Auspicious Debut

AUSPICIOUS DEBUT

RACE WATCH

Mark Homchick, 24, finished eighth in the Daytona 200 this year, his second AMA F-l race. Homchick, riding a TZ750 for Paul Dahmen and EPM Wheels, had competed on the bike six times before the start of the Daytona 200, entering five club races and the 1980 Laguna Seca National. The only other time Homchick rode at Daytona was ift the Novice class in 1978, crashing in practice, in his heat race and in the final for a perfect study of what not to do at the famous track.

Homchick’s 1981 Daytona ride is noteworthy not just due to his finishing position, which is remarkable for a relatively inexperienced F-l pilot, but also for his excellent lap times. In the race Homchick ran mostly 2:09 laps, with several 2:08s and a couple of 2:07s. Nobody who saw Homchick ride doubted that he was trying—it showed in every corner of every lap.

Homchick’s goal is a season in Europe after completing this year’s AMA F-l series.