Bob Patten rides his Kawasaki KZ650 in a WERA National Endurance race at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in August of 1985 (Thanks to Gordon Lunde for IDing the rider). Blackhawk in the rain was considered one of the slickest surfaces in all of road racing. You can tell Patten is spinning up the rear on the Kawasaki – notice the back end is kicked out ever so slightly. I clearly remember this race and thought it was comical how slowly riders were taking the turns until I walked out on the track and slid the sole of my shoes across the surface and grasped just how crazy slick the track was. I then realized it was a miracle anyone was able to accelerate at all without getting completely sideways.
Rider Files 
Wasn’t this the weekend we had the endurance race, where John Kocinski was riding for Cycle Tech?
You’re right Larry, Blackhawk was like riding on greased marble in the rain. I don’t remember Patten, but he sure looks like a BIG guy! He makes that KZ look like a LW bike.
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You’ve got it Kevin. That was the week a 16 or 17-year-old Kocinski raced at Blackhawk.
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Slicker than Summit Point in the rain? One wonders…
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Remember it very well. I crashed this bike exiting turn 6. Took out the ignition, pushed the bike from there back to pit road, took complete point plate and cover from a street bike, put it on the race bike and got back out. We won MW SB and and I think finished 5th overall. Bob Patten, Ed Key and I rode.
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I remember everyone was making jokes about him not being old enough to drive….ol’ Johnny boy sure didn’t have a sense of humor.
BTW, my one claim to fame, I passed Kocinski going through the carousel during that endurance, on Buzz Pritz’s FT500 Ascot. Granted it was raining….
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