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/126971
third in Ohio th e night before . " It paid for itself," the northern Californian said. " I go t to Ohio at 4 (p. m) and go t back here at o ne (a.m). Now I j ust have to get a good start and get going with those g uys." Shor ts had turned tim es in the 2:25-26 ra nge o n th e Kawasak i in his heat race. The Lak ewood , Ca liforni a, residen t still wasn 't as happ y with hi s new mo tor as he was with his old, and the Ninja 900 was a little overmatched on the long Elkhart stra igh ts. "The bik e handles real well ," Shorts said. " It sho uld be good at Laguna , but we're a littl e underhorsepowered here." Camel Challenge Three H ondas (Rainey, Shobert, Chand ler ) and three Su zuk i s (Sc hwa ntz, Pol en , Goodfellow ) brough t p ar ity to th e Camel Challen ge, but at th e dro p of the flag it was, as usual, Schwantz and Rai ney at th e top . The fightin g d uo exited tum 14 side-by-side to end th e first lap wi th .Rainey leading acro ss the stripe. Pol en held a com forta ble third over Sh obert with Goodfello w leading Chandler. Both Rainey and Schwantz turned tim es in th e 21-second bracket on th e second lap, as they again came through tightly-knit. Lap four saw Rainey dip into the 2O-second bracket with hi s 2:20.57 lap. Schwanu, however, was still with him. Meanwhile, Shobert was trying to get by Polen, a nd Chandler was nipping a t Goodfellow. The battles stayed in the same order as Rainey held off Schwantz and Polen and Goodfellow did likewise. Rainey and Schwanu had taken almost six seconds off the five-lap time of Schwanu' fast heat. Rainey averaged 101.076 mph for the fivelap, 20-mile event. " I need to get in th eir draft. If not, I can 't stay with them ," Polen reiterated after th e Challen ge. " It' s gonna be a long da y," a lessthan-confident Schwanu said. Kosar Racing's Doug Polen finished a respectable third in the Superbike National at Road America. National The Honda Super Cycle Weekend of racing wrapped up with the Superbike final and it was Polen's Suzuki leading th e charge into turn [one. Schwantz didn 't waste any tim e las he shot up the inside under braking for turn five, taking the lead in th e process. As th ey crossed th e stripe for th e fir st time, Schwantz led Rainey. .Polen , Shobert . Goodfello w , Chivington, Chandler and Ashmead. Kevin Rentzell, meanwhile, dropped -Iro rn the race with a bl own motor. Schwantz and Rainey cir cu lat ed in 2:21-fashion on lap two while pullin~ clear of Polen. Polen, meanwhile, had used his good start to get clear of nemesis Shobert, with one Texan leading the other by 4.5 seconds after four laps. The battle for fifth was a good one as Chandler. Chivington, Goodfellow, Ashmead and Shorts went at it. Schwantz showed he had something up his sleeve on th e fou rth lap, turnmg a 21.93 to pull out a short gap over Rainey. who was beginning to struggle. "I was going to try and break free." Rainey said later. " But the bad start did away with that so I was just going to race with him. Something started knocking on the front brake and I was scared it was going to lo ck. I was scared to go in hard on th e brakes with him; I thought it co u ld take us both out. " Rainey's problem was later diagnosed as a n o u t-of-round Dunlop tire . By lap eight, Schwantz had taken ~ advantage of Ra iney's mi sfortune and led comfortably by four seco nds. Shobert, meanwhile. was charging Kevin Schwann (34) and Wayne Rainey (6) were this close for most of the Camel Challenge; Rainey won. hard after Polen and gaining slightly. On the 10th lap, however, Shobert lost 10 seconds and any chance of a th ird place fini sh wh en he ran off in tum five. " I got in a little hot," Shobert said. " I just ran 'er in there and in stead of crashing I went straight. I was ou t in the grass and then cru ised aro und to get the tires cleaned off. " Another victim was Ashmead, who rammed into Chandler in turn one and crashed, sprainirig his wrist. "Ashmead h it me going into one; both wheels were in the air a nd hi s front wh eel was locked betw een my swinga rm a n d number plate, " Chandler said. " I just kept go ing; th e bars were to the lock ." After th at , Ch andler decided to watch th e Goodfellow /Chivington duel from beh ind, waiting until th e final laps to make a move. The stategy paid off as Chandler. who was under the tutelage of road racing guru Keith Code, m oved h is Freddie Spencer/SuperTrapp en try past bo th of th em o n th e final go around to claim fifth. Schwantz cru ised in for his second National win of th e year and seco nd of hi s career. Rainey held a co mfortabl e seco nd with Polen third and Shobert fourth. Goodfellow edged Chivington for six th. Shorts, Steve Cr evi er a nd McMurter rounded out th e to p 10. Sh orts' eig h th ga ve th e Kawasaki Ninja 750 it s best -ever National finish. "As soon as th ey go t away. I was h istory," Polen said. A happy Schwantz sa id . ' 'I' m really surprised..H e had horsepower on me in th e Challenge. but we rejetted and th e wind change helped a little too." Results SUPERBIKE: 1. Kevin Schwan.. ISuz); 2. Wayne Rainey IHon ); 3. Doug Polen ISuz); 4 . Bubba Shoben (Hon); 5. Doug Chandler (Honl; 6. Gary Goodfellow ISuz); 7. Dan Chivington (Hon); 8. Larry Shorts IKaw); 9 . Stephen Crev ier (Yam); 10. Rueben McMuner (Yam); 11. Jeff Farmer (Yam); 12. Russ Paulk ISuz); 13 . On is Lance (Suz); 14 . Dale Quanerley IYem ); 15. Deiter Lane (Yam); 16. John Jacob (Yam); 17. Scon Zampach (Suz); 18. Sam McDonald (Yam); 19. Carry Andrew (Suzl; 20 . David Keiffer (Hon). AMA SUPERBIKEPOINT STANDINGS: 1. Wayne Rainey (92); 2. Kevin Schwantz (72); 3. 8ubba Shoben(50): 4. Doug Polen (47); 5. Dan Chivington (39); 6. Doug Chandler (33); 7. Rueben McMuner (32); 8. Gary Goodfellow (28); 9. (TIE) Onis Lance/ Larry Shons/Satoshi Tsujimoto (16); 12. Jeff Farmer (14 ); 13. Doug Braunecl< (13 ~ 15. (TIE)M ike HanhlTom Walther (12). AMAICAMEL PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS : 1. Wayne Rainey (92); 2. mE) Kevin Schwantz/ Bubba Shobert (721 4 . Doug Chandler (66); 5. Doug ; Polen (44 7); 6. Dan Chivington (39); 7. Rueben McMuner (321 8. Scon Parker (31 ); 9 . Gary ; Goodfe llow (28); 10. mE) Satosh i Tsujimoto/Oni. Lance/Larry Shons (16). II