Southwest Motorsports teammates Chris D’Aluisio and Robbie Petersen raced wheel to wheel for 40 miles in the WERA Air Tech Formula II at Indianapolis Raceway Park in August of 1992, and it was West Redding, Connecticut’s D’Aluisio who won by inches at the checkered flag. Kurt Hall passed Red Line Racing’s Rich Oliver on the final lap to nail down third. Hall, riding for Scott Hall Imports, is now the Air Tech F-II points leader.

With Colin Edwards off racing in Japan, Petersen was given the chance to take his seat on one of the Southwest Motorsports Yamahas.Petersen felt right at home on the bike. The 29-year-old native of Zimbabwe passed Hall early in Saturday’s heat race to take the lead. Petersen held the point most of the race before D’Aluisio took over with a classic pass under braking for the Carousel.

D’Aluisio earned the pole position for Sunday’s final. Petersen took the early lead in the final. On the first lap the field looked like a 25-bike freight train. All of the bikes from first to last were racing single file just inches apart from each other. By the third lap a seven-bike break away developed with in order, D’Aluisio, Petersen, Danny Walker, Rich Oliver, Chuck Sorensen, Bruce Baldus and Hall.

At mid-race D’aluisio and Petersen were trading the lead about four seconds ahead of Oliver, Baldus, Walker and Hall. Sorensen had fallen of the pace a bit and was riding by himself in seventh.

On the final lap D’Aluisio dug in turning a 1:35.9 and got in front of Petersen to win by a scant half second.

“I had a feeling the race would come down between Robbie (Petersen) and I,” said D’Aluisio. “I just went as hard as I could on the final laps. I didn’t really pay attention to where Robbie was because I don’t look back much.”

While D’Aluisio and Petersen were taking the checkered flag, Hall moved past a sliding Oliver to pull out third place. “My tires were gone,” Oliver said. “I was sliding out of every corner on the last lap. Then Kurt made a good move on me and there wasn’t anything I could do.”

Walker finished ahead of Atlanta winner Baldus to take fifth. Oliver’s traveling partner Sorensen finished seventh followed by William Himmelsbach, Marcello Del Giudice and Donnie Greene rounding out the top ten.

Robbie Petersen (16) was filling in for Colin Edwards int he WERA Air Tech Formula II race at Indianapolis Raceway Park in August of 1992. Petersen battled Chris D'Aluisio (2) for the entire race. D'Aluisio took the victory. (Larry Lawrence photo)

Clermont, Indiana — Finish of the Air Tech Formula II National Championship motorcycle race during the Indy Nationals on the 2.52-mile Indianapolis Raceway Park circuit with rider, hometown, make of bike and winner’s average speed:
     1. Chris D’Aluisio, W. Redding, Conn., Yamaha (92.546 mph).
     2. Robbie Petersen, Modesto, Calif., Yamaha.
     3. Kurt Hall, Hilton Head Island, Beach.
     4. Rich Oliver, Fresno, Calif., Yamaha.
     5. Danny Walker, Denton, Texas, Yamaha.
     6. Bruce Baldus, Telford, Texas, Yamaha.
     7. Chuck Sorenson, Livermore, Calif., Yamaha.
     8. Bill Himmelsbach, Quakertown, Pa., Yamaha.
     9. Marcello del Giudice, Deerfield, Fla., Yamaha.
     10. Don Greene, Los Angeles, Yamaha.
     11. Jim Sabin, Carrollton, Texas, Yamaha.
     12. Marty Miller, Alpha, Ohio, Yamaha.
     13. Rick Bullock, Des Moines, Iowa, Yamaha.
     14. Al Salaverria, San Francisco, Yamaha.
     15. Doug Carmichael, Dallas, Texas, Yamaha.
     16. Brad Sawyer, Ft. Worth, Texas, Yamaha.
     17. Joe Pittman, Oak Harbor, Wash., Yamaha.
     18. Jim Bonner, Coopersburg, Pa., Yamaha.
     19. Jason Paden, Vallejo, Calif., Yamaha.
     20. Andrew Perkins, St. Louis, Honda.
     21. Boonie Knott, Urbana, Ill., Yamaha.