Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126420
!Above) SuperbIke wiI• • FreddIe Spencer III end Ron PIerce teke e cool-off IIp.lBeIow) RIch Sdiilllcld8i • end H8ny DiwI_.1 (31) were peInid up .. dey. lAbcMi) W. Cooley (34) worked his wrrv out of this tnIffic jem to finIIh third In 1118 fInIIL lBelOW) Cooley led his helrt race untile fIIit tire sent .... pecking. Spencer takes Superbikes by storm By Bobi McGann Photos by Dale Brown and Karl Okamoto SONOMA, CA, JULY 15 Seventeen-year-old Freddie Spencer deftly outmaneuvered a 38-rider Superbike Production field and worked his way into the' Sears Point winner's circle for the second time iIi less than an hour. Spencer was never seriously challenged for the lead; from the instant the start flag appeared, the Louisiana pave- 10 ment master waged complete control over the entire field, 'and the Kawasaki Motor Corp.! Arai Helmets sponsored KZIOOO (Mike Baldwin's machine) never missed a beat. Spencer completed the lO-lap final, which had been shortened fram an original 16laps due to delays caused earlier in the day, with a large margin of breathing room over the Pops Yoshimura Suzuki of Ron Pierce. Wes Cooley, who started the final in dead last, was a man on the run from the sta·rt. Cooley, favored to win going into the early stages of day, ~entually earned his third place \ finish as he blasted his Yoshimura R &< D of America/Suzuki up through the ranks to join Spencer and Pierce in victory circle. . Cooley, Loudon Superbike winner Richard Schlachter on the other factory Kawasaki, Harry Klinzmann on the Racecrafrers/Kawasaki Motor Corp. Kawasaki and John Bettencourt, Yoshimura East/Bettencourt's Suzukiz/ Accel/Spectra Oils Suzuki, led off the first of two qualifying heats. Wh.at initially appeared to be a·runaway for Cooley went away on lap three when his rear tire blew out: Cooley ran off the track, saved it, hit a ditch, saved it again, hit another ditch, and took a "Laugh-In" type fall that was probably no laughing matter for him. Schlachter inherited the lead and the win followed up by Klinzmann, Paul Ritter. on the San Jose BMW, Bettencourt, and Warland Kawasaki. mounted Steve Mallonee. The second, and fastest, heat went to Ron Pierce but Spencer, who already had it dialed in just right, p~ured him right down to the wire. ChuckParme, on his self-sponsored Kawasaki, Dave Emde on the Vetter Kawasaki (Ya.himura R &< D didn't have, bike ready for him), and Dennis Smith, DeI·Amo Suzuki, earned their tickets to the first two TOWS of the Superbilte final. As the mid-summer sun dropped into potential blinding position in the turns over the Sears Point hills, the fmal (two hours late) finally was staged. Freddie Spencer, hot off his 250cc Expert win just minutes earlier, was ready to do it again. This time he had no trouble keeping his tires. on the pavement; Spencer shot off the line and proceeded to set a blistering pace for Schlachter, Klinzmann, Smith and Pierce who.were in control of the next four positions. Cooley had already started his work-through-traffic charge to the battlefront and was up to sevemh by th,!= second lap. Smith. feeling the pressure being dealt out by Pierce, couldn't keep up the pace. Cooley had Pierce in his sights as he too went around Smith and Klinzmann started to get a little sideways in the corkscrews. Just past the halfway· mark, as Spencer expertly smoothed out the twisted circuit, a four-abreast battle for second was raging· between Klinzmann, Schlachter, Pierce and Cooley in the back sections. Second through fifth positions at this point was anyone's guess. Finally, on the next to last lap of the shortened race, Pierce made a move around Klinzmann stick. Schlachter was fairly steady in third, but Cooley juat kept on coming right behind him. Spencer had the race sewn up wid more than a 12-second margin over Pierce. But \he young man fron Shreveport didn't let up. He maintained his pace right down to dr: wire; even six more laps probably wouldn't have made any difference ill the final outcome, barring mechanical failure. On the last Jap, Cooley opened it up to the max, went around Schlachter and was headed for Pierce when the race ended about a lap too soon for him. As the trio shared the victory podium, a tired but happy Freddie Spencer' could only add, "I was jUlt really fortunate ... Indeed, after two consecutive wins within an hour, it appears that Spencer is not 'only fortunate, he's also a very talented young ·man wh9 is quickly establishing·his mark as one oj America's newest top road racers of the future. This was Spencer's first Superbike win of National caliber. Hf will joi'n Daytona Superbike winnel Ron Pierce and Loudon Superbikf winner Richard Schlaouer for anothel go at it on August 5 at Laguna Seca. The door is still wide open. • Results 1. " ' _ S - - 1Kow1; 2. Ron Piorce (Suzl; 3 w. Cooley ISuzl; •. Rich _ oc-I: 5. HorTl KIinzn8v> lKawl; 6. Chudc _ IKawl; 7. IIel; Pridmore Ckawl; 8. John - - . . ISuzl: 9. Derri! Smith lSuzl: 10. Roberto _ lSuzI: 11. PouI _ IBMW!; 12. 0tMI Emde IKawI; 13. S_ MoII_ lKawl; 1•. Got-don5eim lKawI; 15. Cony K..---. lKawl. TIME: 18:27.58. AVG. SPEED: 81.25 mph.