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/126980
D ave Schultz (near lane) downed John Mafaro (far lane) in t he final t o take over t he NHRA point standings lead. Russ Olmstead (near lane) was eliminated in the third round by Schultz (fa r lane) . Schultz's w inning time was 8 .13. Olmstead logged an 8 .20. NHRA Quaker State NorthStar Nationals Schultz downs Mafaro . in Brainerd Drags By Duane B. Johnson/Fast Graphic Service BRAINERD, MN, AUG. 16 In many , of the European motorcycle magazines, Kawasaki runs an ad that ex tols the performance their bikes offer. ·T h e ad copy ends with the phrase: " Wh o can catch 26 a Kawasaki?" , After David Schultz s second wi n (and third fin a l-roun d appearance) of the year at the ' NHRA Quaker State NorthStar Nationals, that ad could be run in John Mafaro made it to the final by scoring his first w in in five years over perennial champion Terry Vance in round three. p ublica tio ns in th e U.S. with th e a mended p hrase: " Who can ca tch Dave Sch ultz o n a Kawasaki? ' T ha t's what Suzuki rid ers T erry Van ce, J ohn Mafaro , Ri ck Stetso n, a nd just abo ut th e ent ire field must be mutterin g after th e NorthStars. Sch ultz. th e lone Kaw asaki rider in a P ro Stock field overpo p u lated with Suzu kis, wh ipped Mafaro in th e final for the win. There were two o ther advan tages, one tangible, th e other a little less abl e to pin down, Schultz gained with the win a t the northern Minnesota faci lity. H e took the lead from Vanc e (by 44 poi nts ) in the Castrol GTX Motorcycle Championship for the first time this year, gaining th e points' momentum goi ng into th e all-important U.S . Nationals, where the winner will earn more points (1500 versus 1000) for a win tha n at any o ther eve nts. What 's more, Schultz has the ro le of the favorite going into Indy, a race that will draw the best riders in the sport. Schultz's win, Castrol points lead, and pre-Indy mom entum, were due in part to Mafaro, wh o took o ut Van ce in a great sem i-final 's race. Although Van ce didn 't hav e low ET of th e west a t thi s point (Sch u ltz did wi th a fir st-round 8. 13), a nd Mafaro had run quicker than him in the seco n d round, Vance's a we so me ' reputation (he has 23 career NHRA wins) was something that figured into th e equation. " I was conce nt ra ting on cutting a good light a nd getting out fir st," sai d Mafaro aft erwards. "The last time I bea t Terry was five years ago and I really wanted to do it. I had the la ne choice and I felt co nfi dent abo ut the race. We went to a taller gear in the rear sp rocket and that helped to bring the lower ET from the second round. " Mafaro did two things that accounted for his win over Vance: he cu t a perso nal best reaction time and ran a "Personal best ET. An unreal .415 light to Vance's .511 held