Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ ==daYlolla '811 ====:=::::::=::======================± ~ Alfonso Pons had 8 fast bike. but he DNF. (Above) Wayne Rainey sizzled in his Yamaha debut. (Below) Angel Nieto (301) leads the pack into turn two. International Lightweight Raine~'s sunn~d~~ By Dale Brown DAYTONA BEACH, FL, MAR. lO Riding in only his second professional race on a 250cc GP bike, Yamaha's Wayne Rainey sizzled as he dominated the I OO-mile International Lightweight event at Daytona InternaLional Speedway. Rainey averaged over 104 m ph as he took a 12-second vicLOry over Graeme McGregor of England. 12 "I didn't think I had it won until after I took the checkered £lag," said Rainey ina winner's circle appearance delayed sHghtly by the faCt rlYat 'tfe ran out of gas on the cool-off lap. Still, he had been in control for much of the event, dominatin on the infield and keeping on going while tho e with faster machines crashed or fell by the wayside. Rounding OUt the victory lane trio was West Germany' Martin Wimmer. Wimmer. the runner-up in 1982. had his share of troubles, being run of[ inLO the grass on one occasion and then eizing lale in the race. Fourth went to the veteran Dave Aldana on a Spondon-Rotax. Aldana started in the 25th po ition and moved up steadily. Amazingly. lhis was the first 250cc/Formula Two event in Aldana's 14-year road racing career. A sizeable international field was on hand for this ra e, and after four heal races had pared the field down to 80 starters, four of the five riders on the fronl row were from overseas. Fasl heat winner wa Spain's AlfollSn Pons, ridinga ROlax-engined creation called a Cobas. Second fastest was Pons' teammate, 12-time World Road Racing Champion Angel Nieto. Yamaha-mounted privaleer Chris Steward was the only American in row one. Rainey. by finishing third in Pons' heat, wa gridd d ninth. The firSt lap was a busy affair. Pons and NieLO led of[ the pole. but Steward and McGregor were mixing it with them, and Rainey was CUlling a swath through the pack in the infield. When they f1a hed across the finish line for the firSt time, Pons led with Rainey up to second. McGregor was third. followed by tewartand ieto. The following six lap were a display in the dif[erence between machines and rider. Rainey was the absolute masterof the infield. particularly the horseshoe- haped right-hand turn lWO. The Californian would make up any deficit he had on Pons entering the infield, and u ually head OUt onto the banking wilh a sizeable lead. There Pons would eat him alive, passing the Yamaha down the backsuaight or on the eaSl banking. In the third place, McGregor was beginning to lose LOuch with the leader by lap three. Still, he had a comfortable margin on fourth-place NielD. Wimmer was running fifth • ~fter starting in rhe third row, and Austrian Yamaha rider Siegfried Minich was sixth ahead of Aldana, Texan Kevin Brunson and Steward. With the tOp-speed difference, it appeared that Rainey would have his work CUt OUt for him to take the win. Pan implified Rainey's task immeasurablyon the seventh lap by throwing it away in the chicane. The announcer tationed in the corner said that Pan had the rear end slide OUt from underneath him, and fortunately, the rash appeared LO be withOut injury. The incident left Rainey with a clear lead over McGregor, who in turn was beginning to feel pressure from Wimmer. Minich, NieLO, Aldana. Brunson and Dale Franklin followed them. Wimmer's pursuit of McGregor wa delayed on lhe 10th lap when a lapped rider forced him off the track and on to the grass outside of turn one. "That musl have COSl me at least 10 seconds," muuered Wimmer later. As a result, Wimmer dropped LO fourth behind Minich. NielD was out of the race by this juncture, the victim of a seizure. When the crossed flags came OUt at the end of the 13th lap to signal the halfway point, Rainey was up to full sail, running 10 seconds up on McGregor. Wimmer caught Minich for third, with Aldana runnmg a steady fifth. California's Dave Busby, sponsored by Walnut Creek Honda and Shod, had advanced far enough upfield LO challenge and pass AA Harper/Cycle H Racing's Brunson to run siXth. Steward occupied the eighth rung on the ladder, one Spot ahead of Chu k Aksland, who was riding a TZ with a frame built by Kenny Roberts. By the 17th lap Wimmer had closed LO win within a few bikelengths of McGregor. JUSt when it seemed that Wimmer was ready to pounce, however, he suddenly slowed, and seemed ready LO come into the pitS. But he continued on. "The bike seized, and J thought about coming into the pits, but J tayed on the track and the bike started running again. But it would only rev lD 11,000 on the Straights where it had been going to 12,500," said Wimmer. The final laps were relatively uneventfu,I, and Rainey romped home for a well-deserved win. McGregor and Wimmer followed him home, but. Minich lOSt a sure fourth place when his bike broke on the 24th lap. Aldana showed the versatility of his road racing skills by placing

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