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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127377
(Left to right) Robbie Petersen, Oliver and Graves take a victory lap.
Graves moved past Oliver to take the
lead for the first time on the fifth lap,
diving under the nonhero Californian
in tum one.
"Chuck was going deep into one,"
Oliver said later. "The wind was
blowing us out in one real bad. I had
to lean on the straight just to make
the tum. If I went in as deep as him, ·
I'd lose the front because of the
wind. "
The two continued to battle back
and forth until Oliver got by on .the
13th of 20 laps and started to break
free.
"I knew they 'd start spinning,"
Oliver said of the four-strokes. "I just
wanted to be at ' the front, but not
setting the pace. As it worked out, he
(Graves) faded."
By this time, Petersen started coming
to grips with his new chassis settings
and began reeling in Graves : Only a
few laps from the end, the Zimbabwean
made his move in tum three and held
the runner-up spot to the flag. By the
end of the race he was actually gaining
considerable ground on his teammate
Oliver.
Smi th rode a lonely race to fourth
with Russell and Turkington doing
likewise in fifth and sixth. The battle
for seventh ended up going to Quarterley and the Bimota over the Honda
ROO of Williams.
The high winds kept Oliver off the
lap record pace, with the Yamaha rider
only using fifth gear ' in tum eight
instead of the usual sixth gear due to
the wind.
Graves was a happy man, stating
that the Yoshimura GSXR750 superbike fitted with an llOO motor was
easily the best bike he'd ever ridden.
"When I got out front I couldn't
believe it, " Graves said. " 1 was up there
a lot ear lier than I expected. The bike
would wheelspin easier when it got
hot, and I should have paced it a little
easier . I think I helped contribute to
overheating the tire. The two-strokes
don't have to run the pre-load so stiff ,
so th ey don 't seem to spin as much.
Working with the Yoshimura guys was
just fantastic. They know all the good
stuff."
Graves said his deal with Yoshimura
was for Willow Springs only, and he
Rainey-: On theotherside of the fence
W
ayne Rainey Racing team owner Wayne
Rainey made the trip to Willow Springs
International Raceway between the Australian GP and the U.S. GP to watch his new Otsuka
Electronics-sponsored 250cc team in action for the
first time. .
Rainey's team riders, Alan Scott and Kenny
Roberts, Jr. (right), didn't disappoint the 500cc
World Champion as they finished second and
third in the WERA Formula II race at Willow
that was won by racer/journalist Nick lenatseh.
"I'm having a lot of fun," Rainey said prior
to the race. "It's tough, though. I have no control
over our destiny. It's up to my guys to go out
and do it."
Rainey split his time between working with his
riders and also with Kenny Roberts' Marlboro-backed F-USA team of Rich Oliver
and Robbie Petersen. All involved seemed to appreciate the World Champion's
imput.
Roberts himself was also at the race, after chartering a plane from Modesto ,
California, 10 nearby Lancaster. The three-time World Champion was accompanied
by his mother, Alice, and former racer Skip Aksland, who came to see Kenny
Roberts, Jr. in action for the first time on a National level. Buster Roberts had
driven down from Modesto to also see his grandson in action.
"It's a little tougher than normal," Kenny Roberts said, when asked what it
was like to watch his son race. " Bu t it will get easier after this year. We just
need to get him experience. I'm a little worried that he's going faster than he
should be at this point. Wayne (Rainey) was out here working with him on
Thursday, and he learned a lot. We just have to let his experience catch up with
what he knows. This is a good setup for him. We're just keeping the bikes stock
and keeping them running."
Roberts, Jr. seemed unfazed by all the attention, including a host of Japanese
photographers who captured his every move on film. WhL'Jl asked if he was having
fun after the final practice session, young Roberts said : " Not on that tire. It's
got a 100 laps on it. I've only got one for the race, so we have to save it."
Alan Scott (44) leads F·2 winner Nick lenatsch (42) and Kenny Roberts, Jr. (17).
will continue on with the series
running his own equipment.
With team owner and 500cc World
Champion Wayne Rainey looking on
for the first time, Alan Scott put the
Otsuka Electronics-backed Yamaha
TZ250 into the lead at the start of th e
Formula II race with lenatsch in tow .
Roberts, meanwhile, passed several
riders in a rather bold maneuver in
tum on e.
Ra iney later rem inded yo u n g
Roberts that tires are cold at the start
of a race. " Yeah, but it's banked in
tum one and that's th e best place to
do it: ' Little Kenny countered. "We'll
take your word for it: ' Kenny Robe rts,
the three-time World Champion said.
lenatseh passed Scott in tum nine
on the second lap and was never heard
from again. Although, you wouldn 't
know it after listening to him after the
race.
"The wind was real different toda y: '
Ienatsch said. " It was th e weirdest
thing, blowing 90 degrees across the
straight. It was pretty bad in turns six
and two. It was a different wind th an
what most of us are used to. I just reall y
didn 't ride well - I was real tight on
the motorcycle. "
Behind Ienatsch, Scott, Roberts and
Michael Graves were locked in a fight
that went the duration . Scott ended up
getting the better of the deal , with
Roberts "and Graves . following him
across th e finish line. D'Aluisio
rounded out the top five finishers.
" It was great: ' Scott said. " I enjoyed
every minute of it. There was a big
wind in nin e and it scared me a little
bi L"
Ra in ey wore a big smile after the
race, having seen his team fin ish
second and th ird: " Nick's (Iena tsch)
got a lot of laps around here," Rainey
said. " We've got a littl e work to do.
I gu ess we've got to get them some
more pow er. I guess all riders complain abou t no t having eno ugh of
that, "
Chuck Graves' da y a t th e races
included a win over David Deveau in
the B Superstock class and a second
place fini sh in A Superstock beh in d
Michael Mar tin. Thomas Montan o
topped J. Andr ew Milton in th e C
Superstock ra ce wi th both riders
mounted on Yamaha FZR600s.
The Future Stars class was won by
th e Honda CBR600 of Col in Edwards
II over, similarly-mounted .Takanobu
Koyama and Yamaha ride r J oh n
a
Benson.
Results
F-USA HEAT I : 1; Mike Smi th (Su,); 2. Rich
Ol iva- (Yam ); 3. Robbie Petersen (Yam); 4. Dale
Q uartttley. (Bim); 5. Donald Jacks (Suz); 6. Jeff
Hagan (Suz); 7. Don Greene (Yam ); 8. James Adam o
(D ue); 9. Micha el Man in (Su r); 10. Michael Graves
(Yam ); 11. J ohn Hoppezstad (Yam); 12. Rick Kirk
(Yam) ; 15. Bruce Tebo (Suz); 14. Jeff Rhea um e (Suz);
15. David Claaborn (Suz); 16. John Livings (Su,) :
17. Brok McAllister (Suz).
Time: 5 min., 55.08 seeD"taece: 5 laps, 12.5 mil es.
Margin of Victory: 2.52 sec,
F·USA HEAT 2: I. Chuck G raves (Suz); 2. Scott
Russell (Kaw); 3. Britt T ur king ton (Su, ); 4. Joe Brett
Willi ams (Hon); 5. Dann y Walker (Yam): 6. Brian
Bernard (Yam ); 7. Rob