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/126432
- r-$.0 4J ..c o ... u o lAbove) PennaylY8nla's Bob c.pent8r defe81ed Terry Vance In the Pro Stock fineI to take the NMRA c:hIIrnpionshIp. The win was worth .,0.000 in bonus money from Kltwesekl (below Ieft). (Below rightI Vance set a new top speed record of 148.27 mph. Carpenter nails down NMRA Pro Stock championship By Tom Blattler Photos by Joel Bre.ult ONTARIO, CA. OCT. 5-7 The National Motorcycle Racing Association Pro Stock points championship came right down to the final race of the 1979 season, and Kawasaki-mounted Bob Carpenter of Comwells Heights, PA, outdueled Suzukimounted Terry Vance in the final round to score both the National Hot Rod Association 8 Winston World Finals title and the number one plate in the NMRA. Carpenter, winner of this year's NHRA Summemationals at Englishtown. NJ, rode a strong and consistent event at Ontario Motor Speedway with a final round clocking of 9.15 seconds with a top speed of 145.6:5 mph to Vance's 9.62 at 144.46. The victory gave Carpenter the overall poinu title for 1979 as he bested Vance's point total by less than 200 markers. The triumph for the Pennsylvania rider also gave him an added $10.000 from Kawasaki for the overall championship. For Vance, the factory Suzuki rider, it was a tough loss as Terry had earlier set a new national top speed record of 148.27 mph and low elapsed time of the event at 9.02 seconds. In qualifying, Vance's 9.02 easily held down the number one spot along with the 148.27 readi~. Carpenter took the second position at 9.10 seconds at 147.05. while Butch Pace of Edwardsville. IL, aboard a Kawasaki. made up the top three slou with a time of 9.:50 and 142.85. Craig Burns of Loa Angeles. CA. rode his Kawasaki to the fourth place in qua1ifications at 9.52 and 140.62 followed by L.A.'sJ0hnny Kirkwood at 9.50 and 140.62, Jay Wade of Torrance, CA. at 9.54 and 1:57.82, Harley-Davidson rider Ed Ryan of Bellerica. MA, at 9.54 and 141.7:5 and Roger Monroe of Edwardsville, IL, at 9.55 and 140.40. The opening race of round one found an upset as the Harley-Davidson of Ryan put away Pace and his Kawasaki with a 9.:56 at 141.28 to Butch's 9.99 and 140.62. After the first race, the favorites scored the rest of the opening round competition with Carpenter taking the best of Wade at a sizzling 9.04 and 146.:54 to Wade's Kawasaki's time of 9.59 and 1:59.:51. Bums and Monroe matched their Kawuakis in the next event with Craig taking the win at 9.40 and 140.40 to Roger's 10.41 and 141.50. Vance kept his Suzuki in high gear with an easy win over Kirkwood at 9.14 and 147.78 to Johnny's 9.96 and 159.10. The Carpenter-Vance final round matchup became hotter in the semifinals With Vance putting away Ryan's Harley-Davidson with a consistent 9.16 at 147.54 to Ed's 9.72 and 140.84. Bums' Kawasaki couldn't make the call for the semi-finals which left Carpenter with a single run. Bob's only chance was attempt to gain lane choice over Vance in the final, and that is what he did with a quarter·mile reading of 9.1:5 at 145.86. That all-important run gave Carpenter the advantage over Vance for the finale, and Bob definitely took the added edge to the winner's circle with a 9.15 and 145.6:5 to Terry'S off• pace 9.62 and 144.46.