In all my years of racing I never saw racing fans from a particular state become so enthused about one of their home riders as Georgia did for Scott Russell. Jonesboro’s Russell was a down-home Georgia boy through and through, with a Southern accent so thick that some Yankees had a hard time understanding him when he first came on the scene. Russell rapidly rose from the club ranks to AMA Superbike star in the span of just a few seasons. So beloved by his home fans was Russell, that when he raced at his home track you were guaranteed a big crowd. This photo is a prime example of Russell’s drawing power. A huge crowd of 15,500 poured into Road Atlanta to watch Russell race in 1990. It didn’t hurt that another rising star of the era was a young kid named Mike Smith from Canton. The 15,500 fans coming to Atlanta that year? It wasn’t for an AMA Superbike race – it was for WERA Formula USA during the 1990 WERA GNF. It was likely the biggest crowd to ever attend a WERA race and it was all thanks to Georgia fans flocking in droves to watch Russell, on his Muzzy Kawasaki, race the Team Marlboro Roberts 500cc GP bike ridden by Robbie Petersen.
A crowd of 15,500 flooded Road Atlanta at the WERA Grand National Final in November of 1990, to watch their favorite son Scott Russell make a special appearance in Formula USA on his Muzzy Kawasaki Superbike. Here Russell leads fellow Georgia rider Mike Smith on the Valvoline Suzuki coming out of turn five with a standing room only crowd watching on. This was likely the biggest crowd to ever watch a WERA race. (Larry Lawrence photo)
Rider Files 
So did he beat the 500? 🙂
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His Kawi was just a little under-powered to hang with the GP bike, so no he didn’t.
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That was a wild season of FUSA. With the run what you brung rules in place that was the year it peaked. I can remember Pocono on the front straight with Oliver and Peterson buzzing by me. It made my beloved RG500 superbike feel like a turd! I thought what the hell are the rest of us doing out here running maybe 160 against these 180+ missiles! Aside from the humiliation on the straights, it was a treat to get up close and ride with them. Remember the year before when the Roberts guys tried nitrous on the TZ250’s? Everybody started coming out of the woodwork with crazy ideas for FUSA. Kurt created a monster with the FUSA idea! Didn’t the Michigan GP inspire that class?
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And on the flip side of crazy ideas…and Pocono 1990… didn’t Kurt Lenz bring an early 1980’s TZ750 out and finish in the top 10 or so at that Pocono race?
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Dang, if anyone could have beat the 500s it was Russell at his peak
Didnt Scott Gray beat them somewhere? Willow possibly? or were they only beat in the rain.
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Robert,
I know Mike Smith beat Petersen this weekend at Road Atlanta in the Indy make-up race. Can’t recall other times the 500 GP bikes were beaten.
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kurt hall beat peterson on the valvoline methanol monster at rd, atl.don’t remember the year. keith perry built the methanol powered bike in alabama,
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