Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Rich Oliver (97) leads James Stephens (24), Don Greene (1) and David Curtis (47) in early Formula Two action; Oliver beat Greene by 1.32 seconds with Stephens taking third and Curtis fourth. AMA Formula Two Road Ra'cing Series: Round9 It's Oliver over Greene in Road Atlanta F-2 By Randy Marrs BRASELTON, GA, AUG. 10 Privateer Rich Oliver topped an intense 20lap battle with newly-crownedAMA Formula Two Road Racing Champion Don Greene during the F-2 season finale at Road Atlanta. Oliver powered his self-sponI' d sore RS250 H on d a to a s .Im . I.32-second vIctory, averagmg 97.450 mph to finish the race in 37 minutes, 1.362 seconds. James Stephens, who ran with the £ront-running duo for most of the race before falling off the pace, finished third. Greene, who clinched the AMA F-2 Championship with a win at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California, July 13, finished the Formula Two series with 155 points. Oliver' took second in the championship ballie with 110 points, and Stephens finished third in the final standings with 85 points. Greene, sponsored by Arai/Dunlopl Kal-Gward/Bates/Fox/ERC, started his weekend on a positive note by winning the fastest five-lap heat race Saturday. He took an early lead, setting the pate for Mid-Ohio winner Garry Griffith, Jeff Heino, Keith Kiyota and John France. Doug Brauneck, riding a Span don-framed Yamaha TZ250, passed four riders in one clean swoop to take over fifth position. Griffith, running at top' throllie in an allempt to catel~ 'Cree'ne, • wenl ., down har~ exiting turn five. ':!"1y lIres weren t warmed up enough, he said. "I was going too fast too soon, and now I have to start at the back of the pack." Griffith was bruised and sore, but ready for the main event. By the second lap Greene was mo.toring away from the field, w.Jth Heino, Kiyota, and Brauneck gomg at it for the number two spot. .Runnmg a dIstant fifth through eIghth were John France, Sam McDonald, and Robert Mowson. Greene, averagmg98.829 mph, beat runner-up Hemo by 10.095 seconds. Oliver got the holeshot in Saturday's second F-2 heat race and powered away from the field to take a flag-toflag win. James Stephens, (ndmg a Terry Yarger-tuned Honda sponsored by Mom.& DadlTeam MacLeanl AGV I Tsubak~/Dunlop),~nd DaVId Curus, also nding a Honda, went at 1l m a light duel for second place. John Long, MIke McPoyle, BIll Hlmmelsbach, James Bonner and BIll Beesch fought a crowded ballie for fourth. Oltver beat runner-up Stephens by 3: 131 seconds. CUrllS took thIrd, Long flmshed fourth and McPoyle claImed fifth. •. I l Greene sat 0\1' i'lTe Pole"tbr ll'l~ §tarl Oliver took his second Formula Two win of the year at Road Atlanta and wrapped up second in the championship behind Greene. I of the Formula Two final, with Oliver sitting second, Heino in the middle of the front row, Stephens lined up fourth, and Kiyola waiting for the green on the outside pole. At the start, Oliver, Greene and Stephens immediately powered away from the pack, followed by Curtis, Heino, Long, Griffith, Kiyota, Andrew LeISner and McPoyle. Oliver led the first three laps, then he and Greene put on a show, dicing and trading the lead at least once every lap through lap seven. Stephens dropped off the blazing pace set by Oliver and Greene, while Griffith motored toward the front of the pack after starting on the next-tolast row. Oliver and Greene continued their ballle through lap 10, with Stephens running a distant third, followed by Curtis, Heino anda hardcharging Griffith. Rounding out the top 10were Long, Gary Gibson, Kiyota and McPoyle. Oliver had opened a lillie breathing room on Greene by lap 13, while Stephens fell even further off the pace and Griffith passed Heino to take over fifth. Following Olivrr,,~reen~, I I l J and Step h ens 'I across th er~ n,. wer .. s Curtis,. Griffith, Heino, Long, Kiyota, McPoyle, and Liesner. "We were working tne tires hard," Oliver said. "Donnie has a radial and he was working it just as hard as I was with my standard tire. It evened out prelly good; we were sliding all over the place. One time we came under the bridge there and he was trying to pass, we hit bars and we were hooked in each other's fairing. I put my foot down and did a Bubba Shobert around the turn, but I made it around okay." Results • 1. Rich Oliver (Hen); 2. Don Greene (Hen); 3. James Stephens (Hen); 4. David Curtis (Hon); 5. Garry Griffith (Yam): 6. Jeff Heino (Hon); 7. John Long (Hon); 8. Keith Kiyota (Hon): 9. Mike McPoyle (Hon); 10. Andrew Leisner (Hon); 11. Sam McDo~ nald (Yam); 12. John France (Hon); 13. James Bonner(Yam); 14. William Beesch (Yam); 15. James Woolsey(Yam); 16. Robert Mowson (Yam); 17. Gary Gibson (Hon); 18. Daniel Reif (Yam); 19. Thomas Runkle (Yam); 20. Ed Key (Hon); 21. William Himmelsbach (Yam); 22. Doug Brauneck (Yam). DISTANCE: 20 laps. 50 miles. TIME OF RACE: 31 minutes, 1.873 seconds. AVERAGE SPEED: 97.450 mph. MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.362 seconds. FORMULA TWO POINT STANDINGS: ,. Don Greene 1155); 2. Rich Oliver (110); 3. James Stephens (85); 4. Randy Renfrow 165); 5. David Curtis , (60~· 6. !?,r Gri it~ (!i8)4'1> .• a"u,"I'l! (~~); __ Jeff Hemo 49· . ' (I

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