Throwback Thursday: Laguna Seca AMA 250 Grand Prix Battle (1992)

Larry Lawrence | July 6, 2023

Jimmy Filice Took the Win Aboard the Commonwealth Honda

In this week’s Throwback Thursday, we dial back the wayback machine 31 years to 1992 and the AMA Road Race National held at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California. This photo shows the opening lap of the AMA 250cc Grand Prix race at Laguna that year. Local hero Rich Oliver (No. 97) got off to a great start to lead the pack just a few turns into the final. Coming around the outside is series defending champ Jimmy Filice (No. 1), also a Northern Californian, who etched his name into the record books four years prior at this same track when he scored his single biggest victory in 1988 at the U.S. round of the 250cc Grand Prix World Championship. That’s Rick Kirk (No. 5) on the inside line. In this ’92 AMA race, Filice battled much of the event with Colin Edwards (No. 45), Oliver and Kenny Roberts Jr. (No. 25). In the end Filice was able to use his vast knowledge of the track to pull away to a 5.8-second victory over Roberts Jr. and Edwards. The iconic racing circuit, which has been a mainstay on the national road racing calendar since 1972, will host MotoAmerica Superbike this weekend.

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