Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

away from Virginia Breeze. By the end of the second hour Team Suzuki had completed 71 laps, giving them a twolap lead. Royale Racing, riding steadily in the wet, moved up to third overall. Royale was leading a tightly knit group battling for third which includ~d Arc1ight Racing, RA Racing and Indy Cycle N' Ski, all with 66 laps. Team Suzuki ran into a problem in the third hour. The team's big GSXR lost a chain on the back section of the course, and Martin began the long push back to the pits. There was a bit of controversy when a WERA official drove the WERA van out to give Martin a tow. By then Martin had pushed the bike all the way to the pit straight, but was still a good distance from the pits. There was some grumbling in the paddock from other teams since no other team had received assistance from a crash truck. WERA officials said assistance was available to any team that asked for it. Team Suzuki dropped about six laps due to the incident. Virginia Breeze now held a commanding three-lap lead over Royale Racing. The Charlottesville, Virginia-based team looked to be on its way to certain victory. But no. With about 30 minutes left in the race, the Virginia Breeze Yamaha rolled to a stop in the back section of the circuit. The team declined an offer by officials to pick up the bike - Virginia Breeze's Charlie Safley said that they thought the transmission had broken on the Yamaha. The team later regretted the decision not to bring the bike in. As it turned out the problem was not the transmission but a sheared cush drive on the rear sprocket. The Virginia Breeze crew could have quickly repaired the bike and still been in the hunt for the win. With 25 minutes to go in the race, Royale Racing held the lead but rider Hemy didn't know. "I saw Jim (co-rider Jim East) waving me on from the pits. I thought maybe 1 was battling for third and someone was catching me," said Hemy. Someone was indeed catching Henry. Team Pearls Suzuki (3) and Royale Racing (6) finished third and second, respectively. Both teams competed on 600cc motorcycles. It was Team Suzuki's Martin. Team Suzuki had charged back after losing the chain. With 20 minutes left on the clock Martin put Suzuki back in the lead for good. Martin lapped Royale for good measure one more time just before the end of the race. "We did it the hard way and had to have a little luck, but we'll take it," said a ~ggy Martin after the race. Team Suzuki finished with 133 laps around the 2.25-mile Moroso circuit for a total of 299.25 miles at an average speed of 74.812 mph. For Royale Racing the Moroso finish was the team's best since finishing second overall twice in 1989. Royale was running last year's machine. The team's new Honda would not start before the race. "We decided at the last minute "to go with the old bike," said Henry. "The thing didn't even have any sponsor stickers on the fairing." "That was totally unexpected," said an ecstatic Jim East. "Our strength is that we run a long time between pit stops and we very rarely have problems. That's usually not good enough for second place but we got a few breaks today," continued East. After making an unscheduled pit stop for rain tires and a water-filled air box, Team Pearls charged from 11th overall after the first hour to third overall at the finish. "It was the first time on rain tires for us and everyone rode great," said Marty Lentz of Team Pearls. The third-place overall finish was to match the team's prior best third overall at the Willow 24 Hour last year. Haitian Sensation Racing with John Dierick, Rudolf Von Ligan and veteran sensation John Long took fourth overall with 129 laps. In fifth, 12 seconds behind Haitian, was Arc1ight Racing on a Honda CBR900. For Team Suzuki Endurance Moroso was the beginning of what they hope will be a ninth championship season. For all the other teams it will be a monumental challenge to dethrone the kings of WERA endurance racing. (lIl Results OVERALL: t. Team Suzuki Endurance (5uz); 2. Royale Racing (Hon); 3. Team Pearls Suzuki (5uz); 4. HiUtian Sensation (Suz); S. ArchIight Racing (Hon); 6. Red Hot Racing (Yam); 7. Ught Speed Racing (Yam); 8. ProgresQve Racing (Suz); 9 Ondagass Racing (Suz); 10. Roswe1l Racing (Suz); ll. Team 7D/7D Racing (!torsports (49.10); 19. New York Motorcycles Racing (47.90); 20. Virginia Breeze Racing (46.40). Lea Ila1'De&. ~~ ~ tr.<:k *- still-rac:eab1e/ .~_ lot worse than ttiis._ TaJce a vote!" "Take a vote,••Take a vote," was the dIon1s ~ bt~ aM two dozen other riders under tbetowet. Gonda.1ooking nervous, walked through the crowd..of rldert sbaJdng hle he8d no and saying: '"The decision's been made, we're not sending you guys out in these C'OI\ditions!' After a few more vocal exchanges, Gonda left to check on how rain d1eclcs were being handled at the front gate. The rain for the moment bad subsided and the sun was even trying to bum though the heavy cloud cover. Prostrated that Gonda was walking away, refusing to continue the discussion, one rider shouted.: "Tear down the tower!" . Ba.rnes.xed in the face, barged away: "WERA suclcs. I will never tae;e in this organ;zation agaip,." It was iID ugly scene. One thtlt wouldl dn the surface, make it ap~ that WI!R.A' officials mayhave :made a hasty dedilion in postpohirtg the event. Howevet, after speaking to a variety of riders, it was clear that the racers at the tower were in the minority. The majority of the riders approved of WERA's decision, but Mt necessarily the way it was handled.. John Ulrich ofValvolin4! Suzuki. the top team in the WERA Pro Series, explained a view that was shared by many others. "l think that if the WERA official/; would have canea a meeting, explained how 15

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