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(Above) Steve McLaughlin crashed his factory BMW entering turn nine at
Laguna Seca in 1976. but walked away unhurt (below ).
Superbikeracing:
10 years ago
BMW ยท fielded the first factory Superbike
team in 1976. The effort go t underway in
sty le when Steve McLaughlin edged teammate R eg P ridmore after a 50-m ile battle
that culminated in one of the
closest finishes ever recorded at
Daytona International Raceway
(left).
20
The 1976 Superbike Production
race featured three BMWs on the
frontrow, with Gary Fisher joining
tea m ma tes McLaughlin and Pridmore. The three riders swapped position on almost every lap until Fisher
was sidelined on lap II with a broken
rocker arm. McLaughlin and Pridmore maintained their bailie down to
the wire, with McLaughlin sneaking
by to win by half a wheel at the finish.
McLaughlin may have won the
Daytona thriller. bu t Prid m ore had
his share 'of wins in 1976. While
Mcl.augh lin 'crashed hard entering
turn nine ill Laguna Seca, P ridm ore
stayed upright to win the Superbike
Production race ahead of Keith Code's
Kawasaki. The BMW team continued
to please road racing fans across the
country in 1976, in what was essentially a preview of Superbike racing
to come.
_
Gary Fisher was the third member
of the BMW s~uad in 1 97 6.
