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a :~ ::3 .. ; John Kocinski won his fourth straight 250cc Grand Prix class at MidOhio after starting from the back of the pack and knifing through traffic. Randy Renfrow leads Calvin Rayborn III in their battle for third place. Renfrow fought off Rayborn to finish behind Kocinski and Don Greene. AWlA/CasfroI250cc Grand Prix Series: Round 7 Kocinski stomps 'em at Mid-Ohio By Paul Carruthers Photos by Bert Shepard LEXINGTON, OH, AUG 2 Team Nordica Roberts' John Kocinski put togeth,er his most impressive performance to date as he dominated 250cc action.at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Kocinski's victory marked four-in-a-row for the 19-year-old phenom. ... KOC1OS~1 put 10 a Kenny Roberts-hke r.erformance as he 8 aggressively kmfed his way through rraffic after getting away nearly last when the Yamaha went on onecylinder on the line. It took him only II laps to take conrrol as he pulled to a 4.325-second· win over Don Greene. Third place went to Vance & Hines-sponsored Randy Renfrow. The win puts Kocinski firmly in the driver's seat for his first National Charnpion.ship. The only m~n who had a relauve chance of catehmg the red-hot Kocinski going into MidOhio was Kork Ball ington.. The Team MacLean rider crashed while trying to stay close to Kocinski in the final. A top 10 finish for Kocinski in Memphis this weekend will wrap things up. Kocinski's Nordica teammate, Calvin Rayborn III, finished fourth with Team MacLean's Alan Carter rounding out the top five postions. Don Greene rode his Honda RS250 to a second place finish after leading the early laps; Greene finished four seconds behind without a leftfootpeg. "It went dead on one' cylinder on the start," Kocinski said. "The flag dropped and it wouldn't move. I was last. It was going flat all through the race, but it's a Yamaha and it finished. I just want to thank Bud Aksland for keeping it Roinl/;." Renfrow put his Honda RS250 into turn one first in the opening five-lap heat race on Saturday with Kocinski in tow. Kocinski had the lead by the end of the first lap with defending 250cc champ Greene moving past Renfrow to take over second place. Kocinski quickly left the pack in his wake, as a battle ensued for second place between Greene, Renfrow and Rich Oliver. The decision went to Renfrow with Greene following. Oliver rried to pass both of them, but took to the grass when the attempt failed. "I med to pass both of them, but there's not enough lTack without cutting them o££ real bad." Kocinski was primed for Sunday. "It's slick and I go good on slick rracks," he said. "They don't scare me." Heat two was a fierce Ballington/ Rayborn/Carter battle that saw the rrio jostling for the entire five laps. When the flag dropped, however, it was the cagey veteran Ballington leading Rayborn and then Carter. Doug Brauneck was having his best ride of the season on his Yamaha TZ250, finishing fourth ahead of Garry Griffith. The final got underway with Greene getting a flyer of a start and an immediate lead. Renfrow held down second with Carter, Ballington . and Alan Inglis in tow. By the time the field got to turn eight, Kocinski had already sliced his way up to 11th place. By the third lap Kocinski was sixth after passing his teammate Rayborn, but he was almost five seconds behind Greene, who now had Ballington breathing down his neck. Kocinski continued the push to the front, sliding the Ii ule Kenny Roberts/Nordica/P J I/Dunlop/ ShoeilTakai-sponsored Yamaha through every corner. The order at the end of five laps was Greene, Ballington, Kocinski, Renfrow, Carter, Rayborn, Oliver, Inglis and James Stephens. By the sil'th lap, the battle for fourth between Renfrow, Carter and Rayborn was heating up with Rayborn getting in a giant slide exiting turn eight. On lap seven, Ballington moved past Greene and on lap eight Kocinski did likewise. The leading rrio had pulled clear of the Renfrow/ Carter/Rayborn battle. Kocinski blasted around the outside of Ballington over the crest on the way to turn 10. A lap later and the Modesto, California, resident held a one-second lead. on the 12th lap, Ballington tossed the Honda RS250 down the road. "It was a (ront end job," Ballington said later. "That's four times this year. I was rrying to stay with him (Kocinski), but he's going so good. You have to ride nuts to stay with him. I'm not hurt; it's just brain damage." With BaUington making an early exit, Kocinski led Greene by 6.84 seconds on lap 14. That lead fluctuated, however, whenever the little Yamaha decided to run on only one cylinder. Greene was hanging tough despite losing his left footpeg. "I put the flat slide carburetors back on it today," Greene said later. "I did it myself and lucked out. It' ran good, but it was a little on the rich side. I just got myself mad at the start and rode really hard. When the footpeg fell oU it started wearing me out." By that point in the race, Renfrow had shaken off Rayborn, who in tum had done the same to Carter. Ren· frow also began closing on Greene, but he ran out of time. Kocinski crossed the finish line for the final time in the 21-lap race with a 4.3-second win over Greene. Renfrow wound up third with Rayborn, Carter, Oliver, Stephens, Griffith, Brauneck and Inglis rounding out the top 10. ''I'm a little disgusted with my performance and I'm just trying- to pick it up a little each race," said Renfrow, who was not at ease on the slippery surface. ''I'm just trying to srretch the envelope a little at a time. It felt good to finish." "I just got too hot," Carter said after the race. "It was kind of like Elkhart, I didn't feel comfortable here all week. The heat got me and it was just one of those races." • Results 1. John Kocinski (Vom); 2. Don Greene (Hont 3. Rondy Renfrow(Hon); 4. Colvin Reyborn III (Yom); 5. Alon Corter (Hon~ 6. Richord Oli_ (Hant 7. Jomes Stephens (Vom); 8. Gorry Griffl1h (Yomt 9. Doug Brouneck (Vomt 10. Alon Ingli. (Honl. AMA 250cc GRAND PRIX POINT STANDINGS: 1. John Kocinoki (123); 2. Kork Bellington (83t 3. Don Greene (79~ 4. CoMn Reyborn III (72t 5. Rondy Renfrow (50); 6. Rich Oli_ (67); 7. Jemes Stephenl (66); 8. Alan Corter (43t 9. Doug 8rouneck (321; 10. Dlnrid Curtis (28).