Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Dave Schultz lost to Don Bryce in the semi-fina l after Bryce jumped out to a good start; Bryce recorded a 8.11 /161.26 to take the win . Don Bryce turned in a 8.10/161 .46 mph run to top Mike Keyte in an exciting f inal during the Dallas, Texas, running of the NHRA drags. Terry Vance set records in Dallas, turn ing a 7 .990 and later clocking a 165.07 mph run ; Vance, however, wasn 't in the final. NHRA National Championship Drag Race Series ' Bryce'wins, Vance sets records at Dallas DAL LAS, TX, OCT. 4 When the dust had settled after the bes t National Hot Rod Association (N H R A) P ro Stock field had finished racin g, perennial finalis t Terry Vance and Dave Schultz.were not in the winner's circle. In I sidered to have the strongest fact, neither of the two, conbikes in competition, were even in the final. Winning the Pro Stock title at the NH RA Chief Auto Parts Nationals was George Bryce, who defeated Mike Keyte in an exciting finale, 8.10/161.46 to 8.19/159.34 The Chief Nationals race was referred to as the best because of 'the times and upsets that occurred along the way. Going into the race , Vance held the National record of 8.073 seconds, set just one month ago at the NHRA U.S. Nationals. That E.T. was surpassed at least half a dozen times during the course of the event, with the low E.T. of the event finally settling at a staggering 7.990 by Vance. That was the lo west elapsed time ever for a Pro Stock bike and thefirst tirrie for one in the sevensecond zone. The " magnificent seven' ; was a new NHRA National record as Vance went 8.01 in . qualifying, which backed up within one percent the 7.990. What's more, the duo of , Vance and engine bu ilder Bryon Hines also grabbed the speed record in the first round 'when Vance hit a 165.07 mph clocking. That just surpassed the old record, also held by Vance, of 165.04. The backup for the new speed record came in the second round when Vance turned a 164.92, which was coupled to his historic 7.99. The reason Vance and so many other riders recorded times and speeds that were, in most cases, in the stratosphere can be traced to two things: the unique, all-concrete surface of the Texas Motorplex where the race was held, and the great weather that prevailed throughout the weekend. The concrete cut down on tire spin and the great air really added power to the bike engines. The all-important semi-finals where Vance and Schultz (who led Vance by 637 points for the Castrol GTX Motorcycle Championship going into the race) were defeated began with a starting line faux pas by Vance. He was up against Keyte, who had the third quickest bike at ' the Chief Nationals behind Vance and Sch ultz. Vance allowed Keyte to get way out on him at the green after he was surprised by the countdown sequence. Vance was concentrating on the staging lights and was not looking at the countdown bulbs. T o. ' make matters worse , he bogged the bike off the . Iine, which a ll but finished it for him right there. Keyte sped to an 8.14/ 158.50 to Vance's offpaced 8.18/149.20. For Schultz, the end came against Bryce, who jumped out to a very good holeshot which Schultz was not able to make up. Schultz fell off to a 8.09/161.72, while Bryce recorded an 8.111161.26. Sch ultz had gone an 8.02 (the third quickest time ever for a Pro Stock bike) the round before and it was thought that if he had not gotten behind in the race with Bryce he would have run a sevensecond time himself. The win in the semis for Bryce defin itely gave him the edge going into the final against Keyte, Bryce had won his first two races in a very impressive fashion and looked set to beat Keyte, who dropped in performance in his semi victory. There was a good reason that was happening. In the second round, the oil pump gear shattered and shutdown the oil pump. With no oil flowing through the 1260cc, 230horsepower Suzuki engine, it was just a matter of a dozen seconds or so before the engine wou ld gri nd itself up. That's just what happened in the final , which ensured the win to Bryce. H owever, the owner of Star Cycle Racing in Americus, Georgia, was 'going quicker every round and would have been a very tough customer for Bryce to beat, even if , his motor wasn't wounded. This was not th e first time Bryce has won an NHRA National event. In 1983 he won the Funny Bike class at the U .S. Nationals aboard a turbocharged, gasoline and nitrous oxide-injected Suzuki. He gave up Funny Bike racing a few years back to concentrate on racing P ro Stock and building motors for other Pro Stock racers. As a side note, this was rhe first time in a long time that two non-Vance & Hines powered bikes were in an NHRA Pro Stock final round. Keyte builds his own motors and others for customers as well. With Vance's two new National records, he picked up 500 points on Schultz. The championship will come down to the wire for the two , riders at the season-ending NHRA Winston Finals in Pomona, California, at the end of Oc tober. It will be some close competition between the two heavies. Bryce is building a new bike for next year and is surely a force to be reckoned with. With the impressive performance displayed at the NHRA Ch ief Auto Parts Na tionals, expect him to be around for more than a few, more NHRA Pro Stock final ro unds in the future. •

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