Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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AMA Circle Bell Pro Twins Series: Round 5 ROADRACE ames still perfect, Cortez back on track ~ m By Brian Catterson Photo' by Henny Ray Abrams MIAMI, FL, JULY 22 fter a brief absence from victory circle, the familiar o ne-two punch of Fast By Ferr acci teamates Jamie James and Fabia n Cortez was again felt at Miam i Motor sports Park as the pair of Duca ti riders won their respective GP I and G P2 classes. T he FBF tea m had been undefeated until the previo us round of the series at Road America , where James won for the fourth straig h t time but where a lost shift linkage bolt eliminated Cortez from the G P2-class lead . James, mea nwhile, has upheld his perfect season with the Miami victory making it five wins in five starts for the Lou isianan. Both riders now enjoy h uge lead s in the poi nt sta nd ings; in fact, J ames can clinch the G PI titl e with a wi n in the next series round at Mid-Ohio on August 5. T he bi g news at Mia mi was J ames' use of Du nl o p tires. J ames had used A-grade Yokohama radial slicks during Saturday's Superbike races , but Yokohama informed him on Sunday that they had none of the good tires eft, and that he would have to use th e production tires . James tried those in Sunday morning's first practice session, but his lap times were so pa thetic that he opted to cha ng e camps. Former Cha mpion Jimmy Adamo put his GiaCaMoto Ducati into the lead at the start of Sunday's 20-la p fina l, but on lap two James went underneath Ada mo in left-hand turn four to take the lead. Once past, J ames went on a tear , turning lap times in the 1:18-19 range-en route to a massive 16.490-second ma rgin of victory. James won $1820 of the $6500 GPI purse. Adamo circulated in second, running hard early on but backing off once he 'd esta blished a seven-second lead over third-placed Kevin Erion on his Two Brothers Racin g Honda H awk. Erion ran a com fortable third, but began a twofold battl e with a brok en exha ust header pi pe and wi th Live Performance Du cat i rider J ohn Long. Erion 's seemingly comforta ble lead disappeared a lo ng with h is bike's performance, and on lap 18 he cras hed, unfortunately taking his tea m mate Pete Johnson with h im. " It was my fault," Erion sai d, rai sing h is hand as if ta king the blame for a schoolroom prank. " I was lapping Pete, and when I went under him I lost the fro nt end. I don 't know if I was brakin g too hard or wha t. From th e winner's circle to th e pits ..; " J ohnson tried to help Erion pushsta rt his mount, but the bike wouldn't fire and Erion so ught solace from the blazing sun in the shadow of a pedestrian bridge; Johnson was th rough for th e day. . Erion's crash gave Lo ng a secu re th ird pl ace, wit h Dr. David Kieffer a lap do wn in fourth. Surprisingly, Erion was credited with fifth place in class, having completed more laps than sixth-place GPI fini sh er Douglas Gross. Befor e crashing, J ohnso n had been A holding down second place in the GP2 class after early leader Curt Kimb le cra shed his Kawasaki EX500 while running second behind Cortez o n lap nine. Co rtez himself had nearly looped his bike at the start when he for go t how low h is bike was geared for the tight circuit, bu t recovered to pass Kimb le en route to first in class and fifth overall, winning $980 of the $3500 GP2 purse. Kimbl e's and J o h n so n 's crashes promoted Finnish Ducati rid er J ussi Hauteniemi and Mota Guzzi-mounted Mike Tiberio to seco nd and third in the G P2 class, respectively, while Craig Shambaugh remounted from highsiding his Duca ti to finish fourth ; Russ Mattson ro unded out the to p five. eN Results G P I: I. J amie James (Due): 2. james Adamo (Due); 3. J ohn Lon g (Due): 4. David Kieffer (Due): 5. Kevin En on (Due): 6. Douglas Gr oss (Due): 7. Pablo Rea l (Duc ); 8. Ma lco lme Tunsta ll (Due ). GP2: 1. Fabian Co rtez (Due); 2. Jussi H autanaiei (Due); 3. Mike Tiberio (M·G ): 4. Cra ig Sham bau gh (Due); 5. Russ Matt son (Due); 6. Eric Philli pe (Due); 7. Marcus Day (Kaw); 8. Sherry Dowli ng (Ka w): 9. Ron ald Sarvi s (Due): 10. Peter J ohnson (Hon): II. Micha el Reill y: 12. Randy Kirnec (H · D); 13. Cun Kimb le (Kaw): H . Frank Shoc kley (Due ). Time 26 m in.