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/126651
Mike Baldwin leads Merkel and Wayne Rainey (hidden) in lapped traffic. Formal. Tiro Renfrow romps to win ~ORTLAND, OR. JULY 24 Sure-Fire/Cycle Sport-sponsored Randy Renfrow had things pretty much his way in the 20lap Formula Two final, taking a well-earned win over David Emde - who lost a silencer early in the event - and Chris Steward. Renfrow showed he was going fast from the very beginning by taking 'his five-lap heat racing in a thrilling duel with Rusty Sharp that had the pair turning laps only four seconds slower than the fastest Superbikes, Emde, who was coming off a win at Laguna Seca, turned similar times as he won his heat in unpressured fashion. Tracy DeMuro's air-cooled, RD4()()based machine grabbed the lead off the start, with Renfrow, Steward and Emde staring down his axle nuts. Don Greene had his day come to an early halt when he seized in turn two. Renfrow had the lead as the front runners hit turn one for the second ti,me, with DeMuro demoted to fifth behind Emde, Sharp and Steward. A lap later DeMuro went down in the same corner, but walked away from the crash. By lap five the front four were nose to tail as Renfrow led Sharp, Steward and Emde. Emde had lost the silencer off the left pipe and the resulting loss of top end damaged his chances. By the seventh lap, the bailie for the lead was a two-rider duel between Renfrow and Sharp. just past the halfway point, Sharp out-gulled Renfrow in braking for the first corner, but it was all for naught as he lost control of the front end and crashed. Bike and rider did a few cartwheels, but Sharp walked away from the incident. After the crash, Emde moved up on Renfrow for a few laps, but the Virginia rider would have none of it and turned up the wick to finish six seconds up on Emde at the conclusion of the race. Steward held a steady pace to finish third, with joseph Reynosa turning in a steady, performance to finish fifth 1n only his second Formula Two Tace. David Busby, overcoming too IDaI)Y seizures and too lillie practice on the track, finished fifth. Renfrow seemed surprised that Emde wasn't there on the last lap. "David's been at this a long time, and he's really good at last-lap passes: I thought he was going to stuff me in turn eight or turn nine on the last lap. " Emde acknowledged his troubles, saying, "The lost silencer really killed the top end. But Randy really rode a helluva race." Honda Support rider Sam McDonald celebrates his third-place finish with an attractive friend. Results 20·LAP FINAL: 1. Randy Renfrow (Vam); 2. Devid Emde (Vern); 3. Chris Steward (Vam); 4. Joseph Reynosa (Vam); 5. David Busby (Vern); 6. Gene Brown (Yam); 7. Doug Guthrie (Vern); 8. Steve Haug (Yeml; 9. Steve Peters (Varni; 10. MicheelKenyon (Yam). AMA FORMULA TWO CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS: 1. Randy Renfrow (102); 2. Rhya Howard (97); 3. David Emde (89); 4. Hugh Humble (721; 5. Rusty Sharp (55); 6. David Bu.tJy (45); 7. Daniel Coe (351; 8. St.ven Baron (32); 9. Chris Steward (31); 10. Alan Labros.. (27). c.IifwrIM Saper6iM SdtooI c:une.,e Emde again MONTEREY, CA, JULY 24 David Emde repeated his Riv- erside win earlier in the year with a .runaway win in the second round of the California Superbike School Challenge, an event that pits top privateers against each . other on identically ·prepared, weighthandicapped Kawasaki GPz550s. Second and third in the ND/Cha:mpion Moriwaki-sponsored event went to Chris Steward and Frank Mazur, respectively. pespite 75 pounds of lead clamped to the bollom frame tube as a result of being the lightest rider, Mazur had the lead as the pack first arrived at the end of the long front srraight, followed by Erode and Randy Skiver. In turn two, three riders - Gene Brown, Dan Bennell and Ricky Orlando were involved in a crash, with only Brown and Bermelt returning to the track. Meanwhile, Emde was gelling through the corners faster than the competition and he got by Mazur to take the lead. At the same time, Steward was on the move, passing Skiver fqr t!Jird. With three of the eight laps on the books, Emde had already stetched a significant lead, and Steward was up to second. Mazur held a secure third, with Formula Two winner Randy Renfrow up to challenge Skiver for fourth. ~ Renfrow's challenge evaporated on the sixth lap when he overshot turn four and rode way up on the grass. By the time he could get turned around and back on the track, the leaders were long gone. At the end of eight laps, it was .Emde with things well in hand, followed at a distance by Steward and Mazur. Skiver continued his ride for fourth, ahead of Kerry Bryant, joey Mills, Don Greene and David Busby. (Above) Randy Renfrow streaka through the flowers en route to a flawless ride and a Formula Two win. (Below) David Emde claimed his secondconsecutive win in the California Superbike School Challenge. 13