Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

ately took the lead over Bobby Goodin on a Ducati and Kevin Brunson and Steve Darley on TZ 250 Yamahas as the pack completed the first lap. By the sixth lap Humble's Kawasaki was eight seconds ahead of a tight draft for second that involved the TZ aces Darley and Brunson. On the seventh lap, Humble set the fastest lap of the day at one minute, 57.6 seconds and in the process enlarged his lead over his pursuers. Darley and Brunson had long given up on catching Humble and instead concentrated on how to set up each other for a slingshot pass at the finish. Kevin must· have had a better plan because he followed Steve down the front straight on the final lap and nipped him at the flag by three feet. Bobby Goodin finished fourth and Dan Reed on another Ducati was fifth. For the Lubri-Lon team things had worked out rather well. Humble earned his first win' of the season and much infonnation about the Bimota Kawasaki was learned that will help John Klause prepare for a year of CRRC and AMA Fonnula One racing. Earlier in the day, Darley and Brunson had squared off against each other in rounds one and two. Both have just returned from successful ventures at Daytona and were feeling their oats. The Fonnula Three/250 G P race was run on a still slick. track but Darley managed to wiggle his Jerry Ehlers-tuned TZ into the lead as Brunson struggled with a fouled plug for two laps. By the time Kevin's A.A. Harper Yamaha kicked in the other cylinder, Darley was 25 seconds ahead. Youngster Kevin, the fourth place finisher in the Daytona Novice race, closed within 10 seconds of Darley towards the end but ran out of time. William Harding on an erratic running 400cc Honda took third over BiII'Syfan on a faired Can-Am. Brunson lined up for another shot at Darley in the Fonnula Three/500 GP final but didn't have much luck. Once again Steve blasted away from the field and on a tackier track dropped his laps down to the two minute, three second range en route to another big lead. Kevin pitted on lap four and after two laps worth of repairs re-. entered the race for an eventual fifth place. Harding and R.J. Gamble rode their Hondas to second and third ahead of Cameron Chanslor. In the small-bore GP classes, the best action was in the 200 GP class. Robert Byars had command of the race from the very beginning on his Suzuki but on the final lap it started to slow down. George Lloyd and Bill Syfan, who had swapped ~he second position on their modified Can-Ams, grabbed the opportunity of Byars' misfonune and raced to the checkered flag for the win. Lloyd pulled the famous TWS slingshot on Syfan and won as Byars limped across for a disappointed third. Keith Braud won the 125 GP tiddler class beating Paul Hightower and Joseph Macy. Paul Stephenson from Lake Dallas, the defending champion in five CRRC classes from 1979, only won three events today to kick off his 1980 season. Paul dazzled the crowd with his masterful control during the Open Cafe class that was run in a driving rain. While the rest of the pack tiptoed around the track, Stephenson splashed home to victoty with over a minute lead by the end of the contest. Finshing second behind Paul's Honda 750F was Vernon Davis on another 750F and Allan Johnson on a Honda CBX. Davis and Johnson dueled within a few feet of each other the final three laps for what was an excellent race under miserable conditions. Stephenson returned with his Dave Rash-tuned D/FW for another victory in the 750 Cafe class. The track was still puddled when this event was flagged off, but Ronnie Lundsford obviously doesn't mind the old spray in the face. The spray came from the rear tire of Stephenson's Honda because Ronnie was never more than inches away the entire 30 miles. Ronnie's perfonnance on his Northwest Honda 750F was a surprise to many onlookers because there haven't been many people who could stay with the Hagman for 10 laps. Davis was third on another Honda after he broke free from a three-rider tangle on the final lap to edge Ray Brockie on a . Laverda and Glen Heintseh~1 on a Kawasaki KZ750. Paul Stephenson swapped his D&D Ent. after-market exhaust pipe for the stock unit and' the "legal beagle" was ready for the 750 Production final. Paul took the lead in the first tum over Glen Heintsehel, Chuck Day and Ronnie Lundsford. By the end of the race Paul had a comfortable lead and Lundsford had passed both Chuck and Glen for second. Allan Johnson and his Honda CBX six-cylinder didn't seem to come to grips with the TWS road course when the day was drizzly but once the sun came out, Allan shined too. The big Honda hooked up right from the start of the Open Production class to lead over Lundsford, Charles Brothers on a GS 1100 Suzuki and Stephenson. On lap two, Brothers in his first ride on the Dave Cook-sponsored Suzuki .slipped off the fast line and' Stephenson moved into third. Several laps later Paul moved around Lundsford as they dived into the infield off the banking and snatched away second, but Johnson was well in command of the race by this time. Johnson set the fastest lap of the day for the Production bikes at 2:05.5 on' lap seven, taking the win over Stephenson, Lundsford and Brothers. Jake "the Snake" DeBoe dominated the 655 classes, both Production and Cafe, on a recently purchased KZ 650 Kawasaki. The Production race was sparked by an intense dice between Jake and Robert Harkins that lasted for the first five laps. The pair swapped the lead twice each lap; DeBoe was fastest on the banking but Harkins on an RD 400 Yamaha was nimblest in the infield. DeBoe's horsepower finally managed to wear down Harkins' inspired challenge and they finished first and second over Brothers and Tim McGuire. No one was willing to give Jake a break this day as he had to fight for his life in the 655 Cafe class as well. In this race Ronnie Lundsford on a Honda 498cc four cylinder and Tim McGuire on his trusty RD 400 chased DeBoe relentlessly for the 30 miles but Jake held on for his second win of the day. McGuire, from Lewisville, rode the Carter's Yamaha to victories in both the 410 Cafe and 410 Production classes. Tim, who has been a 500cc specialist for several years now, might have finally established himself as the man to beat. In the Production final Tim not only had to battle an onagain, off-again rain shower, but several close encounters with chargers Harkins and Brothers. Brothers lost his bid when he slid down in a slow comer, but was able to quickly remount for third at the end. Harkins was in the hunt until the final turn on the last lap when his Yamaha failed and Robert was forced to gallantly - .... I-< 0.. <: • Which came lirst? See Results. ~. ~ ~ CLUTCH TIME A6AIN? This time do it right! Replace those wom-out parts with a high mileage BARNETT clutch. We build and stock the most complete line of corprene and BarFlex friction plates, aluminum, steel or copper-plated steel grive plates and heavy-duty chrome silicone clutch springs. BARNETT is also THE source for extra-plate racing clutches used by some of the fastest racers in the world. Don't settle for second best. use ONLY BARNETT for long lasting dutch perlormance. • 35

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