Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ 00 O"l - (Above) Marty Sharpe (854) leads Kopeckybus scion Kenny Kopecky in 750cc Box Stock; (below. left) Steve Biganski (11) beat Pro-Am winner John Glover in F-2; (below. right) Marty Vogel (775) took his 601cc GPz550 to second in 750cc Production but was disqualified. The prevailing view of young. tough Texan Kevin Schwantz at Willow; (below) charger Scott Gray (58) took a stab at Schwantz. finished second. Unknown Texan smokeseve at Willow Springs Superbike finale By Lori Tyson ROSAMOND, CA, DEC. 2 Twenty-year-old Texan Kevin Schwantz put in an amazing ride as he took the Yoshimura Suzuki to dual wins at the last American Road Racing Association meet of the year. SchwanlZ turned ultra-fast I minute, 30-second lap times after a mere three laps of official practice (and three more following behind a 600cc race) on an unfamiliar track. Schwantz, normally a production racer, bested local aces Jim Vreeke and Todd Brubaker as he took his first-ever ride on a Superbike in the Formula I event. Dunlop-sponsored Schwantz came from a third-row gridding to holeshot the start, followed 10 the first turn by Honda-mounted Brubaker, Kawasaki pilot Vreeke and Chris Mencher on a Honda. By the second circuit Brubaker passed Schwantz and led for two laps before again relinquishing the top spot to the young Texan. "I need to get in shape," said Brubaker, "I just don't have the endurance to ride that hard for long." Vreeke dropped out with a flat tire on lap five and John Glover got his TZ250 by Mencher for third; Schwantz had also put in his fastest lap 'lime .J.... a I:30.8. By the next lap Steve Biganski also moved past Mencher and gassed it up with Glover. By the end of the eight-lap event, Schwantz held a twosecond advantage over Brubaker. taking his first trophy of the day. "I could say he had horsepower on me, he had better brakes, a lot of other things," said Brubaker later. "But the truth is, I got smoked." Biganski took third, Glover a close fourth, and Mencher, taking fifth, clinched the ARRA Formula I championship. In the last race of the 10-race Superbike Series, Schwantz gave series winner Vreeke his second loss in eight months as he shot from his third-row grid position 10 the lead so fast that he had at least 20 (eet on the rest of the pack by the time they got 10 the fir t turn. He was never headed, and won by six seconds. Brubaker, who missed his warm-up lap because he didn't hear the race announced. went into turn two with cold tires and crashed, sustaining minor injuries 10 himself, major damage to hi machine. Northern California's COli Gray, on his 1980GS750 uzuki uperbike, held second despite handling and shifting problems.Vreeke, thought to be virtually unbeatable until last month when Brubaker gave him his first loss in eight races, found him elf in an unfamiliar third place, unable to close ground on the leaders. chwantz flew 10 what appeared to be an easy win, taking home the $300 prize. Gray, disgusted with his tired uzuki, shook his head as the bike repeatedly slipped out of gear on him. But he managed 10 ride the wheels off it and lOok second and the $200 prize money thal went with it. Vreeke had to sellie for a disappointing third. "I could have gone faster." said former dirt-tracker Schwantz, looking relaxed after his ride, "but I looked back and saw how (ar back they were and there was no point in taking any chances. Plus the harder tire we put on for the Superbike race wa sliding a lillie in the fast turns ... Schwantz's performance earned him a ride