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/127190
Randy Renfrow (76) sat out Daytona without a ride, but returned to racing in fine form by defeating Pro Twins GP champ Dale Quarterley. Craig Shambaugh (7) leads Chris Thomas (18), James Emory (80) and Frank Shockley (38) at the start of the Modified Production Final. AMA Circle Bell Pro Twins Grand Prix Series: Round 2 Renfrow returns to racing at the top By Brian Catterson Photos by Greg Mitchell BRASELTON, GA, MAY 7 . Employing five different riders in six races may fiot sound like a winning formula, but it seems to be working for Martin Adams and his Commonwealth Honda Racing effort. For the_second time, a rider has put the innovative · RS750 d ITt t ' k .mo t orr~c powered machIne In the winner's circle the first time he raced it. The last time was at Mid-Ohio in 1988, when Doug Chandler defeated Dale Quarterley, but today it was veteran Randy Renfrow who made his much-anticipated and successful return to road racing. Renfrow showed why he was the Formula One and Two Champion in the past by turning in a flawless ride; catching and passing Pro Twins Grand Prix champ Quarterley at the halfway point of the l6-lap affair and controlling the race until the finish. Quarterley, though he tried, could 'not get arol.\nd the savvy veteran and took second place on the Fast By Ferracci Ducati 851. But all was not perfect for Renfrow, as the bright yellow Commonwealth Honda suffered an engine failure in Friday's second practice session and the team would have to rely on a spare motor for the race. A total of 13 riders lined up for the Pro Twins Grand Prix final, 10 of them on Ducatis. Behind the leaders, the race was really a rather dull parade, with Jimmy Adamo shadowing Doug Brauneck and Randy Shemwell unsuccessfully chasing Duane Summers. Brauneck ~gan the race in second place, but slipped behind Renfrow and held down third place until lap II when a section of the Moto Guzzi's oil filter gasket broke, ending his race. According to tuner Dr. John Witmer, a local ordinance calling for a 10:00 to 12:30 Sunday morning quiet time, just befor~ the race, cancelled an~ opporturnty to warm up the machme, and the result was too cold oil that would not rise to adequate pressure to feed the plain bearing crankshaft. Brauneck has switched from Metzeler to Michelin tires and had turned some of the fastest Pro Twins practice laps of the weekend, so the outcome was a real disappointment for the Dallas, Georgia, residenL Team Leoni's Adamo inherited third place when Brauneck broke, and Summers moved into fourth place. Summers,. an employee of Cagiva North America, recently moved with the company from southern California to New Jersey and has become part of the Fast By Ferracci racing lold. The young, former desert racer rode a steady race; holding Shemwell at bay to claim fourth at the flag. Shemwell took fifth on the Grand Prix Motorcyclebacked Ducati 851, with Warren Elliot sixth, Pete Johnson seventh, Kurt Liebmann eighth, Frank Shockley ninth and HarleyDavidson-mounted Randy Kimec 10th. Renfrow and Quarterley circulated at a blistering pace in the 1:30range, averaging 99.452 mph and were separated by less than a bikelength at the checkered flag. ' "We were in the hunt all day," said Quarterley after the race, "But I had a little trouble coming off the last turn. I had him out on the road course, but I couldn't get him on the straights." Quarterley is sponsored by Ducati-Cagiva, FBF, Michelin, VP Fuels, Tsubaki and Bel-Ray. "I don't think Quarterley was going flat out down the hill ~ I stayed back just far enough that I held it flat out and went by him," said the 33-year-old Renfrow of his pass for the lead "It was a lot of fun to be out there again," continued the ShoeilDunlop-sponsored rider who's slated to nde the Commonwealth machine at the remaining rounds of the series. "I thought about quitting, but it's hard to find anything else like this that's legal." he said after the race. "If I could get far enough ahead early on, I knew they wouldn't be able to catch me." Shambaugh's prediction' proved correct as he gradually motored away from his competition. Behind him Thomas and Shockley ran a steady second and third until Shockley began to close the