Duke Collins (No. 107) leads David Dearing (No. 419) and Paul Bray (No. 559) in a WERA C Production race at Roebling Road Raceway in February of 1986. The trio, all on Kawasaki Ninja 600s, battled this close nearly the entire way. They finished in this order with Collins taking the victory.
Duke Collins (No. 107) leads David Dearing (No. 419) and Paul Bray (No. 559) in a WERA C Production race at Roebling Road Raceway in February of 1986. (Larry Lawrence photo)
Rider Files 
This shot was taken with an off-brand 800mm mirror lens. This was as sharp as it got. I got rid of it as quickly as possible.
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Ah yes, the first 600 Ninja. I had one and it tried to kill me……….. Not my favorite bike.
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This was the first event of the SE Region in ’86 and Paul Bray’s first real race weekend. He had done the WERA riders school in Oct ’85. Paul’s work buddy — Scott Russell — joined the fray in May, and the two of them dominated novice events for the rest of the season. Frequently they would finish first and second overall in combined Ex/Nv races. They went on to ‘set the woods on fire’ for the next few years in the SE Region and beyond. Unforgettable memories.
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I vividly remember that afternoon when Shannon Silva stepping off of his #888 Ninja 600 in turn 9 and came walking back to the pits with his helmet in one hand and his gauge cluster in the other… “$#@%! 16″ front Dunlops!!!”
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Gordon, I find your comment interesting. Did you feel that way about the Ninja when you were racing it or did you come to that realization later in comparison to some newer machine. I never realized how terribly my FZ750 handled until I got the RC30. I was about to quit when I got the RC it was a revelation. On the other hand the Yamaha’s engine was simply stunning.
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