Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

eROAD RACE WERA Pro Series: Round 2 T hat was definitely a violation of the ru les." The win g ives H art h a total of 28 points in th e series sta nd ings, whi ch puts him o n to p o f Oliver a nd Smith who ar e tied with 26 points. Willow Springs winn er Scott Gray , wh o missed th e Seattle race to co nt est the Canad a vs. USA Mat ch races in Shannon vill e, On tari o , lies fourth in th e sta ndings wi th 20 points. m Mike Harth survived windy, ra iny cond itio ns to wi n round two of th e Formula USA Series at Seattle International Ra ceway. Scott Russell (22) " won" the F-USA ra ce, bu t was do cked a lap for passing under a red flag mistaken ly di splayed by a corn erw orker after Kurt Hall (I) crashe d. T eam Suzuki Endurance rider Mik e Smi th had a fin e weekend at SI R, winning C Superstock, finishing second in A an d B Superstock and th ird in F-USA. Harth rains on Russell's paradein Seattle F·USA By R u ss Cazier Photos by Andrew Crain KENT, WA, MAY 20 ike Harth won th e second For mula USA race o f the seaso n, but o nly after fell ow Georgian Sco tt Ru ssell was pen aliz ed for disregarding an erra nt £lag at Sea tt le Internati onal Racewa y. M 20 Riding th e Muzzy Ka wasa ki ZX7 su per bike, Ru ssell was a th o ro ugh ly dominant force on th e race tra ck as he sto rme d to a n a p pare n t 27-seco nd margin o f victory. H owever , numerous rid er protests over a n in cident o n th e second lap resu lted in Russell being docked a lap. Acco rd in g 10 a sta ternent prepared by WERA o fficia ls, " T he event was run in rain a nd a n acci dent on turn four caused Kurt H all to cras h. The cornerwo rke r a t th at sta tio n in advert ent ly pulled a black -with-red-cro ss £lag (sto p of th e race) in erro r a nd co nfusio n. All rid ers slow ed around th e in cident excep t Sco tt Russell. Russell th en too k th e lead a nd held th e lead to the fin ish o f th e 22-lap event o n th e 2.25-mi le lon g course. " After th e event , numerous p rot ests were filed by Russell 's fellow riders for hi s di sregard of th e £lag o n turn four a nd o fficia ls pen aliz ed him by docking him o ne la p , fini shing him in fifth posi tion ra ther th an first. " O fficials stated th ey wish th ey had a ru le to cover h u man fa lli bility, b ut it has never been fou nd. T he decision was sa tisfactory to the majori ty." In any event, the fact that the pena lty assessed 10 Russell only dro p ped h im to fift h place ill ustrates just how fast he rode in a ra ce tha t started in a driving rai n. T he MUlZ Ycrew had tr ied everything fro m fuel injection to fla tslide ca rburetors on Russell 's bike, bu t opted for the smooth power deli very of th e sto ck CV carbs for the wet race. Race day was proof o f the Northwest ada ge , " 1£ you don't like th e weather , wa it five minu tes and it' ll cha nge," a nd pit crews were kept bu sy making tir e cha nges to accommodate th e evers h ift i ng wind y, rain y co n d i ti o n s. H ow ever , good ra cing was still the order of th e day , and fortunately th ere were no serious injuries despite th e numerous get-o ils. R iding hi s p rivat eer S u zuki GS X R II 00, H arth ave raged 76.155 mph en ro ute to a 6.2-second margin o f victorv over R ich Oliver o n th e Team M~rlboro Robert s Yamaha TZ, s ti ll di spl acing just 250cc. Oliver pursu ed H arth th e en tire race, but faded to finish second. T eam Suzuki End u ra nce 's Mik e Sm ith bogged hi s GSXRIIOO a t th e start, but charge d throug h the pack to finish third. New Zea lander Brian Bernard on an Act ion Fours Yam aha fini sh ed fourth. Upo n learning of his penal ty, Russell said , " I sa w a £lag near th e crash , but there were no other wav ing £lags in th e ne xt few turns , so I kn ew the race was still go ing." Harth d isa greed, sa yin g " We ca me u p to turn four wh ere Kurt H all had cras hed a nd there was a waving bla