Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

IAbove) The Top Fuel showdown: Winner Kenny Ann_ley's double-engined Kaweseki lright) versus Jim Bernard's magnacharged Yameha.lBelow left) Sid Pogue upset Terry Vance in Pro Stoek.lBelow right) Lady racer VIckI Farr WlI8 one of the opponents Pogue faced.. Underdogs take Kawasaki Super National By H.G. Hardy LOUISVILLE, KY, JUNE 8·10 In the final trip down the strip of the 1/8 mile track at Ohio Valley Race Way, two part-time racers from Oklahoma shut out two California professionals in the lion's share of more than $14,000 in prize and contingency money for International Drag Bike Association's Kawasaki Super National. Sid Pogu~, a machinist in his fath~r's shop in Oklahoma City, did not consi~r his victory as an u~ ~r Suzuki's Num~r On~, T«ry Vanc~. How~~r. when asked how h~ felt about winning. ~ replied, "All you can do is smil~ aft~r ~ating th~ best in th~ country...1 f~1 liU t~ villain who just killed Su~rmanl" T~ surp~ of th~ w~kend WaJ th~ 14 total ~rformanc~ of who/what was thought to ~ th~ undfidog of Top Fuel, th~ singt~ engin~ Yamaha of Ron Tean with Jim Bernard on board. ~ California WCCS Top Fuel titl~hold« drove t~ brand ~ R.C. En~ng Magnachar~r Yamaha' straight 'to th~ final shootout without skipping a ~at, but th~ 2400cc twin engin~ Kawasaki of "Big Carl" Motor· cycl~ Unlimited ridden by IDBA's National Champion K~n Annelcy put a stop to Jim's advance in a most con· vincing mann~r ~tting a n~ 1/8 mil~ world record in th~ process: 4.96 ET at 148.271 17 Top Fu~l~ st~pped into th~ qualifying ring Saturday aft~r th~ rain. K~n Annelcy brok~ his own world record by shooting down Marion Ow~ns with a magic 4.99 ET at 147.05 mph. Frog Thack«'s n~ Kawasaki pulled Jim ~rnard's Yamaha out of t~ hol~ but ~rnard trimmed th~ sails and passed Thack« lik~ h~ was stan· ding still. At the start of th~ Top Fu~1 final pass th~ blu~ bodied llOOcc Yamaha singl~ got th~ jump on Annelcy's "Oran~ Crush" but at th~ 100 foot mark viol~nt wh~1 shak~ ~ in and Bernard's thoughts tumro to survival as Annel~y's thinking was on Kawasaki Moton' posted $40,000 for that No. On~ Plat~ for "79. K~n broken his record again with 4.96 ET at 148.27 mph I B~rnard wasn't just hanging ~ith~r with 5.28 ETII ~7 .82 mph. In ~ fint round of t~ Pro Stock final th~re w~r~ ~ Suzukis against 1~ Kawasakis. and right off ~ bat T~rry Vance. riding Suzuki for R.C. Engin~ring. had to tak~ out o~ of his own. Rod Tum~r. In th~ Reand' round Sid Pogu~ on a ZIR Kawasaki had to do t~ sam~, putting away Vicki~ Farr. th~ lady racer from Skiatook. Okla. For the ~i. CM P~rformanc~'s Bob Carpent~r and Butch Pac~ w~nt down fighting and it ~med that Vanc~ and Pogu~ w~r~ detined to com~ t.ther once again. It had ~ two ~an sinc~ Vance had raced on a 1/8 mil~ strip and it was against Pogu~. At ~ stan of ~ fmal go, th~ two dragst~n cam~ out of th~ chut~ about even, but after ~()() f~ Pogu~ brok~ away for th~ honon. Aft« th~ shock wor~ off Vance smiled and said, "W~ gav~ it OUT best shot, all w~ had ...Sid just h~d more." In Pro Compo Larry Musick almost S«Ved notice to t~ class by shutting ~ door on numb« on~ qualifi« T~rry Kiz« in th~ fam round and then doing th~ sam~ to P~ W~ GI~alIOn's American Turbo·PaIl. But in th~ last run Charle Isra~l on a Turbo· Kawasaki had oth« ideas. When th~ lights cam~ down thcy both snaked towards th~ traps nm and nm. Israel took th~ win by 11 1000 of a Reand. 5.68 ET at 129.49 to 5.68 ET at 126.05. Anoth~r extr~~ly close finish WaJ ~tw~ Sam Willis and Ken Black· bum in th~ Su~r Eliminator. For Sam Willis ~tting to th~ final rac~ wasn't ~asy, as h~ had to u~t Harlcy·Drag S~ialtie' Ray Pric~. How~~r, th~r~ was nothing h~ could do about th~ blazing holehot K~n Blackburn on his Ohio Kawasaki whipped up for th~ class win. Ultra Stock titl~ w~nt to Hamp Osburn's Ny~ Cycl~ Works ZIR Kawasaki ov~r Larry Greenlaw, 6.42 ET at 109.22 mph vs. 6.69 ET at 104.04 mph. •

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