Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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"- ',', .. Byron Hines (left) and Terry Vance are undefeated in 1 8 2 . 9 NMRA National ChamR.ionshi~ Drag Race Series: Round three Vance leads record assault in Gainesville By Greg Guarine ll o G AINESVIL LE, FL, MAY 1-2 The third running of the NMR A Southeastern Nationals at Gainesville Raceway saw it 's share of history being made. For the first time since its inception in 1981 there was a fu ll field of Super Modified machines. Eight bikes were en tered in the alive and well elimin a tor a nd j ud ging by th e a mou nt of racers who co uld n ot be p resent o r wh ose bik es were n ot com pl eted in time fo r the race, the queslion o f a full field w ill never be raised again. Another first for th e Florida event wa s Dav e Sch ultz laking h is Ka wa sa ki 750 two -stroke 10 the fir st eigh t second tw o -st ro ke p ass in P ro Slack h ist ory. Schultz. w ho cred i ts a 101 of ha rd work and P a ul G as t, proved lh ~l h is lWO yea rs o f work were n o t in va m , The m o st no ticeable fi rst a t th e ra ce we nt 10 the Va nc e & H in es Racing lea rn o f Terry Vanc e, Byron H ines, Joe Pace a nd Ro n Du rha m . With a b un ch of effo rt this fo u rsome d efea red 15 o ther P ro Sl a ck ers a nd five other Top Fueler s 10 become the [ir st lea rn 10 win lWO el im ina to r titles a t a single event . T here was a late threat of a nal her fi rst 10 ad d 10 th e li st but , with cooperation , a lillie lu ck a nd a whol e b u nch of prayer s, it never ha ppened As th e final rou nd o f eli mi nations was ca lle d to th e lanes th e sky surroundi ng Gai nesville Raceway became fi lled wi th the type of dark clo uds that sig nal ra in a ll o ver the county. Th is th reatened 10 wash OUI th e fin al round o f a n NMRA sa nerio ned eve nt for the fir st lime . H o wever, as fast as a pair o f scissors were able 10 clear lhe lOp end lh e nex t pai ring was se nt down lh e sl r ip . J USI as Va nce a nd T hacke r lit lhe sco reboard lhe ra in began . T he o n ly people 10 ge l we I wer e lh e. rider s posin g in winn er ' s ci rcle a nd yo u ca n be su re lh al il d idn'l mailer 10 lhe m ! 16 Top Fuel T he hi gh lighl of Top Fu el co m pelilion was Wilh oUl a do ubl wai ling for lh e Van ce & H in es mach in e 10 ta ke a pa ss. Wh i le lhe o lhe r machines crea led lh eir owl1 brand o f excilement. lhe Terry Van ce ridden m ach in e was 0 11 lhe verge o f making hi slory. By lh e lime lh e Soulheasl ern Nal io na ls had co m e a lo ng everyo ne knew th at Vance had set a new ET record the previous weekend a t Atlanta . Every lime he br ough t the S uzu ki 10 th e lin e th e crowd stood in a nt icipa ti o n o f a 200 mph ru n or a six secon d pass, or both ! Vance was a lso read y as he would ve rv much lik e 10 be th e fi rs t. As el im in al io ns began , fo r a sp li t seco nd i t look ed as tho ugh it had ha p pen ed . Vance was lak in g a so lo run wh en Larry McB ride co u ld n ot ge l h is Dann yJ oh nson-owned Kawasa ki fir ed . As T erry left th e lin e w ith th e fro nt w hee l wa ving in the br eeze, we a ll wailed for h im 10 p lu g it in to high gear for th e fina l charge . Havin g witnesse d m an y Top Fuel passes in th e past 10 years we a ll th ough t it was a very good ru n , but not the magic pass . When T erry IiI th e wi n ligh t h is ET po p ped up o n th e board .. . . .6.85 seco nds. Wha l?! It lin ge re d a n d just as qu ickl y it vani shed a n d read a m ore real istic 7.4 18 a t 190.67 . At a ny ra re Va nce would be tough 10 Slap . The next pairing sa w Elmer T rett's Ka wasa ki goi n g aga in st R ol a n d Stuart ' s Suzuki. While the so u nd o f th ese lWO H a r ley-Da vid so n sta lwarts riding J a pa nese m achines ma y be (excu se th e pun) foreign , it is nonetheless true. After m any years o f H arley d oubles th e pair felt tha t a chan ge was need ed 10 go faster. The pair lined up th eir new bikes a nd as th e gree n lig ht hi t Treu took the lead and never loo ked back . H e IiI up the win Iighr with a 7.882 at 177.86 m p h 10 Slua rt 's losin g 8.622 al 156.25 mph . The lasl p airin g saw Frog T hacker la ke an easy win o n Dann y J ohnson 's "01 her " Ka