Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126957
Domay surprised many with his tine third place ride on a virtually stock GSXR 11 00; he shook off the challenge from Emde and Chris Steward. .. Scott Gray takes a ride in the pace car after easily winning the race; Gray was aboard an ultra-trick. one-off Suzuki GSXR11 00. . WSMA Toyota/Budweiser/Coca-Cola Formula USA series: Round 1 11'5 Gray's day in F-USA Opener By Paul Carruthers ROSAMOND, CA, APRIL 5 way. He was hoping for a closer race. "It was too easy," Gray said. "I wish it was a little closer. I got away too fast and too far. I was just cruising. They told me to be good and behave myself." The Formula USA Series opener, which is billed as an unJimiteq motorcycle series and features a runwhat-you-want field, went to arguably the fastest rider in the field on what was by far the best motorcycle. Gray, who owned the Formula USA lap record at 1:28.6, turned times in the I:27-range on the ultra-trick, oneof-a-kind Yoshimura Suzuki GSXRlIOO to easily beat defending F-USA champ Earl Roloff and series newcomer James Domay. In near perfect Willow Springs weather conditions, Gray turned a 1:27.4 lap in the morning practice session, equaling the Superbike lap record set by Wayne Rainey in 1983. There was little doubt as to who would win this one. Gray confidently walked around the pits prior to the race; a man who knew a win was easily within reach. "They are all good riders, but I've got the best motorcycle," Gray said after the morning practice when asked about the competition. Gray's "best motorcycle" was the 345-pound, ISO-horsepower Yoshimura R&D/Michelin/ShoeilMotull . If It wasn 'tfor th e fact th at h e was h ead' lng,'. ' . ยท . b ac k t0 h IS h orne In no rthern C a l' fOrnla 1 with the winner's share of the $3200 purse, ~iz~ft:~~ll~~~~~di~~~~~r~i~ S cot t G ray w 0 u 1d h a v e bee n eve n vastly superior motorcycle, Gray also had the best tires and the only radials more disappointed after demolishing the field in the For- I. Springs IntematiomilWillow mula USA opener at Race- in the field. As he would later say, the Michelin Radials are faster than he is at this point; the competition was using bias-pl ys of various .brands. Gray's Suzuki also featured a sixspeed gearbox; eliminating the rear wheel hop caused by too much compressiol) under deacceleration. "You can drive it into the corners harder," Gray said. The only problem Gray encountered on the new bike was dragging the highly modified swingarm. A testimony of how fast the Yoshimura Suzuki acrually was had been proved earlier in the week when Gray and Suzuki Superbikemounted Kevin Schwantz practiced at Willow. "I wouldjust blow by him on the front straight," Gray said with a smile. When the flag dropped for the 10 lap opener, an out-of-retirement David Emde led the field into turn one. As the pack headed into turn five it was Emde on the Curtis Jordan-tuned Yamaha leading Chris Steward's Suzuki with Gray rapidly moving through the field. As they crossed the start/finish line for the first time it was Emde. Steward and Gray with Gray diving into the lead going into turn one. As they exited turn four it was Gray leading by over a second followed by Emde, a charging Roloff, Curtis Adams, Steward and last year's FUSA dominating force Jim Vreeke. By the end of the second lap, Gray held a 4.7-second lead over Roloff, who had squeezed by Emde and pulled clear. The third place battle was between Emde and Steward with