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New Haven Suzuki's Kevin Rentzell and Jeff Atwell covered 124 laps at Road Atlanta in taking the win to keep their slim championship hopes alive. Team Lockhart finished second at Road Atlanta; Larry Shorts. Wendell Phillips and Lynn Miner were the only team on the same lap as New Haven. AltfA/ltfotoWorld U.S. Endurance Round'J2 Ser;~s: New Haven Suzuki scores at Road Atlanta By Randy Marrs BRASELTON, GA, SEPT 6-7 -. New Haven Suzuki kept their slim title hopes alive by beating series leader Team Lockhart by 33.34-seconds after 500 kilometers around scenic Road Atlanta. Kevin 16 Remzell and Jeff Atwell covered 124 laps to take New Haven's third win of the ,series while Lockhart's Larry Shorts, Wendell Phillips and Lynn Miller were the only other team on the same lap. Team Sunset's Peter Carroll and Don Canet took the GTU class win and finished sixth overall. Team Lockhart came to Road Atlanta with a chance to wrap up the title. Going into the Georgia round, Lockhart had five wins LO New Haven's two and a win at the windy Road Atlanta facility would have virtually assured the championship for the Alabama-based team. New Haven's hopes were kept alive, however, but it still must win the remaining three rounds for a realistic shot at the title. As was the case at Summit Point. strategy would playa major role in New Haven's win. Lockhart figured it would take them three fuel stops LO go the distance when in reality two would do the job. New Haven's crew chief Forbes Duguid capitalized on Lockhart's conservatism by planning only two SLOpS for Rentzell and Atwell. Forry tearns took the green under slightly overcast skies with Rentzell pUlling the New Haven Suzuki in the lead followed by a hard-charging Shorts on the Lockhart GSXRlloo. Mike Harth held third on the Tay lor Roadracing Suzuki GSXRIlOO with the Never Ready Racing GSXR 1100 of Brad Smith and Buddy Keller holding down fourth. Fifth place belonged LO Miami Vice with RC Cola, West Florida Racing and S8cL Racing Enterprises holding down sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively. RenLZell and Shorts were almost 20 seconds ahead of Taylor by this point in the race and were racing as if it were only a 10 lapper. The GTU teams were bunched up and going for the GTU win with the Yamaha FZ600 of Out8c Out Racing leading Paul Smith Racing, jam-Up Racing, Team Maryland and Team Sunset. Rentzell led Shorts until lap five when Shorts got around for the lead with both riders circuJating in the one-minute, 33-second range while increasing their lead over the balance of the field. Lap fOUT in the GTU battle saw the Paul Smith entry take the lead with Out 8c Out Racing's FZ6000f Marc Lautenhizerand Kevin Eby taking over second place. . Shorts kept the U.S. Suzuki/Dunlop/Cam-2/ND/Kal-Gard/RK/Performance Machine Wheels-sponsored Lockhart entry in front until lap II when he and Rentzell came up .on a lapped rider. RenLZell did a better job under the circumstances and by turn L2 had the New Haven Suzuki in the lead. Harth held down a solid third with Dale Burroughs a distant fourth. When Rentzell made his pass, Shorts slowed drastically while looking down at the right rear of his bike. "I thought my rear tire (Dunlop) had gone £lat," Shorts said later. "It happened that fast. It just started going away on me. From that point on we had tire trouble all day." Paul Smith Racing, meanwhile, continued LO lead the GTU class until lap l6when Out8c Outlook the lead for one lap. Paul Smith took the lead again, but again lost it LO the Smith crew two laps later. It didn't take long for the Team Sunset Kawasaki 600 Ninja LO join the leaders aJong with jam-Up and Duguid's GTU entry New Haven Kawasaki. With the crowd on their feet, Team Sunset took the lead on lap 24. At the end of 39 laps the Taylor Roadracing entry of Harth and Dave Schlosser moved inLO