Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

z o Ie ~ o i= Q a: ~ !:1 a: > al ~ :r ... Jamie James (right) and Rueben McMurter celebrate their secondleg results in the Match races. Californian Chuck Graves won the first-ever WERA/Toyota/Dunlop Formula USA National held at Willow Springs International Raceway. Canada tops U.S. in Shannonville Match Races By John Armstrong SHANNONVILLE, ONT, CAN, MAY 13-14 The Canadian home team' outscored the American visitors, 313 to 201, to win the North American Match Ra~e.s held at Shannonville Motorsport Park. The five-lap heat races were held on a cold and drizzly Saturday, with American 250cc Captain Richard Oliver on a Randy Mamola Yamaha leading his team against RACE National 250cc Champion Jon Cornwell on a Team Ciampini Honda. Canadian 250cc GP newcomer Miguel DuHamel took the lead on the first lap with his ex-Oliver Lassak Yamaha, and set a blistering pace with Oliver on his rear tire for the first few laps. On the second lap, Oliver tried to outbrake DuHamel coming into the right-hander at the end of the long back straight, bl,lt the damp track was unforgiving and he went down uninjured. DuHamel took the flag by eight seconds over Cornwell and teammate Steve Crevier, while Oliver's teammate AI Salaverria would take the fourth and final spot on the frbnt line of the starting grid. The racing line had dried up considerably by the time the Superbikes took to the track for their heat race. The home track advantage was underscored when former Canadian Champion Michel Mercier led fellow Canadians Rueben McMurter, Gary Goodfellow, and DuHamel in a Suzuki-Honda-Suzuki freight train to sweep the front starting row. A Yamaha-equipped Crevier squeeked into fifth after a race-long battle with top American Jamie James aboard a borrowed Team CiampiniYoshimura Suzuki. In the first 250cc leg, DuHamel made the best of his pole position and shot into the lead off the line. Based on the heat race, Oliver was the only real threat to DuHamel, but starting at the back of the grid effec;tively eliminated any chance of him catching the leader. Although there was exceptional dicing through. the field, all eyes focused on the Lassak TZ250 as DuHamel broke the overall track lap record of 1:49.23 (set by McMurter on'a Superbike last year), sha ttering it wi th a time of 1:47.63 on lap four of 10. Keeping up the pace throughout the race, DuHamel finished a full 12 seconds ahead of Steve Creovier and Team 'USA rider, South African Robbie Peterson, both on Aprilias. Peterson was followed by American teammates Donnie Greene, Richard Moore and Oliver on Yamahas, Canadians Cornwell and Hondamounted rookie Darrell Cooney in seventh and eighth, and Salaverria and Canadian Yamaha rider Doug Hnat rounding out the top 10. The second leg saw DuHamel log consistent I :48s to take the win with a six-second margin and complete a perfect weekend in the 250cc class. Oliver finished second with a sizei!ble lead over Greene who edged out Crevier after an amazing battle for third. Peterson, Cornwell, Cooney, Salaverria, Hnat and American Martin Miller took fifth through 10th. In leg one of the Superbike class, Don Knit Suzuki racer Gary Goodfellow scored a win for the Canadians after much speculation regarding his recovery from a bad crash at the Daytona 200. Mercier had grabbed the lead from the pole and stretched out from the field, but "Goody" broke away from the McMurterCrevier-james-DuHamel battle to chase down Mercier on the seventh of 10 laps. All attention was on the battle for third as James began pouring it on during the' last two laps. After blowing by both Crevier and McMurter with an amazing outbraking move at the end of the back straight, james and McMurter traded positions throu~hout.the last lap. with james comIng out on top after a terrific pass approaching the last turn. Crevier was followed by stock Suzuki-mounted DuHamel and American team members Tom Kipp on a Yamaha, jeff Heino on Suzuki, Yamaha-mounted "Richard Moore and Mark Bougas on a Suzuki filling out the top 10. The second leg of the Superbike race was a first-class barnburner with Yoshimura Suzuki racer jamie james developing a whole new country full of fans. With the stillrecuperating Goodfellow sitting out due to fatigue, an incredible racelong battle between the four remaining front-runners developed. McMurter, Mercier, Crevier and james pulled away from the rest of the field with DuHamel having the best seat in the house a few seconds back in fifth. No less than eight lead changes occurred with the front four shuffling positions back and forth, and on occasion going four deep into a corner. Midway through the last lap, a just-passed Mercier lost control and .high-sided unhurt. This left McMurter with the lead followed by Crevier and james, all three literally inches apart. james made his move on the back straight, drafting Crevier for the pass then trying to outbreak McMurter for the lead. McMurter shut the door but james would not be refused. With a packed ~andstand on their feet cheering hIm on, james muscled in, taking the chicane into the final corner side-by-side with McMurter. james got ahead for a second, then McMurter took it back, but the Denham Springs, Louisiana, rider pushed past McMurter in the final corner and held him off down the front straight for the checkered flag. Results SIBK LEG 1: 1. G.ry Goodfellow (Suz): 2. Michel Mercier (Suz); 3. Jamie Jemes (Suz): 4. Rueben McMuner (Han): 5. Steve Crevier (Yam); 6. Miguel DuHemel (Suz); 7. Tom Kipp (Yam); 8. Jeff Heino (Suz): 9, Richard Moore (Yam): 10, Mark Booga. (Suz). SIBK LEG 2: 1. Jamie James (Suz); 2. Rueben McMuner (Han); 3. Steve Crevier (Yam); 4:Migual DuHamel (Suz); 5. Tommy Dougla~ (Yam); 6. Jeff Heino (Suz); 7. Mark Bouga. (Suz); 8. Jacques Guenetta(Kaw); 9. Derrick Medaglia (Suz); 10. Yves Brisson (Han). 