Oliver Makes More 250cc History

Oliver makes more 250cc history

After an exciting close struggle with Roland Sands, Rich Oliver brought his number of AMA 250cc Grand Prix wins to 50. The night before the race, as a guest on the Chris Carter Radio Show, Oliver had said he prefers a hard race in which he learns something new to one in which he takes an easy win. He got his wish, as he and Sands raced nose-to-tail, lap after lap. Behind the two leaders came two-time class champion and 250cc U.S. Grand Prix winner Jimmy Filice in third, and teenager Jason DiSalvo in fourth.

Filice has been at this a long, long time, as attested by his silvering hair. Like senior airline pilots, he is a master of his work, but Oliver and Sands’ pace took them as much as 30 seconds ahead of the battle for third.

Oliver seemed to have advantages over Sands both in the infield left dogleg and in the chicane, but was visibly working hard. Each time he ran up onto the banking, you could see him raise his back to improve aerodynamics, adjusting his height. As he explained later, he could feel the “sweet spot” when his leathers stopped lifting off his back, indicating useful pressure that increased top speed.

In the end, the contest was between two very different setups ridden by equal riders. In the first Wednesday 250 practice, it was apparent that Sands was riding very hard, and the back of his machine was breaking away in short, choppy slides. Oliver’s machine, in contrast, looked smooth and undramatic. In the race, despite turgid announcing that suggested Sands was “Sands-bagging,” it was clear this was simply a tire-andsetup contest. Given long enough, Oliver would surely prevail-and he did, as Sands lost front grip entering the first infield horseshoe and low-sided. Instantly he was up, restarted and running again, without losing a place-an impressive recovery by a highly motivated rider.

At the end, it was Oliver over a distant Sands, with 250cc racing’s Permanent Talents Randy Renfrow and Filice third and fourth and DiSalvo an excellent fifth.

Sands’ firm, quick-turning setup had been fast, but Oliver’s more compliant choice was more durable over race distance. Softer suspension brings somewhat slower steering response, but the winning rider is often the one who can live with this as the price of surer grip and longer tire life. This was a foretaste of the 200-miler to come.

Kevin Cameron