Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

00 C') The tight hairpin at Mallory was certainly favorins _ the four-strokes, whole engine braking and torque on acceleration gained 50 yards or more each lap over the pursuing strokers. "I could have won here if I'd had my Suzuki," said a crestfallen Wes Cooley after the race. You had to agree with him - as it was he pulled off after five laps with detonation on his Yamaha. Up front, Haslam extended his lead to nearly the length of the straight before taking the checkered flag on his howling Honda to score the fint four· stroke win in the series since Peter Williams on the John Player Nonon in 1975. It was also the fint British victory of any kind since the 1979 Mallory round. Winner that day was John New· bold. Today, he finished seven seconds bad, just ahead of Schlachter. Rich actually got ahead for a while, but was repassed. He was all but pipped on the line by Spencer who looked happy on the bike for the first time in the series. The next six fmishen were all British, though, and this race effective· Iy meant the end of U.S. hopes in the series. The UK was now 47 points ahead, and it was time to hope for miracles. The chapter of misfonune for the visitors continued: Long stopped and pushed over the line; Singfeion staned without a clutch from the back of the grid; Richichi unloaded at the Devil's Elbow (a rider was killed later that day only 50 yards funher on) but was fonunately unscathed; Adamo rode cautiously after very little practice on a strange bike; and Chivmgton's borrowed Yamaha handled alarm· ingly badly. It had zero damping at the front end and looked to be hinged in the middle. Not a good race for the U.S. No sooner was on potential race winner (Spencer) back in contention than an· other (Mamola) was lost from the scorers. Fate was against America. Nicky Richichi and his two helpers patched up his bike, while the other retirements from race three were got back in shape. Superbike rider Richard Chambers was working on anything that moved in the U.S. team, helped by 250cc competitor Bruce Maus. Both provided much-needed assistance to the team riders throughout the weekend. As the flag fell after a delay to let Wes Cooley make final adjustments to his rebuilt engine, Mamola showed how luckily the promoters got off writing a fat check by passing a fast-staning Barry Sheene on the first lap, thereafter drawing away steadily to win his third race of the series. Spencer tucked in behind but never really looked like passing Randy. Sheene finished a distant third on his 750cc Yamaha, on his fiist good ride of the series. Behind, Haslam tangled with Adamo at the hairpin on lap two, complaining after he'd been torpedoed by the American. Jimmy blandly assened he'd had the inside line and had intended to keep it. Both remounted, Haslam to finish one lap down, while Adamo pulled off after six laps with handling problems. The Honda teamster discovered after the race that he'd cracked a bone in his elbow in the incident, but though in pain was determined to ride at Oulton. Cooley's nail lasted one less lap than before; this time the chain jumped the sprocket. Schlachter, still troubled by his cold, made sixth, while the other American riders brought up the rear in formation. Thanks to the placing first and second, though, the U.S. lost the leg by only 14 points, 75 to 61. But the series differential was now a massive 54 points, as the teams packed up and headed 90 miles nonhwest to Oulton Park. Just as the racing ended, the rain that had been threatening throughout the bitterly cold day began to fall. OULTON PARK, APR. 20 By contrast, a glorious, sunny spring day greeted the riders for the start of practice at Britain's most scenic circuit. Cooley had finally despaired of the engine in his loaner, and had borrowed the motor from George Vicensi's totalled Chivington bike. Dan promptly seized the middle two pistons on his rent-a -racer, while Spencer was in similar trouble with the front two on his Banol RG500. Overall points leader Schlachter fell off in practice, and as a measure of his honesty admitted "I was trying to see how deep I could go in the tum, when suddenly the front tire broke away, and I found myself collecting soil Great Britain No. Name Bike 7 f:1 8 18 11 2 15 15 5 500 Yam 500Suz 500 Yam 500 Yam 1000 hw 1000Hon l000Hon 500Suz l000Suz Barry Sheene Sene HellShaw DavePotcer GnhamWoocI R.oaer Manhall R.onHulam Joey Dunlop K.eith H uewen John Newbolcl 50 48 88 26 25 90 5 54 19 Dale Sm.leton :Richard Schlachcer John LonJ( Jimmy Adamo Nicky:Richichi Dan Chi' n ' bndy Mamola WaCooley Freddie Spencer Total Pointl 14 Branda Total Mallory Park R.ace I R.ace 2 Mallory Total R.unning Total nine. On lap eight, a huge roar from the crowd greeted Sheene's emergence at the front, riding with a good deal of his old panache. Singleton had no an· swer, and was actually passed