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/127807
Round 9: Prostar/AMA Nationals DRAG RACING AMAIProstar Drag Racing Series hit the rev limiter and shut off to a 12.57. Rival Dave Schu ltz was testing a new fourvalve motor at the event and was left on the sideline when it broke during his first quaWying attempt. Myers .takes a 76-point advantage into the last event of the season. The story in the Sportsman ranks was Mike Konopacki as he attempted to claim an unpreceden.ted three championships in one season. Last season Konopacki became the firstever double winner with number-one plates in both Top Gas and Pro ET. This year he looks not only to defend both titles but to add the Super Comp plate as well. Konopacki put all his ducks in a row in Ohio, going to the final in all three classes. He came away with the Top Gas win (his third), getting by Richard Holder, but lost the Super Comp final to Kevin Blackmore and the Pro ET final to Doug Peterson. Konopacki holds the points lead in both Top Gas and Super Comp and is second to Peterson in Pro ET. Local racer Bruce Sauer took the Super Gas title over Dennis Powell. Brock Davidson, fresh off his Cycle Wor.1d Quickest Streetbike Shootout win, took home the trophy in Street ET. In the Sportbike classes, both Rickey Gadson and Buddy Forbus took event wins as well as securing championships. By Matt Polito COLUMBUS, OH, ocr. 5-6 hoever said that Ohio's ational Trail Raceway was not a fast track should have been there for the inaugural Pros tar AMA Nationals where records were set in all professional classes. The event was the ninth stop on the 10-event AMA/Prostar motorcycle drag racing tour and, as is typical this time of year, saw some interesting twists in the point standings. Nowhere was it more wild than in the Orient Express Funnybike Showdown where Gary Clark went into the event with a 60-point lead with five straight final-round appearances following the debut of his Injected Alcohol Kawasaki. Clark, who could have clinched the championship with a win and an earlyround loss by Keith Lynn, looked poised to do so, with a stunning, all-time-best 6.794 elapsed time at 200.40 mph right off the trailer. Later in qualifying, Clark backed up the ET for the FB/lA record with a 6.80 while upping the speed mark to 201.34. The only person who could beat Clark was himself. And indeed he did, cutting a blatant .378 redlight in the first round against the outclassed Harley of Mark Angelos. Lynn took full advantage of the situation, going all the way to the final and taking his second win in three events. Lynn moved two points ahead of Clark when his final-round opponent, Ronnie Bonitatis, lost fire after the burnout and could not restart in time. Lynn ran a 6.97/189 on the single. Billy Vose locked up the Arias/S&K Pro Modified championship with his fourth win of the season with a finalround victory over the very hot Rick Bun ting, making his third final in the last four races, but fell off his 7.D-second pace with a 7.20 as Vose put down a 7.06 for the win. (Above) Keith Lynn made his fifth Funnyblke finalround appearance of the year at the Prostar/AMA Nationals and scored his second win In three races. (Right) Ricky Gadson (near lane) topped Michael Phillips (far lane) In the 600cc Supersport final. Gadson locked up the title with the win, having earned four victories In six final-round appearances. (Below) John Myers set a new ET record of 7.36 and won the Pro Stock class. Myers now leads the series points standings by 76. Gadson took his fourth win of the season in 600cc SuperSport, taking out Michael Phillips as Forbus took out Gadson in the 750cc Pro Superbike final. and garnered the first championship in 0' the inaugural class. National Trail Raceway Columbus, Ohio Results: October 5-6,1996 (Round 9 of 10) FNYIBK; 1. Keith Lynn (Kaw); 2. Ronnie Bonitatis (Suz~ The big drama in Pro Mod surrounds the issue of who wiJJ crack the six-second barrier - and Vose is the odds-on favorite. The newly crowned champion ran a pair of 7.01s in early rounds of eliminations at Ohio, resetting his own ET record to 7.011. Other notable performances were Bunting at 7.05 and former champion Rick Perry at 7.07. The Star Performance Parts team of John Myers and Angelle Seeling proved to be the class of the field in Pro Stock with both riders making the final. While Seeling has appeared to have the performance edge recently, such was not the case in Ohio. In qualifying, Myers procured a new record of 7.367 which was backed up with a 7.38. Myers also had the edge in eliminations and put up a 7.42/178 as Seeling P'RO/MOO: 1. Bill Vose (Suz); 2. Rick Bunting (Suz). PRO/STJ(; 1. John Mye.. (Suz); 2. Angene Seeling (Suz). 600 55: 1. Rickey Gadson (}(aw); 2. Michael Phillips (Kaw). PRO S/BK: 1. Buddy Forbus (Kaw); 2. Rickey Gadson (Kaw). TOP GAS: 1. Mike Konopacki (Kaw); 2. Richard Holder (Suz). S/COMP: 1. Kevin Blackmore (Suz); 2. Mike Konopacki (Kaw). S/GAS: 1. Bruce Sauer (Kaw); 2. Dennis Powell (Han). PRO/ET: 1. Doug Peterson (Suz); 2. Mike Konopacld {Kaw}. STIET: 1. Brock Davidson (Suz); 2. Sharon Fox (Suz). Upcoming Round: Round 10 - Gainesville, FL, November 7-10. \0 0'\ 0'\ .-l 0' cI') l-< OJ ~ o 41