Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126605
agne cork. IAbove ) Rich Schlac hter lets go a whoop as he pops the champ n Martin Wimm er IBelow ) Schlac hter had to outdue l West Germa Fo rm ula II S ch la ch te r h o ld s 'e m o ff By Dale Brow n DA YTON A BEACH , FL, MAR. 6 Form er U .S. Roa d Rac ing Cha mpi on Rich Sch lach ter eme rged triu mph ant in an inte nse d u el wi th Wes t Ger man Mar tin Wim m er to win the IOO-mile Form ula II road race a t Da yton a Inte rnat iona l Spe edw ay. The duel carrie d the Yama ha ilots well away from th ird p with Conn ectic ut racer Schlac hter grabbi ng the lead for good e la s from the finish and then 8.IBelo w) IAbove ) Doug Kane (14)and Martin Schub ert tangle in the chican Rlice slides out while leading early in the race. Jimmy holdingoff Wirnmer's hardlast-turn charge 10 win by o ne bikelen grh. This yea r th e Formul a II event , under new AMA rul es, replace d both th e Lightw eight Expert and Novice road races , combin ing them in one 26-lap race. Follow ing McDon ald home in fourth place was Englis hman Tony H ead on a Ro ta x-p ow ered Waddo nEhrlich machin e. He, in turn, was trailed by Canada 's Alan Labros se, Califor nian John Glover , West Germany's Jurgen Schmid a nd Califor nian Don Greene . Michig ander Craig Morris and Texan Hugh Hum ble rounde d out the top 10. Strong winds marked the mornin g event, which was delayed for over an hour as the track dried from the previous night's rain. The wind was severe enough that winner Schlac hter said he was seldom able 10 use sixth gear while going agains t the wind on the front straigh taway. " Wim m er had more mid-ra nge power than I did," related Schlac hter, " bu t we were equal on top end. Towar ds the end I was gelling p retty good pit signa ls, and I decided 10 make m y move. I fig u red I could ho ld .hi m off. Two six-la p heats pared th e entr o f ov er 140 10 62 finalist s. The fir s heat was won by Yamah a's Jimm1 Filice over McDo nald , whil Schlac hter took the second one by narrow margin over Wimm er in preview 10 the final. Conso lation race Those who didn't make the cut 0 of the two six- lap heats returne d t the race on Friday afterno on for 13-lap 50-mile consy. T he race quick ly turned into three rider affair - a lt hough t three riders would vary over the cour of the race - and after early lead James R o bert so n drop ped back, Ca Muffle y and Da n Chivi ngton (a vi tim of mechan ical troubles in h heat) diced for the lead. T hey we joined firs t by Steve Gal breaith, a then by New Englan der Da vid H o w Muffle y di d most of th e leadi n whi le Chivin gto n fou nd o ut it was his day as he drop ped out with fi laps to go. Veteran J ohn Long mo v up upon Ch iving ton 's demise . T trio swapped posi tions time and ti again throug h the fin al la ps, b H o wes had contro l most often, a