Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

clinging on LO Lhe Lhree leading Hondas. McElnea bad gouen by Baldwin again, who was also passed by Gardner. Gardner also gaL past McElnea LO claim sixth. Spencer looked as if he might win, and on lap 12 made a serious efforl inside of Mamola at the chicane, Randy, however, responded by braking an eXLra five yards later, aL the same Lime sticking oUL his right foot La warn Freddieoff! Mamola LOok the win and Lawson closed on Lhe leading group on tbe lasL lap, though not quite able to get past Haslam. Roberts was in fifLh, almost caught on the last lap by Gardner. "The throttle'slides arc so stiff I'm finding il hard getting Lhem off idle afLer shUll ing off for Lhe turns," explained Kenny, "My arm jusl keeps going numb wiLh the effort. so I can'l feci the brakes. can't feel Lhe throttle eiLher." Too rnuch practice wriLing checks as a businessman. nOL enough any more as a road racer? "ThaI'S rigbL - I'm basically OUI of training, but you can'L change the throttles so I'm going to have to geL used to it." Kenny put an ice pack on the arm between races to ease it up. while in teammate Lawson's case his late charge had been made possible by a growing confidence in Lhe Slate of the track. "I like the track, bUL it's my first time here: I'm getting the hang of it." H is fourth place hel ped the U.S. team to another victOry by 44 to 22 over the Anglos, leaving them with a lead of 87 to 45. Race three The final race on Sunday began withouL Coolev and wilh Lhe odd spot of rain. wi,ich fortunately held off for the proceedings. This time Lawson led from theswn. bUI was outbraked by Mamola for the lead inlO the chicane al Ihe end of lap one. while Baldwin was in third. tracked by Gardner in founh and Spencer well back afler another slow start. By lap three, however, the field had sorted itself out so that apart from Aldana, all the surviving American riders held the first five places. On lap four Lawson took the lead back again, and posed a Yamaha challenge to the Honda domination thus far, with Roberts third before a good gap to Spencer, with Haslam now past Baldwin. McElnea led the rest in seventh. On lap six, Lawson had extended his lead to 100 yards, witb Roberts pressuring Mamola for second. Spencer had speeded up, in the process seuing a new lap record of I minute, 13.21 seconds, which will probably stand for all time as the circuit is being extended to a Grand Prix length of 2.5 miles later this year. In spite of having the rear wheel step out on him sweeping through Craner Curves, Freddie kept the power applied and on lap nine swept past Roberts down the straight on pure speed. Huewen pulled into the pits with warped front discs, while Crosby was giving Sheene a hard time and eventually passed him for eighth place. Chances of a Yamaha win diminished as Spencer outbraked Mamola into the chicane on lap II, getting a twitch from the rear wheel of the Honda as he poured on the power in pursuit of Lawson, who was sliding both wheels of the Yamaha, On the 12th lap Spencer lOok the lead on speed down the straight. Behind, Haslam fell of exiting the chicane wben his NS high-sided him, bUlthough badly shaken was able to ride the following day on a repaired machine. This promoted Baldwin to fifth, but on the last lap but one, Gardner's charge was rewarded when he elbowed past Baldwin at the chi- cane LO claim the,place and emerge as the best-scoring Anglo. Baldwin dropped back when McElnea snuck inside him coming out of Lhe chicane on the last lap and beal Lhe 1I0nda rider 10 Ihe f1a!/; by a wheel. BUI before that Freddie Spencer had breezed across Lhe line 10 his first DoninglOn win. wilh Lawson gelLin!