Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

dntinutldfrom /J4gtl6) 00 0') at tum one. Mark Homchick and Frank McTaggart were moving up. Mike S. held a slim lead over Singleton while Freddie S. continued to close and dispatched Cooley to fourth. Singleton continued to probe the defenses of Mike S., closing in the infield turns and running up on his competition on the straights. Lap seven saw Freddie Spencer pull a daring move to slingshot past Singleton at the finish line and then take the lead away from his teammate on a sweeping outside run through tum one. There were individual battles going on in the top 10 with Richichi and Bettencourt fighting for fifth as Homchick and McTaggart debated seventh. Dan Chivington and Pietri were also going at it in ninth with Rich Chambers following closely. "Fast Freddie" began to open up some breathing room by lap 11 with a five second advantage over the Singleton/Mike S. fight. The USRRC title was on the line and whomever finished first in the Singleton/ M. Spencer duel would hold the crown. Lap 12 had Richichi closing on Cooley's fourth place; McTaggart had jumped ahead of Homchick in their fight with Pietri going by Chivington. Mike S. continued his challenges of Singleton on the next lap while Singleton used slower traffic to his fullest advantage. Meanwhile, back in the pack Mike Kidd was scratching his way through traffic trying to earn a Winston Pro Series point or two in his quest for the AMA Grand National Championship. He was in 16th on lap 14. On the 15th lap Richichi moved past Cooley and set his sights on the Single· ton/Mike S. battle in front of him. Freddie Spencer had approximately 10 seconds lead in hand out front. Pietri and Chivington were swapping ninth at will. Two laps later McTaggart had pushed his way past Cooley and Richichi for fourth with Cooley also getting by Richichi. Bettencourt, Homchick, Chivington, Pietri, Chambers and Bruce Hammer were spread out and the only riders on the same lap as leader Freddie Spencer. As the laps wore down Mike S. continually stayed behind Singleton, pushing occasionally to see how Singleton would go. The 22nd lap saw Mike S. tighten it up even more. On lap 23 Mike S. decided to take the lead in the duel and passed Singleton on the back straight going into the chicane. Singleton grabbed it back by the finish line. Again Singleton used traffic to open a few lengths. Meanwhile, Freddie S. was cruising. On lap 24 Mike Spencer did not come around. Singleton began to cut away at Freddie Spencer. Spencer had crashed in the infield. Cooley moved" to third with Mike S. out as Richichi and McTaggart continued their battle, now for fourth. Cooley took the white flag and then ran straight ahead at the entrance to tum one, giving up a secure third. Richichi held off McTaggart and took the last spot in winner's circle. • Results FORMUlA ONE: 1. _ S - tHonl; 2. lWe SinaIoton CYIm/; 3. Nick Richichi IVI.."; I. _ Mct-, CYIm/; 5. RobIrto _ fHonI; 6. John - - . . CYornI; 7. Mork _ CYornI; 8. RIch ~ CYornI; 9. _ Cooley lSuzl; 10.-Oav. ~ CYoml; 11. Hop Elton CYoml; 12. 8ruco Hemmer CYornI; 13. HIlTy IC""",,*," CYom); II. Jimmy Adorno CYom); 15. lCurt Lentz fVornI; 18. Jell Umrysz CYoml; 17. Henry DeGouw CYoml; 18. DIIrid Emde IBMW!; 19. lMTy Shorta (Hon): 20. SlOYO Fool. lSuzl. TIME: 17 min., 02.803 lOCO. AVERAGE SPEED: 96.115 mph. AMA.GRAND NAT10NAL CHAMI'lONSHIPIWON 10 PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. GIrl Scon 11431; 2. Mike lCidd 11401; 3. Randy Goa (133); I. Scon " - (1071; 5. Joy Springlleen 1106l; 6. SlOYO Eklund 11041; 7. Alex J O f _ 1941; 8. Honk Scon 1831; 9. SlOYO MOf_ 1821; 10. Ricky Grllhlm 1701; 11. Terry """- (67); 12. Scon Pork. 1631; 13. Jimmy FlIiceC!i6); 11. (TIEl Wevne ReineylDele Singleton (52); 16. 