Cycle Tech Racing pits for repairs during a WERA National Endurance race in 1985 at Blackhawk Farms. John Kocinski (right) crashed the bike in the rain damaging an engine side cover. Joey Osowski (helmeted) prepares to take his stint on the bike while a third team rider David Aldana (on left in white shirt) looks on. Dave Zerkel is in the middle working on the bike. Cycle Tech with Kocinski (an early-season replacement for Wes Cooley, who was injured in an AMA Superbike event at Sears Point), Osowski and Aldana went on to win the WERA National Endurance title that year racing a Suzuki GSX-R750 and year before the bike was introduced in the U.S. Anyone who ever raced Blackhawk in the old days in the rain can empathize with Kocinski. It was perhaps the slickest wet racing surface in the world.
Cycle Tech Racing pits for repairs during a WERA National Endurance race in 1985 at Blackhawk Farms. (Larry Lawrence photo)
Rider Files 
And if I’m not mistaken: That is Rich Doan, modern day race director of Yoshimura, peaking in at the top left!
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I think you might be right.
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Is that a 750 or an 1100? I noticed the hydraulic clutch.
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I’m almost certain it was a 750. I don’t think Suzuki launched the 1100 until 1986.
The Cycle Tech bike was a Canadian model. Canada got the bike in 1985. The U.S. didn’t get it until 1986. I remember at Summit Point the team was running low on spares. A Canadian had ridden his brand new GSX-R 750 down to watch the race. The owner of Cycle Tech spotted the bike and paid the guy cash on the spot to buy the bike. Not sure how he got home, but I think the money he got for the bike made him pretty happy.
Larry
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I remember that race. It was very slippery and I was on a Yamaha XT500. Probably the best bike for that track in the wet, I think we finished near the top 10 since we didn’t crash.
I still think Mid-Ohio in the wet is worse than Blackhawk in the wet.
Ken
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I remember a rain race at Blackhawk once where riders were just crashing everywhere. I was ridiculous how slowly riders had to go through the turns. I was taking photos on the inside of turn one. Dave Zupan came by going so slowly I yelled at him I could run around the corner faster than that. He had time to yell back “C’mon!”
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Ken
You may be right about Mid-Ohio. I also recall an endurance race there once where I seem to remember every team, but one crashed at some point during the race.
Larry
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I’m sorry, but back in the late 80’s and early 90’s Summit Point was the slickest track in the rain (or dry). Black Ice, you couldn’t walk on it when it rained, but we raced it.
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Mike
I’ve heard the stories of Summit in the rain. It would’ve been interesting to do scientific tests on Mid-O, Blackhawk and Summit to find out which one really was the slickest surface.
Larry
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I have ridden all three tracks in the wet and they all suck. However, I think that they periodically go from bad to worse and each of them can claim to be the worlds worst wet track and be correct.
Ken
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In the dry, in the mid 80’s, you could read bike fairing stickers off the reflection from Summits DRY pavement in photos. Sorry guys, in the wet, there was no track slicker than Summit Pt.
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Yep. It was interesting listening to the bigger displacement bikes spinning the rear tire half the way down the front straight. It was the great equalizer though. The D production guys could finish very well overall in the wet endurance races at Summit.
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I wonder how modern-day traction control works on a surface like that?
Larry
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I have no doubt Ken did well in that race, as thumpers were the ticket when Blackhawk was wet. I ran this race on Buzz Pritz’ Honda Ascot, along with his son Brian. I can’t recall if Buzz ran with us too, but I do remember actually PASSING Kocinski through the carousel, on the outside no less. It was difficult to stifle a laugh as he looked over as I putted by. I seem to remember finishing in the top half overall. Hey Larry, do you remember everyone razzing John at the trophy ceremony, asking him if he was old enough to drive yet? That kid didn’t have much of a sense of humor.
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I remember that. Wasn’t there some girl there about his age that he hooked up with. I think Osowski or someone from the Cycle Tech team said Kocinski had his first kiss that weekend.
Larry
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HA! That’s right! I’m pretty sure everyone was giving him a rough time of things. Maybe that’s why John-boy was so crabby, but if he was getting lucky, you’d think he’d be happier. Maybe Dan Schmitt fixed him up with one of those skanky trophy girls he brought out for his cable TV show. I wish I had pictures of THAT!
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I remember that day it was cool to see that bike
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