Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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CN III ARCHIVES BY LARRY LAWRENCE L ast week in part one, we reviewed the devel- opment of the Commonwealth Honda, the Honda RS750 flat track-powered Pro Twins road racer conceived of by Martin Adams and how the machine did in its first season. We take up the story here with Randy Renfrow who Adams had been pursuing, finally agreeing to race for Com- monwealth. He was behind the eight ball having not raced Daytona, but got his debut on the bike off to a great start. Martin Adams now had his man in Randy Renfrow. Already a two-time AMA National Road Racing champ (Formula 1 in '86 and 250 Grand Prix in '83), Renfrow had the experience, skills and perhaps almost as importantly, the weight Adams envisioned to pilot the equally small Com- monwealth Honda RS750-based Pro Twins racer. With a four-fifths sized bike and rider the Honda RS750 engine would have a fighting chance to hang with the more powerful Ducati. Even so the RS, punched out at that point to 850cc, was highly stressed and had to be rebuilt every 120- 150 miles, which meant the bike was right on the borderline by the end of a race weekend. Round two of the AMA Road Race Champion- ships that year was at Road Atlanta. Renfrow hadn't raced in nearly nine months. In Friday's practice session he looked for Quarterley and tried to plant himself on the rear wheel of the Fer- racci Ducati to knock off the rust. Pro Twins was the first race of the day on Sun- day after the track's morning quiet time. Quarter- ley led the race early followed by Doug Brauneck, Jimmy Adamo, Duane Summers and Randy Sh- emwell. Renfrow took off conservatively, aiming to let things shake out and settle a bit before putting the hammer down. On the second lap he picked up the pace dove underneath Brauneck going into turn one to grab second. By now Quarterley was over three seconds ahead. "I didn't know if I could catch Dale," Renfrow said after the race. "I had problems keeping my concentration up. It's been eight-and-a-half months since I've raced and it's tough to come out and run that kind of pace." Six laps into the 16-lap race Renfrow caught Quarterley. A lap later Renfrow moved the Honda into the lead under braking for the Nissan Bridge. The two ran together for the rest of the race, lowering the lap times a full second-and- a-half from the earlier pace. Everyone expected Quarterley to make a move, but it never came. He later explained his Ducati was still sporadical- ly cutting out and he was worried about it doing so at a critical moment had he tried to pass. Plus Quarterley had such a big points lead there was no need to push. Renfrow crossed the line two- bike lengths ahead. Quarterley's comments after the race showed his respect for Renfrow. "Randy's a good rider to run with," Quarter- ley said. "He's smooth and predictable. Other people I would have pushed and shoved, but he doesn't ride like that so I try not to either." The next race was at Loudon, Quarterley's home track. Renfrow basically conceded he'd probably be racing for second. He was right, almost. Quarterley sprinted out to a five-second RENFROW VS. QUARTERLEY PT. 2 P110