on the last lap by Dave Potter. The five other American finishers ~rought up the rear. Britain could not now be beaten, with the scores at 596 to 282. Mamola - with his eye set on the Austrian GP the next weekend Schlachter and Haslam all gave the last race a miss thanks to their varied injuries. Inevitably, the race was an anti·climax, with Sheene leading till his engine seized, before Singleton hit the front followed by Potter and Speno cer, closing fast with an engine run· ning at less than 100 degrees C for the first time that weekend. Potter slipped inside Dale at Lodge comer on lap eight to score his first win in the series since 1975 - it's easy to forget just how low he's been at the top until you realize that! Freddie foUowed him through and was only a bikelength be· hind at the finish. Another lap, and he'd have been in front. Britain again packed the middle order places to win the leg 70 to 65. After a drubbing such as the U.S. team took in the '81 Transatlantic Series, it's easy to say that the contest was a waste of time. But several benefits were reaped: Richichi, and to a lesser extent Chivington and Adamo, gained valuable experience and showed thetnselves they could run with the best. They also made it to the international stage in a way they could never have done by staying at home. Cooley will probably never ride a stroker again in competition, and who can blame him? Singleton got in the groove for the series of European GPs he plans to tackle. Freddie Spencer showed his firm decision to run the GPs in '82 is a sound one. And Rich Schlachter, with little help other than from the genius of Kevin Cameron (you know just by looking at Kevin th.at he thinks about things the rest of us don't even know exist!) his friend Bob McLean and his own talent and determination, told the world that here is another American road race star in the making - given the breaks. And besides, there's always next year! • Oulton Park bee I bce 2 Oulton Final Total Total 16 15 51 45 5 12 51 26 20 0 18 14 24 48 48 59 55 60 72 94 70 164 14 8 15 28 0 16 9 15 8 0 15 17 65 55 51 21 59 19 48 20 47 65 104 545 0 5 14 6 8 9 7 12 15 10 12 27 6 9 20 11 24 20 11 8 12 7 9 16 0 10 15 14 8 0 9 10 5 6 12 15 25 16 12 16 19 19 6 22 28 55 28 57 28 59 17 46 48 16 10 15 15 9 0 8 11 12 72 159 88 75 165 502 22 Series Placing 466 10 9 15 0 I 11 4 12 7 67 Total Points United Statel No. Name Branda Hatch bce 1 &ace 2 samples." Damage was minimal. Mamola looked on great form again, and took Chivington out to show him around. Dan's times improved by over five seconds thereafter. A new race leader showed at the front of race five, as Roger Marshall gunned his Moriwaki Kawaaalr.i into the lead from the stan ahead of Spencer, Potter and a fast-staning John Long. Just behind Long came SinflIeton, Mamola and Schlachter. Suddenly it looked as it the miracle might happen, especially with Cooley at last looking reasonably happy and Richichi dicing with Dunlop. It was too good to last, though, but the magnitude of the disaster was hard to take, as America's two leading points scorers both fell on lap two. Long braked early for a tight left bander called Cascades, caught Singleton who was behind him unawares, and when Dale moved sharply out to avoid running up the back of the Floridian, he took out Mamola's front wheel. Schlachter had nowhere to go and paid his second visit of the day to the soil research laboratory at the very same comer. This time it was more serious, as he roughed up both the bike and himself some, tearing a fingernail in the process. Randy hun his wrist, but though Dale stayed on, the series was over as a contest. Still, there was a race to be won, and Freddie Spencer looked set to pass Marshall on lap two until a both-feeton-the-ground moment at Knicker Brook as the motor temporarily tight· ened up dropped him back. He stopped before the line to push over. Dave Potter took up the chase of the four-stroke ahead of Sheene who'd been on the grass in the accident. Neither had 'reckoned though with Dale Singleton. Playing a true captain's role, the Georgia rider went from fifth to first in one incredible lap, elbowing Sheene down to fifth in the process. Lap six, and Dale still led what was turning out to be the best race of the series, but Sheene was now second and closing fast. Marshall stopped with a suspected blown piston. Ron Haslam was riding bravely to finish, but in great pain from his injured elbow. He still passed Long to place eight Brits in the first 0 5 16 15 11 -10 68 6 11 2 7 7 12 14 4 1 . Bike 750 Yam 750 Yam 500 Yam 750 Yam 750 Yam 750 Yam 500Suz 750 Yam 500Suz 14 15 5 6 8 5 16 2 0 10 .15 5 0 11 0 16 4 2 24 50 8 6 19 5 52 6 2 6 H 2 5 5 4 0 1 15 69 65 IS2 48 7 15 15 25 7 6 7 6 16 I 28 57 55 15 12 26 11 48 7 SO 14 0 7 5 6 4 0 5 2 61 109 241 41 Il 5 I 4 2 16 0 -9 - 6 7 4 -- 5 5 15 16 12 18 7 17 10

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