Battle for Grattan Podium

• Larry Lawrence

Ken Welty races the Genesis Racing Yamaha FZR1000 ahead of Gene Burcham on the Dreyer Racing Honda 600 Hurricane through Grattan Raceway’s turn four during a WERA/EBC Brakes National Endurance round on July 4, 1987. These two teams were just about this close at the finish and the stakes were even higher since the two squads were battling for a podium spot. Genesis might have won the war, but Tony DeSimone was chasing leaders Team Suzuki and crashed the Genesis machine. They fell back, but rallied and got to within striking distance of the podium again. In the end Dreyer Racing’s Burcham, along with teammates Gary Jeffries and Scott Zampach, held them off and earned third, accomplishing a fairly rare feat of putting a Mediumweight Production machine on the overall podium.

Ken Welty races the Genesis Racing Yamaha FZR1000 ahead of Gene Burcham on the Dreyer Racing Honda 600 Hurricane through Grattan Raceway’s turn four during a WERA/EBC Brakes National Endurance round on July 4, 1987. The two teams were battling for a podium spot. (Larry Lawrence photo)

Ken Welty races the Genesis Racing Yamaha FZR1000 ahead of Gene Burcham on the Dreyer Racing Honda 600 Hurricane through Grattan Raceway’s turn four during a WERA/EBC Brakes National Endurance round on July 4, 1987. The two teams were battling for a podium spot. (Larry Lawrence photo)

2 thoughts on “Battle for Grattan Podium”

  1. Thank you for posting this, along with the thousands of other great photo’s you’ve organized, scanned, & posted, Larry! As many other professional photographer’s have said, you have both a great eye & skills for this. Add to this your writing, composing, organizational abilities, & you are one heck of a journalist! The M/C & racing businesses owe you a great debt of gratitude, across the board, for your many & wide-scoped contributions & archives you have had your hand in creating & preserving.

    Again, Larry, for all of your efforts throughout your career. They do not go unnoticed, I assure you!

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  2. Larry, I think the Grattan National in 1987 was an 8-hour, if I remember correctly. I had forgotten that Tony had crashed, but recall it now. Gene, Gary, & Scott were a potent & consistent trio, & the Dreyer Racing team was always a contender when they showed up. I believe I still have a promotional poster for this race that my Dad saved. My Mom would usually help feed us all, & we counted on my Dad at every race they made to man our fire extinguisher during pit stops.

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