Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

(Above) A len-lap pa.. gave Don Greene (9) the victory over Randy Renfrow (26) in the Formul. Two final. (Below) D.ve Emde (19).on. K.wa..ki built from b.ck-room part•• took 10th In the Formula One race. Never more than a second behind, Pietri tried every move in the book and then improvised some, in an elfon to get around the stubborn Bettencourt. Bettencoun's Dave Hoyltuned· Interceptor seemed to have a little more motor than Pietri's, and at the end it was Bettencourt by a scant margin over the Venezuelan. "I must have heard his engine 10 or 12 times right beside me," said Bettencourt. And a couple of times he stuffed a wheel by me. It was good, close fun racing." Pietri, who later auto~phed the mark his front tire had imparted on Beuencoun'sexha,:,st system, agreed. "It was fun," he saId. "I trust him and he trusts me. I'd much rather have a race like that for fourth or fifth than run around the track by myself for third." After the race, Rainey gave a great deal of credit to his mechanics, Steve Thompson and Mark Thompson. "If it wasn't for their work," Rainey said, "there's no way I'd be able to go as fast as I do." Results 1. W.yne R.iney (Kewt 2. Frtld M."'el IHonl; 3. W.. Cooley (K.wl; 4. Jon _ncourt (Honl; 5. Roberto Pilllri (Hon); 8. Mik. 8.ldwin (Hon); 7. Richerd OI_IK_); 8. M.'" Jonn (Hon); 9. Kerry Bryent (K_I; 10. Ricky Or.ndo (Hon); 11. John Willi.ms IHon); 12. Jeff HeIno ISuzl; 13. Bernd Koeo* (Hon); 14. Lany Theobllid (Honl. SUPER81KE SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Mike Beldwin 11371; 2. W..,ne Rainey(I304); 3. FrtldMe<~ kel (991; 4. Som McDon.1d 188t 5. Roberto PiIIlri (721; 8. John _ r t (75); 7. W.. Cooley 1531; 8. Rick OrI.ndo (49); 9. Jimmy AdIImo 138t 10. St_ Wi.. (331. AMA Formula Two Road Racing Championship Series: Round 10 Greene nabs a thriller By Dale Brown SONOMA, CA, AUG. 2l Northern California privateer Don Greene pulled out to a fast start in the 20-lap, 50-mile Formula Two final, but it took (Above) Jimmy Adamo had no challenger. in the Battle of the Twin•. (Below) Bruce Und and Jack Hart were eaay winners in the Sidecar cl.... 10 a late-braking pass with one lap to go to secure the win. Current Formula Two points leader Randy Renfr~w was the victim of that pass, but sull placed second in his first visit to the Sears Point track. Recent hot F-2 flash Chris Steward made it three trips in a row to the winner's circle with his third here. ND/KaI-GardiArai/Castrol-sponsored Greene earned the pole with the fastest of the two qualifying heats, and he led the way through turn one with Steward and David Emde on his tail. Greene was soon building up an advantage, while Steward and Emde were joined by Hugh Humble, Gennady Luibimsky and Renfrow. By the fifth lap Greene had put four seconds on the combatants for the runner-up slot. Emde was being pressured by Steward and would only be able to hold him'off for another three laps. When Steward passed Emde, Humble went by both of them to run second, and later in that seventh lap, Renfrow also made it by Emde. Emde, who had crashed in Friday practice, broke the power valye on his Yamaha. Although repair efforts were made, the power valve broke again ~n the third lap and Emde lost all hIS low end. A broken clutch cable with five laps to go made it dangerous to ride, according to Emde, and he wound up pulling off. At the midway point it was apparent that the pursuers were closing in on the pursuee, but Greene still led Renfrow and Steward, who were wheel-towheel:Slightiy back of tbem came Humble, Luibimsky and Emde. The top six were ages ahead of ~v enth, occupied by Dave Scott. By lap 12, Renfro~ a~d Stew~ could examine the stltchmg de~ls on Greene's leathers, but it wa;'t until the 16th lap that Renfrow t k the lead. Steward demoted Greene y one position on the following lap. In the final stages of the rate e front three were all by themsel~. Luibimsky lost his shot at a hig'~ postition when he crashed unhUT! ID turn four. Although he got gomg without losing position, his crash and Emde's retirement left Hum Ie all alone. Greene made his charJte jtoing i to turn I t on the next-ta-last lap, and e and Steward pushed Renfrow all.tIle way back to third. However, the POUlts leader from Virginia kept the £-2 championship firmly in. mind by repassing Steward on the fmal ilall' Behind them, Humble was a Ihnely fourth ahead of Luibimsky, ~ott, Doug Brauneck and Robert Cu~1i ane. Lugliane. piloting an Arrnstto g, was the only non-Yamaha among e top finishers. Greene. who lives just a few i1es from the track, said of his win, 'I got out pretty hot, and as a res~lt, I got the tires too hot. I cooled It some, waiting to see who would catch me. I came up on traffic and made a mistake, so Randy got around ~e. I'm more familiar with Sears Pomt, so I knew I could get on the brakes harder going into turn I I, and that's where I stuffed it inside of him. I turned my fastest lap on the final lap." Results 2O-LAP RNAl; 1. Oon G_ne (y.mt 2. Rotldy Renfrow (Y.m); 3. Chris S - . d (Yoml; 4. Hugh Hu_ (Y....t 5. GenntIdy Luibimeky (y.mt 8. 0 - s-t (Y.mt 7. Doug 8 r e _ (Yomt 8. R-"LuglloneCArmt 9. Trocy OeMuro(Y_); 10. Rick Collins (Y.mt 11. E _ 8rown (Y-t 12. 5 _ " - (Y.mt 13. Christien Hughn(Y....t 14. Joy T..... (Y.ml. AMA FORMULA TWO CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS: 1. Randy Renfrow (1181; 2. RllYs _ C97t 3. Oovid E_I89t 4. Hugh Hu...... C83); 5. Ruaty Shofp C55t I. Don Greene 148t 7. Oovid 8ldbyl45t 8. Chris 5-(44); 9. D.~1eI eo. (38t 10. 5 _ Beron (32). Battle of the Twins Adamo untouchable By Dale Brown SONOMA. CA. AUG. 21 "I did this one for Reno," was how Battle of the Twins runaway winner Jimmy Adamo summed up his lonely ride on his GP-cIass Ducati. While sponsor/bike builder Reno Leoni was in Italy on a matter of family business, Adamo overcame the effects of a practice crash and the resultant separated shoulder to win going away. Adamo led from the start in the 16-lap, 4D-mile race. Joey Mills put his Ducati into second also from the beginning, while Michael R~ ran an early third on his Harley-Davidson. Laguna Seca Battle o~ the Twins winner Gene Church dId not stan this event because of a fall on Friday and a broken collarbone suffered in the incident. While Adamo was busy pu,tting two seconds a lap on the competition, several riders were on the move. Amateur Modified rider Paul Vogel quickly moved his Harley u~ to fo~ and in the class lead, whtle DaVId McClure led the Stock class on another Harley, running eighth. It was two laps past the crossed flags when changes began among the front runners. Ross started slipping back in the order and Vogel held third momentarily. - - - _. • - (Continued t&-Jlage-'4)

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