Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Jim Bernard warms the tire on the Durham/Wright Suzuki. NMRA National Championship Series: RoundS Vance and Bernard set drag records By Greg Guarinello WARNER ROBINS, GA, JUNE 2-3 Californians Terry Vance and Jim Bernard set NMRA mph records at Warner Robins Dragway. Vance shattered his own record in Pro Stock on his Byron Hines-tuned Kawasaki with a 157.60 mph clocking. And Bernard reached 180.36 mph on the Ron Durham/Rick Wright/Ron Teson/Jim Ber- 24 ren between workouts on SCAR's Nautilus equipment. "My jogging times and distances will pick up dramatically in the next few weeks." Warren plans to put his recovery training to the test soon in a triathalon staged by SCAR. Even though it's a short course (four miles running, one mile swimming, 15 miles bicycling), he plans to go 100 percent. "The running is the only part that's going to give me any problems because of the pain in my leg. It's not like the Ironman (Hawaii's infamous triathalon), but the swimming and bike ride should be no problem. I don 'tthink I'll get last, even if I have to walk." Warren Reid and family live in Midway City, near Westminster. Belonging to a family of woodworkers and carpenters, the Reid home shows off the personal side of Warren when he isn't racing. Having once been the "neighborhood dump," as its owner describes it, the house has been extensively remodeled by Warren. The exterior of the house and landscape work had been done by Warren with the help of friends, while the interior modifications are virtually all by Reid. The kitchen is still in transition, but the living room is almost done, complete with soundproofing to handle anything that Warren may play on his stereo, selections which range from Tchaicovsky to the Thompson Twins. "I'm going to do a lot of things that I denied myself because of motocross," says Warren, leaning back on a sofa with his wife and Jarrett. "I want to do a lot of types of racing. If I can organize a decent sponsor for next year, I'll do it, if I can make a serious effort. If I can't... I'm planning on riding the Ascot TT next year, and I want to ride some short track and speedway as soon as my leg gets better." Warren Reid's career has been marked by the fact that the good rides, wins and championships have somehow eluded him, sometimes by inches, other times by a mile. "Factories always want younger riders," he observes. "Three years ago that would've bothered me, now it doesn't; I go and race as fast as I can. Things outside don't bother me anymore. If some factory wants to hire me, they can; they're going to get results." But what if all of that goes right down the chute, what then? "I can do anything," Warren replies. "I can do fencing, drywall, hardwood cabinets - I can do it all. "By working with the people who know their stuff, I think that's what's enabled me to become a good woodworker, a good speaker, a good mechanic. I've been around John R (Rosenstiel, Warren's step-father), so I know mechanicals. And my grandfather and friends know so much about woodworking ... Hanging around with Larry Huffman has taught me about speaking. Whatever you want to do, you want to be around the people who are best at it. And you'll become good at it if you pay attention to what they're doing. '. nardlVance&: Hines Suzuki Funnybike. Ray Bellucci stormed through Pro Comp, using his 1500cc Kawasaki to run 8.21-sec. and destroy Rick Stetson's long-standing 8.36-sec. record. Bellucci ran 8.26 in the first round, 8.26 in the second round and 8.36 in the final, winning all the way. Jan Laurenti edged closer toward turning the first Stock Eliminator ninesecond pass, setting a new E.T. record of 1O.06-sec. on his Suzuki GS1150. Top Fuel boiled down to a twobike field as the world fastest motorcycle, the Kawasaki of Elmer Trett, was to face the newly renovated Kawasaki of Paul Ray. However, Ray crashed into the guard rail on his Sundaymorning check-out pass. Ray escaped with only torn ligaments in his right ankle. In an effort to put on a show for the crowd, Trett decided to make a couple of extra passes. The smoke and noise was what the crowd wanted and Elmer's 7.44/180 solo in the final was what they came to see. Jim Bernard ope.ned the first round of Funny Bike with a bye run of 8.211176.81. George Bryce then took an easy 8.26/165.47 pass when Larry Knight broke his turbo machine on the way to the line. Charles Israel had a rougher time in defeating John Sands when he ran an 8.10 to Sands' 8.14. Closing out the round was Bob Malloy, who set low ET of the round in defeating the Honda of Wayne McMillan. Malloy ran a 7.97 on his Karata Enterprises-backed Kawasaki. In round twi> both local racers became spectators as Bernard easily handled Bryce 7.66 to 8.03 and Malloy won a squeaker over Israel 7.93 to 7.99. . The final saw east coast-based Malloy knowing he had to have a tremendous race to defeat the California machine of Bernard. In his effort to do so he lit the red light handing the win to Bernard. Bernard did not take it easy as he ran a 7.71/180.36 pass to give him a class top speed record. Pro Stock had a couple of surprises. First, the racers were treated to very close scrutinization that included close weight and fuel checks, wheelbase measurement checks, and the use of NMRA's gas and air. All this was done by the tech committee in an effort to clear up the cheating whispers that have begun to surface. The second surprise was the non-qualifying efforts of Randy Mason, Rich Heater and John Mafaro. Despite the close watch on Pro Stock in general the bump spot in the eight-bike field was 8.74 with Terry Vance sitting at the top (8.51) with Dave Schultz in eighth (8.74). In round one, Vance overcame a holeshot by Charlie Gressman to defeat the Florida Suzuki 8.60/155.97 to 8.83/148.76. Rick Stetson then trailered a sleeping Mike Keyte when he ran a slower 8.76/152 to Keyte's losing 8.711153. In a run of errors, Gary Watters outlasted Joe Folgore with a 9.44 to Folgore's 9.62. Bob Carpenter then had an easy one as Dave Schultz red-lighted. Stetson showed his sportsmanship in round two by waiting over a minute with his motor running for Vance. Vance had the starter nut come 0(( of the end of his crankshaft as he was about to start the bike. When his crew tried to put the nut back on they dropped it and had to fish it out of the cover. When the bike fi'nally started, Vance showed Stetson no mercy by laying down an 8.59/155.17 to Stetson's 8.79/152. In the other semi, Carpenter took an 8.79/154.63 win over Watters. Vance lined up against Carpenter in the final. Unlike most ofthe other races the two have run, this one did not get 0(( the starting line. Carpenter was forced to allow Vance to solo for the win when the nut on the countershaft sprocket broke 0((. Vance clocked an 8.54/156.79 for his second win of the year. -

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