Loudon ’89 by David Singleton

• Larry Lawrence

Ex-racer David Singleton just sent another batch of memorable photos. This time from the 1989 Loudon AMA National Road Race. Fans of 1980s road racing will recognize most of the riders and bikes pictured in this set. The old Loudon course was crude to be sure (complete with boulders or shallow ponds waiting to greet you should you leave the course), but it had a certain charm. The course was built for motorcycles in 1965 to replace the outdated course at Laconia’s Belknap Recreation Area. Bryar Motorsports Park hosted its first national that same year. 24 years later the track hosted its final AMA National and was soon to make way for the new New Hampshire Motor Speedway. I’m so glad David sent these shots to show the final big race at the old course. Here’s a note David sent about these shots.

I took this series of photographs at the 1989 Loudon AMA National following my GSXR-750 Supersport bike expiring during Friday practice.  This was the last national held at the old Bryar Motorsport Park prior to the construction of New Hampshire International Speedway.  To me the weekend was exceptional as I was able to watch the guys who I had been racing with for the last three years put in strong and memorable performances. Road racing in the North East during those years was awesome beyond words.

Thanks, David Singleton




  • Jamie James with the Yoshimura on Loudon's pitroad just prior to his very 1st AMA Superbike win - June 1989


  • Jamie James on Loudon’s pitroad just prior to his very 1st AMA Superbike win – June 1989 James won after contesting the lead during the 1st half of the race with David Sadowski on his Vance & Hines Suzuki




  • Doug Chandler with Rob Muzzy on Loudon’s pitroad before the June 1989 AMA Superbike National – Doug led the first 4 laps of the race then retired with motor trouble




  • Jeff Heino on pitroad before the 1989 Loudon Superbike National – he placed 5th in the race  – one of Loudon’s favorite sons Heino wears sharp Nankia leathers aquired from a Japanese sponsor during his 1988 Suzuka 8-hour race outing




  • Bill Loomis in the pits at the 1989 Loudon National – he place 14th in both the Superbike and 750 Supersport races on his GSXR and 7th in 600 supersport on his FZR-600 – He and Titian Bue lapped the entire GTU in field leading the 3 hour endurance race on the #8 FZR-600 seen in this picture prior to brake problems




  • A smiling Mark Bougas at the 1989 Loudon National – he finished the Superbike race in 6th place a strong showing for Loudon regular




  • Cycles Unlimited’s Mike Fargnoli at the 1989 Loudon National holding Bill Loomis’s GSXR-750 now wearing #33 for the superbike race.  Mike turned both Bill’s bikes and the Cycles Unlimited with which Bill and Titian lapped the GTU field




  • Jeff Farmer #86 and Tom Kipp #16 on FZR-750 Superbikes next to Scott Zampach #21 on his supersport GSXR-750




  • Mark Bougas #42




  • Jeff Heino #64 and Richard Schlachter #7 who rode the GeeVee Racing VFR-750 to 15th place in the superbike race – the Connecticut rider had previous won 1979 and 1980 AMA Formula One championships on a privateer TZ-750 




  • David Smith #99, Randy Texter #81, Scott Russell #22 and Mike Harth #88 ahead of John Ashmead on pitroad




  • Tod Hebert #18 New Hampshire native finish 12th in the Superbike race and 7th in the 750 Supersport race on his supersport spec GSXR-750 Tod contested the National 750 supersport series in both 1989 and 1990 scoring a number top ten finishes




  • Dale Quarterley #32 finished the Superbike national in 2nd Place on the Fast by Ferracci Ducati Superbike – four years later Quarterley would beat the factory teams in heads up fight in a dry race winning the Mid-Ohio Superbike National in 1993




