Sun Wins 500cc National Championship, Barnett Takes Glover To the Wire For 125cc Title
SUN WINS 500cc NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, BARNETT TAKES GLOVER TO THE WIRE FOR 125cc TITLE
Chuck Sun won both motos at Broome Tioga Sports Center, New York, and picked up enough points to wrap-up the American 500cc National Motocross Championship with one race still left to be run. It was the first major title win for the 24-year-old veteran who only joined Team Honda this year as part of a major reorganization of the team by manager Gunnar Lindstrom. The previous year, 1979, Sun had spent a disappointing season in Europe campaigning the 500cc World Championships for Husqvarna where he was hampered by bad luck and injuries.
Joining Honda for the 1980 season, Sun trained and prepared himself in earnest for taking the 500cc Championship. He dominated the eight-race series with ease from the beginning. His bike was the factory RC 470-80 Honda prepared by personal mechanic Eric Crippa. A production version of the monoshock Open class Honda will be released for 1981.
Placing second in the overall standings of the 500cc class behind Sun was Kawasaki test rider Goat Breker on a works KX 440-80 Uni-Trak. Breker was contesting the Championship as an unsalaried privateer with limited support from Team Kawasaki and his other partial sponsor, NorStar. His strong showing in the series, behind Sun and ahead of the other major factory stars, will make Breker the hottest new prospect up for grabs by the factory teams for the 1981 season.
Winning the final race of the series at Sunshine Speedway in St. Petersburg, Florida, was Team Suzuki’s reigning 500cc National Champion Danny LaPorte. Plagued by mechanical problems on his RN 440-80 Floater works bike all series, LaPorte finally ended the year on an up note with back-to-back moto wins as his only consolation for not being able to retain his title. Sun was not able to race in Florida because of a broken hand, injured the weekend before when he hit it on a fence post, but went on to win the moto and the 500cc National Championship.
In the final two rounds of the 125cc National Motocross Championship at New York and Florida things proved to be a loi, more hectic and exciting as Suzuki’s Mark Barnett and Yamaha’s Broc Glovertook the battle for the title right down to the final moto. Reigning three-time 125cc champion Broc Glover had held the points lead since March and the opening race at Hangtown, but all the while Suzuki teammates Mark Barnett and Brian Myerscough were breathing down Glover’s back in hot pursuit. Unfortunately, with only two races left to be run and a possible chance at winning the championship himself, Myerscough was found to be suffering from hypoglycemia and put under doctor’s orders not to race. That narrowed the title bout down to just two riders, Glover and Barnett.
The race at New York saw Barnett snare the lead at the start of the first moto> with his Jeff Clark-prepared RA 125-80 watercooled works Suzuki and hold it all the way to the finish to actually tie Glover in overall points for the championship. Glover had suffered from a poor start back near 10th and had only been able to work his way up to fourth position by the finish. Glover charged back though, to win the second moto, relegating Barnett to second spot in the moto and in the series once again. Barnett was able to console himself with the day’s overall win.
Florida’s Sunshine Speedway set the stage for the final showdown in the I25cc championship. Once again Barnett seized the start of the opening moto as Glover was taken down in a first turn melee. Glover rejoined the race from the back of the pack. Towards the end of the moto Barnett lost his lead to Kawasaki’s Jeff Ward and had to settle for second place, just ahead of Glover, who had worked his way back up from the crash to a very creditable third place. Once again the series points lead had shrunk, this time with Glover out in front of Barnett by just one point.
The last moto of the day decided the championship and both Barnett and Glover knew it as they raced wheel-towheel the first nine laps in an unbelievable fight over the lead. Then almost suddenly Glover began to fade, possibly burned out from his first moto charge from the back of the pack. Barnett continued to hold on to the lead to win the moto, the race, and the I25cc National Championship as Glover finished the moto back in sixth position. Though Suzuki has always been the dominate force in the I25cc World Championships, Barnett’s title victory was their first in the American I25cc National Championships, ending Yamaha’s four-year hold on the class.
-Jim Gianatsis
125cc NATIONAL MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1. Mark Barnett, pts.
Bridgeview, IL 314 Suz
2. Broc Glover, El Cajon, CA 305 Yam
3. Jeff Ward,
Mission Viejo, CA 219 Kaw
4. Brian Myerscough,
San Antonio, TX 214 Suz
5. Rich Coon, Ghent, NY I86 Hon
500cc NATIONAL MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
pts. 307 Hon 247 Kaw 233 Suz 231 Yam 216 Hon 1. Chuck Sun, Sherwood, OR 2. Goat Breker, Anaheim, CA 3. Marty Smith, San Diego, CA 4. Rick Burgett, Sandy, OR 5. Jim Gibson, Orange, CA
