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Team Obsolete are an American racing team dedicated to keeping famous and classic racing motorcycles where they belong; on the race track rather than in the museum. This year’s Daytona Speedway Historic Races saw Team Obsolete take two significant wins in spectacular fashion. Riding a 1969 ex-Agostini MV Augusta 500 triple in the 500 GP Vintage race, Dave Roper battled his way to second place before the race was stopped on lap five after UK rider Stu Rogers crashed his Norton at the chicane. A restart was called, and again Roper fought through to second place behind Todd Henning’s Drixton Honda. Exiting the chicane behind Henning, Roper tucked into the Honda’s draft, pulling out of the slipstream to pass Henning before the line and take the win. This was the first MV Augusta victory in the 500 GP class at Daytona since Mike Hailwood won the US Grand Prix in 1965. Veteran rider Yvon Duhamel was entered in the Formula Vintage race the following day, aboard an ex-Dick Mann BSA Rocket-3. Fifty eight year old French-Canadian Duhamel pushed through from the fifth row to third place before the end of the first lap, with Tod Henning once again leading the race. On lap four, Henning misjudged turn one (leading from the flat out banked section to the twisty infield loops) and ran off the track, allowing Duhamel to take the lead. On the same lap however, Duhamel missed the chicane after out-braking himself, and was forced to take a ‘stop/go’ penalty in the pitlane. Seeing Duhamel off the track, Henning eased up slightly and started to cruise. The racer in Duhamel surfaced, and by the final lap he had caught Henning and passed him to take victory in a repeat of Roper’s move the day before. Back to the index... |
© 1998 Martin Gelder