250 GP LEG 1: 1. Miguel DuHamel (Yam); 2. Steve Crevier (Apr); 3. Robbie Peterson (Apr); 4. Don Greene (Yam); 5. Richard Moora (Yam); 6. Richard Oliver (Yam); 7. Jan Cornwell {Hanl; 8. Darrell Cooney (Han); 9. AI Salawrria (Yam); 10. Douglas A. Hnat (Yam). 250 GP LEG 2: 1. Miguel DuHamel (Yam~ 2. Richard Oliver (Yam); 3. Don Greene (Yam); 4. Steve Crevier (Apr); 5. Robbie Peterson (Apr~ 6. Jon Cornwell (Han); 7. Darrell Cooney (Han); 8, AI Salaverria (Yam); 9. Dougla. A. Hnat (Yam); 10. Manin Miller (Yam). PRO 750 PROD: 1. Tommy Dougla. (Yam); 2. Linnley Clarke (Han); 3. JaIl Gaynor (Suz); 4. Paul MacMillan (Han); 5. David Grummett (Yam). AM 750 PROD: 1. Michael Taylor IKaw); 2. Richard Nelson (Suz); 3. Ken Oudshoorn (Suz); 4. Raben Levbourne (Kaw); 5. Kip Wortley (Suz). PRO 600 PROD: 1. tommy Douglas (Yam); 2. Linnley Clarke (Han); 3. Yve. Brisson (Han); 4. Jacques Ouenetta (Yam); 5. David Grummen (Yam). AM 600 PROD: 1. Andrew Bun (Han); 2. Harry Taschachler (Suz); 3. Kevin Graham (Suz); 4. We. E.syveld (Yam); 5. Marc Brisson (Han). AM 750 S/BK: 1. Michael Taylor (Kaw); 2. Richard Nelson (Suz); 3. Dave Manin (Yam); 4. Ken Oud.hoorn (Suz); 5. Kip Wonley (Han). RZ CUP: 1. Dave Grummett (Yam); 2. Lance Stoneman (Yam); 3. Andrew Bun (Yam); 4. Andre Kipin (Yam); 5. Wee Eastveld (Yam). WERA/To,ota/Danlop F-USA Series: • •1Id J Graves wins first-ever F-USA National at Willow Springs • By Richard Thompson ROSAMOND, CA, MAY 7 Fifth Avenue Seluer's Chuck Graves fizzled the competition at Willow Springs International Raceway to win the inaugural WERA/Toyota/Dunlop Formula USA National. .Graves, riding a big-bore Suzuki GSXRIIOO built by Greg Lundy and john Mangan, led the 12-lap sprint race from start to finish, topping fellow southern Californian Barry Burke and South Carolina's Kurt Hall on a pair of potent Yamahas. Right from the start it was obvious that this was going to be a hotlycontested race as quality riders cal!le from all over the country to compete in this national event. As the flag dropped the racers sped away, each vying for the lead. At least ei~ht riders had their minds. set on the hrst position and they ran tight through the first few turns. Goin~ into turns three and four it was sull anyone's game. Unfortunately, turn five saw the demise of two of the fastest riders as Georgian Paul Bray and southern Californian Doug Toland, both riding Suzuki GSXRllOOs, went down. The race was red-flagged, and both bikes were too badly damaged to make the restart. Toland suffered broken bones in his foot, but Bray was not seriously hurt. Graves holeshot the restart, leading Hall on his Dave Zupan-tuned Human. Race Team FZRlOOO endu. ranee bike and Burke on his jim • Leonard-prepped FZR750 Superbike. Graves had his work cut out for him as Hall and Burke stayed with him throughout the course of the race, but did, at times, seem to be holding something in reserve. "I was holding back because there was a problem with the motor," said Graves. "We were running 80 percent. II we needed to go faster we could have." Graves is additionally sponsored by Dunlop, Kerker, Suzuki of Van Nuys, Fox, Shoei, West Valley Engine Balancing and StarCycle. With Graves comfortably in can· trol of the race, the fight for second was on. Burke tucked into Hall's draft comin'g out of turn nine and tried pulling around him on the straightaway, but just didn't have the horsepower. As in previous F-USA races at Willow Springs, Burke had a disadvantage riding against the bigger bikes, though he did well in the comers. Going up the hill into turn three, Burke rushed up on Hall, passed him and started closing on Graves on the back straight. Quite a distance back from the le'aders were local riders Curtis Adams on a GSXRllOO and Tommy Lynch on a GSXR750, holding down the fourth and fifth positions. Adams started pulling away from Lynch and the gap between fourth and' fifth widened. Lynch felt a little pressure from behind as Bray's Team Suzuki teammate, Georgian Mike Smith, also riding a GSXRIIOO, came rushing up behind him and tried to pass. Lynch, however, held him off and continued his quest to catch Adams. The gap between Adams and Lynch continued to widen even more and it seemed impossible for Lynch to overtake him. Adams had fourth sewn up, while Lynch, on the other hand, found Smith once again threatening and fought to hold fifth. Burke almost caught Graves on the back stretch, but bobbled in turn nine allowing Graves to pull away and Hall to close in. On the last lap the action had not ceased 'as Graves, Burke and Hall continued battling it out: Coming down the front straight for the last time, Burke got in Graves' draft and gave it one last shot. But Graves' Suzuki's power advantage proved too much for Burke's smaller Yamaha and Graves crossed the finish line first. "He was blocking me in the corners," said Burke about the winner. "Chuck and I have fun riding together - I'm not going to try and run him off. He rode a real good race. He had more motor than I did arid he used the straightaway

• Cover