Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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o 00 0') (Above) Roy Thacker (dark helmet! red-lighted. giving Elmer Trett the Top Fuel win. (Below) Duane Wilson (near lane) and Rick Stetson in Pro Compo (Above) Super Eliminator winner Jon Beugh. (Below) Ron Turner (near lane) and Chip Solley In Pro Stock final. Solley socks Pro Stocks at NMRA Southeast Nationals By Greg Guarinello/NMRA GAINESVILLE, FL. APR. 12·13 the NMRA's Southeast Nationals Pro Stock crown, having covered the quaner mile in 9.34 seconds at over 143 mph to Turner's losing 9.47 at 139 mph. Next to t he Pro Stock program. Top Fuel was the major attraction. Good weather and promise of a big payday brought out cream in Top Fuel. The first round began with the only man to run in the seven's during the weekend, Elmer Treu, taking on fellow Harley· Beach. Florida binhday boy. used his Davidson rider Roland Stuart. Elmt'r magic and skills to defeat Vance. left Stuan in the dust when he blasted Solley cut an excellent light and got down the blacktop to the tune of 8.16 out in front.of Vance's Suzuki slightly seconds at 174 mph to a losing and held on for the win despite a 8.47/162. slower ET, 9.29 to 9.22. The race was The second pairing saw Jo" so close that neither rider knew who Thronson's double Harlt'y filling in for won until their respective crews let broken Sam Wills against the trick them have the good/bad news. Kawasaki of Terminal Van Lines and Meanwhile, Keyte was making shon Bo O·Brotcha. Thronson got up on the work of Johnson and Turner downed side of the tire right off the line and Ryan to end the round. handed the win to hard charging At last month's Gatornationals O'Brochta .. 8.98 / l74 to 9.25/136. Keyte put Solley out of the program. Run number thrcc broull'ht the newly This time it was Solley's turn to return painted Yamaha of Teson and the favor as he drew Keyte in the semi· Bernard to the line w face the frog finals. Solley took a solid win by man, Roy "Frog" Thacker. Th,' running an effonless 9.25 to Keyte's normally tough Bernard just didn't 9.47. On the other side of the ladder have it as Thacker took the victory sheet, Turner was taking a bye run running an 8.17 to Bernard's 8.57. that he earned by trailering Carpenter Rounding out the round was an in the first round. anticipated match between two blown The final round came down to the Danny Kawasakis belonging to Pompano Beach plumber. Solley, Johnson and Ken Blackburn. But it versus the Jacksonville. Florida was not to be. While doing his motorcycle shop owner. Turner. The burnout, Johnson's motor coughed, two Kawasaki mounted Floridians sputtered and finally expired, giving went about their pre· race rituals Blackburn a free ticket to the semi. trying to find the best spotS on the The semis saw Top Fuel field Gainesville Raceway surface. Once narrowed down to three blown they settled down it was time for action Kawasakis and one fire breathing, injected Harley·Davidson. First up as Solley took an early lead over Turner and never looked back. When were Trett and O'Brochta. Treu left • lPle Mise died tlowh'Sollt-y was wear'jog . . fi'rst' ;lJ1d at 1.320 feet thr win lights Chip Solley used his 29th birthday as an excuse to give himself a gift in winning the Pro Stock crown at National Motorcycle Racing Association's Southeast Nationals at Gainesville Raceway. Solley, who qualified fourth, rode a picture perfect race at NMRA's inaugural race. "The best present I could have 16 gotten," said Solley, "was to flush Terry Vance down the drain in the second round." Previous to Solley's first round victory, Terry Vanct', the. low qualifier. led off the round with a bye run in the II bike field. The third ra"e saw the red and white Kawasaki of Gatornationals champ, Superbike Mike Keyte, dump Richard Klie's Kawasaki .. Keyte running a 9.29 142 to Klie's 9.821131 pass. Cedri<' Johnson took an easy run on his Kawasaki as Ron Collis brokt' his mount on the rollers. The next run set the stage for the entire event when Ron Turner lOok his MTC Engint'ering prepped Kawasak> to an upset win over NMRA National Number One plate holder Bob Carpenter. Turner took the win with a 9.54 second run at 138 miles an hour. Carpenter ran a slightly qui('ker 9.54/howe\'er. shifter problems were his undoing. To end the first round Ed Ryan took the Ryan and Korey Harley·Davidson to a 9.46/140 victory over Gary Medley's 9.64/134 pass. The second round opened up with a stunning upset as Solley: the' Pomp;lr1d . signaled that he would be heading for a chance at the $1.650 Top Fuel Trett ran a sparkling purse. 8.11/175.78. The other semi saw Blackburn light up the big· red eye, giving the easy win to Thacker. Going into the Southeast Nationals. Thacker and Trett had met nine times in competition with Thacker holding overwhelming advantage with seven wins. However. it was Treu's turn to even up the score somewhat, which he did. Treu ran a wheel in the air 8.24/175, while Thacker wasted an 8.25/167 pass by lighting up the air dreaded red eye. II was definitely Treu's weekend as he was also low qualifier and set the high mile per hour mark. He was also the first recipient of the Custom Bike Magazine Best Appearing Award. The beautifully painted and polished fueler has been a head turner since the first day the bike left the Treu Speed and Custom shop in Oxford, Ohio. Super Eliminator was as low qualifier Jon Baugh out of Albertson. New York, and Orient Express Motorcycles, started things off with a first round bye. Bob Malloy brought out his A/DT Kawasaki and bested the A/F Harley of Sonny Michalowski running an 8.84/151 to 9.57/148. Jim Cooper was next up. Cooper took his Kawasaki to an 8.72 win over Jim McClure's H·D. Mike Bruso had an easy time as his A/F Kawasaki advanced to the next round when Larry Hayes losl the chain on his A/DT Kawasaki right off the line. The amazing A/F Honda of John Sands also advanced as he defeated the Orient Express Motorcycles Funny Bike ridden by George Babor. A pair of blown Kawasaki Funny Bikes were