Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

;:-;;O":'""~:-;-----Y--"""""""'T------,C) ~ ~ Z ~ W ..J .... > :; w cr w .., > Ul o ~ o roo :I: Q. 0") ~ "' r~ (1) ..0 0 .... u Rueben McMurter (24) grabbed the lead when Michel Mercier (1) almost wheelied over at the start of the Pro Superbike final at Shannonville. sponsored Bruce Manzoni on the first lap when he collided with Manzoni's rear wheel in the fourth turn and went down, breaki"ng his wrist. Soon after Blood overtook Manzoni as did Rabe. On lap four Danny Paladino was able to maneuver around Manzoni to get third at the finish behind Blood and Rabe. Eric Pucelik dominated the 125 and 250cc Intermediate classes with wins in every moto. Kurt Ktthn followed Pucelik home in both motos of each class for a pair of second overall placings. Results MINI BEG: 1. Tim Hamilton (Yam): 2. Norman Wimer (Honl; 3. Bill Satre (Yam); 4. Dave Kopaic (Kaw~ 5. Michael Winler (Han). MINI JR: 1. Scott Shade (Yam); 2. Dan Reger (Hon). 125 BEG: 1. Tom Van Hoomissen (Hon); 2. Shana Wright (Hon); 3. Lance Bollens (Han); 4. Chris Pedrini (Han); 5. Kurt Nelson (Honl. 125 JR: 1. Lance Lucero (Yam~ 2. Jason Warren (Hon13. Dan Gano (Suzl; 4. Paul VonHorsan (Suz); 5. John Newell (Han). 125 INT: 1. Eric Pucelik (Honl; 2. Kurt Kuhn (Kaw~ 3. Dan O'Bergin (Kawl. 250 BEG: 1. Douglas Johnson (Hon); 2. Shawn McDonald (Suz); 3. Marc Tucker (Honl; 4. Borth (Kaw); 5. Lax Shpil (Yaml. 250 JR: 1. John Detwiler (Hon); 2. Tad Pippin . (Hon~ 3. Larry Lacey (Han); 4. Dave Zollo (Hon). 250 tNT: 1. Eric Pucelik (Honl; 2. Kurt Kuhn (Kaw~ 3. Bill Gerber (yaml; 4. John Ensign (Kawl; . 5. Dave ROVers (Han). OPEN BEG: 1. Brian Dickey (KTM); 2. James Rianda (Hus); 3. John Bagot (Honl. OPEN JR: 1. Jon Nicolaus (Yam); 2. Scan McCoy (Honl. VET JR: 1. Pokie Gishawn (Han); 2. Tim O'Hara (1gM); 3. Bernie Reali (Yem); 4. Kenny Eggers (Honl; 5. Lawis FaSl (Yaml. VET INT: 1. Larry Lacey (Honl; '2. Eric Hellgren (Han); 3. Joe Wylman (Kaw). VET MSTR: 1. Duane Hughes (Honl; 2. Mike Lane (Han); 3. Larry Baker (Hon). OT MSTR: 1. Don Swearinger (Han). ALL PRO: 1. Clayton Blood (Kaw); 2. Gary Rabe '(Kaw); 3. Man Arena (Honl; 4. Danny Paladino (Han); 5. Bruce Manzoni (HanI. An"" Mercier ices Shannonville RR By Jeremy Fleming ONTARIO, CANADA, SEPT. 6 Newly-crowned Canadian Pro Road Race Champion Michel Mercier put the icing on his championship cake at Shannonville, putting in a perfect three-for-three performance in the Rothmans Superbike Final weekend, the seventh and final race in the 1987 Motoplan/Castrol Canadian National Road Race Championships. As well as setting a new motorcycle track record around the 4.03 km, 15 turn Shannonville course on his way to victory in the Pro Superbike feature, Mercier scored a pair of wins on a borrowed Suzuki in the 750cc as well as Open Production. In the Superbike heat, Mercier jumped into an early lead with the Su n oco/ Du n 10 p/Treen / Shoe i/ Wiseco/Phoenix/CAM 2/Rocket GSXR750R LTD, onJy to come under pressure from Rueben McMurter on the factory Yamaha FZR750R. Fully recovered from a practice crash with the Sports Afield. ] I/ShoeilD u n lop/Treen/F ox/ Wiseco/Castrol backed FZR, McMurter hounded Mercier and then snuck by on the last turn to win the heat, breakin~ Tom Walther's lap record with a ume of );50.19. Mercier was about a foot behind for second, with Rothmans-Honda VFR750 mounted Art "The Dart" Robbins third and Tom Walther fourth. Mercier almost wheelied over at the start of the final, and McMurter grabbed the lead while Robbins' stuffed Mercier back to third. The champ was back up to second by the end of lap two, however, and then he snuck by McMurter on the next lap when McMurter ran wide coming off the back straight. From then on Mercier pulled away, eventually setting the record