Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Formula II Champion Don Greene (201 leads Sam McDonald (291. Kevin Brunson (971 and Alan Labrosse. Brunson won. Sam McDonald led the Formula II race coming out of the chicane on the last lap. but was drafted and passed at the line. Harth and Barry took eighth and ninth, respectively, with Jeff Haney, in a strong ride through traffic after a back of the grid start, finishing 10th. "I had a lot of fun racing with Sam," said Merkel in winner's circle. "When you trust the other rider you're racing with then you can run a really good race. My plan was to wait until the final two laps and then work my strong points - turn one and the chicane - to my advantage and break away from who ever was with me at that time. Mike Velasco and Merlyn Plumlee did another super job of putting me on winning machinery." "The rear tire began to slip a bit just before the halfway mark and I couldn't push as hard as I wanted to on some parts of the track," said McDonald. "Fred used slower traffic to his advantage in the final two laps and that was about it. I got sick to my stomach after the Formula Two race and I don't feel 100 percent right now, but on the track the only thing on my mind was to win the race." McDonald receives support from Honda Racing Corporation, McDonald Racing, Megacycle and Moto-X Fox. "I can't say enough about everyone who pitched in to help with the work on my engine," said Pietri. "It took a lot of hard work and a lot of time, but it was worth it. It really feels good when things go right." and pulling wheelies on his way back to the pits. "I'm really happy to have been fortunate enough t9 win here at Daytona two years in a row," said Brunson. "I had a problem with my rear tire losing traction in turns one and two and I was sliding around a bit after it got hot. That cut my edge on Sam a bit and allowed him to catch me in [he final laps. I knew if he didn't get away on the final lap after the chicane that I had the power to pass him before the finish." Results 1. Fred Merkel (Hon); 2. S.m McDon.ld (Hon); 3. Roberto Piotri (Hon); 4. Ricky OrI.ndo(Hon); 5. Terry H.mpton (Hont; 6. Jimmy Adamo (Cag); 7. Rich Oli_ (Hon); 8. Mike H.rth (Hont. 9. Glenn Barry (Hon); 1D. Jeff H.ney (Hon); 11. Pat Hernon (Hon); 12. John Kocinski (Hon); 13. Pate Lusby (Hon); 14. Gary Horton (Hont. 15. Larry Shorta(Hon); 16. Ken Stephena (Hon); 17. Dwayne W• .-rg (Kew); 18. Mitch Marqui (K-t. 19. Steve Harrison (Hon); 20. Edward V.n Etten (Hon). TIME: 35 min.• 15.665 aecs. . AVERAGE SPEED; 102.980 mph. AMASUPER8IKE CHAMPIONSHIPSERlES RNAL POINT STANDINGS: 1. Fred Merkel (216); 2. S.m McDonald (l8n 3. Reuben McMurter (123); ·4. Roberto Piatri (111); 5. Richard Oliver (89); 6. Ricky Orlando (68); 7. D.'e Qu.rterley (64); 8. John Battencourt (53); 9. Wes Cooley (52); 10. Terry Hampton (49). '. Formula Two Brunson wins thriller DAYTONA BEACH, FL, NOV. 4 Kevin Brunson and Sam McDonald hooked up halfway through the first lap of the Formula Two final and played a game of rubber band throughout:"H' laps with the advantage at the finish· to Brunson. The win marked Brunson's second straight in Daytona Pro: Am action. Third pla.ce went to Santiago Londono over Don Greene in a duel which lasted nearly all race, while fifth fell to Bruce Sass. Armstrong rider Brunson was the pole sitter via his Saturday heat win, which was nearly 10 seconds faster than tharofHonda-mounted McDonald, who won the other heat. Brunson Led off with newly-crowned Formula Two Champion Greene, on a Yamaha, in tow ahead of McDonald, Alan Labrosse, Sass, Londono, Tracy DeMuro and Gary Gibson. Three laps into the race, Brunson and McDonald had set up their duel out £ront with Londono and Greene trading third, while Labrosse watched from a close fifth and Gibson led "Sass. A bobble by DeMuro dropped him back to 10th. Labrosse moved in on lap six to make the battle a three-way one with Londono and Greene. The three were trailing Brunson and McDonald while keeping a good distance ahead of a fiverider battle for sixth led by Sass. Brunson continually opened gaps on McDonald, which McDonald would promptly close two and three times a lap as they opened a distance on the third place fight on each lap. Labrosse, just past the halfway flags, took over in the battle for third. He didn't come around on the next lap and Londono and Greene were left to battle third place to the finish. Brunson continued to hold the lead on his A.A. Harper-sponsored Armstrong