Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

-I NORTHERN DATEUNE ~ E 0') l' . 0') 1"'""4 Gil Martin 171 led Freddie Spencer 181 for one short. sweet lap. Spencer puts MX to shame. Spencer blazes to victory at AFM Golden Gate Challenge IV By Karl Okamoto SONOMA, CA, AUG. 26 Freddie Spencer, aboard the Howard Racing/ Arai/Champion Spark Plugs/Erv Kanemototuned Yamaha TZ750, added 32 another impressive victory to his growing list of 1979 finishes by winning the AFM Golden Gate Challenge IV at Sears Point Raceway. Spencer jetted off the starting line and was long gone before Gil Martin (Yam TZ750) had established himself in second place. ''I'd like to thank Howard Racing and Erv especially. The track was a little cooler than this morning, and the wind really helped. I was turning a little faster lap times this afternoon. We were here to get me a little more time on the 750 (Spencer will be an AMA Expert roadracer beginning next year) and we're starting to get ready for Daytona. We were running with restrictors, which makes the bike much easier to ride it mellows out the powerband." Spencer's affiliation in the race, as far as North or South AFM chapters were concerned, was in doubt ulltil someone pointed out to him that, "he didn't sound like no Yankee." That settled the question. Martin was held up for a while, trying to pass Gordy Seim's Kawasaki ZI with his Yamaha TZ750. "I was .behind Seim for the first lap-and-ahalf. I think I passed him in turn two, but by that time Spencer was gone." The AFM veteran is still without a backer - "just me and the or wallet." Seim found the pace tOO much and let Gil pass "I had to. I started losing the front tire, so I backed off. But it still handled good'" exclaimed Seim in his usual enthusiastic manner. AI Collins (Eric Heclko/Valley Cycle/ AAMCO TZ 375) also got by Gordy for third place, but had a little more trouble. ''I'd pass him and he'd pass me back. Then he started to back off a little so I . made a pass and made it stick." The Saratoga, CA resident finished in third. Meanwhile, Steve Sowden (Kaw ZI) and Steve Epstein (NGK SUI GS 1000) were dicing it up behind Gennady Liumbimsky (Harry Hunt TZ250), Newton Hildebrand (SUI GS 1000) and Tom Chew (Smokamoto Racing TZ350). Participants qualified for the late afternoon challenge on the basis of the 20 fastest lap times taken during the regular club races. The $3000 purse (which wilS divided among most the classes besides the Challenge) was made up of $2000 from the AFM plus another $1000 from Sears Point Raceway. The front row of the starting grid was a mixture of several AFM classes: Spencer and Martin on Yamaha TZ750's, Gennady Liubimsky on his TZ250, AI Collins on his 375cc Yamaha TZ, and Gordy Seim on his AMA Superbike Kawasaki ZI rounded out the first row. Although the race was to feature 10 riders each from the north and south chapters, in actuality only seven LA chapter members took on 13 riders from the SF chapter, with the south taking first and second places but only numbering four out of the top 15 finishers. Fred Winters, AFM number one, again won 125cc GP on his DunJop/ND Bel Ray Honda MTI25R, but not without a tussle with Danny Coe (Phil Schilling/C-A 125). The two racers swapped first and second slots from the second lap until the finish of the race. Winters seemed to have the horsepower advantage, but neither rider could pull away from the other. Jody Nicholas (S&W Honda MTI25R), came out of retirement, ("I got tired of sitting around watching") made the trek up from Costa Mesa and finished third. Open GP featured a visit by Freddie Spencer. The Louisianan started slowly and followed first lap leader Gil Martin for the first one and one half laps. The Shreveport star then took command of the lead and finished first. Spencer was found in the pits after tbe race, patching up blisters on his hands, "cause you have to hold on SO hard. I was just letting the tires heat up the first couple of laps. I didn't realile that the track was so hot. It (the bike) got sideways going past start/finish. I had to come out of the turns more 'straight up' on tbe 750. The 250 doesn't bave that problem." Following Spencer and Martin across the finish line was AI Collins (TZ375). Open Superstreet was a real barn burner, with Chuck Parme (Kaw ZI) leading the field until mid· race when his brakes began to fade. Steve Ep· stein (NGK/SUI GS1000) then took over tbe lead, and Gordy Seim (S&S/ Torco/NGK/Bates/Whitestine Racing Kaw ZI) trailed the first two places. On the seventh lap with Epstein leading, Parme couldn't brake hard enough going into turn II and almost ran off the track. "Zero brakes," Chuck said later. That was enough to let Seim get by for second place. Meanwhile Wade Boyd (Kaw KZ650) and Ray Roy (BMW RIOOS) were having a battle of tbeir own farther back in the pack. Then Seim got by Epstein for the lead on the white flag lap and held on for the win. "I hurt my wrist somehow on the start, bUI it popped back into place right away," said Gordy. Seim and his pit crew, after successfully passing the mandatory post-race noise test, let out a whoop to celebrate his "official" victory. In other action, Thad Wolff (Yam RD350) won 410cc Production after a seven lap duel with Malcolm Hill (Toomey s Cycle Center/Yam RD 375). Larry Theobald, sponsored by Harold Olsen's T and 0 Yamaha in Lomita, took top honors in 410 Box Stock, Rob Stabile (Rob's Pool Repair/Yam 250) handily beat Chuck Pace (C·A 175) in 250cc Production and Mark Shelton took the overall and 750cc Box Stock win on his Champion Kawasaki KZ650. Freddie Spencer also won 250cc GP, beating Glen Shopher (Farm House Rest./Shoei/ND/Fairway YamTZ250) and AI Collins (Yam TZ250). Results 4'Occ PROD: 1. Thad WolfIlYom): 2. Malcolm Hill (Yoml: 3. Mart

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