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RACE WATCH
The Daytona shuffle
Write this down: 1990 is the year factory Superbike racing returned to Daytona. For the first time in recent memory, all four Japanese companies will field racing teams at the season’s AMA opener in Daytona.
Of course, not one of the teams is an official factory effort, because the current trend is for the manufacturers to supply a “team” with bikes and parts, then the team goes racing. Because of that, and because there have been a number of changes in the off-season, things look a little confusing, so the following update should set straight 1990's teams, bikes and riders.
Honda will go racing with Martin Adams’ Team Commonwealth. Randy Renfrow will do the riding.
and Ray Plumb, the best of the HRC engine builders, will work on the team's RC3O for Daytona only, though there is a chance he will help the team on and off throughout the season. Team Commonwealth won the 1989 AMA Pro-Twins cham pionship aboard a custom-built, RS750 Honda, so it enters the year with a championship record, as does Renfrow, who has three AMA championships in three different classes under his belt.
Rob Muzzy will once again headup the Kawasaki effort. Last season, he and rider Doug Chandler got the ZX-7 dialed in late in the year and won the last two Superbike races. This year. Chandler, who will ride the Superbike class and one of the supersport classes, will be joined by former Yoshimura rider Scott Russell. who will ride the 750 and 600 supersport classes in addition to campaigning a Superbike.
Suzuki's racing will still be done by the Yoshimura team, but with two new riders, Canadian Steve Crevier, and Tommy Lynch, a Bakersfield, California, rocket. The word on Lynch is that if he stays on two wheels, he will be one of the top guys to beat. But since Lynch is an under-age 1 7 years old until after Speedweek. he won't be riding in the 200. 50 Yosh will use Doug Polen for this race.
There’s big news from the Vance and Hines racing team, which ended a long relationship with Suzuki to campaign Yamahas. Equipped with potent OWOl 750s. team riders David Sadowski and Thomas Stevens have already posted fast times in > off-season testing at Daytona. Also, the addition of team manager Steve Johnson, famous for working with Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey when they raced for Kawasaki in the early Eighties. gives the team a wealth of experience.
And if you are wondering what happened to 1989 Superbike Cham pion Jamie James, look for him on one of Fast by Ferracci 85 1 Ducati Superbikes. It seems that James and previous-employer Yoshimura had a falling out at the end of the year, so James packed his number-one plate off to Ferracci.
Schwantz settles
landing months of speculation, Kevin Schwantz re-signed with Suzuki to ride the 500cc GP series in 1990. Schwantz has already ridden his new bike, and claims it’s better than before, with more power. It will also have new colors, because Team Suzuki landed Lucky Strike as its sponsor. Lucky Strike needed a top-level team after losing Kenny Roberts' team to Marlboro. In all the commotion. Pepsi, Team Suzuki’s sponsor in l988-’89, was left without a team, and as of yet, has not decided to return to GP racing. Pepsi was the only major non-tobacco sponsor in GP racing. 0
