Road racing’s future and past

• Larry Lawrence

This photo from the 1986 Loudon AMA Road Race National shows the future and past of American road racing coming together during a special time in the sport. This is Jim Tribou (No. 62) on his Suzuki GSXR750 running inside Henry DeGouw (No. 279) on his Yamaha TZ750 on one of Loudon’s banked turns. In 1986 AMA Formula One was on the way out and most of the F1 bikes, like DeGouw’s TZ, were aging and harder and harder to maintain. Meanwhile Superbikes like Tribou’s GSXR were on the ascendency and the handling and performance in many instances matched or better the purpose-built F1 machines. In 1986 the F1 grids, once dominated by two-stroke GP machines, were increasingly filled by Superbikes. So for a short period in AMA road racing history you had a unique mix of F1 and Superbike race bikes doing battle on the courses across America. Here’s a photo of DeGouw’s restored TZ as it looks today.

Jim Tribou (No. 62) on his Suzuki GSXR750 running inside Henry DeGouw (No. 279) on his Yamaha TZ750 on one of Loudon’s banked turns during the 1986 AMA Formula One race. (Larry Lawrence photo)

Jim Tribou (No. 62) on his Suzuki GSXR750 running inside Henry DeGouw (No. 279) on his Yamaha TZ750 on one of Loudon’s banked turns during the 1986 AMA Formula One race. (Larry Lawrence photo)

7 thoughts on “Road racing’s future and past”

  2. This is another spark to a story I’m working on; how everyone in the paddock has a story. Many think the crews are just workers, not seeing the complicated histories that led them to each be doing what they’re doing today, and that many, if not most, once piloted their own race bikes around racetracks.

    Like

    Reply

  3. One of my favorite races was coming 3rd in F1 at the 1984 Loudon AMA National riding my Kawasaki S1 Superbike. On the tight tracks the Superbikes could give the F1 bikes a hard time.

    Like

    Reply

  4. What a tragedy it is that Loudon was bulldozed just as money starting to flow into roadracing facilities. We thought we were lucky to be thrown that unchewable bone that is the current piece of crap. Yeah another comment from a grumpy ex-racer.

    Like

    Reply

  7. no more f-1 bikes except moto-g.p. no more super-bikes either 1000 cc production bikes are so over the top all they need are good suspension wheels tires and a good rider–old time builders/tuners are no longer required -everything changes for better or worse one satisfaction might be that an old f-1 bike like a t.z.750 is worth a good chunk of change today an 86 g.s.x.r not so much

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment