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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126493
IClockwise from above) Bo O'Brochta beat Sam Wills for the Number One IDBA Top Fuel plate. Terry Kizer prior to his run; he walked away from the race with the Super Eliminator title. Terry Vence warms up his tire before beating SId Pogue for the Pro Stock Number One. IDBA World Finals O'Brochta, Kizer, Vance & Stevenson quickest at Gulfport specific, but indicated he didn't favor rule changes and cited "association favoritism" by the IDBA as reasons. By Tom Dalton GULFPORT, MS, OCT. 11·12 The 5th Annual IDBA World Finals at Mississippi's Gulfport Dragway played host to a large field of contestants, outstanding weather and a number of surprises in the battles for division championships. Terry Vance regained Number One in Pro Stock putting Suzuki back in the driver's seat. However, Kawasaki riders swept the remaining five titles leading off with Bo O'Brochta in Top Fuel and Jon Baugh in Pro Compo Terry Kizer took Super Eliminator while Modified Eliminator went to David Schultz and Stock Eliminator to Mike Phillips. The event was marred by the theft of the Larry Cook/Sandy Kosman Pro Stock bike Saturday night. Thieves took Cook's van with bikes, tools, spare parts and everything else. Pro Stock class had a large field vying for spots on the 16 bike qualifying ladder. Many had problems, among them defending Number One Sid Pogue. Pogue's problems kept him from qualifying in Saturday's session. "We had some simple motor problems early," said Pogue, "and later we broke my good motor so I had to qualify Sunday." Pogue's 1980 Number One Pro Stock plate was on the line as Terry Vance had qualified in the number one position with a 8.94 second pass early Saturday. Pogue qualified early Sunday in the next to the last round before eliminations began. Later Sunday Vance ripped a holeshot on Pogue in one semi and gained his ride to the final. Vance laid down an 8.89 pass to Pogue's 9.00 to take away Pogue's Number One plate for the 1981 season. The Vance· Hines Racing SuzukI took Vance to his second Number One plate in as many seasons. He eliminated competition one at a time with three consecutive 8.89 E. T. runs and came very close to a world record in the final with his winning 8.8!l/148.51 mph ride. Bob Carpenter had squared off in the final against Vance on an R.C. Engineering sponsored Suzuki. Carpenter's losing effort, a 9.06/ 144.69 run placed him third for the season in the point standings. Carpenter had said earlier Sunday, "This is the last season I'm running the IDBA circuit." Carpenter wasn't very Questioned about his plans for the 1981 season Vance said, "I don't really know what my plans are now for next year." On the subject of the large contingency program offered by Suzuki in NMRA for next se.ason, Vance said the program would not affect him since "factory sponsored riders aren't eligible for that money." The Top Fuel division always has fewer entries than the other eliminator categories and the reason is expenses. Top Fuel champ Bo O'Brochta's Terminal Van Lines sponsored Kawasaki tilts the cash register at $800 per mile. That's $200 per quarter-mile run for fuel and parts, but it's a missile, O'Brochta was very relaxed and confident before eliminations after having ripped off a. 7.40 second run for the top spot in qualifying, "We spend at least $!lO,OOO a season running Top Fuel in three associations," said O'Brochta, "and that doesn't count payrolls, tools, equipment and the rest. There's $100,000 wrapped up in the bike and transporte.r also. "Next year could be quite intereSting," continued O'Brochta. "We've been working on a six cylinder Kawasaki 1!l00 for Top Fuel. It's not quite ready yet." Sam Wills came up on the losing end when he and O'Brochta met in the final. O'Brochta turned in a fine 7. 7!l second run with Wills roIling up an 8.11 in a losing effoT!. The win netted O'Brochta the Number One plate, a tidy sum in contingencies and later at the awards banquet he was named Pro Rider of the Year. . Super Eliminator star Mike Bruso surprised everyone with a losing effort in the first round of eliminations. Mike had apparent mechanical problems as he coasted through the quarter-mile timing lights. Bruso:s misfortune really opened up possibilities for other raCers that were otherwise certain Bruso had the title locked up. Second year pro Terry Kizer, sponsored by M.T.C. on a 1000cc Kawasaki, seized the misfortune of the Power Enterprises team and went the distance to win the event, Number One and the contingency money at the awards ceremony. Pro Comp action saw Orient Express-sponsored Jon Baugh face off with Buddy Stevenson. Baugh shut down out of the hole while Stevenson breezed the strip to win. Baugh incurred problems on the line, but had accumulated enough points during the season to win Number One for 1981. Paul Gast, on a Kawasaki sponsored by Fast by Gast, took the Modified Eliminator and Joel Cox headed the win column in Stock Eliminator. E. T. Bracket action finished the season with Roger Rusit, aboard a Kawasaki, taking the E.T. 1 bracket and Julius Rocconi, Jr., on a Suzuki, in the E.T. 2 bracket win column. The 1981 season cranks up with the Spring Nationals at Gulfport in April. • 9