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RACE WATCH

Fast Freddie honored at Daytona

Twenty years after his historic trio of victories in the 250cc International Lightweight race, Formula One final and Daytona 200, three-time World Champion Freddie Spencer was inducted into the Goodyear Legends at Daytona International Speedway this past March.

That year, 1985, was the beginning of the “Superbike era” at Daytona; previously, the race was run on F-l machines.

In the 200, Spencer rode a factory Honda VF750F Interceptor, an evolution of the machine he’d ridden to victory in Superbike sprint races at Daytona in 1983 and ’84. Early in the event, Spencer’s bike developed a misfire and rolled into the pits with the engine running on three cylinders. Miraculously, the problem resolved itself, and Spencer rejoined the race dead last. “Thank goodness it was 200 miles!” he says now.

The circumstances were different for

the 250 and F-l races, run the previous day. Spencer used the events to test Honda’s brand-new RS250W andNSR500 that he use to become the only double 250/500cc world champion in history.

“Going into the season, we had a 500 that didn’t work, and we didn’t have a 250,” Spencer explains. “Mr. Horiike, who now leads HRC, designed the 250 from the ground up in 314 months. I

tested it for the first time at Suzuka, Japan, in September, 1984. Then, in December, we went to Australia for a couple of weeks. That’s the bike we brought to Daytona.”

Spencer had not ridden a 250 in years, but the race was “pretty straightforward.” Not so the F-l event. Prior to Daytona, Spencer had never thrown a leg over the new 500. “The bike was completely redesigned, even the motor,” Spencer says.

“That’s why Daytona was critical for us.”

Compared to the 2 5 0 and Superbike, which topped out on the banking at nearly 160 and 165 mph, respectively, the 500 was a rocket. “My ’85 bike was geared for almost 204 mph,” he reveals. “The track was different then, but I qualified the 500 at 1 minute, 50 seconds, almost 6 seconds quicker than I qualified on my Superbike.

Through the Tri-Oval, the 500 would spin the rear tire. I raced Superbikes at Daytona up until 1995, but they were nothing compared to the 500.”

Running three races in a single weekend was hard work, but Spencer was prepared. “I’d been testing over the winter getting ready for the two championships, so I probably could have done six races,” he says. “Í was doing backto-back, full-race-length simulations every day. In Australia, my hands were bleeding so badly I had to have a doctor

treat them and tape them every morning.” For the ceremony at DIS, Spencer was joined by his wife and two children. “My daughter was really happy for me,” he relates. “She got a trophy for gymnastics the other day, and then I got one, too. My little boy is too young to understand, but it was nice for them to be there.”

Spencer led the Daytona 200 many times, but won just once. “In 1980, as an 18-year-old rookie, I had the race won by more than a

minute, and I broke a crankshaft,” he remembers. “In 1982, if we could have put just a little more fuel in, I could have won that race. But Kenny Roberts should have won more races at Daytona, too. All you can do is your best.”

Matthew Miles