10d Boody 1461; 17. Nick Richichi '"51; 18. Mickey FlY 1441; 19. (TIEl Bubbl S_Froddie Spencer 1421. By winning the Pocono Superbike round, Honde's Freddie Spencer moved into second in the points. AMA Superbike Series: Round six Freddie Spencer rolls on By Gary Van Voorhis LONG POND, PA, AUG. 16 Honda's Freddie Spencer and Roberto Pietri sandwiched Kawasaki's Eddie Lawson in the Superbike winner's circle, Spencer had an easy time of it opening up an im· mediate lead from the green flag and romping home. "I was watching my pit boards and nobody was catching up to me in the fmal laps so 1 began to cool it just a bit. It was a good race. Hey, Roberto rode the wheels off didn't he?" "I did the only thing 1 could do after running off the track early, 1 gassed the heck out of it," said Lawson. "It was a dumb mistake. 1 got in a bit over my head going into turn one and had to run off the track or go down. 1 would have liked to win, but this puts me into the points lead and there's only two rounds to go. I'm satisfied." Pietri was all smiles. "Hey, I'm working my way up place by place," said Pietri. "Today a third, next race second and then perhaps a win. Everything seems to get better every race." The AMA Superbike Championship point standings show Lawson wit1~ 92 points while Freddie Spencer has 79. Defending series champ Wes Cooley's DNF drops him to third with 78. There are two rounds left in the series. Freddie Spencer had opened up a four second gap on a dogfight for second by the end of lap one. Eddie Lawson, who had jumped off his Expert Lighweight mount and onto his Super· bike, was challenging for second at the line, but overshot tum one and dropped to about 10th. Mike Spencer, Roberto Pietri, Wes Cooley, Harry Klinzmann, Gennady Liubimsky and Thad Wolff trailed behind with Lawson cutting back through traffic. By the end of the fourth lap Lawson had moved back to ninth behind Jimmy Adamo. Freddie Spencer had continued to open his lead as Mike Spencer trailed a good distance ahead of the Cooley/Pietri duel. Lawson gobbled up three positions on the next lap and set his sights on Liubimsky. A quick trip onto pit lane by Mike Spencer jumbled things a bit. Pietri moved ahead of Cooley with Lawson drawing closer. Liubimsky was being stalked by Wolff and Klinzmann. The halfway flags saw Spencer's lead bulge to 14 seconds over Pietri with Cooley and Lawson right behind. ~n the next lap it was Lawson darting IDto second at the line, but Pie.tri grabbed it back with a smooth move entering the infield. Lawson came right back, although Pietri wouldn't be pushed back that easily. Lawson took command of second on lap 10 over Pietri just as Cooley's ride was coming to an end just past the start/finish line. "It broke," said Cooley shaking his head. "Pocono is either a hot or cold track for me. 1 either win or break. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground. 1 can't explain it." Lawson continued to run as hard as he could, hoping to whittle down Freddie Spencer's 20 second lead. Perhaps he was thinking of two other occasions in this year's series where Spencer had been leading in the late laps and broke. A bit unnoticed among the Japanese multis was the ride of Ducati-mounted Adamo, who was cooking his way toward a sixth place finish. Spencer's lead was cut to about 12 seconds at the flag by Lawson. Pietri was a distant third with Liubimslty and Klinzmann filling out the top five. Results • SUPER81ICE: 1. FnIddIe S - lHonl; 2. Eddie I . - . (KowI; 3. Robert _ fHonl; I. Gennedv I..lubimIky cSuzt; 5. HIlTy ICIilTzmorln 1K.wl; 6. Jimmy Admoo lDuel; 7. Thod Walft ISuzI; 8. Don ChiYing1an _. tHonl; 9. Rich ~ (KowI; 10.1Cirt< Guev lSuzI; 11. JoefSomick lSuzl; 12. Tony DeSimonetKowl;U. Grill Richmond tHonl; II. ~me T...-I lDuel; 15. Duncon Miatic: CSuzI; 16. Cony _11Clwl; 17. An ICOWliz 11C8w1; 18. DIIrid K-. (ICIWI; 19. Ed Mulli...... lDue I; 20. R.J. Ge..-11C8w1. AMA SUPERBIICE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STAND· INGS: 1. Eddie 1.-.1921; 2. FnIddIe S~ 1791; 3. W. Cooley (781; I. Mike Spencer l57l; 5. HIlTy IClinzmann l39l; 6. Rich ~ 1351; 7. Roberto Pielri (32); 8. Gennodv Uu_y 1301; 9. clrty Andrew 125); 10. Thod Wolff (21); 11. Jimmy Adorno 120); 12. lM1g Hindle 1161; 13. lCilt< Guev 1111; 14. (TIEl DIIrid C_MllcoImeTunl1lllll13l;16. Jon Woo 1121; 17. (TIE) David EmdellCurt Uobmenn Ill); 19. Dan Chicinglon 191; 20. Joel Slmick (81.

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