Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126950
Mexic~m ROIId R.ce Ch.mpion Oae:-r C.atel"nos (.bove) won both the A Superbike end A Production cl (Below) D.vid Cheek (51) leeds eventual winner C.atel"nos (6) end Sam McDonald (29) through the beck Castellanos controls Mexican sprints By Rob Hardy Photos by Action Photography/Rob Hardy MONTERREY, MEXICO, FEB. IS Mexico City's Suzuki-mounted Oscar Castellanos, the current Mexican Nationalll OOcc Road Race Champion, showed his stuff at the Autodroma de Monterrey with convincing wins in both the A Superdurance ra~e grac~ the sports pages bike and A Production races. of most major MexIcan ~ewspape~. was confidem of hiS H on d a VFR750 -mou.nted ' Castellanos LO Saturday's first race. . chances prior Wesley WInchester claImed "The bike is brand new," he said. ooth B Superbike and B Production class wirls by riding aggressive, con- . trolled races. CRRC's Ban Winters, who competed. in the Suzuki GSXR Series Grand National Finals at Road Atlama last year, also cleaned up and took home two first place trophies for winning the C Superbike and C Production classes on his Honda Interceptor 500. Sunday's sprint races were organized by the CRRC at the two-mile Autodromo de Momerrey racetrack and an even larger turnout of speetators showed up after Saturday's en- ''I'm physically ready LO race, I'm in my home ground Mexico and I'm like a mongoose, ready to go." When riders in the A Superbike class rolled up to their respective grid positions, many people anticipated a duel between 1984 AMA Formula Two Champion Sam McDonald and Mexican champ Castellanos. I~ was also Yamaha versus Suzuki as McDonald sat upon his Yamaha FZ750 whileCasteUanossaLOnaGSXRIIOO. But David Cheek, also GSXR II 00mounted, surprised them both when the green flag waved. Cheek was the first rider irllO the back esses, with Castellanos right on his rear tire and McDonald running a few bike lengths behind the lead duo in third place. By the second lap, Castellanos had pushed his way past Cheek, McDonald still ran third, and Wes Winchester held down fourth over Craig G leason. On the next lap, McDonald moved closer to Cheek and Castellanos, while fifth-running Gleason put pressure on Wirlchester. McDonald's FZ750 blew a head gasket on lap four, and just as he dropped out of the race Gleason found a way past Winchester LO secure third. Cheek repeatedly pulled within striking distance of Castellanos for the rest of the race, but coul 't find his way around the Mexi mp. When the checkers called n end to the competition, Castellanos led Cheek, Gleason and Wirlchester across the line. Some of the closest racing of the day took place between Ban Winters and B.B. Momemayor. The twO riders went head-LO-head in both the C Superbike and C Production classes, but it was Interceptor-mounted Winters who managed LO be out in from when it counted. Winters claimed vicLOry in each event, leaving FZ600mounted Momemayor LO finish second in both races. It looked as if it would be another Castellanos runaway when the A Production class lined up at the starting grid. The Mexican National Champ was still mounted on his 1100, while t the CRRC Sprint R.ces in Mexico.' during the A Superbike finel. the grid was filled mostly with riders on 7505. True to prediction, Castellanos puI led the holeshot and led into turn one. Winchester immediately stuffed his VFR750 in front of "Ronco" Villarreal to take command of second, while A.R.T. Racing's Pat Tharp and Lindsay Thomas rounded out the top five. By lap two, Winchester was pushinghis VFR750to the limit. A blanket could have covered Winchester and' Castellanos as the pair exited the "Mexican Mini-Bowl," and Winchester pulled into the GSXR's draft to follow Castellanos down the almost mile-long straightaway. A few seconds back, Tharp had slipped his way into third, past Villareal, and California rider Lindsay Thomas pressured Villareal for fourth. On lap five, Winchester drove past Castellanos though turn three and went on to I~ad the race for two laps, drifting his bike through every come.r in an attempt to put some distance between himself and the Mexican rider. But Castellanos took advantage or'his horsepower to reclaim the lead near the end of the race, passing Winchester at the end of the from straight. By the final flag, Castellanos had opened up some breathirlg room over Wirlchester, while Tharp finished an uncontested third. Villarreal just held 0(( Thomas for fourth. • Results A SUP: 1. Oocor Co..ononos ISuz): 2. Dovid Cheek (Suzl: 3. c.oig Gleoson (Suzl. B SUP: 1. W....y Winche...r (Han): 2. Jeff H.r· dey (Suz); 3. Pot Therp (Suz). CSUP: 1. Ben Winters (Honl: 2. B.B. Mont.meyor (Yom): 3. Com RDOS (Yom). o SUP: 1. C.m RDOS (Y.m); 2. B.B. Monl.meyor (Yom); 3. M. Gerretl (Yom). A PROD: 1. Ooc", Co...nonos (Suz): 2. Wesley Winche...r (Hon); 3. Pol Thorp ISuz). B PROD: 1. W.sley Winchest.r (Han); 2. B.B. Mantem.yor (Yom); 3. Ben Wint... (Han). C PROD: 1. B.rt Wint... (Han); 2. B.B. Mont.· moyor (Yom~ 3. Eric Foh (Han). Fl: 1. Dovid Cheek. (Suz); 2. W....y Winch.st.r (Han): 3. P. H.rder ISuzl. F2: 1. Jemes Leermonth (Duel; 2. S. GonIet(Hon). F3: 1. Kelin Dem (Yom). BOTT: 1. J.mes Leermonth (Due): 2. Howord Davies (MoM). ClUB: 1. J. Rodriguez (Yom~ 2. Philip Devies (Suz); 3. H. Devies lMoM~ YIN: 1. R.N. R_ (Tn).