Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Reuben McNurter slipped from ninth finish 18th after running in the top 10 all day, Cory Ruppelt and Bruce Hammer rounded out the top 10. Richichi, after thinking for awhile, finally did come up with something to say. "I guess I should thank the people who have been behind me and helped me win Winston Pro Series Rookie of the Year last year. GS Performance gets a lot of the credit for me being he,re. I also have help from Arai, Vanson and NO." Results NATIONAl; 1, Nick Richichi !Yom); 2, Dole SillQloton !Yom); 3, Rich Chombers !Yom); 4, John Ilelloncourt (Yom); 5, Mike Spencer IHon); 6, Fronk McToggort (Yom); 7, Jeff Umrysz IYom); 8, 800nie Knotl!Yom); 9, Cory Rupe!l IYom); 10, Bruce Hommer (Yom); 11, Dove Sch_ IYom); 12, Jimmy Adamo !Yom); 13, St""" Gervais IYom); 14. AIon Word !Yom); 15. D.... Emdo (BMW); 16, Iionry DeGouw !Yom); 17. G~ Martin !Yom); 18, R . - McM~ (~); 19, Kurt Lentz IYom); 20, Kurt Liebmann (Yom), TIME: 55 min., 22,401 IOC. AVERAGE SPEED; 81,483 mph, IWfA GRAND NAl10NAL CHAMPIONSHIPlWlNSTON PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1, Jttv Springe-. (94); 2. St.... Eklund (81); 3. Miko Kidd IBOI; 4, Randy Gc-. 173); 5, ~ Scott 166); 6, CTlEI Scott " - - " Honlc Scott 155); 8, Jimmy Filice (SOl; 9. St.... _ (48); 10, Ale. J o r _ (48); 11, Torry Poovey (43); 12. Scott Porker 1411; 13, mEl Dele Singleton/Gerth Brow (38); 15, Ricky (;qhom (301; 18. W..,... Rainey 129); 17, Ted Boody l27l; 18. Miko Spencer 128); 19, IIubbB s-. (25); 20, Nick Richichi 1241, Superbike winner Lawson showered by Lady Luck By Gary Van Voorhis LOUDON, NH, JUNE 20 Eddie Lawson and Freddie Spencer seem to have a thing going in the Superbike Championship Spencer gets out front to lead D." Eddie lAwson ltop) took 8dv8ntage of a Freddie Spencer fall to win the Superbike race. Singleton labove) was runner-up in Formula One. the minds of many, didn't get a chance to materialize because Spencer scratched from the program earlier in the day due to a sprained wrist sustained in his crash at the Indy Mile National being aggravated in his Superbike.crash on Saturday. By lap five Cooley had ~ seconds in hand on Richichi who was a short distance ahead of a hot dice between Mike Spencer and Miles Baldwin with Chambers, Bettencourt, Singleton, Pietri, and Jeff Umrysz a distance be· hind. Mike Kidd, who' was running Laconia to grab some National points in his chase for the Grand National Championship, was running 17th. "I just want to basically cruise around to get the feel of the bike," said Kidd. "Think I have a good chance of finishing up there." Kidd had gotten up about 11 th before crashing hard four laps from the end. He was cut, bruised and battered and took a trip to the hospital for observation. Richichi took a few laps to check out Cooley's lines and then slowly began to cut the gap between the two. By lap 10 Richichi was a slim one second behind and on the following lap he was right on Cooley. On the 12th lap Cooley, using traffic, had gotten back some breathing room. Just as Cooley entered the final turn before the start/~nish line to complete lap 13 the rear end twitched, the bike went sidewayS 'and Cooley went down. The bike bounced off the outside retaining wall and slid into the corner of 'the track as Cooley - shaken and with a cut hand and knee - scrambled into the haybales. "I really don't know what happened," said Cooley. "One second I was on the bike and the next I'm sliding along the tracle Luckily, there was no heavy traffic nearby." Richichi grabbed the lead and nrver looked back for the remaining ~ laps. He had 18 seconds on second place Chambers with Singleton in a close third. On the same lap as Cooley's mishap Mile Baldwin also went down. Ba,ldwin had been running a very strong third before his mishap. With Richichi out front, the attention centered on the Chambers/Singleton duel for second. The two swapped back and forth for about 25 laps. Frank McTaggart was also in on the swapfest for a number of laps and then slipped back to engage in battle with Bettencourt and Spencer, eventually placing sixth behind them at the finish. The top 10 positions were basically set. from lap 30. Singleton passed C_hambers for good on lap 36 for second while McTaggart got nicked by the Chambers/Spencer battle on lap 40. Umrysz was safe in seventh. Boonie Knott steadily rode his way to eighth as Lawson around and in the late stages' of the race Spencer falls and Lawson romps home the winner. It happened just that way in the Bell Superbike race at Laconia in the rain - an almost instant replay of what had happened in the previous round at