Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

-. . o f ti tl e leader J ack y " Ma xi u m " Vimond . H opes ra n h ig h for a g rea t wee ke nd. An d i n t he race Yamah a-mo unted Vim on d did not let hi s pu bl ic d ow n , b u t th e weat her in t he so u th o f Fran ce mos t cert a in ly did . Ba r e l y 10,00 0 h ardy spec tato rs turn ed OUI o n a day o f relen tless ra in w h ich first transform ed th e s u per b hi ll sid e circu it a t Gi mont , 30 mil es west o f Tou lo use, into a ska ti ng rin k a nd su bseq ue nt ly a q uagmi re. O nl y Fren chman Vimond kep t clea n a ll da y, a m a gn ificent tr ibute to h is techn iqu e t hro ug ho u t a l mos t 96 m in ur es o f ruth less ly d em an d in g m o tocro ss. Defendin g 250cc World C ham p io n H einz Kini gadner rode h is works KT M as ro b ust ly as ever, bu t saw h is cha ll en ge che a ted by th e wr et ch ed co nd itio ns. G a tin gdesparatel y in l -I th p lace, th e Au strian hurl ed as ide h is goggles th en passed 10 r iva ls before, blinded by m ud , he cras he d tw ice a n d had to p u ll o u t. Sti ll in pain a nd dabbin g a damag ed left eye , Kin ig adn er sta rte d moto IwO in tenth , stor me d through 10 second a nd h eld Vimond 's lea d ing p ace, a lbei t a minut e ad r ift, fro m la p five 10 the end . Typica lly , th e sp ir ited cha m p had lime to lau gh , wa ve a n d poke o u t h is ton gu e d uri ng th e d read fu l clos ing stages. Beh ind Kin igadn er, lat e ra ce dram a in volved h is KTM teamm at e Arno Drech sel. Fo r the seco n d tim e th e m uscul a r T yro lean pou n ced o n Ilee t starti ng Pat ri c k Fura o n th e last la p a fter a pa ssio na te pu rs uit. In th e fir st moto , Dr echsel had a lso ov erh auled Fura o n th eir fin a l circ u i t before th e f1 al';gin g H usq va rn a rider fell a nd a llowed S uzu ki's Mich el e R in al d i, stri c ke n by a rear t ire p u n c t u re , th rough into th ird pl ace. B UI Vim o nd fi n is he d th e m o ro two a nd a ha lf minut es in fron t, lappin g all bu t h is closes t three riv a ls to d isprove th e d isqu iet of those who fear ed he co u ld n' t ha ndl e th e p ress u re o f nati onal ferv o r! Drechsel' s second o vera ll lifts h im a bo ve Kin igad ner to seco nd in th e po int sta ndi ngs, wh ile R in ald i reesta blis hed hi s clai ms wi th IW O so lid rides. BUI Dut chman Gert -Ja n van Doo rn . fifth i n race o ne, crashed hi s Honda earl y a nd cr itica lly p u lle d o u t o f m ot o tw o . His d ecisi on 10 q u it co u ld p rove cos tly . Th ere wer e barely en o ugh fin is hers to fill th e points. O th er p romin ent race cras he rs, as t h e rain p oured d own , in cl u d ed Swedes Anders Er iksson , Pe ter H ans so n a nd Leif Nikl asso n . Also joi ning th e li st o f cras he rs wa s Am eri can Brad Lack ey. T he form er 500cc Wo r ld Champi on 's ret urn 10 G P raci n g " j us t for fun " sad ly di sso lved in to a pa ir o f ea rly DNFs fo r hi m a nd hi s Yamaha. T h e d a y wi ll be remember ed fo r the speed wi th which Vimond lef t every bo dy he la p ped on hi s way 10 a perfect 1-1 da y. Carr ied sho u lde rhi g h to the trop h y presentat io n by del iri ous fans, th e 23-yea r-o ld Fren chman wa s deserved ly enjoy ing a da y 10 be remember ed . Despi te th a t dam ned wea ther . • Results 15T MOTO: 1. J acky Vi mond (Yaml; 2. Arn o Drech seI I KTM ); 3 . M ic hel e Rina ldi (Su z); 4 . Patri ck Fura (Hon ); 5 . Gert -Ja n van Do orn (Ho n); 6 . Yann ig Ker vella (Hen); 7. An der s Eriksson (Ya m); 8. So re n M or t en sen (Kaw); 9 . leif Nik Jasson (Mai ); 10 . M an fr ed Schau ble (KTM); 11 . Jean -Clau de Laq uaye (Han); 12. Peter Han sson (Hus); 13 . Klaus Ki nigadne r (KTM ); 14 . J oh an van Poppel; , 5. M au rizio Dolce (Hen ). 2 ND MOTO: r. V im ond : 2 . Hein z Ki nigadne r; 3. Drech sel; 4 . Fur a; 5 . Laquave: 6 . Ri nal di; 7 . Ker vella ; 8 . M ort en sen ; 9 . J orgen Ni lsson I Hu sl: t o. M arc Velk eneers (Ma i l: 11 . Dol ce; 12 . Roland Die pold IKa w) ; 13 . Klaus Ki nigadner; 14 . M ar t i n Sau l ter (M ai); 15 . Sim o Tai mi I Hus ). POINT STANDINGS : 1. Vi mond{1 881; 2. Drec h sel ( 15 6); 3. Heinz Ki ni gadner (148 ); 4 . Van Doorn ( 13 6); 5. Rinald i ( 13 41; 6 . Ni l sson (12 5); 7 . Eri ksson (8 61 8. Fura t82); 9. Ker vell a (7 61 10 . Taimi (74); 11 : ; (TIE) M ort en sen / Vel keneers (71 ): 13 . Dol ce (67). ICHAw'ONI [GII,:e,] ~ .~-~~~~~ o .... Spark THE BELL SUPERBIKE CLASSIC ON SATURDAY We have a better racing sdledule for you this year. T second he annual Bell Superbike Classic will feature Saturday's racing and qualifying, which will indude Battle of the T ins, divided into two w groups. Avintage exhibition w also highlight Soturday's activity. ill The Champion Spark Plug 200 will continue as a pair of 100 kilometer heats, w the Vetter H Mileage Contest F as the ith igh inals contrasting break. T popular Formula-2 final is scheduled as the he lead-off main event on Sunday. T ickets will be available at BASS, Ticketron, TicketMaster, L aguna Seco's regular outlets. Participating Yamaha dealers will have L aguna Tour '85 tickets. Ouestions/lnformation: The Sparts Car Racing Asrociatian of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP) office is open weekdays from 9 a.m . to 5 p.m. Call us at (408) 373-181 1. ROBERTS VS. MAMOLA· THE TRADITION CONTINUES! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Address, -t Cily -j Ma il to : SCRAMP P. O. Box SCRAMP Monterey, CA 93940 Cha rge My Visa /Ma sterCard # -1 Expiral ia n Oale -I Sig nature' - - -- - - -- - - - - - j Note : We Accept Visa or Ma ste rCard O nly. Children under 6 years o f oge f re e w i t h parent. Nissan is the Official Car and Truck of Laguna S~ca Raceway. 21 .

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