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/142441
Dave Schultz (above) took a Pro Stock Kawasaki two-stroke triple to its first major win in a while. Sam Wills (below) soloed to the Top Fuel win on his Kaw. Even the weather was improbable. The sun shone on the event all day Saturday and it rained like the very devil until early afternoon Sunday. Spectators stayed home in droves, but after minimal delays the races were run. 'DBA Natlona' Champion- shIp Drag Race Series: Round three Schultz two-strokes to Darlington Pro Stock win By Tony Lee Photos by Mike Church ' DARLINGTON, SC, JUNE 12-1~ Dave Schultz's two-stroke Kawasaki Pro Stocker won the biggest bag of marbles with a win light on the final run in 16 IDBA's Sunshine Nationals at Darlington Jnternational Raceway. Johnny Sands, often a bridesmaid but never a bride, won Funny Bike. Hamp Osburn, who thought he'd forgotten how to win, got the laurels in Pro Comp, and Sam Wills, who has a habit of winning, did his thing in Top Fuel (OHC), but spent the entire weekend frustratingly close to a new record only to blow it. - The only real "no surprise" situation in the Pro Elimination classes at Darlington was in Top Fuel (Pushrod). Dave Cauldwell went there saying he was going to win -and he did. The Sportsman Eliminators featured improbable results, too . Super was won by Floyd H untz on a Fast By Gast Kawasaki. Competition Eliminator was won by Allen Mueller on a Norton. The weird thing in Combo was that the winner was found illegal and the runner-up, Mike Carroll, moved into the winner's position. Pro Stock Mike Keyte topped the qualifying ladder in the 16 bike field at 8.7~1 seconds, followed by Dave Schultz on the Fast by Gast/MRE/Wiseco sponsored Kawasaki •• the only two-stroke in the field, Randy Mason, Russ Nyberg, Barry Kogut, Ron Turner, Earl Simmons and Don Plesser, In the first round of eliminations, Superbike Mike had a bye run, Kogut trailered Gary Tonglet, Mason retired Charlie Gressman, and Ron Turner sent Arthur Cashio back to Los Angeles. Bob Bertaut got handed a free pass when Nyberg drew a red light, Jimmy Adams got a freebie when Timmons also drew a red light, and Schultz got a free pass when Plesser wasn 't able to leave the line. In the second round, Kogut wasn't able to show and Keyte got a no-risk opportunity to lay down a back-up run for his record setting 8.74/152.02 first run. He did it with an 8.77/151.26, - locking up both ends of the new Pro Stock records. Mason got Turner by a 10th of a second, Bertaut got a free ride when Adams couldn't show, and Shultz turned an 8.8~/147.05. In the semi-finals, the theory says Superbike Mike Keyte should run Mason and Schultz should run Nyberg. But Nyberg took himself out in the first round and Bertaut wasn't ' able to show, so Schultz got a second bye and Superbike Mike took out Mason. The final had the crowd wild. Although they were expecting number one qualifier and record setter Keyte to win, it was Schultz pulling .the holeshot and -at the finish it, was the ' two-stroke rider with the win, posting an 8.90/146.10 to top Keyte's quicker and faster 8.87/150. Top Fuel (Pushrod) Dave Cauldwell, Steve Stordeur, James McDonald and Pete Hill formed a four bike Harley-Davidson field. Hill broke before the first round while Stordeur blew the back engine on his double in his elimination run. The final pitted McDonald against Cauldwell. Cauldwell rode his Dirty Dave's Cycle Shop Harley to a winning 9.45 second pass against McDonald's 10.80. Top Fuel (OHC) Sam Wills, on the Motorcycles Unlimited/MTC/Karata sponsored Kawasaki, had a solo run in the final. Carl Ahlfeldt, his tuner, added a bit of zip for Wills to take a shot at a National record. He tuned the bike "too good." Wills had to back off the throttle just after leaving the line to keep from getting thrown off the bike. His 7.82/162.74 pass wasn't a record. "I just leaned on her too hard.t'said Ahlfeldt. 'Pro Comp Hamp Osburn on a C.o. Nybergl C&W Cycleworks /Wiseco/MRE sponsored Kawasaki was not only number one qualifier, but the holeshot artist in the finals. Pitted against Mike Pizzitola on a SBM/Union Cycle Salvage sponsored Kawasaki, Osburn left the line first. Pizzatola laid down a quicker 8.9~ to Osburn's 8.95, but Harnp's holeshot drew the win light. Miles-per-hour tells the story -- Mike a l'49, but Hamp on top with a 151.51. Funny Bike John Sands, on a Honda sponsored by Motorcycle Sales and Service, MTC Engineering, Sears Die-Hard and John Sands Racing, turned in a solo final run at 8.44/166.05 to top Bo O'Brochta after Bo'sJ.B.C. Industries Kawasaki suffered a broken mag in the burnout·prior to the-run: .. . . •