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/126967
Dave Schultz, the meet's top qualifier with a run of 8.13 seconds. had to settle for second in the final due to mechanical problems. After Vance's ill-fated run in round two (he ripped off another 8.14), all indications pointed to a Stetson-Schultz meeting in the final Interesting enough, Stetson dodged a big bullet when secondround opponent Mike Keyte really stepped up in that frame to run an 8.17. That would have bettered Stetson's 8.20, but Keyte put himself out of any possible win with a redlight. For Schultz, an-8.17. indicated that there was a problem going on, but. one he didn't discover until it cost him the final race. His batteries were losing power and not giving enough juice to the ignition to fully fire the eight spark plugs in the rare dualplug Kawasaki cylinder heads he runs on his bike. The first indication that the battery was going south came in the next round when the two RacPak computers he uses quit functioning properly. Schultz geared the bike lower to get more power between the second and semi-final rounds (stilI unaware of the failing batteries) and put away Los Angeles, California, rider Anthony Anderson with an 8.16. (Update: A few days after the Cajuns, . Schultz installed a fresh group of batteries and ran an 8.10 at a track in Florida.) Anderson's semi-final finish was his best-ever National event showing. However, it didn't come easy. After the first weekend, Anderson and crew drove back to Los Angeles . to put some test runs, mostly 6O-foot launches, on his very-new, Kosmanchassised, Vance &: Hines-motored Suzuki in hopes of improving upon his qualifying best of 8.44. During a full-track run at Los Angeles County Raceway, a gust of wind pushed Anderson over the centerline at the top end, where he hit the timing lights and heavily dama~ the front end after the front tire brew out. Enough was learned before that happened to tune the bike to run dual mid-8.20, both personal bests, before he met Schultz in the semis. After Schultz got way out on him, due to excessive tire spin at the start, Anderson shut down. Stetson repOrted that the air was going away after the first round, but that he didn't do anything to the motor for fear 'of' pOssibly going the wrong way with the tuning. His hand was forced for the final, bowever, because of Schultz's previousround of 8.16. "1 made some jetting, timing, and chassis changes," Stetson said afterwards. "I said, 'Well, this is the final. The bike will either like it or we'll know' that we went too far."" As' both bikes pullet! into their respective water boxes, their physical differences were readily apparent. Schultz's powder-blue, one-of-akind-full-coverage Ninja fairing concealed the spon's strongest running Kawasaki motor, all housed in a one-off Kosman chassis. Stetson's pain ted- in-your-basicblack, unfairinged '81 vintage Suzuki was no less formidable, but certainly not as handsome a machine. The burnout and staging procedure went as expected, with Stetson getting one1inal rise from the apwd with his screaming, smoky, tireheating exercise. After -his burnout, Schultz did two dry hops and made ready to run. The two bikes staged, took the green, and left fairly dose together. Then it began to happen. Schutlz started to lose ground to Stetson after the 6O-foot mark. As Stetson put more distance on him, Schultz's motor began too miss and cough badly. Schultz looked down at it a number of times, but there was really nothing he could do at that point. His machine recorded a sub-par 8.64, 145.93. Stetson crossed the finish line with another time in the 8-teens an 8.17 at 160.45 mph. That marked only the second time he has been in the teens and into the 160 mph zone. (The first time was in round number one.) Stetson had nothing but praise for the look of Schultz's Ninja. "I think that's the way a Pro Stock bike should look; I was very impressed' with it. In fact, when we were sitting in the staging lanes, I said to him, "Take' a look at this: an antique against the spaceship...' You can bet that this "antique" will attempt to ground the "spaceships" on a regular basis this year. - llamett"s rrw. last acIicn push pu111hn>ltles _ pettoct b hI!t' porfDrmancr arb CDI'M!f'slons. n- rap quaIjty 1hn>ltles _ ~ 01 strong fIllergIass implogo r¥an and ........, .. nanow lMl" ~ IDlSing b <2 wiltI SlDdc ~ IOmiiIIIftads paliI:IIewiltl SliXIc - . 1lYolIIl!s _ SIS.95 and cable sets _ SIS.50 suggesII!d retail. GRAB" HMIOFUL-Install a Bamett 1Ddayf _cam- ~ -- p.o. Box 2826. sara ... SprIngs. CA 'lO61O (213I94H284