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/126977
Schwantz celebrates with Jimmy Filice in the winner's circle. National With the wind picking up and dark clouds lopming overhead, the 6O-mile, 25-lap National got underway. Once again, it was Shobert leading the ,troops into the turn one left-hander. Filice was second from his outside of row one starting position. Rainey and Schwantz were off a little slower' but trailed only Shobert at the end of the first lap. Filice held fourth followed by Polen, Chandler, Gary Goodfellow, and Chivington. Rainey took the lead soon after the start/finish line as Shobert caught a false neutral and ran off the track in the fast tum one. The dirt track champion used all his experience to get the big Honda under col'!uol while off in the grass; he rejoined the £ray and a lap later was eighth. Rainey led the first six laps as the leading duo pulled clear of the pack. After three laps, the two front runners had put 2.47 seconds on Filice, who in tum held a comfortable lead over Polen. . By lap 10, Schwantz had established himself as a would-be-winner. He led Rainey by 3.18 seconds and was pulling away every lap. By this time Shobert had moved around Chivington and Goodfellow and was battling with Polen and Chandler. The Freddie Spencer/Superuappsponsored Chandler was riding the wheels off his 1985 Honda VFR750, one of the few steel-framed bikes in the field. Farther back in the field, Jeff Farmer was beginning to catch Larry Shorts who was ninth. Shorts later said he was suffering from brain fade, allowing Farmer to move up. Shorts got his act together later in the race to secure ninth place. Shobert got by Polen, after displacIng Chandler, on lap 13 to move into fourth place. Meanwhile, Schwantz led Rainey by 6.6 seconds and was still pulling away. On the ) 7th lap, Polen and Chandler began gaining on Shobert, who had taken to the dirt for a second time. By the 22nd lap, however, Shobert had reestablished himself in a secure fourth place. By this time, Polen was showing signs of fatigue due to the heat and was riding most· of the track with his faceshield open; counting the Camel Challenge and the Supersports race, the final was the Texan's third race of the day. Chandler took advantage of Polen's fatigue to move into fifth place on the last lap. The final order read: Schwantz, Rainey, Filice, Shobert, Chandler, Polen, Goodfellow, Chivington, Shorts and Farmer. Following the checkered flag, both Polen and Team Honda's Wayne Rainey maintained his'Superbike series points lelld with a second place finish. Jimmy Filice has finally shaken the bad luck that has plagued him for most of the season; he finished third. Shobert were taken to the medical facility for oxygen and ice packings; Shobert, whether he needed it or not, also received an IV. "The thin~ ran real good," a rejuvented FilIce said. "It was jumping out of sixth gear, but it didn't slow me down much. I'm real happy to be there, but I need to win one before this year's over." Rainey fingered a lack of practice time as a major reason for not staying with Schwantz. "We just need to put more time on our bikes," he said. "The sessions are too short. We have all these tires (Dunlops) to test. I just needed more time on the tires I used. I was riding comfortably, but the thing just didn't work like it could have." • Unoffical Results 1. Kevin Schwantz (Suz); 2-, Wayne Rainey (Hon); 3. Jimmy Filice (Yam); 4. Bubba Shoben (Hon); 5. Doug Chandler (Hon~ 6. Doug Polen (Suz); 7. Gary Goodfellow (Suz); 8. Dan Chivington (Hon); 9. Larry Shons (Kaw); 10. Jeff Farmer (Vam); 11. John Ashmeed (Hon); 12. Dale Quanerley (Vam); 13. Rueben McMurter (Yam); 14. Stephan Crevier (Vam); 15. Scon Zampach (Suz); 16. Russell Paulk (Suz); 17. Brin Turkington (Suz); 1B. Devid Kieffer (Hon); 19. Doug Brauneck (Suz,); 20. Tom Walther. AMA SUPERBIKE.POINT STANDINGS: 1. Wayne Rainey (11 B); 2. Kevin SchwanlZ (94); 3. Bublia Shoben (B1); 4. Doug Polen (60); 5..Gary Goodfellow (50); 6. Dan Chivington (46); 7. Doug Chandler (43); 8. Rueben McMuner (39); 9. Jimmy Filice (29); 10. Larry Shorts (28). AMA/CAMEL PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Bubba Shoben (123); 2. Wayne Rainey (lOS); 3. Doug Chandler (96); 4. Kevin SchwanlZ (92); 5. Doug Polen (56); 6. Scon Parker (52); 7. Dan Chivington (46); 8. Ricky Graham (39); 9. Gary Goodfellow (37); 10. Chris Carr (36). 7