Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ ROAD RACEAM! 250cc Grand Prix Series: Round 4 h eaded for the banking on the final lap, but D'Aluisio outbraked Filice heading into th e ch icane, only to have Filice let off the brakes in an effort to get it back. " I go t stuck beh ind a slower rider earlier in the lap, but that's racing, " Fil ice said. " He had a lot of steam but I outbroke hi m. I tried to fluster him, bu t he came righ t back." " I ou tbroke h im , but th en he came back on my righ t," D'Aluisio said " I could star t my dri ve sooner and that's reall y what did it. When we would go through there together, he'd get to the fro nt straight before me. I was a little worried ab ou t that." lenatseh was pl eased with his th irdpl ace finish: " I'm really happ y," he -sa id, " T h ese co n di tio ns show the ma turity of the 250cc class. This class is tough; real heads up. You 're goi ng to have to beat D'Alu isio, beat Filice, and hopefully beat me to win th is championshi p." C'f e Results Jimmy Filice (65) led most of the 250cc race, but Chris 'D 'Aluisio (II) took the victory, his second in a row. Ni ck Ienatsch (24) beat Rick Kirk (39) to fin ish third at Charlotte Motor Speedway. D'Aluisio again at Charlotte n By Paul Carruthers 12 CHARLOTIE, NC, JULY6 avhar Racin g's Chris D'Aluisio won a last-lap race to the checkered flag over LA Motor Works J immy Filice to win "his second race in a row , this win coming at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. D ' Alu isio a n d Fil ice ba tt led throughout the race on their 1991 Yama ha TZ250s; but D'Alu isio's waitand-see pl an p roved to be th e right one as he drafted past Filice on the fina l run to the flag. Third pl ace went to Del Arno's Nick lenatsch over the Air T ech-backed Yamaha of early leader Ri ck Kirk. Kirk and Ienatsch sta yed close to the leading du o, bu t weren 't a factor in th e closing stages of the 39.6-mi le race. Brad Sawyer ro de h is Raddsponsored Yamaha to fifth , followed by Danny Walker, Rick Tripodi , Will iam H immelsbach, Donn Lewis and Mike Sullivan. . The win not only earned D'Aluisio $3840 of the $15,000 250cc Grand Prix purse, but it also extended his championship lead to six points over Ienatsch, 64-58. Filice also made a jump, moving into third in the series point standings with 39 points to fourth placed T ripodi 's 34. Walker holds on to fifth with 32 points. The 18-lap .race, shortened from 22 laps in an effort to get the drag race program started on time, go t underway with Malt Cr an e, Lew is, C lifto n Bigoney and T om Paris crashing in turn one, bringing out the red flag. Bigon ey was the only one not to make the . resta rt as h e limped to the ambulance. Filice's cre w was busy between restarts fitting a new clu tch and a new rear tire to his Yamah a; the diminutive Cal ifornian had fri ed the origi nal clutch on the first start. The restarted race was led ini tially by Kirk, bu t hi s TZ250 would soon begin overhea ting. " We're ta lk in g major detonation," Kirk said lat er. " I just want ed to mak e it." Kirk's lead lasted two laps before Filice took over up front. H e was followed by lenatsch and Kirk, with D'Aluisio moving into fourth on the third lap after starting slowly. D'Aluisio moved pa st Ienatsch on the fourth lap and led Filice only on the sixth lap, and the final on e. Filice led the rest of the time, pulling awa y at times, only to have D 'Aluisio coun ter. " I let Jimmy run the pa ce and I just worked off him," D'Aluisio said later. " I tried a lap or two by myself bu t I didn't wan t to push the pace. I was having a hard tim e in pl aces and Jimmy was too . I didn't want to waste my tires before he wasted h is." len atseh sta yed a comfortable third with Kirk 's overheating Yamaha doing the same in fou rth. Sawyer was originally involved in a tussle with Walker after recovering from a " terri ble star t," but he would ma nage to pull away [rom the Colorado resident in coasti ng to fifth on hi s 1989 T Z250. "The bike seized th is morning in pr actice," Sawyer said. " I rebuilt it to the cra nk and it ran really well. Tires were a big factor today. The guys who co u ld slide the tires had a b ig adva ntage." .I. Thus the battle for the lead came down to the final lap. Filice led as they 250 cc Q UALIfYING: I. Chris D'Alui.io (1:20.077); 2. Jimmy Filice (1:20.270); 3. Brad Sa~er (1:21.606); 4. Nick Iena tsch (1:21.928): 5. Rick Rirk (1:22.099); 6. Rick TriP.OOi ( 1:22.143); 7. J im m y Mo.l

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