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/126456
o 00 0') 10 , ditions which usually prevail on raceday. Indianapolis is a favorite among racers and fans alike for it produces the best nighttime mile going. Of course it is tbe only one, but the sweeping comers and power straights set up entirely different from the daytime version. Indy's twin Nationals are back to back within a 24 hour span. To survive both is a feat in itself. Some say that San Jose is the mile. The Santa Clara Fairgrounds track seems to produce more blanket finishes and more close racing than almost anywhe.re else. The springtime event - until Sacramento came into the picture - was traditionally a proving ground to see who had the power and who didn't. The fall running at San Jose is a make or break event in the title chase. Sacramento, the opening mile ofthe year, is where all the winter work either pays off or doesn't. It is fast and wide open which makes for good racing. Of the eight road races currently on the schedule, three are new to the Winston Pro Series. The mainstays are Daytona, LOudon, Sean Point, Pocono and Rivenide. There is only one Daytona and if you haven't been there then it is very hard to explain the aura that surrounds Cycle Week. Loudon is a happening as much as it is a race. The 1.6 mile, 10-turn track puts a premium on handling and braking with power off the comer em· phasized more than top end. Pocono is a power track. but the way the infield is set up it is almost impossible to gear for the slow corners and run fast at the same time. Riverside and Sears Point have their own personalities. Riverside is twisty and slightly undulating. Make one mistake and you run off into the very loose stuff. Sears Point features plenty of fast sweepers. Two of the new tracks are pure road racing courses. Road Atlanta returns to the schedule after a five year absence. Kenny Roberts calls the facility "The best road race course in the world." Need we say more. Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin winds its way through the countryside with the emphasis on a sweeping rather than tight configuration. Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan is a super speedway style track using a portion of the two mile oval connected to the infield. Some riders feel that the Winston Pro Series title is won or lost on the half miles. Since there are nine of them - nearly one third of the events on the schedule - you can see why. Ascot hosts two of the nine, opening the half mile season and closing it. The track is unique in that it presents the rider with more traction than any other. The composition of the surface lets you hang it all out. but doesn't tell you when it is ready to let go. Louisville, The Meadows and returning Harrington are three tracks which share limestone or a simi liar composition base. Louisville and Harrington run at night and both tend to groove up. The daytime event at The Meadows could be called a shon mile since the facility is actually fiv('· eights of a mil(' long. It too has b('en known to be a groove. The Columbus Charily N('wsies National at the Ohio Stat(' Fairgrounds used to b(' one of the most (,xciting ('vents to watch on th(' circuit. Now lh(' thrilling part is lhe first 200 mlnul('s of practice bdore th(' track grooves up. The only qu('slion about Topeka is how wide th(' groov(' will be. How('ver. th(' rid('rs like the track. Two new facilities. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and TuIaa, Oklahoma, will probably be blue groove tracks. Fairgroundispeedway facilities usually are. • • • • GJlaad .atio.al Ch....pio••hip WID.to• •JlO Se--i•• March 9 Road Race Daytona International Speedway P.O. Box Drawer S Daytona B_ch. FL 32015 9041256-5301 April 12 Mile Cal-Expo Fairgrounds Sacramento. CA J.C. Agajanian Enterprises Box 98 Gardena. CA 90247 213/321-5323 May 4 Mile • Santa Clara Fairgrounds SanJose.CA Bob Berkhimer Associates 14 Camp Evers Lane Scotts Valley. CA 96086 4081438-3210 May 10 Half Mile Ascot Park J.C. Agajanian Enterprises Box 98 Gardena. CA 90247 2131321-5323 May 31 Half Mile Louisville Downs William H. King Enterprises Box 32457 Louisville, KY 40232 5021964-&415 June 1 Road'Race Road Americe Lae Hall Road America Elkhart Lake. WI 53020 4141876-33&0 June 7 Half Mile DeI8_ra'State Fairgrounds H.-rington. DE J.J. Milligan J&M Productions 5831 Southwestern Blvd. Hanburg. NY 14015 7181848-6100 June 15 Road Race Bryer Motorsport Park KeithBryar Box 11 Loudon. NH 03301 8031783-4744 June 20 IT Santa Fe Park HowardTiedt Santa Fe Enterprises 9100 S. Wolf Rd. Hinsdale, IL 60521 312/839-1050 June 22 Half Mile Ohio State Fairgrounds Bill Haire Charity Newsies Box 23071 Columbus, OH 43223 614/875-9323 June 29 Road Race Road Atlanta Glenda Burns Road Atlanta Rt.1 Braselton. GA 30517 4041967-6143 Dr. Joseph Mattioli PIR General Delivery Mt. Pocono. PA 18344 717/646-2300 August 17 Half Mile Hawkeye Speed_y Cedar Rapids. IA J.A.S. Productions 2008 E. 73rd St. Tulsa. OK 74136 9181492·7103 July 5 Half Mile Sunflower State Expo Topeka.KS Trojan Enterprises Box 106 Redondo ~ch. CA 90277 2131379-2982 July 6 Road Race Michigan Int'l Speedway Rick Nadeau MIS 12828 U.s. 12 Brooklyn. MI 5171592-6671 August 24 Mile Indiana State Fairgrounds see August 23 July 12 IT Castle Rock Fairgrounds Mt. St. Helena M.C. Box 51 Castle Rock. WA 98611 2061274436 August 31 HalfMIe TheM_dows M_dow Lands. PA William H. King Enterprises Box 32457 Louisville. KY 40232 July 13 Road Race 5eersPoint Bob Bondurant 5eers Point International High-vs 37 & 121 Sonoma. CA 95476 707/938 8448 July 19 IT Ascot Park J.C. Agajanian Enterprises Box 98 Gardena. CA 90247 2131321-5323 July 27 Mile DuQuoin State Fairgrounds DuQuoin.IL William H. King Enterprises Box 32457 Louisville. KY 40232 5021583-6251 August 1 Short Track Santa Fe Park Howard Tiedt Santa Fe Enterprises 9100 S. Wolf Rd. Hinsdale. IL 60521 3121839-1050 August 3 IT Peoria M.C. clubgrounds PeorlaM.C. 1212 S.W. Jefferson Ave. Peoria.IL 309/674-1917 August 17 Road Race Pocono International Ra~y August 23 Mile Indiana State Department Motor Racing Depai bUNt Indiana State Fair 1202 E. 38th St. Indianapolis. IN 46206 3171923-3431 502I5B3-62S1 September 7 Mile New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse. NY Trojan Enterprises Box 106 Redondo B_ch. CA 902n 213/379-2982 September 14 Half Mile Tulsa Fairgrounds Tulsa. OK Jim Evans JAS. Productions 2008 73rd. St. Tulsa. OK 74136 9181492·7103 September 21 Mile Santa Clara Fairgrounds SanJosa.CA Bob Barkhimer Assoc:ilrtes 14 Camp Evars Lane Scotts Valley. CA 96086 4081438-3210 September 28 Road Race Riverside Raceway Stadium Motorsports 920 Glenneyre Ave. Laguna B_ch. CA 92651 714/494 6558 October 5 Half Mile Ascot Park J.C. Agajanian Enterprises Box 98 G.dana. CA 90247 2131321-5323