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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Imer rett became the first rider to officially post a 200-mph run when he clocked a 201 .34 at Indianapolis on his Kawasaki-based Top Fueler. rett tops 00 at Indy By Cheryl Neal J:-:DIA APOLlS, IN, SEPT. 3-5 Breaking the 200-miles-per-hour barrier was one of the events to highlight the fastest eld ever in NMRA Top Fuel and Funny Bike competition during the NHRA U.S. ='Jauonal at Indianapolis Race'av Park over Labor Day week. ( nd. A crowd 0 over 105,000 as on hand. 24 ... The 200 mph barrier was finally broken bv a Top Fuel motorcycle for the first time during a sanctioned event. The barrier was overcome by Top Fuel winner Elmer Treu, running at 201.34. This feat alone made the weekend unforgeuable for racing fans, but added to this was a new elapsed time record of 7.16 seconds set by Treu. A new mph record was landed by Eraldo Ferracci in Funny Bike at 178.92, with a 191.89 run made on a turbo bike, and with five of eight Funny Bikes running in the seven second bracket, it all added up to having rhe crowd buzzing with excitement. fop Fuel qualifying saw eight riders paired 0[( to compete for four available SPOI~ Saturday fulfilled all expectations and added a fe\, ,urprises w go along with them. Tren. who attributes his success to his lunersJackieand Gina. his wife and daughter, was number one as expected. He was followed closely by Bo O'Brochta, on Bill Hahn's Turbo Kawasaki. with a fanlastic 7.33/191, which makes it the world's fastest turbo. The two other spots were taken by the Suzuki of Roland Stuart, and Sam Wills, aboard the Kawasaki that O'Brochta had taken to two championships. With two days of qualifying open, everyone had time to tryout different combinations. The first round, however, told riders it was time to get serious. The bump spot was 7.93 seconds. Siuing on the outside was a formidable group, including defending .National Champion and record holder Terry Vance and his Suzuki. The first Top Fuel session on Sunday saw Treu turn a 7.16/197.80 to improve his position and et a new NMRA ET record. Vance showed his potential by laying down a 7.336/ 174.75 to move into the number two position, while Wills improved his ET with a run of 7.455. The stage was set forthefinal qualifying session and tension built. Danny Johnson. who had two bikes present, had the one piloted by Paul Ray bumped out after the first qualifyingsession. The other bike, ridden by Larry McBride, had blowna blower on Saturday. A replacement blower did not arrive in time for McBride to run in Sunday's fir t ses ion, leaving only the last attempt. McBride's attempt proved futile, however, along with the others as the same top four maintained their positions. The crowd was brought to its feet when Sam Wills recorded a 7.5 208.81. II was quickly ruled by the NHRA finish line officials to be an incorrect clocking. Officials ruled that Wills lofted his front wheel over the first light beam which trip the top speed indica WI'S and set it down prior to the final set of indicator lights. Funny Bike qualifications opened with Charles Israel not only being number one, but locking down the last position in the Wiseco 7 Second Club, with a 7.925/168.85 pass. He was followed closely by Terry Kizer with a 7.93. The second es ion reversed these positions as record holder Kizer laid down a 7.889/166.66 to drop Israel into the number two spot. The next four bikes were within .27 second of the leader. Sunday's first session showed just how tight the field was as Kizer's 7.889 was only .34 second faster than the number eight qualifier. The stage was set for the final qualifyingattempt and it proved to be a thriller as George Bryce and John Sands turned 7.922 and 7.948, respectively, to move into the number two and four spots, This put half the field in the sevensecond bracket with the number five qualifier, Eraldo Ferracci, setting a new mph record at 178.92. Craig Burns, aboard a bike he had never seen prior to Saturday, rounded out the field at number eight, only .25 second off pacesetter Kizer. Monday eliminations saw Funny Bike out first. Ferracci pulled off a major upset by defeating a red-lighting Kizer with a 7.7057/175.09 to back his record. (To set a record, a rider must come within 10 percent of hi quickest/fastest run during the ourse of the program.) The other topqualifiers managed to advance as Israel defeated Malloy, Bryce defeated Darryl Eakle and Sands put away Burns. The semis provided very close racing as Israel defeated Ferracci and Bryce defeated John ands to make it an all Kawasaki final which would pit the twO friends from Americus, Georgia. The Top Fuel eliminations found Treu paired against O'Brochta. O'Brochta gambled and 10 t as he red-lighted. Trell was not to bedenied, though, as he became thefirst member of the Manley 200 mph Club with a 201.34. The second Top Fuel pair provided its own excitement as Vance defeated Sam Wills and his ailing Kawasaki. The shock in the race came when Vance turned a 7.205 at only 166.66 due to his motor failing at threequarter track. Bryce found himself in the Funny Bike final with motor problems that could not be corrected in time. Knowing this, he tried to gamble on the tarting light. He lost, however, as the red light gave Israel the win. Israel proved it was not a [) uke, though, as he turned an excellent 7.771/170.13. Vance, after blowing his engine, had panner Byron Hines and half of the people in the pits working on his bike to change the motor prior to the Top Fuel final. Treu, who had no problems, showed an admirable act of sponsman hip by offering to wait on Vance, although it later proved to be unnecessary as Vance's bike was ready and the stage was set. Treu needed a 199.33 to back up his record and Vance knew he needed an excellent run to win. The green light came on and Vance left the line very quickly. He opened up a commanding lead over Trell, but when Vance pressed the buuon toshift into high gear, the motor belched fire out the sides, but kept running. Trell, who was on a good run of his own, passed Vance to take the win with a 7.160/199.11 to a losing 7.569/136.36 for Vance. Treu had failed to back up his record, but he had proved to the world he is the world's quickest and faste t on a motorcycle. •