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/127253
Defending Superbike Champion Jamie James (1) was involved in the first-tum crash that took both he and Scotland's Niall Mackenzie out of the 200 on the first Iap, It was this dose at the finish as Sadowski managed to get the perfect drive out of the chicane on the last lap to Wednesda y morning to fix his longtime ailing back, Sadowski was pleased with his qualifying posi tion. "I saw a 1:55.1 on my board' and backed it down a bit ,after that," he said. "I said , 'Let someone beat that' Atfd Thomas (Stevens) did. " James may have been able to go quicker, but his qualifying session was cut short when his rear brake heated up, eventually locking the wheel. By the time the problem was found, the soft Yokohama was used up, according to Ferracci. Renfrow and the Commonwealth Racing tearn were still trying different combinations in an effort to make the RC30 easier to ride. The elder statesman of the front row was also having a hard time getting the Honda off the line. _ "The bike's working good," he said. "I just can't get it started and I just fried a dutch trying to learn." As for the final rider on the front row, well, riding on Daytona's banking was a learning experience for , Mackenzie. "I haven 't quite figured out this banking thing," Mackenzie, who finished seventh in the 1989 500cc World Championship aboard a Marlboro Yamaha, said. "There's two turns where you come off the banking - turn one and the chicane - and I keep getting them mixed up. 1 went straight at turn one once. My lap time was real good then (after skipping the infield), my mechanic about had an orgasm. " Heats The first of the two heat races - titled the Arai Twin 50s - saw the Yoshimura .Suzu ki squad all but eliminate themselves from the Daytona 200. The race got underway with James leading the way into tum one, followed by McMurter, Stevens, Yamahamounted Tom Kipp and Crevier. As the leaders exited the International Horseshoe, Crevier grabbed a handful of throttle and was promptly highsided from the Yoshimura Suzuki. The Canadian Superbike Champion suffered a broken ankle in the crash. At the end of the first lap it was Stevens leading James, McMurter, Kipp, DuHameI,. Mackenzie, Gary Goodfellow, who was suffering from the lack of a third gear, and Russell. The second part of 'Oh, Canada' occurred as DuHamel crashed exiting the chicane starting a' chain-reaction of accidents. Russell couldn't avoid DuHamel's discarded gas tank and it smashed into his leg causing him to crash; and dirt tracker Scott Stump also went down. The crash left DuHamel badly shaken and out of the 200; Russell's gash would require six stitches and he would be forced to start at the back hol~ off the hard-charging Renfrow. of the pack for the 200; and Stump's weekend was over as he broke his left foot. With DuHamel out of the 200, Yoshimura's once bright hopes would now lay in the hands of Springsteen. The battle up front, meanwhile, went to the fin ish with Stevens narrowly defeating James: McMurter held on for a lonely third ahead of Mackenzie. Kipp, who was racing with Mackenzie for fourth, dropped off the pace when his tire shredded. Stevens' effort was for naught, however, as he was disqualified when the Vance & Hines Yamaha was found to be one pound under the 370-pound weight limit. The disqualification cost the Floridian $2515; James, who inherited thewin, eamed that 'p lus a $1500 bonus from Arai. "I did my job," Stevens said after hearing the decision. "It's unfortunate, but we'll get 'em on Sunday. I never even thought about it (being underweight)." , Quarterley and the ancient Gee Veeowned VFR750 led the pack into tum one at the start of the second Twin 50 ahead of Renfrow and Sadowski. At the end of the first lap things had changed as Renfrow and Sadowski started a battle that would last for some six laps. Sadowski would eventually pull dear for the win ; Renfrow finished, second with Jacks third and Fogarry fourth. Chandler had pulled in on lap five when the Kawasaki developed an oil leak . Whitham also pulled in early in the heat race and said the team had just used the heat to test a different front tire. James, who inherited the win when Stevens was DQ'd , was credited with the faster of the two Twin 50s with his average speed of 109.518 mph, a new 50'mile record. Sadowski's bike was over the 370pound weight limit, thanks in part to an eight-pound video camera which was mounted to the front of the Yamaha. Team owner Terry Vance vowed that both Sadowski and Steven's ' Yarnahas would start the Daytona 200 eight pounds heavy. "We came out of that with egg on our face and it makes us feel bad," Vance said. "We know better than .that," "That was a good 'shak edown ," Sadowski said. "We rebuilt the suspension after this morning's practice and it's back to what we had in qualifying. I think mid 56s will be the pace for the 200. The race hasn't been too good for me in the past - the three times I've raced in it (the 200) I've never made it a third of the way through." Sunday morning practice saw Chandler emerge still unhappy with the Kawasaki's performance, and it was decided that the Keihin carbure- 9