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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(Top) Mike Beldwin (43), Eddie Lawson (21), Merk Homchick (32), Nick Richichi (26) end Weyne Reiney (60) get off the line et the IIt8rt of the Netional. Wes Cooley (ebove left) won'on his Yoshimura Suzuki. (Above right) Lawson, Cooley, end Richichi receive their eccoledes. AMA Grand National Championship/Winston Pro Series: Round nine Cooley, Lawson and Richichi roll at Road America By Gary Van Voorhis Photos by Jim Giana tsis ELKHART LAKE, WI, MAY 23 Wes Cooley kept four-stroke dom ina tion alive in the th ird ru nning of the Road America Formu la One National. Cooley, wh o won the inaugural even t in 1980, rode his Yoshimura/Suzuki 1025cc four-stroke Formula O ne bike to a 20 length victory over Team Kawasaki's Eddie Law" J son and his KR500 two-stroke GP bike. Third place fell to the GS Perfonnance-sponsored .Yamaha TZ750 of Nick Richichi, who finished just over one second back. Honda's Steve Wise, on another .four-stroke machine, finished fourth, a good distance back from the leaders with Mark Hornchick, on the EPM Wheels Yamaha TZ750 in a challenging fifth , _.. . . . . . . - . . . . . . . . . . , "Hey, I am jazzed," said Cooley afterwards. "This is my first National win and Yoshimura's in a long time and it feels good. Our luck has been down for what seems like a long while, but this weekend has been a real turnaround. A second in the Superbike event and winning the Formula One race is just what the doctor ordered. Fugio (Yoshimura) and the rest of the team have worked long and hard. We're going to get stronger as the season progresses." Lawson was smiling in winner's circle, but that smile hid the frustra tion he felt. "I was so close, I should have won. The engine began running a bit rich and the ignition was going bad late in the race. I could out-brake Wes, but he had acceleration off thecorners. " Lawson.also had gas , leaking from his bike's gas cap which covered the inside of the fairing bubble and spotted his faceshield. Rich ich i was grinning in winner's circle over this third place finish. "I was close all day, but neitherWes nor Eddie made any mistakes. Toward the end I began to lose my front brakes and on this track braking is everything. Still, I feel good." Steve Wise was also a victim of no front brakes during the closing stages of the National and "almost ran off the track on the final lap." For Mark Homchick, this was his best ever National finish. "I'm pumped. The bike ran good and I feel I rode well. Steve got away from me at the end, but I'll settle for a fifth." This was the first National !"\On since..the dropping pf,J.h .~.'!J91FFSt?1j l