  • David Sadowski #25, Doug Chandler #10, and Dale Quarterly #32 lined up on the front row for the 1989 Loudon Superbike National – note Bob Cole chief corner worker standing next to the hay bales
  • Jamie James #48 on the front row prior to his first AMA Superbike victory at the 1989 Loudon National. James had contested numerous contingency races at regional AMA/CCS events at Loudon in 1988
  • Jamie James #48 on the front row prior to his first AMA Superbike victory at the 1989 Loudon National
  • David Sadowski talks with Tom Kipp and Al Ludington on the grid before the 1989 Loudon Superbike National
  • David Sadowski and Vance & Hines crew chief Al Ludington on the grid next to #10 Doug Chandler before the 1989 Loudon Superbike National, note #27 Richard Arnaiz’s FZR-750 on the second row – he placed 4th in the national
  • Al Ludington of Vance & Hines Racing with David Sadowski’s GSXR750 – look closely through the handle loop on of the swing arm stand Al is holding and you will see Matt Gordon who famously topped Sadowski in a regional Supersport race at Loudon in 1988
  • 1989 Loudon Superbike National grid #7 Richard Schlachter and #14 Otis Lance
  • #22 Scott Russell with Vic Fasola and other Yoshimura mechanics - Scott was raced through the pain from breaking his collarbone in practice on Friday, in the next row is the #72 FZ-750 of Pete Kissinger an extraordinary rider in the rain
  • Jeff Heino #64, Donald Jacks #59, and Pete Kissinger #72 – Heino finish the national in 5th place, Jacks was 7th and Kissinger 20th
  • Tod Hebert #18 next to the #30 Yamaha FZR-750 of John Eidenberger - they finished 12th and 13th in the superbike race respectively. In the row behind them L to R are Marc Smith #44, Derrick Medaglia #63, Rick Shaw #79, Sean Osowski #43, Ricky Orlando #12 Smith finished 10th and Osowski 17th
  • Another view of Scott Russell on the grid for the national
  • Scott Russell with ice on his shoulder with Jamie James in the Yoshimura pit – note the dirt mounds in the back ground part of the construction of New Hampshire International Speedway to be completed over the winter 1989/90
  • Scott Russell’s superbike #22 and Jamie James 750 supersport bike #10 in the Yoshimura pit- James also won the 750 Supersport national on the #10 GSXR
  • Scott Russell among Yoshimura mechanics on pit road – note Chris Martone next to the pole wearing glasses – he put on an awesome show on his well-worn 1st generation GSXR-70 sans windscreen dicing with factory Kawasaki rider Doug Chandler for 4th place in 750 supersport race
  • Mike Harth, Vic Fasola, and Scott Russell at the back of the crowd for the rider’s meeting
  • Titian Bue with his FZR-600 – he finished 17th in the 750 supersport race – two years later in 1991 he would share the 750 Supersport poduim with Scott Russell and Jeff Heino with a 3rd place at the NHIS speedway national
  • David Sadowski assists fellow New Hampshire native Matt Gordon adjust the dampening on his CBR-600 next to them is Louis Saccoccio Jr. – Sadowski finished the 600 supersport race in 2nd place on his underpowered Katana 600 in a FZR-600 dominated field
  • Steve Nogueira with his 600 and 750 supersport rides, the Nashua New Hampshire rider finished 9th in the 600 race and 16th in 750 race – not shown is his fixed gear cruiser type bicycle on which he rode a perpetual around the pits
  • Steve Nogueria, Titian Bue, John Candon, and Newton Heston await the 600 supersport race on Loudon’s pitroad
  • Steve Nogueria and Steve Lombardo on their FZR-600s – Lombardo finished his 600 heat race a strong 5th but DNFed the final – three years earlier in 1986 when he was 17 years old he won the Lightweight Modified class in the Battle of the Twins at Loudon on his stock VT-500 Ascot
  • Chris D’Aluisio on his TZ-250 he DNF the national in 1989 in the earlier 1990s he would go onto become a strong contender for the AMA 250 championship with numerous national wins
  • John Kocinski on his #1 TZ-250
  • John Kocinski walks to the grid next Thomas Steven’s #5 TZ-250 and Doug Brauneck with his #46 TZ-250 – Kocinski won at 2mph faster pace than the superbike race winner
  • John Kocinski warms up his TZ-250 ahead on pitroad is Miguel Duhamel with his #17 TZ-250
  • Miguel Duhamel with his #17 TZ-250 placed 3rd in the national
  • Rich Oliver’s #97 TZ-250 and #83 Richard Moore
  • Rich Oliver behind his #97 TZ-250
  • Richard Moore #83 and Rich Oliver on pit road
  • Larry Hanlon with his RS-250 – the Poughkeepsie, New York two stroke GP bike zealot finished the national in 15th place on his outdated Honda
  • Rick Hurst minding Larry Hanlon’s RS-250 note the Hawk GT front end with over length fork tubes – I suspect this was an economical way to replace the bike’s stock 16inch with a17 inch wheel using parts on hand in order to mount current slicks
  • 3 Don Greene the multi time AMA 250 champion and 2nd place finish in the 250 race next to Richard Moore #83
  • Britain’s Alan Carter facing away from camera with #13 Tom Paris and #84 Kiyoshige Watanabe
  • Ed Abdo with his Hawk GT – Ed made the podium in the Pro Twins Modified class with a 3rd place finish

2 thoughts on “Loudon ’89 by David Singleton”

  1. Wow…………great shots that bring back many, many good memories! Dave Singleton was a Loudon Mad Mad himself on a 600! My 9th in the 600 race was accomplished from starting on the back row thanks to a crash in my heat race. I think my 9th would have been much better if I had started from the front……I guess we will never know! The local sports channel NESN covered that event and my last name was spelled Nogueira, Mogueira, and Hogueira all in the same broadcast! I have been “semi” retired now for many years but still work and ride with the Penguin School as their new rider race licensing classroom main instructor at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Many thanks to Dave for sending in all of the great shots and thanks to you Larry for getting them up on the web sight!
    950 FAST and on the Gas-
    Steve Nogueira
    Deerfield, NH

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