Throwback Thursday: Toni Mang and Randy Mamola Battle at Daytona (1978)

Larry Lawrence | September 7, 2023

Mamola Pulled a Last-Lap Pass on the German Star

In this week’s Throwback we dial back the time machine 45 years to March of 1978 and the Daytona International Lightweight race. This photo shows the intense battle between German GP star Anton Mang (No. 340) and 18-year-old American up-and-comer Randy Mamola (No. 26). Ted Henter (No. 74) follows closely. The duo of Mang and Mamola had a dogfight nearly the entire 100 miles as Australian Gregg Hansford was in control up front abord a speedy factory Kawasaki. In the closing laps Mamola largely stayed tucked in behind Mang. “I wanted him to think I didn’t have enough power to draft him,” Mamola explained. On the final go around Mamola pulled the surprise by drafting around Mang on the outside of Daytona’s tri-oval, nearly touching the wall in the process, to make that last-second pass to steal away second. Henter finished fourth. The next season Mamola would join Mang on the GP circuit.

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