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/128000
s:I(§'V~"l!.J~ ~ Ii I:McGRAW INSURANCE USA ROUND ===-== SERVICES Stunt Rider Ext,.me AI, o.mo. Kid'. Corr.1 July 24th & 25th • SATURDAY, JULY 24th GET YOUR TICKETS Advance $18.00 After July 17 $20.00 217.753.8866 www.nessen.com .- ]JJ.iOOjs ..-=;.,;n;.... - Special Feature: DELUXURY concert from Campbell's HarleyDavidson, Marion IL, ~ Saturday night ~ NO COOLERS IN GRANDSTAND 44 ~ _.~_. .Championship 883 Races • Grand National Championship Races • SuperTrapp SuperTracker Races SUNDAY, JULY 25th • 50 MILER • 50 Laps - $50,000 Purse ~ ~ Friday & Saturday nights. attrition, no one could claim that Ian Lougher inherited his third IT win, and his second 125cc race in three years. Despite claims that his year-old RS Honda's gearing affected the machine's overall performance, caused in no small part by the strong winds that prevailed throughout the race, Lougher led Ulster's Own McNally.over the line by a 13 seconds. It hadn't always been as easy as that, however. While Lougher had grabbed a onesecond lead at the end of the first lap, he had been caught up in a whole bunch of riders ,battling for first place during the opening tour. Initially, 125cc IT special-. ist Gary Bennett seemed intent on bet- tering his run of top-six finishes in recent years and led for most of the first lap aboard an agjng 3-year-old Honda. Also scrapping for position was a trio of Irish rid~rs headed by Denis McCullough, who was chased closely by Robert Dunlop and Gary Dynes. Lougher maintained a small lead throughout the second lap, but it was at the pits stops where he was able to gain the advantage that would ultimately win him the race. The Welshman's crew was able to fill up the tank, tape up the ramator to assist in cooling off a slightly overheating engine, and get their man on his way in just 18 seconds. ills nearest challengers were taking on average some five seconds more. At the first split time on lap three, Lougher led by the 13 seconds to which he would hold on until the finish. JUNIORTT The 600cc race promised to be one of the best of the week - but it illdn't turn out that way. Scotsman Jim Moodie '( claimed his seventh IT win wjtll a fine ride aboard the Honda UK CBR600R, this despite losing the use of ms clutc1l only a mile after the start. To compound matters, Mooille had fuel seep into his eyes at his secpnd-lap pit stop, and his continuous "blinking" meant that his contact lens fell out and he couldn't see . where he was going for the last half of the race. Despite these traumas, no other rider was able to get close to Moome all day. The Scot's plan had been to ride really hard for the first lap and establish a cusmon. The strategy worked to perfection. Halfway around the first lap, Moodie already led by 10 seconds, and by the end of the first lap he was some ., 16 seconds to the good. His good friend and fellow Scot, lain Duffus, led the c1lasing group, but it was in vain. Moodie was beyond reach. By the time of the second-lap fuel stops, Moodie led by 22 seconds. He managed to restart the bike on the electric starter (without using the clutch), and despite the problems with visibility that followed the stop, he was still able _to maintain virtually the same advantage through to the end of the race. Moodie had every right to savor this, hjs seventh IT success, for he has lost as many potential wins over the last decade as he has been triumphant, so this was a special win despite the problems. "I lost the clutch just after the start," he explained. "Then I got fuel in my eyes at the pit stop, then I lost my contacts. Mind you, it was better to lose them than put up with the pain of the fuel in my eyes. !he problem with the clutch wasn't too bad. I had to select gear very carefully, obviously, and on the last lap I did miss a couple (of changes) and T thought that another (TT) win was going away from me. I was glad tha t I passed lain (Duffus) quite early in the race, because I wanted