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 J immy Filice had come so close, but couldn't quite win the big prize of the Daytona Interna- tional Lightweight race. That's what the AMA 250 Grand Prix round at Daytona International Speed- way was called in those days. Up until the Grand Prix came to Laguna Seca in 1988, the Daytona 250GP race was the biggest 250cc road race in America, and probably the biggest 250 race outside of the Grands Prix. Much like its Daytona 200 big brother, every year the Daytona 250 GP attracted an international field, often times with World Championship Grand Prix riders coming to run the race for the prestige, the money and also as a warm-up to the Grand Prix season. By 1993 Jimmy Filice had done about all you could do on a 250cc Grand Prix road race bike. He'd won a slew of race and the AMA 250 Grand Prix Championship; he'd raced GPs and famously won the 250cc race at the 1988 United States Grand Prix at Laguna Seca Raceway. About the only thing lacking on Filice's 250 résumé was a win in Daytona's International Lightweight race. Perhaps something had rubbed off from his protégé Kenny Roberts. After turning expert in 1972 Roberts was a leading contender to win the Daytona 200 every season, but it took him until 1978 to finally pull off the feat. Filice's career at Daytona started off on the right foot. As a Novice in 1980 he blitzed the field to take victory, but then the dry spell began at the International Lightweight event. (It should be noted that Filice won the Fall AMA 250 National at Daytona in October of 1982, but that was a race of much less significance than the March Bike Week event). In his rookie expert season, Filice might have gotten the job done and had that race marked off his checklist, but for one Eddie Lawson. In his first race as an expert at Daytona, Filice, riding the Roberts/Lawwill Racing Yamaha, actu- ally won the qualifying heat race and the pole over Lawson and 250cc World Champ Anton Mang, both on factory Kawasakis. In the race, Filice led late, but Lawson took over on the clos- ing laps and held off Filice for the victory. Mang was third. Not a bad start for rookie Filice, still it was not a victory. Filice was heavily favored to win in 1982 against another strong field. He won the pole, but then crashed in oil or water while leading the race. The third time might have been the charm for Filice at Daytona in '83, but a Brazilian Grand Prix rider named Antonio Neto caught fire that week and dominated the race, shocking ev- eryone at the Speedway that year by finishing ahead of Filice by 17 seconds. Afterwards Filice explained something was wrong with his Yamaha and the bike wouldn't shift under load, though he graciously he added that he thought Neto would have been very tough to beat on that day, even had his motorcycle been perfect. After the '83 race, Filice didn't compete in the Daytona International Lightweight for years, FILICE FINALLY WINS DAYTONA P116 PHOTOGRAPHY BY HENNY RAY ABRAMS Jimmy Filice celebrates a long-awaited win at Daytona.