wasa ki when he ran a n 8.578/ 129 .3 1 10 Ma rion Owens' ShUl o ff 16-seco nd pass. Va nce sla rt ed o ff th e semi -fina ls with a 7.450/1 89.89 bye r u n in lhe short bik e field. Th is a Uloma tica lly sent h im into lh e fin al ro u nd. T he T re ll l T hac ker pairing p romised to be a good ra ce Wil h El m er a slighl favoril ed ue 10 p revio us passes. As lhe pair lefl lhe slarting lin e lh e lw O bi kes were even, bUl seco nds la ler th e chai n mons ler a lla cked lhe d rive chain o n Trell's Ka wa saki. T his a ll o wed en ded th e round with a wm o ver Ba bba ge. Ro u nd lWO opene d wi th Vance runn in g a n 8.78/ 149.25 10 defeat th e Ka wasa ki o f Ba rr y K ogu t, who broke a chai n . Ra n d y Ma son was th e n ex t rider 10 ge t so me help from th e cha in monster as he ra n a 9.982 / 146. 10 when J oe Fo lgore 10Sl a chain. P izza J o h n the n ended Da ve Schultz's dream when he ran a 9. 10/145.5910Schuhz·s losing 9.387/136 .98. Mike Keyte then ended the round by best ing Stev e Tartaglia, 8.914/149 flat to Tartaglia 's 9.156/ 144.69. Vance opened th e semis with a n 8.742 lo w ET o f th e meet pass 10 d efea t th e 9.102 of Ran dy Maso n. Vance's 150 even bested Ma so n 's 144.23 . In th e o ther semi, Mi ke Keyte made sho rt work of P izza J oh n Mafa ro when heran a n 8.877/ 149.7510 Joh n 's 9.159 /145.63 . As th ey had six weeks earlier a nd th e fir st ha lf of the 198 1 season, S uperbike Mike Keyt e a n d T err y Van ce we re a bo ut 10 sq uare o ff the P ro Stock fin al. O n g reen K evre took a o ne wheel lead . but try as he might he co u ld not hold o ff Vance. T erry ra n a no the r 8.7·1 a t a meet best 150.50 m ph. Keyte ra n a strong 8.969 a t 150 mph even in th e lo sin g cause. Pro Comp T he new Pro Cam p class lo ok s like the pl ace 10 race. It see ms lik e al l th e racers spent th e winter bui ldi ng new m ach in es just for th is class. Elim ination s gal underwa y wit h th e su rprise racer of th e eve nt, J eff Ree l, lak in g h is Jigh tn in g -qu ick Po wer Enterprises Sil-UP Suz u ki 10 a n 8.722/148 .27 win o ver the new H a rl ey-D a vid son of J im l\.fcClu re. McClure set th e hi gh mph o f th e m eet a t a w hopping 156.25 bu t was o n ly able 1 muster a 9. 145/ 150even against 0 Reel. T he n ex t pairing saw Dua ne Wil so n aboard the Power En terprises la yd o wn Su zuki lak e a n easy run wh en J im Cooper had tr o u bles with hi s .n ew Kaw asaki d ragster , Wil son clocked a st rong 8.778 / 149.75. R ick Ste tso n, Nat iona l Number On e, took t he next win as Steven Bisho p red l ig h ted a way th e win. Ste tso n ra n a n 8.76/ 151.26. C lo sing th e ro u nd was Rick Sm ith who took h is S uzu ki 10 a 9.2 19/1 43.54 vic rorv o ver Brad Mum mert 's Ka wasa ki, \~h ich ran a 9.354 /14 2. 18. M umm ert was su bsti turin g for a broken Ji m Dod ich who had q ua lifi ed in th e n u m ber four spot, R o u n d lWO sa w th e Power En terprises machin es sq uari n g o ff agai ns t eac h o ther. both kn ew th at they wou ld h a ve 10 mak e a good pass in order 10 la ke a win ho m e 10 O rl ando. Reel lo ok a s ligh t lea d o n th e green a nd never gav e i l u p . J eff look th e win with a not he r 8.729 /149 eve n . Du an e ran a n 8.874/149.00 in th e losing effo rt . T his mov ed Jeff in to th e fin al for th e [irst t im e. Mea nwhil e, St etson was putt ing h is Suzuki into the final w i rh a n 8.771 I 150.50 pass over the Suzuki o f R ick Smith. Smith's losi ng lime was a 9.204 /1 42.18. In the final , the lWO '8 1 GSIIOO Suzukis left togeth er, eati ng u p th e quarter mile fa ster than a Pac-M an mach ine. W h il e lrackside observers walched, a winner co u ld nOl be delermin ed wilhoUl lh e a id o f lhe win ligh !. When th e li gh l ca rne o n in lhe lef t la ne, Stelso n had hi s firsl win of lh e seas o n . Rick had d ug d eep a nd fo u nd a n 8.692/1 52.54 in lhe bo llom o f hi s Iric k bag. Reel me anwhile, had ru n a nolher 8.7 lhi s lime Wilh a 32 lacked o n 10 lh e end, a l 149.50 mph . Though Sl elson had won lhe race he kn ows lh a l he w i II be spen d ing th e season lookin g over h is sh o u lde r for lhe la ll . skin ny kid fro m O rlando. Super Modifie d For lh e firsl lime lh e entries in S u per Modified wer e enou gh 10 fill