Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

C.g Mesa - . . . &era....... - V_UWa-A. - Napa-Cede SPEEDWAY WEEK Steve Miles (far lane) had upset on his mind when he met Elmer Trett in Top Fuel. Hi~ ride out front lasted to only three-quarters distance. AMA/Dragbike! National Champ-ionshipSeries: Round 2 - Trett scores Atlanta Top Fuel vvin By Gary Van Voorhis COMMERCE, GA, MAR. ~O-APR. I Elmer Trett dazzled the spectators at the 4th Annual Dixie Cyclenationals at Atlanta International Dragway and flirted with the 200 mph barrier, but didn't break into that magic zone. Trett took the Top Fuel win with a 7.37 second' pass at 196.50 mph, his "slowest" run of the weekend. His 1.i2 ;A quickest and fastest run, a 7.~~ second tire, smoking 198.65 mph pass in e.liminations earned him the elapsed time and top speed AMA/Dragbikel records for Top Fuel. Runs earlier/later in the meet came within one percent of both figures. Before the Top Fuel final, Steve Miles was discussing his chances of topping Treu. ''I'm optimistic," said Miles, a smile broadly etched on his face. "Elmer is a hard man to beat and he is running about 50 miles per hour faster than our bike, but I'm going to make him work for the win. My strategy is to cut the starting light as close as possible. He'lI have to get around me to win." Miles' tuner and sponsor, Mark Mcintosh of M&M Racing, agreed with Miles' plan. "I can't twist enough wrenches or tip enough cans to get that much speed out of whal is really a Funny Bike. We'll jusl hope for the besl." Miles, on his 1984 Kawasaki-based 1~25cc Top Fueler, staged against Treu's Trell Speed &Custom/MTCI Performance Machine/Primo-sponsored 1983 Kawasaki-based 1327cc blown and injected nitro burner. Miles came orr the line cleanly in the lead while Trell appeared 10 wait a split second before unleashing his engine's 400-plu hor epower to the 14-inch wide Goodyear slick on the rear and lifting the front wheel for a track ing lights. Treu's "Mountain Magic" roared past the valiant Miles at about the three-quarters mark for the win with Miles posting a 8.66/146.80 losing effort. "I just work hard and keep on try· ing," said the unassuming Treu after· ward. "I might have been able to squeeze out a bit more on top end, but there's a part of the track near the finish line that has a groove in the asphalt where two patches come together. I got in that and had to roll off the throttle for an instant." Treu acknowledged he had "made a few changes from last year" to the bike and that his engine wasn't tuned for maximum horsepower. "If I got all the horsepower from the engine I could get," said Treu, "it would all go up smoking the rear tire." Dave Sawyer, on a newly built 1982 Suzuki-based Pro Stocker by Star Cycle, broke the Kawasaki hold on winning. Sawyer, the number one qualifier, was the only non-Kawasaki rider in the Pro Stock field. He met Cunis Story, on the C&S Repairs/ Larry Cook-sponsored Kawasaki, in the final. The two left the line wgether and the run appeared close at halfway. Then a purr of smoke from Slory's bike's engine told the tale. He coasted across the finish line. Sawyer's winning time was 9.15/144. "The bike is brand new and I'm really pleased with the way it ran," said Sawyer afterward. "I had too much horsepower for the track conditions and couldn'l get the kind of traction I wanted in any of my runs. I actually had to add 52 pounds to the Ala!, Christia!' took a phot~-fini.h win ov.r Mik. Faria at Costa M.... Fana, a two-time Scratch Winner during the week. just missed hi. third. Christian edges Faria at Costa Mesa By Scott Daloisio COSTA MESA, CA, APR. 14 AI C an" razy" Christian (STP/ First National Monetary/HiPoint Good) defeated Mike Faria in a photo finish of one of the best Scratch mains ever run at Orange County Fairgrounds. Faria, who came into the race with Ventura and San Bernardino Scratch mains already won this week, drew the pole. His chances of sweeping the week looked good, especially since two-time Costa Mesa winner Mike Bast was held off the program by promoter Harry Oxley. Christian won both his heat and semi, but drew the outside gate. As the tapes flew up Faria led Christian, Kelly Moran and Dubb Ferrell into the first bend. Faria held ~hetopspotuntil the end of the open109 go-'round, when Christian edged by on the outside. From then on it was a handlebar-to-handlebar war. Christian would edge ahead on the outsides of the straightaways only to have Faria wrestle the lead back in the bends. It all came down to thefinal corner, where Faria got a tremendous drive f~om the i~side. Christian then got a Similar dnve Just inches from the crashwall and they flashed across the line wheel to wheel. The scorers were split, the crowd was going crazy and Christian was sitting on the ground after going out of control and hiuing the wall in turn one. Finally referee Irwin Moon had to break the tie and he ruled in favor of Christian. Amazingly, that makes it three shows on m'i~e..ir 1..",,1 • the season at Costa Mesa and all three .~~iJlgJ.wJw.Jl~~W.r,.iP\""• •Pj\/i ,~ I-I • ¥~.~~••••• "".~~~~444 • " " • I J'.' •• Scratch mains have gone to the rider coming from gate four. Kurt Strommer (Hair by Rev Wes) swept the Handicap side of the program from the 2O-yard line. John Foster chased Strommer for the first two laps in the main, only to be relegated back to fourth when Mike Cur· oso and Dubb Ferrell- riding with a badly injured hand - screamed by on lap two. Curoso and Ferrell immediately pulled up on Strommer and tried to forge their way by on the inside. They went at it elbow to elbow until the first corner on the final circuit, when Curoso gave Strommer more than a liule nudge. Strommer took a heavy tumble into the crash wall while his bike nipped down the track, causing a red flag. Since the red came out, the race reverted to the last completed lap. At that time Strommer was leading and he got the the credit for the win. Curoso got 86ed for his overaggressive action, so Ferrell wound up second with Faria third. Mike Golightly (MJB Maely) held off Jeff Springman to win both his heat and the main event in Second Division action. Ex-Junior Champ Ronnie Correy chased Golightly for one lap before Springman got by. Springman rode his hardest but Golightly was not to be denied and took his first win of the season. Hardcharging Andy Northrup to.ok third. Results SCRATCH MAIN: 1. Alen Christien (Godd): 2. Mike Ferie (Wes); 3. Kelly Moren IGodd); 4. Dubb Ferrell (Jew). HANDICAP MAIN: 1. Kun Stromme< (Wes); 2. Dubb Ferrell (Jew); 3. Mike Ferie (Wes); 4. John Sandon. (Wes); 5. John Foater (We.); 6. Mike Curo8o ewes). SECOND DIV: 1. Mike Golightly (Meel; 2. Jelt Springmen (Wes); 3. Andy Nonhrup (Wes); 4. Rendy Bennett (Godd); 5. Ronnie Correy (Jewl; 6. Moose Kennedy (Jew). THIRD DIV: 1. We~ Farnum (Jewt 2. Don Bishop (Jew); 3. Weyne Selmon (GOOd); 4. Bryce Eikel· berger (Godd); 5. Rid< Venderhem (M_); 6. Jell Jones (Wes). MATCH RACE: Buddy Robinoon del. Bred Oxley. d

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