gap near the end of the race, making his move on the 12th and final go-round "I always felt I could ride," said Results Shockley, who until recently camPRO TW GP: 1. Randy Renfrow (Hon~ 2. Dale Quarterley (Oue~ 3. Jimmy AdlImo (Due); 4. Duane paigned a Triumph. "I just needed Summers (Due~ 5. Randy Sham_II (Due); 6. a motorcycle." Warren Elliot (Due~ 7. Pete Johnson (Due); 8. Kurt "He's a sly devil," commented Liebmann (Due); 9. Frank ShocItley (Due); 10. Randy Kirnec (H-D): 11. Kevin Staany (Due); 12. Thomas about Shockley. "He snuck Doug 8rauneck (M-G); 13. Bill Weidner (Due). by me on the straightaway back POINT STANDINGS: 1. Dele Quarterley (36); 2. James Adamo (26); 3. Randy Sham_II (21); 4. there." Randy Renfrow (20); 5. Duane Summers (11); 6. Back in the pack, an arrangement John Long (10); 7. Warren Elli01 (9); B. Pale Johnson (8); 9. (TIE) Kurt Liebmann/Pablo Reel not unlike that of Daytona's Mod(7). ified Production race was occuring. Johnson would finish fourth on the 1988 title-winning Ducati F-l he AlIA Circle Bell Pro Twi. bought from Two Brothers Racing'S ....ified ProdllCtion Series: Erion back at the Daytona season l ..nel2·. opener, while Erion, troubled by a uio of uncooperative big-bore Honda Hawk motors, borrowed Johnson's '87 title-winning Cagiva Alazzurra and ran fifth, passing By Brian Catterson Johnson moments before th,e CagiPhotos by Greg Mitchell va's Duca.ti 'Pantah motor threw a coimecting rod, ending Erion's day. BRASELTON, GA, MAY 6 After lwo races thus far this season, Craig Shambaugh scored a the champ has yet to score a point victory for himself and Ducati toward his ti tle defense. by running away to the Circle . Behind Johnson a four-way battle Bell Pro Twins Modified Pro. waged between Dennis Liebrecht on an older, bevel-drive Ducati, Dayduction win at Road Atlanta. tona winner and Road Atlanta The Hummelston, Pennsylvania, polesitter Bob Griffiths on his Moto rider led wire-to-wire on his Guzzi, Russ Matson on another Michelin-shod, Fast By FerracciAlazzurra, and James Emory on a equipped Ducati F-I, jumping out Ducati F-l. Emory ran as high as to an immediate lead at the start which he would stretch to over eight .. third early in the race before eventually sliding back to eighth place, seconds before the battling duo of while Griffiths' suffered a lack of Frank Shockley and Chris Thomas horsepower with the ex-Dr. John's closed the gap to 6.63 seconds at the Moto Guzzi when it proved reluctant finish line. Thomas, riding ·a. Dirty to rev. The quartet swapped posiHarry's Ducati, held second from the tions throughc;>ut the race with the start but was caught and passed by finishing order reading Liebrech~ Shockley on his Bell/Euro-Tech/ Griffiths-Mattson-Emory. Joseph Cycle Specialties of AthensWallace filled in the ninth position sponsored Ducati. and Hippensteal rounded out the top If there were any questions about 10. Ducati's domination of the Pro "It was great to win one this way," Twins Modified Production divsaid Shambaugh in the winner's ision, they ·were quickly answered as circle. After two rounds, Shambau~h· the top five finishers all rode the leads the point standings over GnfItalian-built machines. In fact, eight fiths 36 to 29. • of the top 10 rode Ducatis, the exceptions being sixth-place Bob Results .Griffiths on a Moto Guzzi and 10thPRO TW MOO PROD: 1. Craig Shambaugh (Due); 2. Frank ShocItley (Duek 3. Chris Thomes (Due); place Alan Hippensteal on a 4. Pete Johnson (Due); 5. Dennis Lillbrecht (Due); Yamaha. . 6. Robert Griffitha (M-G~ 7. Russ Mattson (Due); Unlike last year when Shambaugh B. JIIm.. Emory (Due~ 9. Joseph Wallece IDue); 10. Alen Hippena1ea' (Ya~ 11. David Hand (M· raced with eventual 1988 champ G~ 12. Chris Helland (Due~ 13. Ronald Barton Kevin Erion and '87 champ Pete (Due~ 14. William Weidner (Due~ 15. Jam.. Whitalcer (KawI. Johnson, today Shambaugh rode his POINT STANDINGS: 1. Craig Shamt.ugh (36~ own race. At the drop of the green 2. Robert Griffiths (29~ 3. Frank Shockley (26~ 4. Dennis LiebnIc:ht l21t 5. JIIfnes Emory (20k 6. flag, he did just what he knew he .loMIlhWal..... (14~ 7. ChrisThorna(13~ 8. Pete had to do. .Jclhn-. (11 ~ 9. Eric Phillipe (9~ 10. Russ "I knew I needed to get a jump," (8). Shambaugh supreme 9