• 35.580 sec. Distance: 20 laps, 30.2 mil es Average Speed : 68.274 mph Margin of Victory: 16.490 sec. G P I POINT STANDINGS: I. J am ie James ( 100): 2. J am es Adamo (61); 3. Kevin Eri on (55); 4. David Kieffer (37); 5. Pabl o Real (28); 6. Dou g Brauneck (27): 7. (T IE) Kurt Li ebmannl Alan H ippensteal (20); 9. (TI E) Randy Renfrew/Da le Qu arrerl ey ( 16); II. (TIE) Thierry Cupilar diJohn Long (13 ); 13. Warr en Elliot ( 12) ; 14. (T I E) Rand y Sh emwelI /J ohn v irgadamo ( 11). GP2 POINT ST ANDI NGS: I. Fabian Cortez (83); 2. Cra ig Shambau gh (50); 3. Curt Kimb le (43); 4. Robert Gr ill ilhs (4 1); 5. Frank Shockley (36); 6. (T IE) Peter j ohnson /Mike Tiberi o/jussi H autaniemi (34); 9. Randy Kirn ec (19); 10. Paul Kdly (18); I I. Kevin Slasny (17); 12. (TI E) Kevin Erio n/ Ric h Pax son (16 ): 14. Russ Mal ison ( IS); 15. Edward Abdo (13). Jamie James leads J immy Adamo through one of the two chican es on Miami's Biscayne Bou levard . James' Pro T wins win was h is fifth this season in five attempts. Andrew "Tripp" Nobles m (2) leads Nigel Gale (I) and John Long (48) duri ng the hard-fought Harley-Davidson U.S. Twin Sports final. They finished in this order. AMAIe CS Harley-Davidson U.S. Twin Sports Series: Round 6 Nobles a noble winner By Brian Catterson P h o to by Henny R ay Abrams MIAMI, FL, JULY22 ndr ew "Tri pp " Nob les III lived up to hi s surname by tak ing a brave win in round six of the H arley-Davidson U. S. Twin Sp orts Seri es held at Miam i Mo torsports Park. A possibly broken left foo t su stained during a Sunday morning 750cc Supersport practice session cou ldn' t prevent the rookie Expert from Macon, Georgia, from ho bbl ing to the gr id on crutches, mounting hi s The Motorcycle Sho p-sponsored 883 Sportster, and then lim p ing away wit h the first-place trophy. Nobles ' arch-riva l and good friend Nigel Gal e fin ished second on hi s Bartels Harley-Davidson, just over two seconds back. Ga le led th e rai n-delayed race until lap three when he go t o ut or shape in wet turn two and Nobles sho t past, never to be headed in th e race; wh ich was sho rte ned from 10 laps to just eigh t. " T ri p p had cleaner lines thro ug h turns two and the ch icane, and no A mat ter how hard I tri ed I couldn't get him back," Ga le ad mitted lat er. Veteran racer and Miami, Flo rida, native J ohn Long finished a close third on his Live Racing 883, wh ile Michael Kraft overca me a three-way ba ttle wi th Will Roeder and Randy Kirn ec to finish fourth through sixth , respe ctively. J on Stauffer recovered from a morn in g practice cras h to finish sevent h, wh ile R egan Shaw a nd Donal d Geor ger rounded ou t th e once again slim, nine-rider field, all rid ing on Dunlo p K59 1 tires. After th e race, Nob les was protested by his form er sponsor, Macoon Ra cin g, wh o now spo nsor Kraft . A teardown reveal ed nothing illegal and Nobles pocketed the $200 teard o wn fee as per AMA/CCS rules. eN Resu lts H·D u.s. TW/SPRT: I. Andrew No bles III ; 2. Nige l Ga l.; 3. J ohn Lo ng; 4. Michael Kraft : 5. Will Roede r; 6. Randy Kim ec; 7. Jo n Stauffer; 8. Rega n Shaw; 9. Donald Geo rger. Time: II min .. 46.570 sec. Distancr:~l , 12.08 mil es a Avt'ra gc S : 61.670 mph Margin 0 Victo ry: 2.070 sec. 9