Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

" ' centrate on staying on two wheels mQre than catching up." McDonald began to pick up his pace and moved past Miles Baldwin. "Despite my handling problems, the bike rode easier in the rain," said McDonald of his second-ever ride on RS500. Jimmy Adamo, aboard a Ducati, was another rider using the rain to liis advantage and had moved to eighth. However, the rain increased in the final laps and water got in the twin's carburetors which slowed Adamo to a sputtering II th at the -finish. 9 I! ike Baldwin, slowing a bit, had ,nea,rly 60 seconds on second place Merkel as the field started the final two laps. Brauneck, without the use his rear brake since early in the race, was feeling tremendous pressure from Busby for third. Busby carved four seconds off Brauneck's lead on lap 24. As the field started the final lap, Busby was reeling in Braunepc j'\t about the time the announcement came that Busby had passed Brauneck for third in turn three, M'ke Baldwin rolled across the finish hne directly behind McDonald, who had unlapped himself on the final lap and would finish fifth. Merkel 9me around for second nearly one minute later. The attention then centered on turn 10 and the battle for third saw Busby lead Brauneck to the flag by about 15 bikelengths. The top five finishers were on the same lap. 'I knew what the bike's characteristics were in the rain since we had a similar situation at Mid-Ohio earlier this year," said Mike Baldwin. "I w~nt with full rain tires and I wasn't really worried if the track began to dry because 1 felt the tires would still go the distance. My strategy was to get out front and build up a good lead early in case someone wanted to berserl it and try tocateh up. Concentration is very important in the rain and one thing which helped me was I cut 1;;.\0 small eye holes in my visor so n it fogged up I still had a clear field of vision." OJ "The ignition began acting up l~ tJ about eight laps to go and I Idn't get top rpm on the front tt ight. Luckily, I had a large enough mhion where I could back off a bit nurse it the final laps," said ...:,=....el. I'd like to dedicate my rides this end to the memory of my very close friend, Hugh Humble. It was a otally senseless accident and it's a slJfme the AMA didn't listen to the - rid rs earlier about the problems at - b track. We might have avoided it." ?-Merkel was on the track behind the riders when the accident happened. 'I like the rain," said Busby. - 'There's no doubt my bike was handling better in the wet than most of the Others out there. I made up nearly ei~ht seconds on Doug in the final two laps. I had to do well here since it ~'as the final Formula One National of the season. 1 haven't had a decent finish since I won the Formula Two rotind at Elkhart Lake earlier this year. "Please give credit to Shoei, Sport Video International and Liquid Horse·power. They're the ones who put the backing into my racing program and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for t~m. I have also had a lot of help Itom Aida at Michelin," said Busby. J Brauneck, the fourth place finisher, was a bit disappointed. "The rear b.cake went away early in the race an -t QU really need a rear brake in the rain. I held position as best 1 could, Put when it began raining heavily at thdinish 1 couldn't hold off Busby. He rode a good race." 9! Results 1. Milte' Baldwin (Hon); 2. Fred Mert

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