/; in Lhe frame for the first time, and Mamola third. Did Randy fee! disappointed about losing?" ot one bit - I never had it, so I haven't lost it. I'm just glad to be riding again, and lcan't thank Honda enough for leuing me have the bike. I had a bit of trouble with the brakes in that race - the pads got glazed, I guess - sol couldo'tstay with Eddie. Freddie's four-cylinder is so fa t, but it also steers beuer than my bike. The triple is light on the front end, so doesn't go into corners quite so well." Atthe end of the first day, thanks to a 49 to l7-point effort, the U.S. team led by 136 to 62. Race four Monday proved sunny and warm, ideal racing conditions which brought in a bumper crowd of nearly 45,000. Mamola look Lhe holeshoL, WiLh former menLOr Roberts behind. But halfway round the first lap Gardner. riding his backup RS500 Honda afLer· problems developed on his number one bike overnight, inserted himself intO second place by passing Roberts at Ihe Old Hairpin. Baldwin was fourth, McElnea fifLh and Spencer allllosl lasl away once ag-ain. BUI by lap three Spencer was up 10 fourth, "'iLh Lawsonjust behind him. while Gardner was fighting with Roberts for second - a great performance. The battle continued even after Spencer had breezed past the pair of them. with theAussietakinga lesson from Fn'ddie and drifting the bike noticeably all around Ihe circuit. But the speed of the works bikes inevirably told, and Gardner gradually fell back to finish sixth. Up frontlhe four leaders were putting on a superb display of highspeed racing, all four bikes Iwitching and wobbling under power in the corners. but none more so than Spencer's Honda. which LOok him intO the lead at the start of lap five at the righthand Red ga te Corner, when hedived inside Mamola. Roberts tried to follow him through a couple of laps later, but Randy shut the door and soon after, Lawson took up the chase by passing K.R. at the same spot. Spencer cruised effortlessly LO victorv but behind Lawson made a bra'~e last-lap effort to nail Mamola, crossing the line side-by-side just a wheel bebind. With the score line for that race reading USA 47, British Commonweath 19, the overall score now stood at 183-81 in favor of the Americans. Race five Haslam led into the first corner ahead of Mamola. Roberts and Lawson, with McElnea. Baldwin and Parrish close tOgether in the next Lhree places. lJ p frOI1l the serious raci ng was going on, with Mamola taking Ihe lead from Haslam on lap two going up t1W hill to McLeans. and Lawson third, with Spencer on his way up the field again to pass Parrish for seventh. Baldwin passed McElnea for fiflh, Haslam was under pressure from the pair of Yamahas. and on lap six Lawson also slipped by going up the hill, while Roberts again found the NSR too fasl down the straight and yielded fourth place to flying Freddie. On lap eighl Spencer was Lhird. but starting the nexl lap he had the most almighty slidea. Redg'dle which seemed not to put him off one bit. A (Above) Roberts leads Lawson. Marshall. Gardner and Spencer. (Below) Roberts describes a sideways moment to Mamola. lap later he breezed past Lawson down the straight, then on lap II was promoted 10 first when Mamola missed a gear coming out of the Old Hairpin and was also passed by Lawson. McElnea and Marshall had both passed Baldwin again. followed through a lap later by Gardner. but then Marshall's engine seized. leaving Mike in sevenlh as Baldwin just beat McElnea to Ihe line. Going intO Ihe' last lap Spencer suddenly broad ided the SR Honda at Redgate and was high-sided over the top. winding up in the sand which surrounds the track. Mamola was tryi ng to oUlbrake Lawson at the time for second place, and saw it all clearly: "Freddie lost his front wheel and tried to correct iI, bUI it highsided him and he was thrown off." he explained. "Itlooked preLLy bad. but he waved to me on the slowdown lap so I guess 'he's OK." And so he was. for though Spencer was flown by hel icopter to th" nearby hospital