Road America. However, this time Spencer was quickly back in the race and finished third behind Wes Cooley. "Winning feels so good," crooned Lawson, imitating someone singing in the ~hower - which he basically was. "It looks like the best strategy for me is to follow Freddie from now on," he continued jokingly. "Now let me get off this wet gear. Riding in the rain is no fun, although I guess 1 had a pretty good time." By virtue of his win Lawson - and Kawasaki - move from a tie for second in the point standings to a solid hold on that position 'eight points behind defending series champ Cooley and his Yoshimura Suzuki, 62-56. Honda's Feddie and Mike Spencer hold a joint third at 46 points each. "Freddie was trying hard to take second away from me on the final lap,'" said Cooley. "1 rode a wide line to make sure he would have to go around me if he wanted to pass." I probaby should have gone faster in the early laps, but my rear tire was slid,ing around so much 1 thought it was going flat." "It's disappointing to lose this way, especially since the circumstances are similar to what happened at Road America. One thing for sure, my luck has to change for the better pretty soon. " said Spencer afterward. "The crash," continued Spencer, "was just one of those things. 1 was going underneath a slower rider going into a comer when he moved in on me, forcing me off the track. 1 thought I could ride it out, but I went down when the back end got loose. That was it, scratch another one in the weird luck column." By the time the Superbike fmal was called to the line the rain was coming down heavily enough to make most riders wonder about the wisdom of running in the rain. Many, including all the factory riders, had gone to full rain tires front and rear. Those who didn't have rain tires crossed their fingers. C~ley held the pole by virtue of his heat win on a damp track. Harry Klinzmann, on the Racecrafter's Kawasaki, was alongside after winning the second heat. Lawson, Freddie Spencer and Robeno Pietri filled out the front five. One the wave of the green flag Spencer led the drag race to turn one and immediately began to open ground on Lawson. Spencer had appeared cautious in his heat race, but now was clearly the fastest and perhaps the most daring rider on the track, Spencer continued to tame the 1.6-mile circuit and was quickly riding through backmarkers by the third lap of the 25 to be run. By the ftfth lap Klinzmann, who had been running fourth, was out. The race had already settled into a pattern with Spencer ftve seconds ahead of Lawson who had seven seconds on Cooley. Only the margin of time between the three would change for another 10 laps. Behind the leaders Mike Spencer, Superbike newcomer Jon Woo, Pietri, Kawsaki of Canada's Lang Hindle and a surprising Dave Erode, on the San Jose BMW, were beginning a long debate on positions. Erode had come from 42nd on the grid and would eventually finish fourth after a superb ride. Mike Spencer, after a race long duel with Woo, held the upper hand to take fifth a t the end followed a t a good distance by Pietri. The only other rider on the same lap as the leaders at the finish was Ducati-mounted Malcolrne Tunstall. He was eighth. - Spencer had pulled out such a commanding lead that his crash went aimOllt unnoticed except by the Kawasaki pits where Lady Luck's smile brought grins to all faces. Spencer, quickly back in the race, got by Erode for third and was just as soon repassed. The battle continued as Emde and Spencer drew a bead on Cooley. With four laps to go Lawson had 25 seconds on Cooley who was casting glances" over his shoulder at Spencer. They knew it would go down to the final 1.6 miles on the ,final lap. Spencer tried high and low to get past and appeared to have one last shot in the final corner until a slower rider moved into rnSline, leaving Cooley home free. Results SUPERBIKE ANAL: 1. Eddie Lowoon (~I; 2, w. Cooley (Suz); 3, Freddie Spencer (Han); 4. Devid Emdo (BMW); 5. Mike Spencer IHan); 8. Roberto PieIri (Han); 7, Jon Woo I~I; 8. _ r...-I lDucl; 9. Carry _IKowl; 10. Joe Ooowoki lSuzl; 11. Jool Somick (~); 12. Jim Adamo (Duc); 13, ler>g Hindle oc-t;14. Den ChMngliDn (Hon); 15, R.J, GomlIe ~ 18. _ MoM..... (~); 17, CoItin Glbb (~l; 18. Doug Lentz lKowl; 19. Devid Hoyle (~); 20, Kirtt Goey (suzl. TIME: 36 min" 38.340 8lICO. AVERAGE SPEED: 87.342 mph, Expert Lightweight:· Lawson all the way By Gary Van Voorhis LOUDON, NH,JUNE21 Nothing makes Eddie Lawson smile like winning and he had the start of a big smile before the beginning of the Expert Lightweight event. When the race finished 13

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