To the delight of the homers, and to the surprise of nearly everyone else, Jim Benolkin ran away with the first two motos. Jacobson was solid with a fourth and a second, but he needed a big turnaround on Sunday. Showing that the first two wins were no fluke, Benolkin won both motos again, cheered on all the way by his District 23 family. His four-moto sweep will likely never be duplicated. They changed the format a few years later.

Jacobson didn't get the starts he needed and would end up an unhappy second. Kyle (Minnesota) Lewis was just outside the top 20, while another pre-race favorite, Brian Carney, was only 33rd overall after suffering catastrophic bike problems. In the Open class, Partridge won the first moto and was just outside the top ten in the next two races, but then DNF the last moto. He still ended up 7th overall.

Jim Benolkin shows off his 1n at Mora

Ron Heppner, who would go on to win the D23 125 Expert crown later that year, broke into the top 5 with a 4th in the 125 class. He was followed by Andy Schweizer in 12th and Lane in 16th. There were several Minnesota riders racing in the 100cc class, a sign of things to come. Phil Ryan was the highest finisher with a 6th. Scott Clawiter and Dan Marcotte were in the top 20 with Dan Tilford also representing the district.

Jim Benolkin and Ron Heppner hanging out in the pits

1981 would be the start of the changing of the guard, led by a kid from Bloomington named Donny Peanut Schmit. He finished 8th in the 85cc Stock (12-14) class at the AMA Youth MX Nationals, the first hint of the talent and determination that would lead him to a career that included National Motocross victories, two World championships, and a Gran Prix record that will likely never be broken. But that's a story for another day.

Page 1   Page 2   Page 3   Newspaper Article