while McDonald played shadow aboard his Larry Kano-tuned Honda-assisted mount. Meanwhile, Londono, on the Muss!Acuario-sponsored Yamaha and Greene, on his selfsponsored Yamaha, was waiting for someone to make a mistake. Three laps from tbe end, McDonald began to probe Brunson for a spot to pass and make it s~ick on the final lap; he decided on passing going inlo the chicane and then trying to gel enough slower traffic between himself and Brunson that Brunson couldn't catch back up. On the fi.nal lap, McDonald made his move but couldn't shake Brunson, and as the two came off tbe banking headi ng for the checkered flag it was Brunson with a draft-and-pass maneuver to win. Londono held off Greene for third with Sass a comfortable fifth. Brunson was one happy rider on hH 'ebb} bff lap, wa~irlg '10 'th~ faM broke away £rom the rest of the field on the start and set about seeing who could run who into the ground. Church, witha new XL I000 motor in his Harley-Davidson Owner's Groupsponsored bike, showed he had the power to motor away from Adamo on the banking. Reiman and Tunstall settled imo third and fourth with Marvin West in fifth. Tunstall and West got into a tussle for fourth with West appearing to have an edge"in the infield and Tunstall able to get back any ground lost on ~e banking. Church was out on lap eight; he felt what he thought was the engine slowing, pulled in the clutch and parked the bike. "The (burned) clutch stunk up the whole pit area," said tuner Don Tilley. "I know the clutch is gone, but there may be some other problem as well." Adamo, with no competition, rolled to an easy win. Reiman, on the Robison Harley-Davidson of Daytona moum, had an "easy" ride to second. Syd's Cycles rider Tunstall held off Euro-Cycle Imports BMW ridei West for fourth. Dennis Liebrecht, aboard a Ducati, topped the Heavyweight Amateur class while Cagiva rider Richard Winningstad was the Lightweight Amateur class winner. "It's always fun to race Daytona," said Reiman. "I wish we had gotten more practice so I was a bit more dialed in." . "I got a poor start," said Tunstall. "I haven't raced in a couple of months and it showed a bit in the beginning. I knew I had top end on Marvin (West), but I was worried about him getting away in traffic." "I lost the rear brake early in the race," said Roeder, "so I was taking it really easy. The plan was not to push it, but without the rear brake I had to really slow down. Where's the champagne?" Adamo, riding in a race in the AMA Championship Cup Series finals, didn't attend the winner's circle ceremony. • Results 1. Kevin Brunson (Arm); 2. Sam McDonald (Hon); 3. Santiago Londono (Yam); 4. Don Greene (Y.m); 5. Bruce S.ss (Y.ml; 6. G.ry Griffith (Yam); 7. John Fr.nce (y.m); 8. Doug Libby (y.m); 9. Joseph Lachniet (Y.m); 10. M.lcolm Montgomery (Y.m); 11. Michel Pellerin (Yam); 12. D.vid Reed (y.m); 13. W.yne Willis (y.m); 14. J.mes Woosley (Y.m); 15. David Curtis (Yam); 16. Tom Pedzewick (Yaml; 17. Mich.el Perry (Yam); 18. Alan Labrosse (Yam); 19. G.ry Gibson (C·A); 20. Tr.cy DeMuro (Yam). TIME: 29.min.. 36.926 secs. AVERAGE SPEED: 100.974 mph. FORMULA TWO CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES FINAL POINT STANDINGS: 1. Don Greene (136); 2. S.m McDon.ld (120); ~. Chris Steward (99); 4. Kevin 8runson (97); 5. Tr.cy DeMuro (68); 6. AI.n Labrosse (BO); 7. D.le Fr.nklin (74); 8. D.ve Busby (73); 9. Joey Sommers (5~); 10. John Glover.l51). Battle of The Twins Adamo cruises to victory DAYTONA BEACH, FL, NOV. 4 Team Leoni Cagiva rider Jimmy Adam.o came away with the overall and G P class win in the Battle of The Twins final. Adamo had no competition in the final laps of the II-lap, 40-mile finaJ, but in the first half of the final series race he had to play second fiddle to the flying Harley-Davidson of GP class series champ Gene Church. Church retired with clutch problems and Adamo romped home. Roger Reiman, a three-time winnl':,r of the Daytona 200 in the 1960s and a Vintage road race competitor during the March Cycle Week program, got into BoTT action and rode a HarleyDavidson to second behind Adamo. MaIcolme Tunstall put his Ducati into third. The only class championship up for grabs was in the Stock ranks with Will Roeder needing only a mid-class finish to wrap it up. Roeder won the class on his Harfey-Davidson and, by racking up the most points of any rider in the four classes, earned the Number One plate for next year. Church and 1J\ld

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