Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

00 (j) 18 in the event. This year only two bikes can be considered factory entries and both of those come from Kawasaki. West German Anton Mang. in the past five years. has made a habit of being' among the top five in the International Lightweight race. He has never won it. During that time he was also becoming one of the best 250cc riders in the world. This year he comes to Daytona wearing the 250cc World Championship crown having wrested it from Kawasaki factory rider Kork Ballington with a private entry. Mang now also has full Kawasaki factory backing and the British press speculates that Mang's showing could foretell how the rest of the season will look. There will be plenty of company for Mang, of the 110 entries nearly 40 are foreign. The other Kawasaki entry will be Eddie Lawson. Present plans call for Lawson to use belt drive (rather than chain drive) as seen on Kawasaki's KZ440 srreet bike. The belt drive was experimented with last year, but without a stock of gearing ratios it was found to have drawbacks. This year they apparenlly have a variety to' choose from. Lawson won last year's event riding a Yamaha. The finish was a squeaker as' Lawson finished just feet ahead of Mang who had only inches on Freddie Spencer. The Robens/Lawwill racing entry of Jimmy Filice should fall under the factory suppon banner. Filice blitzed the Novice field last year on a Yamaha supponed bike and should receive just as much help this year eyen, if, tpe , sponsorship name is different. Among the rest of the field Rich Schlachter, Dan Chivington, Bruce Maus, Gennady Liubimsky, Craig Morris, and Rusty Sharp stand out. That six pack fought many exciting duels during the season and are all tough competitors. The event also highlights some 01 the up and coming talent which advanced from tbe Novice ranks, among them Sam McDonald, Bobby Behel and Nobuhiro Nakamura. Unfonunately, some advanced riders who are not 18 will be excluded from racing because the event is FIM sanctioned and there is an age limit due to the sanction; The AMA apparently did not see fit to cover that aspect in the supplementary regulations. Novice The Novice event is always a good one to watch, for it is usually the proving ground for tomorrow's stars. The 80 rider staning field usually breaks up into groups very quickly. Who has learned how to handle the speed of Daytona and who hasn't quickly becomes evident. Battle of the Twins The idea behind the Bailie of the Twins was to give the riders of twins their own race outside the Superbike round. It was supposed to. be a fun event, but has developed into another ... possible .. classic confrontation. The entry list shows over 100 interested souls riding everything from NOrlon and Triumph to HarleyDavidson, Vincent, Ducati. Laverda, Moto-Guzzi, Moto-Morini, BSA and BMW. A couple of thl: eAtriC;S will be ,, piloted by name riders. Supercross Who's it going to be in Daytona Supercross '81? Will it be another upset year as in '80 when Rex Staten came out on top, or will a more traditional winner come up with the bottle of champagne? Supercross talents differ from those needed in a National MX round. Supercross is tight with numerous jumps at a slower pace while National MX racing caters to higher speeds and the use of natural terrain. Daytona brings these course traits together into an event many riders say is more like a National..longer straights, more areas to pass and wider turns. Last year Rex Staten and Marty Smith went at it until the checkered flag fell and Rex took the win. He was riding with Team Yamaha and things went right.. unril The Rocket started in with a string of injuries that eventually put him off the team roster in '81. Staten is entered as a privateer, 'so watch for number 26, this time on his own Yamaha, Number 26. That was Marty Smith's number last year when he chased Staten and came in second. Smith was a new Team Suzuki member at the time, and that ride had many believing the bionic boy of the mid·'70 s was back, on the way to his founh National Championship or a Supercross title. But Smith never really got things clicking, Many have nOl given up faith that Smith can make a comeback, including Mark Blackwell, Suzuki's team manager who kept Marty with the team in '81. If you were a £an of.Smilb'J in 1he put. UqJ an eye out for num ber 11. 1981 might be his year. Then there's the regular winners who are always in the hunt. Defending Supercross champ Mike Bell, who uses his six foot, three inch frame to grab traction wherever he goes; Kent Howerton, the reigning 250cc National and Trans-USA Champion who is due for his share of wins and who won the Anaheim Supercross opener this year; Mark Barnell, the current 125cc National champion who scored a Supercross win at New Orleans last year and who is always there waiting for someone to make a mistake; Chuck Sun, the 500cc National Champion who won at Atlanta last year and who relies on his mind as much as his body to win; Broc Glover, the three time 125cc National Champion who scored four Supercross wins last year and js always a threat on any displacement bike. We can't forget that Bob Hannah is back and may be seeing the finish line first at Daytona, So far this season Th Hurricane has been gauging his recovery at a steady pace and is still having trouble with his timing. Can Hannah turn up the wick and regain his Banzai style of riding at Daytona? Only time will tell. Then the Su percross success of 1981 comes to mind. Team Suzuki's Darrell Shultz pulled in back· to· back wins in the Seattle doubleheader in rounds two and three this year, and he might be pumped enough to do it again at Daytona. Shultz was known as a crasher in other Supercross races, but claims a steady pace with less mistakes is his answer to winning this year. Never put the other fast guys out of your mind either. Jim Gibson, 1980 Superbikers winner Steve Wise, Donnie Hansen and Warren Reid all posted a top ten finish in last year's final Supercross standings, and all could win. Last but never least, keep your eyes peeled for the self, shop and accessory sponsored riders. They comprise r;nost of the field and are all looking for a factory ride, and the best way to get one is by winning. Pick a privateer and che,'r him on. He may be the star of the show, Ont' rider who won't see the start gate thiS year is Jimmy Weinert, who has gone into semi-retirement. The Jammer posted two Daytona Supercross wins and is remembered for his hands off the bars victory jump after passing Hannah feet from the finish to win the Daytona Supercross in '79, Weinert threw in the towel--and his factory ride with Kawasaki ..after last year's Daytona race due to differences with Kawasaki concerning the modification of his bike. Though the Jammer wasn't in contention for a win last year, he brought as big of a roar from the crowd as Staten did for winning. A tip of the duckbill to you Jammer, so long. Supporting events There are two other road racing events at the Speedway. Both take place on Wednesday. The frrst is· the AMA National Championship Amateur Road Races. This is the opening round of the championship. It will be run over only the infield course at the speedway. There are nine classes run. The Vintage GP road race will follow the amateur program. The race has drawn plenty of vintage machinery including a 250cc 6-cylinder Honda GP bike, The event will also be run on the shon course, If you like a lillie variety then while you're watching the road race you should hustle over to the amateur MX for a bit and then take in the observed trials taking place on the banks of the infield lake. Three shows for the price of one. How caD you ~auhat? •

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