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/127202
Monza International den by Frenchman Dominique Bonvicini (w h o cu rren tl y lead s hi s country 's BoTT Seri es on a pushrod Guzzi) , led ahead of the faster but less-dependable 888 Du cati s. Bonvicini qualified ninth on a carbureted By Robert Fawcett version of th e eight-v alve G uzzi, fitted in a replica Dr. J ohn's chass is, MONZA, ITALY, JULY 8-9 representing the clos est th ing yet to The combined Battle of The hav e appeared in public to the forthTwins, Sound ~f Singles and com ing Guzzi road bike. H istoric Grand P r ix delle Making a welcome return to EuroNazioni meeting on the full pean competition was form er World Champion Tony Rutter, now mostly Monza Autudromo G P circuit was recovered from his serious Monta significant event in Italian motorjuich injuries, who qualified a 750cc cycling lore, as for the first time in Fl Ducati in 12th place on th e grid. three decades, works, bikes from no less than four Italian factories took Lucchinelli failed to appear for the parr in an international road race morning wa rm -up, a fact he doubtmeeting. lessly regretted when his bike failed The main event was the first to run properly on the warm-up la p . International BoTT race ever to be So, instead of disappeari ng towards run in Italy -:- an anomaly, given the checkered flag, he found h imself the fact that T wins classes all over running third in the opening la ps the world are dominated by Latin • behind Bra uneck and Italian privatbikes. To mark the occasion, Duca ti eer Danilo Toschi (888 Duca ti ). entered a bike for former works rider, Bra uneck pulled out an immediate ' no w team manager Marco Lucchi-: lead on the G uzzi, on wh ich Dr. John nelli, making his 1989 racing debu t had to replace a broken rocker af ter a brief retirement. Lucky's disco vered shortly before the race , machi ne was one of the works 888s with L ucchinelli struggling to pass ridden by Raymond Roche to World T osch i, which he did on lap three. Superbike success in the USA a Bu t the Ital ian former World 500cc couple of weeks previously, and he Champion was unable to make any q ua lified on the pole for the Monza impr essi o n o n the feroc iousrace, the only one to (just) break the sounding Guzzi, a nd after lapping two-minute lap time barrier. three seconds slower than his p ole Nex t up and making h is first visit position time , eventua lly retired to to Monza was American Doug Brauth e pits in disgus t o n lap six wi th prob lems ini tia ll y diagnosed as neck aboard the latest version of the Dr. John Wittner- tuned fa ctory ' "gearbox" but later admitted to be eight-valve Moto Guzzi , with beltelectronic. dri ven over head cam and Weber/ This left Bra uneck wi th a nineMarelli EFI/EMS. Brauneck was second cushion over Toschi and almost four seconds slower than the seemingly headed for a h istoric and works Ducat i. morale-boosting win. But on lap A second works Guzzi entry, ridnine he dramatically coasted into the Italian manufacturers return to racing, win " • Doug Brauneck (46) led Marco Lucchinelli (1) early in the Battle of the , Twins race at Monza. Italy. but both broke. Danilo Toschi (25) won. . pits with a dead engine, and after a brief di scu ssion the Guzzi was wheeled away to the paddock. "I was heading down to the Par abolica (the last corner before the pits) whe n I felt a pop and it sudden ly went onto one cylinder," said Bra uneck. "Lots of othe r peopl e ha d p robl em s wi th stones, so I figured the motor swa llowed on e." Imagi ne his dismay when, after a quick checkover, Dr. J o hn discovered a pl ug lead had j umpe d off; once replaced the engine fired up an d - ran perfectly. " I feel sic k," sai d Brauneck; " T hat's racing," said Dr. Joh n ; I g ues s we h ad a moral victory," said de T om aso. The demise of the works bikes was co mpleted by Bo nvici n is G uzzi, which re ti red on la p fo u r wi th u nspecifie d problems. T oschi ran out an easy winner, 20 seconds ahead of Swiss rider Roger Perro tet on another 888cc Ducati who was , however, penalized 30 NATIONAL 600 CHAMPIONSHIP ' \ AND JUNIOR 'NATIONAL / f! \ MOTORCYCLE RACES N E : itl, ;4 National Championship 7:30 p.m, Practice and Time Trials 5 p.m. - 7 p.m, Box and Special Reserved Seats ; $16.00 Bleachers ~ . $14.00 General Adm ission .. . . . . . ... ..... •. . ... $12.00 Clubhouse (includes buffet dinner) $20.00 , All tickets purchased in advance include gate admission. Tickets purchased day of show at the Fair Box Office do not include gate admission. Tickets available at all U.S.A. Ticketron locations. : Erie County Fair Reservations (716) 649-3900. Teletron 1-806-382-8080. Canadian orders 1-617- 20-3434. 7 Mastercard/ VISA accepted. AMERI C A' S AUG UST COUNTY - F A I R 1 1 - 20" 1 . 9 ' 8 ' 9 HAMBURG, NEW YORK TH RUWAY EXITS 56 & 57 15