Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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Wayne Buckley ran a 9.48. 140.62 mph quarter mile to upset Terry Vance. Buckler upsets Vance in N.HRA Cajun Nationals Pro Stock By Tom Blattler Photos by Le~lie Lovett BATON RO UGE , LA , MAY 2 For the second consecutive National Hot Rod Association National Championship event, Kawasaki-mounted Wayne Buckler claimed the top honors in the Pro Stock Motorcycle Eliminator race when he upset pre-race favorite Terry Vance in the final round in the in-del yed . .ra a NHRA Cajun Nationals drag 14 races at State Capitol Dragway before a capacity crowd. Buckler, the 29-year-old owner of C&W Cycle Works in Fort Myers, FL, captured th e NHRA Gatomationals title last March in Ga inesville , FL. He rode his 1976 Kawasaki Z·1 past Vance at Baton Rouge to make it two-in -a row and established himself as the dominant figure in the Pro Stock category . In the final round , Buckler recorded a quarter-mile clocking of 9.48 seconds at a top speed of 140.62 miles per hour to defeat Vance, the number one qualifier who broke his Suzuki and coasted through the finish line lights at 13.83 seconds and onl y 58.63 mph. . Vance, the vete ra n rider from La Palma, CA , and former Pro Stock World Champion, had dominated the motorcycle action prior to the final round. The 25 -year-old general manager of R .C. Engineering in Pre-ra ce favorite Terry Vance broke a carburetor plate in the final. . Gardena, CA recorded times of 9.16, 9.23 and 9.21 before his '79 Suzuki GS·looo broke a carburetor plate in the finale . Terry held a sizable advantage following qualifications at the Louisiana classic as he sizzled the pavement with a 9.16 second timing at a top speed of 145.61 mph. Trailing Vance in the Pro Stock bike lineup were Buck ler at 9.36 , 141.06, Bob Carpenter of Cornwell Heights, PA at 9.40 , 140 .40 , Ron Collis of Bradenton, FL , at 9.60 , 136.77 , Chip Solley of Pom pano Beach, FL , at 9.62, 135.74 , J ohn Gibb s of Shreveport , LA , at 9.7 1. 136.33, and Butch Pa ce of Edwa rdsville. IL . a t 9.97 .138 .63. ope ning round of In t he com petition , Vance received a bye run as the Low Qualifier of th e meet , but Terry didn't hold back in th e least with a strong performance of 9.23 at 146.34 mph . The current Top Speed national record holder looked to be on his way to his first NHRA National event victory of the season with his first run of th e night. Current Elapsed T im e national record holder (9.13) Bob Carpenter piloted his Kawasaki Z-1 to victory over Suzuki-mounted John Gibbs in a first round matchup, as Carpenter clocked a superb 9.29 at 142.63 with his CM Performance Products-sponsored machine to Gibbs' 9.57 at 136.77 mph. Buckler started his march to the winner's circle by making a sing le run of 9.56 at 140.86 when his opponent, Chip Solley, couldn't fire his Kawasaki for the first round of racing. Rounding out the opening round was Butch Pace and his Kawasaki taking the victory over Ron Collis , also aboard a Kawasaki , with a reading of 9.59 seconds at 139.31 to Collis' 9.74 at 136.77 . The classic confrontation between the two national record holders proved to be the highlight of the semi-finals at the Cajun Nationals in Pro Stock Bike , as Vance and Carpenter squared off to see who would advance to the final. The pa ir didn't disappoint the recordsett ing crowd either, as Terry defeated Bob in one of the closest races ever in NHRA Pro Stock competition. Vance rode his Suzuki to a time of 9.21 at . 145.86 to edge Carpenter's Kawasaki at the fin ish line and move into the final round. Carpenter's clocking was a very respectable 9.31 at 141.95 mph . In the other semi -fina l matchup, Buckler defea ted Pace when the latter re d- lig h te d off the starting line. Buckler still managed a time of 9.46 at 140.63 to Pace's 9.77 at 136.98 mp}i: Vance look ed to be the obvious favorite entering the final round , bu t mechanical problems once again cost him the cham pionship . Vance had suffered bike trouble at th e Gatorna tionals after setting a new national record in qualifying. Buckler piloted his Kawasaki through the speed traps for his second straight triumph of the 1979 campaign , and Vance had to settle for the runner·up slot. The Pro Stock Motorcycle competition will return to the NHRA Winston World Championship Drag Racing Series on July 12-15 in Englishtown: NJ, for the 10 th annual Summemationals at Raceway Park. 'fJ Other motorcycle action on the NHRA circuit for 1979 will include the exciting Top Fuel and Pro Stock categories at the 25th annual U.S . Nationals at Indianapolis on Aug. 29Sept. 3, and Top Fuel competition at the 15th annual Winston World Finals at Ontario, CA , on October 5-7 . •