Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Richard Moore celebrates his win in the 600ce Stock Production class at Willow Springs International Raceway. Moore (83) drafts past Mike Minning on the front straight during the 11 oocc Stock Production race. AFM/Vance &Hines/Kal-Gard Suzuki GSIR Series: Round 2 Moore doubles at Wi',ow Springs ROSAMOND, CA, MAR. 15 Richard Moore, aboard a Vance & Hines Performance Center-sponsored Suzuki' GSXRllOO and a Torrance Vance & Hinesbacked Honda 600 Hurricane, recorded wins at round two of the AFM \ Springs International RaceSouth's 1987 season at Willow way. Moore won both the 600cc and Open Stock Production classes, beating Texan Doug Polen twice in the process, and came close to winning his third race of the day by finishing a close -second to Suzukimounted James Domay in the 750cc Stock Production class abQard another Vance 8c Hines-sponsored Suzuki GSXR75O. Two factors made Moore's performance doubly impressive. For one, Moore's GSXRs sported all~new Pirelli Demon tires instead of Michelin Hi-Sports, the tires he used last year to win the AFM South's 750cc GSXR Cup. Moore's victories were made sweeter by the presence of Denton, Texas, rider Polen, the man who finished a very credible third at this year's Daytona 200 and who's widely regarded as the best club road racer in the country. Temperatures in the low 40s and winds of up to 40 mph troubled riders all day long, especially with regard to tires. Because of the cold, getting tires up to operating temperatures required more than a single warm-up lap, and riders who pushed too hard too quickly ended up on their heads. In the 750cc Stock Production class, Polen found out the hard way. Suzuki' GSXR 750-mounted Domay led the 21-rider field into tum one with Chuck Graves, Moore and Chris Steward in tow. Polen had started poorly and was ninth on lap one. Polen -moved up to seventh on the second go-round and Graves got by Domay for the lead. By lap three, the leading trio of Graves, Domay and Moore began putting distance between themselves and the fight for fourth between Steward and Jeff Hagan. Moore drafted Domay down the front straight, dove underneath in turn one and set his sights on Graves. Polen, fi~uring his tires had .heated suffiCiently, tried to get past Martin at the entrance to tum three and lost the front end, ending his , 750 hopes for the afternoon. "The Dunlops that I'm using," Polen said later, "are designed for higher temperatures, the kind of weather you see here in the summer, and they take a long time to heat up on cold days like this. I guess they weren't quite warm enough." Moore took the lead on lap seven while Graves 4ropped back to third behind Domay. But on the final lap, Domay utilized the draft and nipped. Moore to take the win. Moore was runner-up, Graves third, Steward fourth and Hagan fifth, all aboard Suzukis. Moore commented later that the tire he used, a 160/60-18 Demon, was a bit too big for the 750's rim, and that a slightly smaller 150170-18 would have been better because it would have heated more thoroughly. With truckloads of contingency money on the line it was not surprising to see almost 60 machines on the grid for the 600cc Stock Production race. Along with hoardes of Yamaha FZ600s, there were a number of Honda' 600 Hurricanes present despite the relative lack of 17-inch tires available. Polen, who ran away with the 690cc Supersport race at Daytona, ~as entered, but was lacking a stock , airbox assembly for his Hurricane, and running the race without it was, unlike the National Supersport Series, illegal under AFM Stock Production rules. He borrowed a stock airbox 15 minutes before the start, but missed the crii\caI warmup lap and had to start the race on fresh, un-scuffed Dunlops. Moore, his Hurricane shod with a Metzeler Comp-K Lazer on the front and an ME99 out back, jetted off the line and was first to tum one. Yamaha FZ600-mounted Steve Cardillow was second and Graves, also on a Yamaba; was third. Polen was running about lOth. Moore immediately began putting distance on the rest of the field and had three seconds on Cardillo on lap two. By lap three, Moore's ultra-fast 1:33.8 lap time, astoundingly quick for a 600 without any mods except tires, put him four seconds ahead. But by the fourth lap, Polen was on the gas, passing WaIt Nitto for foul1h and breathing down Graves' neck. By lap five, Polen was suddenly in 'second, roughly seven seconds behind Moore. His lead was -five seconds on lap six, four seconds on lap seven and just over three seconds at the flag. Moore commented later that the rear Metzeler worked well for the first half of the race, but started to "slide around quite a bit" toward the end Polen, using a race-eompound stock

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