for an X-rayon the foot he injured in South Africa. he was able to walk to the chopper and seemed to have survived the accident in more or less one piece. Mamola profited from the confusion to snalch the lead, which he held to win in spill' of a brave last-corner efforl by Lawson, Roberts was a little way back in third, comfortably ahead of Haslam and Gardner. to make the score USA 4 J. Anglos 25, and the LOlal 224-122 in the Americans' favor. Race six Wilh only II starters for the last race, the prospects looked gloomy for any kind of excitement. but in fact il turned OUI to be one of Lhe most gripping events of the weekend. Gardner led off the line. bUI by the end of Ihe firsl lap had been relegated 10 third behind leader Haslam and Lawson. while Mamola retired with a bike that had lost power from the start. Roberts was fourth and Crosby fifth. 'A superb four-man dice for the lead occupied the rest of the race. wilh Gardner constantly between Ihe Yamaha works bikes to take the lead on the uphill, only to be nailed down Lhe straight n lap speed. On lap seven Kenny Roberts hit the fro III and gradually pulled out a slender lead which he maintained to Iheend 10 score a universally popular victory - and the first one by a bike other than a Honda that weekend. Behind, Lawson found it hard 10 get pasl Gardner. but on lap nine he finally made il through to make a Yamaha 1-2 at the finish. Haslam had to sell Ie for fourth while Baldwin beat McElnea to Ihe line for fifth. Parrish was a valiant seventh. just ahead of Crosby. Sheene retired shortly before being passed by Aldana. who scored his first points of the weekend by coming in ninth - but still last again. The final tOtal, after a 33-30 win for Ihe USA in the closest race yet, was 259- 136 in favor of the Americans. with Mamola highest overall scorer in spite of his retiring in the last race with 67 points, ahead of Lawson wilh 62, and Roberts on 53. the Yamaha riders being the only Americans to score in every round.• Results RAC~ONE: 1" Randy Mamola: 2. Ron Haslam: 3. Freddie Spencer; 4. Eddie Lawson; 5. Kenny Roberts; 6. Rob McElnea; 7. Mike Baldwin; 8. Keith Muewen; 9. Roger Marshall; 10. Barry Sheene. Time: 18 min.• 42.66 sees. Avg, Speed: 94.14 mph. RACE TWO: 1. Randy Mamala; 2. Freddie Spencer; 3. Ron Haslam; 4. Eddie Lawson; 5. Kenny Roberts; 6. Wayne Gardner; 7. Rob McElnea; 8. Mike Baldwin; 9. Roger Marshall; 10. Keith Huewen. Time: 18 min.• 47.34 sees. Avg. Speed: 93.75 mph. RACE THREE: 1. Freddie Spencer; 2. Eddie Law· son; 3. Randy Mamola; 4. Kenny Roberts; 5. Wayne Gardner; 6. Rob McElnea; 7. Mike Baldwin; 8. Graeme Crosby; 9. Barry Sheene: 10. Roger Mar· shall. Time: 18 min.. 38.08 sees. Avg. Speed: 94.53 mph. RACE FOUR: 1. Freddie Spencer; 2. Randy Mam· ala; 3. Eddie Lawson; 4. Kenny Roberts; 5. Ron Haslam; 6. Wayne Gardner; 7. Rob McElnea; 8. Roger Marshall; 9. Mike Baldwin; 10. Graeme Crosby. Time: 18 min.. 40.96 sees. Avg. Speed: 94.29 mph. RACE FIVE: 1. Randy Mamola: 2. Eddie Lawson; 3. Kenny Roberts: 4. Ron Haslam; 5. Wayne Gardner: 6. Rob McElnea; 7. Mike Baldwin; 8. Steve Parrish; 9. Barry Sheene; 10. Graeme Crosby. Time: 18 min.. 44.66 sees. Avg. Speed: 93.98 mph" RACE SIX: 1. Kenny Roberts; 2. Eddie Lawson; 3. Wayne Gardner; 4. Ron Haslam: 5. Mike Baldwin; 6. Rob McElnea; 7. Steve Parrish: 8. Graeme Crosby; 9. Dave Aldana. Time: 18 min.. 41.78 sees. Avg. Speed: 94.22 mph. OVERALL UNITED STATES: 1" Randy Mamola (Hon) 67: 2" Eddie Lawson (Yam)62; 3. Kenny Roberts (Vam)53; 4. Freddie Spencer (Hon) 52: 5. Mike Baldwin (Han) 23: 6. David Aldana (Suz) 2. Total: 259 BRITISH COMMONWEALTH: 1. Ron Haslam (Hon) 44; 2. Wayne Gardner (Hon) 32: 3. Rob McElnea (Suz1: 2B: 4. (TIE) Roger Marshall (Hon)/Graeme Crosby (Suz) 8; 6. Barry Sheene (Suz) 5; 7. Keith Huewen (Suz)4. Total: 136. 11

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