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/126757
Panel picks Day-, tona 200 favorites ~ c<") ,........, ...c:: New Yamaha pilot Wayne Rainey. Graeme Crosby won in 1982. U ~ ~ ~ Wes Cooley has Daytona savvy. Privateer hopeful Nick Richichi. Young lion Fred Merkel. Cagiva's Marco Lucchinelli. An international panel of motorcycle racing wnters has decided, In a recent poll, that three-time World Champion Kenny Roberts and reignIng World Champion Freddie Spencer are odds on favorites to win the 43rd running of the Daytona 200 Classic at Daytona International Speedway March II. Roberts has announced that Daytona will be one of only two appearances on his factory Yamaha in the U.S. this year, and is anxious to vindicate his narrow loss of the World Championship to factory Honda rider Spencer. Also named as top five favorites were Yamaha rider Eddie Lawson and Honda mounted Ron Haslam and Mike Baldwin. The panel's lOP twenty and probable odds from the starting field of 80 riders is: Kenny Roberts (Yamaha) liSA: nen ... Last year's winner and very much the man to beat. Another win would nail for good the idea of a Robens jinx. Freddie Spencer (Honda) l SA; even ... Still waiting for his first Daytona 200 win. This could be the year. The 500cc World Champion has both the ability and the bike to do it. Eddie Lawson (Yamaha) liSA: 2· I ... But for tire trouble, could ha\'e won in '83. Will he in the running again Ihis year. Ron Haslam (Honda) Enl(land; 3I ... Can Haslam nOI{'h Britain's first 2oo-mile win? Spencer's t{'ammate should not be und{'lTated. Mike Baldwin (Honda) liSA: 3·1 ... Baldwin is one of America's best. With luck on his side. he could scoop the big one. Richard Schlachter (Honda) liSA; 5-1 ... Back in the 2oo-miler for the first time in three years with a competitive machine, the Boston rider is aiming for a top five spot and could end the day doing better than that. Marco Lucchinelli (Cagiva) Italy; 5-1 ... Switched from Honda to Italian made Cagiva and will be determined to make a big impression. Dadahaiko Taira (Yamaha) Japan; 5-1 ... A factory test rider for Yamaha. Taira makes his Daytona debut. Unknown outside Japan, but he is good. GraemeCrosby(YoshimuraSuzuki) New Zealand; 6-1 ... Crosby has had a year's layoff from racing, but that should have rekindled his enthusiasm. not blunted his edge. He has won before. he can win here again. Martin Wimmer (Yamaha) West Germany; 8-1 ... Top class 250cc Grand Prix rider, Wimmer could spring a surprise with this one-off outing on Bob MacLean's 750 Yamaha. Wes Cooley (Honda) USA; 8-1 ... Armed with a new 500cc Honda, Wes has all the experience and skill to land a top three place if luck runs his way. Roberto Pietri (Honda) USA; 10I ... Pietri matures with age, and if his machine lasts could be in the running for a place. Randy Renfrow (Honda) USA; 10I ... Top 250cc rider. should make a bil( impression in the 2oo-miler on his new production. two-stroke Honda. A good outside bet. Fred Merkel (Honda) l SA; 10-1 ... Another talented young American whose turn for glory will come. If things go well for him, could pull a bil( surprise. Steve Gervais (Suzuki) Canada; 12I ... The Canadian has invested in a Grand Prix Suzuki in a bid to improve on lasl year's fine fifth place. Miles Baldwin (Yamaha) Canada; 15-1 ... Like Gnvais, Baldwin is in Ihe Canadian lOp flight. With Kevin Cameron helping on preparation. reliability should be improved. Sam McDonald (Honda) USA; lSI ... One of America's best youngsters with a lot of success in the smaller class. He is aiming to use this one-off ride with Honda to prove a point. Jimmy Adamo (Cagiva) USA; 20I ... Only if the others break will Adamo be in the hunt, but in the 200, anything can and will happen. Yvon DuHamel (Honda) Canada; 25-' ... Time waits for no man, and even Yvon mu t admit he is getting no younger, but don't let the age fool you ... he must not be counted oul. Harry Klinzmann (MKM) USA; 25-1 ... ThisnewGermanbikecould be light enough, fast enough and reliable enough to put the Californian on lhe leader board. The author at speed. David Aldana at Daytona 1983. 18 himself, the [act was that there was a crash in the [irst corner. Somebody didn't allow for something which caused him to be out. 1£ it was myself I would have picked it up and gone agam. Wes Cooley is another guy who bought an RS500 and should be right up there, Roberto Pietri, Marco Lucchinelli and Jimmy Adamo are supposed to ride 500cc two-stroke [actory Cagivas but they'll be more like a privateer team than a factory. I think Roberto Pietri's out [or a Sunday ride. He got the ride because he's got the money to buy what it takes to be in a team. Marco Lucchinelli is trying to cash in on the end of his career and I'll be surprised if he even shows up. I don't think you'll see anything. I don't think XQamo will do very good. He's just not a road racer. I lhink his Ducati or Cagiva or whatever they call it will be very East in the Battle o[ the Twins and he'll do good in that class, but I don't lhink he'll do very good in the 200, Graeme Crosby will ride a bike [or Yoshimura and I think that bike could do some business, I think he's de£inite1y a [irst five guy, ' And if Pops has anything to do with it, I think lhe Yoshimura Suzukis that Graeme and Cooley will rid in the Superbike race will have more power than Spencer's Honda. Graeme could beat the pants of[ everybody in the Superbike race. I think it will be between Graeme and Spencer, then Baldwin, Merkel and Cooley. I think guys who were on the Honda support team like Bettencourt and McDonald will be in the back. So will everybody else. No privateer has a chance at all. I was offered a Superbike ride on a Honda, [rom a dealer who bought the good Stuf[ from Honda. But then they decided to get Yvon DuHamel out o[ retirement to ride it. When they told me lhey said I should come by and talk to them. I didn't laugh at the guy, but just figured ... later. I had to put myself in a position where I can have a chance to make orne money, so I took a ride on a Spondon 250 that Vesco lined up. Me and Richichi will ride them. I've never raced a 250, but I guess you jusL go like you're ridinga 750, go 'til you. find a limit and go [rom there. I'm sure lhere's a technique to riding a 250 that I'll have to adapt myself to, I don't think there's lhat many people who are good in lhat class. If Schlachter is on one he will be a tough one to beat, because he rides the other things so darn good. I think Rainey will be the other guy to beat in the 250 class i[ he's got a good bike. I don't want to sound like I'm running these people down or complaining. I just say what I think. Now you can see a view from a privateer trying to be a professional road racer and trying to do good at Daytona. •