Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~II o 00 0") ...... 1Left) The winner: Patrick Pons. IAbovel Dale Singleton 1301. Pons 13031. Kenny Roberta 121 and Freddie Spencer 181 dive four abrealtt into turn four at the tim ltt8rt of the 1980 O..ytona 200. on Spencer, Roberts Gina &vaird, Carter Alsop and Wendy Epstein - only Bovaird elected to at· tempt to qualify for the 200. She did - 42nd in a field of 129 hopefuls aboard a Yamaha TZ500 sponsored by Hawaiian Tropic. Unfortunately, a crash at mid-point ended her race. Qualifying To the surprise of few, Kenny Roberts ripped the !I.84 mile Daytona International Speedway course for a new track record in qualifying. almost two and a half seconds quicker and over two miles per hour faster (2 min., 02.397 sec.lll!l.826 mph) than his , record set in 1976. However, most if not all eyes including those in the Yamaha pits were also on Freddie Spencer as he got a chance to show his stuff. Spencer cut laps within one second of Roberts, but could get no closer. The 129 entries were timed on the baais of their five fastest laps in three open practice seuions with the 20 fast- est on Thursday's unable to be bumped by faster riders on Friday. When Thursday ended it was Roberts and Spencer followed - at least until the timing was straightened out - by Ed Powell, Bruce Hammer and Boet Van Dulmen. The revised standings found Van Dulmen in third with Rich Schlachter fourth and Wes Cooley on the outside of row one. Cooley's placing on a four-stroke showed plenty of promise. Of those not getting in qualifying runs on Thursday only Skip Aksland and Ron Pierce would have broken into the top 20. The 200 The normal formalities preceeding the start of the 200 were speeded up due to forecasts of impending storm fronts to the north and west of the Speedway. Officials gained perhaps a half hour from the accelerated program, but it was not to be enough as would soon become evident. Rich Schlachter appeared to ignite a rocket as the field swept into tu rn one and the infield portion of the track for their first tour of the course. Schlachter came out onto the banking and opened up an immediate lead. holding it through the chicane and just as quickly heading for the track apron and the pits with a burned out clutch. "I knew the clutch was going when 1 left the line," said a dejected Schlachter. "This hasn't been my week. I have already been robbed three times at my motel and now this. I'm not very happy." In a blur, the four-stroke Yoshimura Suzukis of Graeme Crosby and Wes Cooley came thundering by, trailed closely by Van Dulmen, Spencer. Gene Romero and 75 others. Crosby ended his front running show when he locked up the rear brake going into turn one and overshot the corner. Cooley wouldn't be up front too much longer either as he became the victim of a blown valve cover gasket. Von Dulmen quickly moved to the front. but Spencer and Pons were right there also. Where was Roberts? He was stuck in about 12th and looking at the bike. He quickly came into the pits on lap two and feverish work took place as he crew began to replace what was first· diagnosed as a sticking throttle cable. Unfortunately, that did not solve the problem. As Roberts stood passive behind his dark shield glaring at the bike the throttle was tested. No good. Roberts stalked off. ''There was grit in the throttle slides, said Yamaha team manager Kenny Clark. "There was a gust of wind at about the two minute mark blowing all sorts of stuff off the MX track, 1 believe that's where the carbs picked up the problems, .. By lap three Spencer had established himJelf in front and began to open up a bit of breathing space as Romero, Cooley, Abland, Van DuI~, John H 7

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