hey just saw your comment, i never get on deviantart. I live on flickr. To tell you the truth, I think i've only used the 80-200 on the D70 once. I never use the D70. I have it as a backup, or a 2nd body for weddings. It worked fine, but that little motor is pushing alot of lens and a D70 is not designed for Pro use. So either accept the slow focus, or just throw it into manual and do it that way. The M/A ring is easy to turn quickly.
A side note, maybe you should get a diffrent lens other than the 80-200. After I got an 85mm f/1.4 I rarely use that bulky 80-200. I use it at weddings, other than that it's dead wieght. It does produce some great images though.