with Yoshimura (or 1985. Tony Mathews raced :veteran Whitney Blakeslee in the 600cc Production match. Blakeslee shadowed Mathews the entire race, unlil the last lap. BOlh men entered turn two, but only one came out. As Blakeslee passed a lappee on the outside, he leaned the bike a bit too (ar, picking the back end up when the pipe hit the ground. Blakeslee got tangled with the bike as it went down, cracked some ribs and pulled some muscles. Mathews went on to take the win. Bob Reinen won the 750cc Production title after taking the win in that race over Chris Crowell, Marty Sharpe and, on a 60lcc GPz, Marty Vogel. All four rode hard, but by the last lap it was between Reinen and Vogel. Reinen slipped by Vogel on the back straight and crossed the line£irst, taking the class championship by one point. Vogel was subsequently protested and disqualified for using an illegal swingarm, giving second to Crowell. In the 250cc GP (Formula 2) Glover and Desperado Racing's Biganski went at it, wheel-to-wheelthe entire race. In the drag race to the flag Biganski won by half a wheel. taking the title in the process. Kirk Schreffler, Marty Sharpe and Kenny Kopecky dueled in 750cc Box Stock, a race that would later turn into a near brawl. As Schreffler led, Sharpe was shadowed by Kopecky until the (ourth lap, when Kopecky took over second and held that position until the last lap. chreffler won easily, but the race for second went down to the line. In a nearly side-byside finish, Kopecky came out ahead. But it wasn't over yet. Fourth-place (i nisher Crowell protested the entire field, for lack of horns. After much arguing, club president Earl Smith threw out the protest. In the race for the overall club champion, the man who will wear the number one plate for next year, it looks like it will be either Bob Reinen, sponsored by Spectro, Temple City Kawasaki, Bassani and Dynojet, or Englishman Nigel Gale, who raced a 600cc machine against 750s most of the year and usually won. The points are currently being retallied, so there is no clear-cut champion at this time. Results • 600 PROD #A: 1. Tony Mathews (Yam); 2. Scott Johnson (Yamt. 3. Chris McNellis (Kaw). 600 PROD #B: 1. Tyler Turley (Hen); 2. Bruce Anderson (Kaw); 3. Craig Beecher (Yam). F1: 1. Kevin Schwann (Suz); 2. Todd Brubaker (Hon); 3. Ste.. Biganski (Yem). 450 55: 1. Darren Fulce (yam); 2. John Thornton (Yam); 3. Ale. White (Yam). F3: 1. Rye Hefley (Hon); 2. Steve Dyer (Hen). 750 PROD: 1. Bob Reinen (Kaw); 2. Chris Crowell (Suz); 3. Many Sharpe (Suz). OPEN PROD: 1. Joe Solis (Kew); 2. Bill Cain (Hon); 3. John Bradley (Bim). 600 BOX $TK: 1. Eddy Kawaguchi (Yam); 2. Kenny Kopecky (Kawl; 3. Den Brown. F2: 1. Steve Biganski (Yam); 2. John Glover (Yam); 3. Clint Whitehouse (Yam). OPEN SS: 1. Scott Gray (Suz); 2. Bob Reinen (Kaw); 3. Joe Solis (Kawl. 750 SUPERBIKE: 1. Kevin Schwann (Suz); 2. Scott Gray ISuzl; 3. Jim Vreeke IKew). TWINS: 1. Mick Ofield (No"; 2. Bill Fennessy (Yeml; 3. Curtis Adams IHon). 600 SS: 1. Marty VageIIKaw); 2. Tony Mathews (Yam); 3. Nigel Gale (Yam). 450 BOX STK: 1. Bill DeBere: 2. Charles Wallace (Suz); 3. Rick Seaver (Suz). 450 LC: 1. John Thornton (Yam); 2. Ale. White (Yam); 3. Matt Smith (YamI. 750 BOX STK: 1. Kirk Schreffler (Hon); 2. Kenny Kopecky IKaw); 3. Many Sharpe ISuz). OPEN BOX STK: 1. Craig Huber IKawl; 2. Danny Farnsworth (Hon); 3. Andrew Sharpe (Suz). 450 PROD: 1. Ale. White (Yam); 2. Andy Leisner (Yaml: 3. Steve Dilallo (Yam). 500 SINGLE: 1. Bill Burton (Hon); 2. Bill Fenessy (BSA).· • 11

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