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/126493
o 00 0') 0') C'l I-< ~ ..c o ..... u o (Above) As the sun dropped behind the Ontario grandstands, Bo O'Brochta made a single run to win the Top Fuel bike meet over the sport's heeviest competition. (Right top) Russ Collins made one 196.50 mph blest down the strip but then blew the Sorcerer's motor when he ceme up to fece O'Brochta for the finel run of the day. (Right middle) Jim Bernard had the dubious honor of meeting O'Brochta in the semifinals. (Right bottom) Terry Vance beet Merion Owens but was forced out with mechenicel problems in the process. Suzuki's Keith Van Harte received the NMRA Manufacturer's Award. NHRA/NMRA Winston World Finals , II By Tom Blattler Photos by Charles Morey ONTARIO, CA, OCT. 17-19 The popular category of Top Fuel motorcycle racing has now turned into a "o.ne-man" show following the most impressive Winston World Finals drag races at Ontario Motor Speedway. Bo O'Brochta, the St. Peters· burg, FL "Pocket Rocket," even had the four-wheel racers and d h h II f an~ stunne w en e tota. Y 6 dom~nated the $306,000 drag ra.cmg claSSIC and added the World Fmals title of his U.S. Nationals crown and the National Motorcycle Racing Association Number One plate. After recording the quickest elapsed time in motorcycle drag racing history during qualifying at 7.08 seconds, O'Brochta rode through the Top Fuel lineup to defeat former NHRA World Champion Russ Collins in the final round. O'Brochta claimed his second NHRA title of the 1980 season and put a fitting climax to the most incredible showing ever for a two-wheel machine on a quaner-mile strip of asphalt. In the finale, Collins developed engine trou ble in his popular twin ·engined Honda at the starting line, and the "Florida Flash" took the easy victory at 7.37 seconds and 184.04 miles per hour. However, it was Saturday's morning qualifying run which totally amazed the four· wheel set and even had car veterans of two decades claiming O'Brochta's record performance was the most incredible quaner·mile pass they had ever seen. Just two months ago at Fremont, CA, Bo had stunned the motorcycle industry with a superb 7.!l0 clocking to record the quickest pass ever. Then, at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day, the 41-year-old Pro eclip&ed the Fremont mark in a sterling shot of 7.28 seconds. It was that run which again stunned the four·wheel enthusiasts, and had them just shaking their heads in disbelief. Then, at Aceo, NJ, in the NMRA Nationals, O'Brochta once again lowered his aU·time mark at 7.27 in clinching the No. 1 plate for the quickest accelerating two-wheel rna· chines in the world. But no one expected the unbelievable performance of the Terminal Van Lines Kawasaki last Saturday morning when Bo knocked nearly two-tenths off his best mark ever. Similar to the pass at the U.S. Nationals, the front wheel of the "big green" machine danced in the air as O'Brochta balanced his slight frame over the awesome horsepowered mono ster. He continued to shift gears with the front wheel still in the air, and, finally, at the BOO-foot mark, 50 guided the front wheel to the racing surface and reached the finish line in an incredible 7.08 Seconds. At first, racers and spectators thought the Kawasaki had broken at the 800-foot mark due to the smoke coming off the machine. However, not unlike an airline jet making a landing, the front wheel smoked the rubber off the tire when it made its flISt contact with the asphalt. So stunned was the announcer at O'Brochta;s record run, that he first thought the timing equipment bad