lap of 1:49.54. Only McMurter stayed close. While McMurter had to settle for second, Robbins fell back into a battle with the CastroIlPolisport/Pirelli/ Shoei/Drospo/Hubbel Racing Yamaha FZR750R of Tom Douglas. Douglas looked to have the speed to get by, but he was riding with other goals in mind. Lying second in series points with one round to go, he could eam $20,000 in Castrol yearend contingency if he kept his second overall. So when Robbins' bike began to blow oil, Douglas eased the pace. While Robbins slowed with Douglas right behind, Honda mounted Steve Dick and Yamaha's Steve Crevier were catching the third and (ourth placed pair. Allied Honda/ Metzler-backed Dick nailed Dou~las on the last lap, but didn't have ume to press Robbins. The order behind Mercier and McMuner at the finish was Robbins, Dick, and Douglas, who scored second overall and $20,000. From the start of the Pro 750cc Production final Mercier, riding GoocLfellow's production Suzuki, shot into the lead and pulled away to an astounding lead. Douglas had to finish fifth or better to grab the 750cc Production title, and he placed an efficient fourth, giving Yamaha the crown. Mercier walked away with the win, just as he did earlier in the day in the Open final. Results AM F·2: 1. Dan Stan (C-A); 2. Mark McColeman (Yam); 3. Lawrence Hacking (Yam). AM 400 PROD: 1. Denis Royar (Han); 2. Yves Brisson (Hon); 3. Richard Crete (Hon). AM 600 PROD: 1. Ghislain Gingras (Suz); 2. Pierre L'Heureux (Suzl; 3. Carl Steyrer (Suzl. AM 750 PROD: 1. Stephen Maxey (Han); 2. Mike MacNeil (Suz); 3. Jean-Francois Leclerc (Suzl. AM 750 S/BK: 1. Mark Kowalski (Yam); 2. Mike MacNeil (Suz); 3. Stephen Maxey (Han). AM OPEN: 1. Mike MacNeil (Suz); 2. Stephen Maxey (Hon); 3. Mark Kowalski (Yam). _ SD/CAR: 1. Phil RooneylJerry Alley (Suz); 2. Steve Earnshaw/Jeffrey Millard (Yam): 3. Kevin GalelMichael Harte' (Yam). PRO F·2: 1. AI Inglis (Rtx-Spd); 2. Paul Chapelle (Han); 3. Charles McRobbie (Hon). PRO 600 PROD: 1. John Remsay (Hon); 2. Mario DuHamel (Han); 3. Tom Walther (Han). PRO 750 PROD: 1. Michel Mercier (Suz); 2. Steve Dick (Han); 3. Richard Grel (Han). PRO OPEN PROD: 1. Michel Mercier (Suz); 2. Steve Crevier (Yam); 3. John Ramsay (Han). 0 C Superbike winner J.P. 'Bunting (748) leads Steve Pinkley (531 ). Broderick Walker (161) and David Clyde at Nelson Ledges. PRO 750 S/BK FEA' 1. Michel Mercier (Suz); 2. Rueben McMurter (Yam); 3. Art Robbins (Hon); 4. Steve Dick (Han); 5. Tom Douglas (Yam). turning up the gas at the halfway mark to pull to the win. Rush finished second. Results Cook captures Nelson Ledges RR win A S/BK EX: 1. Mark Homnick (Suz); 2. Joe Dorman (Suz); 3. Michaal Rush (Hon). A PROD EX: 1. Bob Englebert (Yam); 2. Michael Rush (Han); 3. Thomas D'Enore (Yam). A PROD NOV: 1. Carl Musat (Suz); 2. Gregg Cook (Suz); 3. Chuck Elstner (Han). B S/BK EX: 1. Joe Dorman (S",,); 2. Gary Palmer (Suz). B S/BK NOV: 1. Carl Musat (Suz); 2. Greg Limber (Suz); 3. Chuck Elstner (Han). B PROD EX: 1. Bob Englebert (Yam); 2. Tom D'Enore (Yam); 3. Rex Miller (Han). B PROD NOV: 1. Gregg Cook (Suzl; 2. carl Musat (Suz); 3. Greg Limber (Suz). C PROD EX: 1. Dave Bissen (Han); 2. David Murray (Han); 3. Brian GriSlick (Hon). C PROD NOV: 1. David Clyde (Han); 2. J.P. Bunang (Han); 3. S. Pinkley (Hon). C S/BK EX: 1. David Murray (Han); 2. Brian Gristick (Han); 3. Rex Miller (Han). C S/BK NOV: 1. J.P. Bunting (Han); 2. Steve Pinkley (Han); 3. David Clyde (Hon). o S/BK EX: 1. David Murray (Yam~ 2. John Lowman (Yam); 3. Rich Graver (Suz). o S/BK NOV: 1. Don Willmot (Yam); 2. Graig Stanbaugh (Kaw); 3. Doug Griffin (Yam). o PROD EX: 1. Mark Osborne (Yam); 2. Lynn Riethmiller (yam); 3. Ran6v Murawski (Yam). o PROD NOV: 1. Graig Stanbaugh (Kaw); 2. Tom Welch (Yam); 3. John Fos.er (Yam). F- 1: 1. Marty