with Kawasaki-mounted Jeff Ward trying to pass on every corner. By lap three Ward had passed Brown. Brown stalled his engine trying to get the lead back and ended up at the back of the pack by the time he got restarted. Gary Pustak and Ron Pomeroy then moved up but Ward ran away with the moto, finishing over 14 seconds ahead.

SEMI TWO

Rich Eierstedt lead from start to finish on his Honda. Reigning 500cc champ Rick Burgett was second by 10 seconds. John Grant and Steve Martin rounded out the top four transfer spots.

CONSOLATION RACE

All final event participants were now chosen but one, the winner of the consolation race. Roger Brown moved from a third place start to first by lap four and had no trouble holding that position until the finish.

All of the major factories had won at least one heat except Suzuki. Winning bikes in order of heats were: Yatnaha, Kawasaki. Honda, Honda. Kawasaki, Honda, Honda.

MAIN EVENT

Forty-one of America’s best motocrossers, all trying to be first into the turn one, charged away from the individual, rear falling starting gates. Gary Semics drew the lead and held the throttle open. Through the Gator Pit at the finish of lap one the order was Semics (Hon), Hannah (Yam), Shultz (Suz), Tripes (Hon), Weinert (Kaw), and Robertson (Can-Am). By the end of lap two Shultz had passed Hannah, moving his factory Suzuki into second. By lap three the Hurricane had regained second and Shultz had dropped to fifth after having problems. Semics still had command of the lead. Tripes held third, the Jammer fourth, Mosier fifth, and FaPorte sixth.

Semics owned lap four also, but Hannah> had been passed again, this time by a charging Marty Tripes. Weinert held a solid fourth as the four began to pull away from the pack. By lap six Marty Tripes had taken the lead. Hannah was second, Semics was third. Tripes and Hannah stayed one-two through lap seven. Third had been taken over by Weinert, Shultz was fourth, Semics was a fading fifth, followed by Mosier, LaPorte and Smith. By the end of lap eight Hannah was in the No. 1 spot and everyone figured the race winner had been decided. Marty Tripes, Jim Weinert, and Darryl Shultz were w ithin spitting distance of Hannah though, and they weren't convinced the winner had been settled. Shultz lost a little ground on lap nine but the pecking order stayed much the same until the middle of lap 12, the final one. Hannah had been misinterpreting his lap board for a couple laps; looking into the sun to read it. he thought it said 10. meaning a comfortable 10-second lead. Actually it said lp. meaning he was first, (he later called it a stupid mistake). Weinert, with a very determined look on his face, had been right on Bob's rear fender for three laps. He made his move by coming inside Hannah in a corner, bumping his bike (Bob thought a lapped rider was out of control and moved over), Jim made the pass as the two crested a big jump, and didn't look back. The crowd of 35,000 went nuts. The Jammer stretched the throttle cable for the remaining half lap, Hannah right on his rear trying to get back into first. But it wasn't to be, Weinert was pumped, and made no mistakes, giving him his second big Supercross win for '79.

Earlier in the year Weinert made a statement about being in shape and ready for the '79 season. And his super conditioning was noticeable late in the race when he started making his charge to the front. After the race he quipped, “I laid back and let the rest of them burn out, then took over the lead. The only way to beat Hannah is on the last lap." BS

DAYTONA SUPERCROSS