second dropping Shorts to third as the Lockhart team continued LO have tire problems. On lap 40,' the .New Haven entry maintained a solid hold on first place, with Taylor second, Lockhart third and RC Cola a Lap down in fourth place. Never Ready held fifth with S8cL Racing Enterprises sixth and Team Sunset seventh. There were eight Suzukis in the top 10. Taylor was able to hold second until lap 4!1 when Lockhart took over once again. Lockhart was now at full strength with an almost-mended Miller joining Shorts and Phillips. "I feel much beller than last week," Miller said. ''I'm a little tired; I just don't want to overdo it. The rear tire is slipping a lot, but I was able LO settle in LO about two and a half seconds apart on Atwell and keep that pace up for my hour." The hot GTU pace was now taking its toll on the front runners. jamUp seized a motor, New Haven Kawasaki broke and Team Maryland had dropped out of the running. Sunset lost the lead to Paul Smith on lap 41, but was able to get back in front 10 laps later. Meanwhile, RenLZell and Atwell continued LO maintain their lead over Lockhart at the halfway point with Taylor Roadracing holding on to third a lap down. Taylor had in turn put two laps on fourth-placed Never Ready Racing. Team Sunset had retaken the lead from Paul Smith Racing and would maintain their GTU lead to the checkered flag, although the gap between Sunset, Paul Smith Racing and Out 8c Out Racing was only two to three seconds. Taylor Racing ran out of gas and had to coast into the pits as SchJosser, who had'become sick at the Savannah round, began LO feel worse and fell 0(( the pace due to his illness. On lap 87, Lockhart went back into the lead and actually gained a 30-second advantage over New Haven. Sunset finally got the advantage they needed, going a lap up on Paul Smith who began to suffer from a slight oil leak. After 90 laps, Lockhart still led New Haven with Taylor Racing in third, Never Ready fourth and S8cL'fifth. As the race neared the final stages, RenLZel1 was on the move and Lock.· hart was about to make their £atal mistake. RenLZeU was gaining two to three seconds a lap on Lockhart, who was continuing to suffer from overheating tires. On lap 106, with Rentzell just twO seconds behind Shorts, Lockhart pitted thinking they would need the third stop for fueL. Rentzell took the checkers for the win. "I milked it on my first stint," Rentzell said. "I was close so we knew then wecould make it on two stops." "We blew it," Lockhart's Keith Perry said. "We didn't lose anything, but we sure didn't gain anything and that's what we needed to do. We could have made it on two stops, we just didn't know we would have to. It would have been a lot closer if we could have made it on two SLOpS." "This is my first time on an 1100," said a happy.Harth with the Taylor Racing Suzuki. "It's a little heavier than what I'm used to; it's a real beast to ride." With 12 rounds now completed and counting their best finishes LO date, Lockhart has 3290 points to New Haven's 3235. Lockhart and New Haven are the only two teams left with a chance at the title. The GTU class is still close with New Haven Kawasaki Leading the fray with 3071 points to Paul Smith's 3032, jam-Up's 2815, Team Gonzo's 2808 and Sunset's 2782. There have been eight di££erent GTU winnersthus far in 1986. • Results OVERAll: 1. New Haven Suzuki ISuz); 2. Team Lockhan ISuz); 3. T.ylor R08dr.cing (Suz); 4. Never Re.dy Racing (Suz); 5. S&l Enterlll'isas ISuz); 6. Team Su"., lK8w); 7. Second City Racing (Yam); 8. RC Cola (Suz); 9. P.ul Smith R.cingIY.m); 10. High Tech Racing ISuz); 11. Wnt Florida R.cing (Yam); 12. Out & Out RlICing (Yam); 13. Front Row Racing (Yam); '4. Fubar RlICing II (Yam); 15. Te.m Up (Yam). GTO; 1. New Haven Suzuki (Suz); 2. Team 1.Dckhan (Suz); 3. T8Vlor R08dr.cing (Suz). GTU; 1. Team SunMl (K8w~ 2. "'ul Smith Racing (Yam); 3. Out & Out Racing (Y.ml.