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/126636
(l'(') 00 0') run over him. Luckily, the Kawas ki I has good brakes," said Rainey). a Mazur was uninjured. but Wise had his right arm strapped up and:) was la ter taken to the hospi tal for ad suspected collarbone injury. " I Kawasaki's Wayne Rainey captured In the confusion. Cooley repassed second both times out, although his Ra in ey for seco nd, but Rainey was margin over Honda Support rider back in fro nt before the end of th en Fred Merkel in the second heat was as next lap . .~; close as it could have been wi thout Beh ind the two Kawasaki riders. being called a dead heat. Merkel's 4-3 Merkel, Pi etri and McDona ld were" ta lly p ut him in the winner's circle. having a tight battle for fourth . As with the second heat being the tiethe la ps wore on , Merkel got the best . breaker over the 3-4 of Kawasaki of the contest and started moving up( teamster Wes Cooley. Honda Supto challenge Cooley. port/Vance & Hines-backed Ro berto As the finish nea red, Baldwin had Pietri rounded out the top five. Honda's Steve Wise did not fig ure " about20 seconds on Ra iney, who had worked into a secure second. Cooley in the results because the former and Merkel were going at it for third. motocrosser had the ill fortune to run and McDonald and Pietri continued into oil dropped on the track from a to fight over fifth. broken motor. Wise was taken to the On the last lap Merkel gave it everyhospital with a broken collarbone. thing he had coming out of turn One other rider crashed in the oi l. but nine. but wound up a few inches was not injured. short in his attempt on Cooley. P ieA substantial crowd of about 12.000 trio McDona ld, Bettencourt and Alwas on hand to view th e Sunday pordana followed. Finishing ninth was tion of the race. privateer Honda rider R ick Orlando. Baldwin drew the pole position for winning the faster of th e two five-lap . and Harry Klinzmann rounded out the top 10 on a new Suzuki. heats run on Saturday. with Rainey starting next to him after having Baldwin repeated his disappearing taken the other heat from teammate act at the beginning of the second Cooley. Bu t before the race . Rainey heat, trailing a li ne of P ietri, Aldana did not sound optimistic. " I blew up and Ra iney beh ind h im o n to the my good motor on Saturday. and course. Baldwin was again putting Wes' went south this morning. We're distance on the field from th e very < both using our 'rain ' motors, a nd first corner. T his time, ho wever. we're giving away two seconds a lap Rainey only too k two la ps to capture to the H o ndas. I woke up this mornth e number two position. 0 ing hoping for rain." said Rainey on One-third of the way th ro ugh th e the sunny morning period between race, Baldwin was almost 10 seconds practice and the start of the race. up on Rainey. Cooley was third. PieBa ldwin jumped to an im mediate rri a nd Merkel renewed their first lead as the firs t IS-lap heat began. heat battle as they went for fourth. Wise was running in second. with and the fig ht for sixth was a freig ht Honda Support rider Sam McDonald train of sorts involving Bettenco urt . filling third as the y filed up through McDonald and Aldana. the esses. When Merkel broke free of Pietri, By the second lap the order had he zoomed upon Cooley and wen t by gelled somewhat at Baldwin, Wise , on the eighth lap. "Flying Fred" then Cool ey, McDonald, Honda Suppon set his sights on Rainey. leaving Coorider Dave Aldana a nd Rainey. In ley to fend off Pietri. seventh, Merk el was next and folWith five laps to go, Merkel really lowed by P ietri and John Bettenput the pressure on Ra iney as the two court. riding still another Honda worked different parts of the course . Suppon team Interceptor. to their own advantages. With three The third lap saw Rainey stan laps to go. Merkel made his move and moving to the front as he passed spent most of a lap in front of Rainey. Aldana for fifth . By lap five, Rainey With Bald win cruising to the win. had disposed of McDonald as well the battle for second was high drama and ran fourth. through the slightly banked fina l By the seventh lap, Bal d win had corner. Rain ey a nd Merkel h it each opened a 10-seco nd lead on Wise. other three times on the way to th e wh o had a similar cus hi o n on the checkered nag. and when they got just-beginning ba ttle for third bethei r it was too close to call. Both tween the two green riders. Rainey riders believed they had beaten th e passed Cooley shortly before the ha lfo ther. but the AMA scorin g gave it to way point. Rainey. who had second overall no At the halfway point , a backmarker matter what the o utco me. 1 blew his en gine and left oil on the Of the contest, Rainey said , " He exit of th e horseshoe-shaped turn six. had power o n me. but I coul d catch Alt ho ug h Baldwin got through OK up th ro ugh the esses. Going" into ("I sme lled the oi l and slowed down," turn n in e on the las t lap. he was j ust he said later), Wise cras hed heavily ahead of me, a nd h is dra ft really and en ded up with h is bi ke agai nst sucked me into the corner. I was the armco barrier on th e outside of abo ut 10 feet high er than I wanted to the turn. A few seconds later. Ca libe and I had to come down . We fornia club racin g star Frank Mazur bu m ped a few times. bu t I thi n k I got a lso crashed a nd nea rly took Rainey it. I could see his handlebar. behind with him (" I couldn't believe I didn't leads. Bal dwin was neve r headed and scarcely challenged as he led each race' from the drop of the flag. AMA Superbike Championship Series: Round 3 Baldwin sails away at Riverside By Dale Brown Photos by Patrick Behar RI VERSID E. CA. APR. 17 " No troubles at all" was how Team Honda's Mike Baldwin described his day of domination at the Bell Superbike 100, win n in g both 12 45-mile legs of the event with substantial