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/717711
VOL. 53 ISSUE 33 AUGUGST 23, 2016 P117 going off to focus on flat track and then super- bike racing. Then Filice reached his racing zenith with his unexpected and extremely popular U.S. 250cc Grand Prix victory at Laguna in '88. Filice could truly say that he'd won the most prestigious 250cc road racing event in America, the GP hav- ing relegated the Daytona event to second fiddle. Filice was a passenger in a serious traffic ac- cident in 1990 and it took him a year-and-a-half of rehab to return to racing, so he missed any chance to race at Daytona in 1990 and '91. After the '91 season was already in progress Filice made his comeback after finding a ride with Morris Murray's L.A. Motor Works Yamaha. He missed Daytona. His first race back in America was an 11th-place finish in the AMA 250GP race at Loudon, New Hampshire. It appeared Filice was not able to find the speed he had before the auto accident. But things began to turn around, and he went on a late-season run, winning four races and earning the AMA 250 Grand Prix title—his first professional championship a full decade after he began his pro career. Filice was hoping to put together a World Championship ride for '92, but when that didn't materialize he was picked up by the Camel Honda team to try to defend his AMA 250 GP title, which finally brought him back to the Daytona 250 GP race for the first time since 1983. Once again, Filice was the pre-race favorite, but his Camel Honda RS250 was having teething issues all weekend and it broke two laps into the race. Finally, in 1993 it all came together for Filice at Daytona. That year he was riding with Wayne Rainey Racing/Otsuka Electronics Yamaha. Riders had to endure 40 miles per hour gusts during qualifying. The fierce wind even caused a few riders to crash. Filice admitted that he was thrown around in the infield, yet despite the treacherous conditions, Filice still managed to set a new 250 qualifying record with a lap of 1:57.031 at 109.509 mph. It would get even happier that weekend for the team, but not without a moment of holding their breath. A race morning practice session crash had definitely done something serious to his Filice's ankle. As he walked the pits towards his blue and yellow Otsuka Yamaha, every step pro- duced a grimace. Would Filice be able to race with the pain? The answer came soon after the start of the race. Under bright skies, but windy conditions the green flag was waved and Filice took the lead racing into turn one over Rich Oliver and Chris D'Aluisio. Filice and Oliver traded the lead multiple times in the early going. Halfway through the race Filice began to gradually pull clear of Oliver turning laps in the 1:56 range. "Rich was really giving me a battle so I thought, 'Man, I better put my head down and put in some good laps," Filice said. "I know how tough Rich is. I knew he would be there 'til the end." Crediting Filice with spectacular riding under the circumstances was Oliver. "I could tell he was sore in the early going. He was taking wide lines through the turns and I was able to take advantage of that. Once he got in gear though there was nothing I could do to catch him. He was going into the turns with so much speed. He just got away." In the end, it was a jubilant Filice taking his first win at Daytona, followed by Oliver eight sec- onds back. Filice's winning average of 108.498 mph was a new race record for 250s. For just a moment Filice forgot about his pain and jumped off his bike in victory circle. "This win is so sweet," said Filice. "I didn't know what to expect after I crashed. I was a little more nervous than I usually am." A dozen years after coming so close in his first attempt, Filice finally won the race at Day- tona that had proven so elusive. CN Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives