Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Cycle News 1988 03 16

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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POWER REEDS AND e would like to take this opportunity to thank team W members Jon McCabe and Bobby J. Mann for their efforts during the 18th Annual Florida Winter Am Series. A special congratulations goes to the 1988 18th Annual Florida Winter Am Series 500 CC Pro Champion JON McCABE BOBBYJ.MANN JON McCABE Kevin Erion (788) topped Joseph Lamiroult (49). Dennis Liebracht (3 1) and Robert Griffiths (99) in the Pro Twins Modified race. Pro Twins (Continued from page 25) The yellow flag came out in turn five when Mark Mercadente dropped his Ducati Pantah, crush in g the exhaust pipe and bending the shift lever. His only injury was a cut elbow requiring stitches. Erion began to stretch his advantage, with Griffiths and Lamiroult passing Liebrecht and closing on Johnson. Tom Sharp put th e Bartel's Harley up into sixth place and was chased by Craig Shambaugh on th e FBF / BP Cycl es/Montgomeryvill e Cycles-sponsored Ducati. Blaine Paulus, who had to use his back-up bik e aft er a rod bearing broke during practi ce in th e motorcycle he had intended to race, held . ni nth on an essen tiall y stock (except for a pipe and cam) Moto Guzzi. He complained that the Ducatis were too fast and too ligh t. " T hey' re race bikes for th e street," said Paulus. " My Guzzi weighs 430 pounds and I just ca n' t keep up." . "Maybe I'll throw you back a rope," joked Shambaugh, " the n you can hold o n." Larniroult got by Griffiths o n lap nine and together th ey passed John'so n. Johnson outbraked Griffiths into turn one, but ran wid e a nd was balked by a backmarker. Johnson then nearly cra shed in the horsesh oe wh en he got seriously crossed up , allowing Griffiths by. Griffiths, who used to be th e cre w chief on Dr. John's Moto-Guzzi endurance team , tried to hold Johnson off, but perhaps was trying too hard as he nearly highsided at the entrance to the banking, hitting his head on the windscreen . Griffiths is sponsored by Moto-Guzzi North America, Ron Smith, Autolite and Metzeler. Just three la ps from the finish , J ohnson 's bike lost power and he coasted into the pits with suspected electrical troubles. "We were a littl e down on power all week," said Johnson. " T he valve tra in failed d uring practice and we had to use last year's parts. " Erion foug ht a loose, right, clipon handlebar, but co nt in ued to turn consistent two-minute, l O-second lap times to take 'the win by a wide margi n. Lamiroult finished second, G riffiths third, and Leibrecht, who's sponsor~ by Pete Cazzari, T revor Heath and J eanette Holbein, beat Shambaugh to the line for fourth. In an effort to combat the problem of high speed differentials on a crowded track, the AMA this year decided to give the Modified Production riders th eir own race, rather than combining them with the Pro Twins Grand Prix class. The top fiv e finishers were then given the option of racing in the GP class afterward, if they wanted to. "I took it easy on th e last few laps," said Erion, " I didn't want to do anything stupid. Some of the gu ys ou t there you just don't know about .. . I ran off in th e dirt in the dogleg one time outside of so me la pped riders." Southern Californian Erion and his brother Craig (thus, " T wo Brothers Racin g" ) are instructors in Reg Pridmore's CLASS (formerly RAT S) riding school, a nd receive support from Del Amo Cagiva, Tsubaki and Michelin. _ Twenty-one-year-old Lamiroult coasted across the4l'\ine, out of gas , to finish second. He complained that th e rear Michelin radial tire on his bike wa s going away. They had cha nged th e tire moments before th e ra ce and, in a hurry, forgot to chec k the air pressure, which was way too hi gh. A pos t-race inspec tion also reveal ed th at one of the a xle adjus ters was loo se. Lamiroult is Jimm y Ad am o 's Isla nd Racin ~ endurance teammate, a nd was leading th e previous week 's end ura nce GTU class wh en th e ex haust pipe broke. He's spo nso red by Fire Equipment and Miller Specialt ies a nd lives in Westhampton, New York . " T he start was hectic, bu t it wa s a great race, " said Griffiths. " I thought I could get J ohnson, but hi s bike broke co ming across the start/' finish line so I didn 't have to. That Erion gu y really ca me o ut o f nowhere!" - Results 1.'Kevin Erion (Due); 2. Josep h Lamiro ult (Duct; 3. Raben Griff iths (M -G);4. Denn is Liebrecht (Due); 5. Craig Sha mbaugh (Due); 6. Thomas Sharp (H, D); 7, Stan Fr iduss (M -G); 8. Douglas Gross (Due); 9, 81aine Paul us (M · G); 10. Frank Shockley (Due); 11. 8en Stucken (8MW); 12. Eric Phill ippe (Due); 13. Mad ison Co. (M- G); 14 . William Weidner (Duel; 15. David Kanen (BMW); 16. Patr ick Tharp (Due); 17. Ronald Ban on (Due); 18. William Shoa II (M G); 19. Raben Hanman (Yam); 20. Chris Scon(Cag), Race ti me; 32:55 .599 Average speed; 87 .307 mph Ma rgin of victory: 25 seconds -1988 500 CC Pro AMA ' Winter Am Serles,champlon -1988 250 CC Expert AMA Winter Am Series Champion -Overall wInner 125 CC Pro Class at Diamond Back Raceway, Cocoa Beach, FL Round 4 1988 AMA Winter Am Series 3963 Exchange Avenue Naples, Rorida 33942 (813) 643-3337 Got an opinion? Try Voices. ~~~ We have aU the 1988 CRs and CBRs in st ock and they're going FAST! ! HONDA G reat Parts availability • w e a re lo cated t w o m iles f rom t he Honda warehouse. Sam e day sh ipping - c all fo r d etails . Our professional parts and s ervice departments w ill w or k har d to kee p you ahead of "Atlanta's Motorcycle Super Store" 11270 Elkins Rd . - Roswell - GA 30076 (404L442-8460 1 ::.", '. = t he pack ! UPS DAILY HONDA. ~ 39

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