ck £lag with th e red cro ss. A bunch o f us slo wed down becau se we th ought th e race was being stopped ; th en Russell co mes bl asting by abo u t eigh t o f us. . Sprint races The co m bi ne d West ern Ea st ern Road racers' Asso ci ati on (W ER A)/ Washingt on Motorcycle Road Racin g -Associa tion (WMR RA) sprint races sa w mem orabl e dices in a n umber of classes. Local bo y Joe Pi llman was denied a win on his home track until the last race. wh en he cran ked it u p for th e A Superstock win o ver T eam Suzu ki tea m m ates Mik e Smit h and Britt T urki ngto n. Ea rli er. Pi tt m a n had fin ish ed fo urth in B Su perstock beh ind Kurt Ha ll, Smi th and David Devea u, all on Suzukis. R id ing hi s Su zu ki Kat ana. Smith won th e C Su perstoc k race over Deveau a nd Steve .Rodden , both riding supposedl y super ior Yam aha FZR600s. The combine d 750 Su pe rbike/ Formula T wo race sa w local riders Keith P inkstaff a nd Doug Renfro w wage a war for 10 laps, wi th Pinkstaff on a GSXR750 a nd Renfrow on a TZ2 50. There was nothing but pride a t sta ke since th ey were in different classes, but P inkstaff won by a bike-length. Fin all y, 11-year- old Karl Schen k ran a £lawl ess race to top th e F-3 class on hi s Kawas ak i 250 Ninj a. 0 Resul ts F- USA: I. Mike Harth (Su z): 2. Rich Ol iver (Yam); 3. Mik e Sm ith (S UI ); 4:. Bria n Bernard (Ya m ); 5. Scott Ru ssell ( Ka w ): 6. w es Cooley (S UI ); 7. Dal e Fran klin (Ya m ); 8. J eff H aga n (SU1); 9. Chuck Gra ves (Suz); 10. Steve Li ttl ejohn (S Ul ); I I. Keith Pinkstaff (SUI); 12. Joe Brett Willi ams (H on) ; 13. Doug Renfrow (Suz); 14. And y Fen wick (Yam ); 15. Jim Sabin (SUI); 16. Dean Mizdal (Suzj: 17. Steve Rodden (Yam); 18. John Li v in~s (SUI ). Time: 39 rrnn.. 0.021 seco nds Distance: 20 lap s. 45 mil es Average speed: 76. 155 mph F· USA SERI ES POINT STANDINGS: I. Mike Harth (28); 2. (T I E) Rich Oliver /Mike Sm ith (26); 4. Sco n Gray (20); 5. (T IE) Dave Sadowski/Chu ck G raves ( 17); 7. Brian Bernard ( 16); 8. T homas Steven s (15); 9. Barry Burk e (13); 10. Sco tt R ussell ( I I ). A S/ ST K: I. Jot" Pittma n (S UI ); 2. Mik e Smi th (SUl) ; 3. Britt Tu rking to n (SUl) ; 4. Chuck Grav es (Su z): 5. j eff Ha ga n (Su z). ? B S/ ST K: I. Ku rt Hall (Su z): 2. Mike Smith (Suz); 3. David Deveau (SUl ); 4. Joe Pill ma n (SUI); 5. Briu , T u r king to n (SUI). C S /ST K: I. Mike Sm ith (SUI ); 2. David Deveau " . (Ya m ); 3. Steve Rod den (Yam ); .1. Briu Turkington (Sur): 5. Troy Burtsyk (Ya m ). O P EN PROD : I. Keith Pinkstaff (Suz}; 2. Ada m Faus sen (SUI ); 3. ScOIl Gooch (SUl) . 750 PR O D: I. Adam Faussen (S UI); 2. Jo n Wrtzel ( Ka w }; 3. Geo ffrey La mbert {Su z). 600 PR O D: I. Dale Fran kl in (Vam) ; 2. Bru ce Li nd (Yam ): 3. Ro n O ecrge (H on ). 450 PR O D: 1. Christo pher Ma y (Ya m ); 2. Bradley Reyn olds (Yam ); 3. Skipper Nilsen (Ya m). i 50 S /R K: I. Sh a wn Sm ith (H a n); 2. Steve ~ IcKi s soc k (SUl ); 4. Keith Pin ksta ff (5 Ul ). 600 S/ RK: I. Kurt Hep pe (Ya m); 2. Dal e Franklin (Yam ); 3. Troy Burtsvk (Ya m). 450 S/ BK: 1. Tim Hea ley (Yam); 2. J on Lacey (Yam ); 3. Amede Hon eycu H (Yam ). F-l : I. Dal e Franklin (Ya m); 2. Mar vin Braun (Yam) : 3. Jerr Hagan (Su,) . F-2: 1. Marv in Brau n (Yam); 2. Doug Renfrow (Yam ); 3. Mik e Ken yo n (Ya m ). . £-3: 1. Karl Schenk ( Ka w) ; 2. J ohn Mooney (Kawjt 3. Mike Meagher ( Ka w ). OPEN BOTT: 1. Ra ndy Shemwell (Due ); 2. SCUll Soper (BMW); 3. Jeff Pechtell (Kaw) . 650 1I0 TI": I. Tim Race ( Ka w) : 2. j -rr Peclu el ( Ka w ): 3. J ohn Davidson (Ho n ). O PL"i SCI..: 1. Kevin Meagh er (Ya m); 2. Bill Birch er (Ho n ); 3. J o n La cey (Hon). VI!\"T : I. D. Craic k (Nor ); 2. Ca mero n Kama (BMW); 3. Davi d Heiber g (Nor). DINO: 1. Bill Bircher (SUI): 2. Sca li Fredr icks (Ha n ); 3. Ran dy Gr ein (Su z). NOV : I. Step he n Ben son (H on ); 2. Sean O 'Brien (Su z); 3. Jeff Schu h, (Yam).

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