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/126981
Kevin Schwantz (34) leads Bubba Shobert (67) and Scott Gray (258) early in the National; Schwantz won, Shobert crashed and Gray broke. AMA/Superbike Road Race Series/Camel Pro Series: Rounds 9/13 Schwantz wins, but Rainey's the champ at Sears Point By Paul Carruthers Photos by Mike and Dennis Scully/Flyin' Past Photos SONOMA, CA, AUG 30 Yoshimura Suzuki's Kevin Schwantz started on the back row for the Superbike National at Sears .P oin t International Raceway, but it didn't stop him from carving through the field to easily win his .sixth National of the season Mean. , . while, Team Honda ~ Wayne Rainey rode conservatively to 6 finish sixth, wrapping tip his second Superbike National Championship in the process. Schwantz, who started on the back row after jumping the start in his heat race and being penalized a lap, was followed home by dirt trackers Jimmy Filice and Doug Chandler in what was the final road race National of the 1987 season. Schwantz' dra- marie win was witnessed by a crowd esumated at approximately 18,~, the largest ever for a Camel Pro Senes road race at the facility. The race was red-flagged early when AMA Grand National Champion Bubba Shobert crashed hard in tum 10. Shobert walked away from his wrecked Honda VFR750, but didn't add any points to his allimportant run at the Camel Pro Series Championship. Since there are only four Camel Pro dirt tracks remaining on the schedule, Chandler should end up Yamaha's Jimmy Filice finished a lonely second on the FZR750R in the National, and ended up second in the Camel Challenge. being Shobert's main rival; Chandler gained 13 points on the factory . Honda rider. The. Texan, however, still holds a comfortable lead over Rainey, 156-133. Schwanu' season ends with 132 and Chandler readies for the final dirt tracks with 118. Fourth place on Sears Point's 2.52mile road course went to Peter Brady Racing's John Ashmead on his Honda while fifth fell to Vance &: Hines recruit Dale Quarterley. For Schwanu it was a successful ending to a season that was marred by his two crashes while leading at Daytona and Laguna Seca. The Texan ended up losing the championship to Rainey, 143-134, despite winning five races to Rainey's three. For Rainey, this championship somewhat makes up for the one he . narrowly' lost to Fred Merkel last year. At Sears, the southern Califor-" nia resident was careful, nursing his way around the track, avoiding other riders like the plague and strolling in with his second Superbike Championship. Rainey, who also won the title in 1981, will not, however, carry the number one plate next year but instead will venture to Europe to campaign in the 500cc World Championship Series under the Team Lucky Strike Roberts banner. For Filice it was a case of an up-