Miller (Yam); 2. Pete Frost (Yam); 3. Mark Homnick (Suz). F-2 EX: 1. MartY Miller (Yam); 2. Pete Frost (Yam); 3. An6v Edwards (Han). F·2 NOV: 1. Don Wilmot (Yam); 2. Craig Shanbaugh (Kaw); 3. Doug Griffin (Yam). F·3 EX: 1. Rhea Stickley (Han); 2. Richard Mishler (Han); 3. Harry Morse (Hon). F-3 NOV: 1. Tom Exinoer; 2. Charles Bell (Han); 3. Greg Alt (Kaw). VINT: 1. Jake Coye (Duc); 2. Karl Myers (BMW); 3. James Siemer (Nor). VI NT 2: 1.. Jake Coye (Due); 2. Lawrence Wans (Duc). VINT 3: 1. Jake Coye (Duc); 2. James Seimer (Nor). CLBMN EX: 1. Rich Graver (Suz); 2. Michael Graham (Yam); 3. Chris Kallleiz (HOn). CLBMN NOV: 1. Paul Morris (Yam); 2. Wi! 'am Lai~g (Yam); 3. Carl Morris (Han). By Larry Bell WARREN, OH, SEPT. 6 Novice Gregg Cook stunned the racers and crowd at Nelson Ledges Road Course by winning the regional two-hour endurance race and comingfrom the rear of the grid in the combined Expert and Novice of B Superbike (Production) class to win handily on his self-supported Suzuki GSXR750 in his first weekend of racing. Cook is a former motocrosser who took the riders' school and entered the endurance race alone and completed 78 laps to edge the Asphalt Aviators. The Aviators also rode their Yamaha 600 to 78 laps. Team Weave finished third with 76 laps. "] star·ted in the rear of the grid and went through all my guys (novice) and made up the gap (tw.owave start) and passed all the experts," Cook ·said. "I like the finesse of road racing, not the thrashing and bashing of motocross," he added. Marty Miller and Pete Frost, both on Yamaha TZs, went at it in Formula One and Two with Miller coming out on top in both classes despite the fact that he almost didn't race. "] didn't want to fall and the track is so bad. But ] worked with the suspension until it felt better," Miller said of his Joe's Cycle Shop supported 250. . "It was running a little rich and a little undergeared. That's why Frost was allover me in Formula Two. He's smooth and brave. He had the same top end but I had more midrange," added Miller. He down- . played the fact that this was his first Formula One win for the year and only his third time he has raced the class this year. Said Frost after the race, "] had him in one section but the new Delta Box Yamahas are just too quick." Frost's Bill Gillet tuned, Mid-Way Yamaha/Eatherly Racing/MDmount had caught Miller just before the front straight but lost the drag race to the checkers. Dave Bissat took a see-saw battle from early front-runner David Murray in C Production that saw the lead change several times and frequently had the top five riders, all on Hurricane 600s, not more than inches apart. Bob Englebert (Yam) stalked Michael Rush (Hon) for a handful of laps in A Production before Frankenbery,Jones take two at Salem MX By Peggy Adamic SALEM, OH, SEPT. 6 Honda-mounted Ken Frankenbery and Kawasaki rider Bryan Jones each ripped through four motos to grab double class wins today at Western Reserve Motorcycle Club in Salem. Frankenbery's double assault was in the 250cc B and the Senior division one class while Jones tallied his victories in the l25cc B and the Schoolboy classes. Frankenbery first attacked the 250cc B class as he grabbed the lead through the first turn an~ ran up a better than J0 second lead over second place finisher Bob Werschey. Bob Harrington followed Frankenbery through the first turn in moto two. Werschey routed past Harrington midway through the race with both Werschey and Harrington falling to midpack. Jeff Johnson and Tom Timchek chased Frankenbery to the checkered flag. Frankenbery went on the hoJeshot both motos of the Senior division one class, finishing each moto with a better than 15 second lead over the second place finisher. 33

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