Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Randy Renfro w (96) and Kork Balling ton (99) battled for the lap. entire distan ce in F-1 action ; Balling ton took the win on the last (60) and Dan Boonie Knott (31) leads Marco Greco (145), Russ Paulk ; Paulk finishe d third. Chivin gton (53) in early Formu la One action the last-ever AMAiC amel Pro Formula One road race. It may have been the final race for Grand Prix bikes in the U.S., but Ballington and Renfro w made sure it was a memor able one. The two battled for the entire 24 laps with Renfro w leading every lap except the one that counte d - the last one. BaBing ton played it smart, waited until the last lap and made a brave pass, diving under lapped riders and Renfro w in tum three withou t much breathi ng room and where Renfro w didn't expect it. Renfro w said it was scary, Balling ton acted like it was no big deal; the result was the same and Ballington had his second win of 1986. Third place went to Russ Paulk on his Aiken Motorcycle Sales-s ponsor ed NS500 with Boonie Knott fourth on his RG500 Suzuki . Fifth place went to Dan~htvi~~R.?~rf~:1 ,;,~r"~ ~ bike in the field of 30. Renfro w came into Road Atlanta with a shot of winnin g the Camel Pro Road Racing Champ ionshi p. He needed to win, but also had to hope for a miracl e in the Superb ike racehis chance s depend ed on someth ing happen ing to Wayne Rainey and Fred Merkel. Renfro w was displea sed with the way the new overall series worked out. He felt cheated becaus e while Superb ike riders, such as Merkel and Rainey , were able to score points in nine Superb ike rounds , there were only eight Formu la One rounds . ''I've presen ted it to the AMA, but nothin g will come of it," a detune d Renfro w said prior to Sunday 's race. The first heat got underw ay with Rainey on his Superb ike leading Renfrow's RS500. Rainey had opted to than his use tbe" Sutietb ike ratHerI t : ~J -j f' < f ~ tIfF k {. RS500 becaus e the GP bike gave him blisters on his left hand, and put more of a strain on his recently broken (at Lagun a Seca) collarb one. He later said that he would n't be riding in the Formu la One final anyway , but with the overall champ ionshi p at stake he wanted to give the others someth ing to think about. Rainey turned a I :29.34 on the second lap of the five-lap heat while holdin g off Renfro w. Chivin gton was third with Larry Shorts fourth. Rainey wen t on to the win over Renfro w, but didn't get down to the same times he was turning on his numbe r one Superb ike. The only differe nce between the two bikes, accord ing to Rainey 's mechan ic, Sparky Edmon ston, was the triple clamps . The Superb ike was fitted with 40mm clamps while the spare (F-l bike) used a 37mm variety - Rainey had bent the other 40mm set in his MidOhio crash last week. Chivin gton, Shorts and Mark Chin rounde d out the top five in heat one. Rainey had averag ed 101.641 mph en route to the 1.029-second win over Renfro w. Kevin Schwan tz, like Rainey , rode and won a Form ula One hear, bu the, too, wasn't planni ng on riding the final. For Schwa ntz it was more of a test session to find out why the F -I _ version of his .bike was handli ng better than his Superb ike entry. It was Balling ton leading Schwa ntz into turn one of the second heat with Paulk third and Marco Greco fourth. The fourth lap saw Schwa ntz diving under Balling ton in the transiti on from turn three to turn four. Schwan tz held on to win by 0.792 se.conds over Balling ton, Paulk, Greco and Knott. The five-lap averag e .speed· for heat two was 100.736 mph. The final took to the grid minus Rainey and Schwan tz. As the" £lag droppe d, Renfro w led BaBing ton into turn one with Knott third. The battle was on as Renfro w contin ued to lead the four-ti me World Champ ion, but just barely. Renfro w turned a 1:30.5 . on lap three. Excite ment came on lap four when racing orthop edic surgeo n Dr. Dave Keiffer spun out in the last corner and his bike lay in the track as the pack raced by. Renfro w and BaBing ton made it throug h clear just as the bi~e, 'r~s, ~g;J~9'lep(. .. I ~ j I .: The two were putting on a good show with Renfro w's Honda wheelieing down the hill after exiting turn I I under the bridge, and BaBing ton's Honda shakin g its rear exiting tum 12. Meanw hile, Paulk was in fourth with Greco fifth and Doug Braun en sixth; Greco and Braune ck both would later be out of the race, giving fifth to Knott. Renfro w and Ballin gton sliced throug h traffic, Balling ton showin g a wheel here and a wheel there, but never passing . Just when Renfro w appear ed to find the edge on lap 13 and put traffic betwee n himsel f and Balling ton, Rhode sian Balling ton came back strong and was again right on Renfro w's rear wheel. Paulk was having a lonely ride in third with Greco fourth - but riding an ailing, badly- smokin g Honda . Knott was fifth with Chivin gton catchin g him in sixth and Larry Shorts a lonely seventh . Balling ton stayed on Renfro w's tail until the last lap when, as Renfrow said, "He pulled an unbelie vable maneu ver. I was expect ing him to try someth ing but not in that spot. It was an unbelie vable maneuv er, he really passed well. I did the best I . coul d.". Greco' s Honda expired on the 16th lap, giving Knott fourth and Chivingto n fif~. Ballin gton, who fin"ished with burns on his Tight. thigb from an . exhaus t pipe, said. "I figured out I . was stronge r in tum three and we came up on some slower riders. They baulke d Randy and I manag ed to gel . them betwee n us. It"s been a lot of[un here this year and I justwa nt to thank the people that l'!1ade it possibl e." • Resu lts FORMUL A ONE: 1. Kodt 1IlI1Iington (Hon); 2. IIIIndy Renfr_ (Hon); 3. R.... Paul< (Hon); 4. Boonie Knott (Suz); 5. Dan Chivingto n (Yam); 6. lMry Shorts (Suz); 7. David Raad(Yam); 8.James Adamo (Due); 9. Mad< Chin; 10. David Old (Hon); 11. Jeff Atwell (Yam); 12. Roy Hare (Suz); 13. ManinM orri- . son (Suz); 14. Kathleen Cobum (Suz); 15. Rid< Sh_ (Yam); 16. Henry DeGouw (Yam~ 17. Mitra Hanh (Suz); 18. Douglas Whelan (Yam); 19. David Schl_r (Suz); 20. Phil_ (Yam~ 21. Fred Ram (Yam); 22. Fred Giaimo (Suz). RACE DISTANCE: 24 ' - 80 mi.... RACE TIME: 36 minu1es. 13.85 seconds. AIlERAGE SPEED: 100.158 mph. MARGIN OF VICTORY: D.o12 seconds. ANAl. FORMUL A ONE POINT STANDINGS: 1. IIIIndy Ranfr_ (139); 2. Kodt IIlIlIingto n (111); 3. Russ Paulk (76); 4. Wayne Rainey (68); 5. Gary Goodfall ow (56); 6. Dan ChiYinglOn (52); 7. Doile Franklin (37); 8. Mi... lIlIldwin (35); 9. Marco GnIco (31j; 10. Larry Shons.(28).· ,.)11 , ' I ' 1_ C ..... ·- , ; (In '£ IS I

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