Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

GROAD RACE AMAlea; Yokohama 6OO175Occ Stipe----"rsp_or_tS_eri_es:_Fi_Dal_ro_uD_d ~ - David Sadowski (5) wrapped up the 600cc Supersport Championship with a thrilling win over Scott Russe ll (7). Sadowski crowned! By P a u l Carruthers P h o to by Kai Schwerdtfeger ROSAMOND. CA. SEPT. 16 :ince & Hines Yamaha's David Sadowski won . the 600cc Supersport Championship in fine fashion by beating his title rival Scott Russell in a straight fight at Willow Springs International Raceway. Sadowski and Muzzy Kawasakimounted Russell engaged in the race of the weekend on the 2.5-mile race track in the high desert. The two went the entire 14 laps in close form ation with frequent lead changes throughout, but in the end it was Sadowski nipping Russell for both the race and the championship. Yamaha FZR600mounted Jeff Farmer finished third with similarly-mounted Mike Barnes and Larry Schwarzbach rounding out the top-five finishers. The battle for the lead may have been • even more intense if not for the crashes of Sadowski 's teammate Thomas Stevens and local fast-man Kent Kunitsugu, both of whom were gaining ground on the lead duo when they went down in separate incidents in turn three. . When the final point tally was added, Sadowski and his Jim Leonardtuned Yamaha had claimed the championship over Russell by 12 points, 129-117 . Third place in the final standings went to Farmer with 107 points. Stevens finished fourth with 84 points ahead of absent defending champion Scott Zampach 's 66-point tally. Farmer grabbed the holeshot at the start of the final with Russell taking over the lead spot as the pack entered turn three for the first time. Sadowski was the next rider to displace Farmer as he moved into second behind . _ V 14 Russell to end the first lap. Stevens was fourth at this point, but he too moved past Farmer in turn two to start lap two . Kunitsugu didn't fare well at the start, but he was on the mov e and also moved past Farmer on the second goaround. Stevens' charge toward the leading duo was thwarted first by an off-track excursion on the exit of turn two on the fourth lap and then by a crash on the seventh lap in turn three. The Floridian was upset, throwing dirt at his beaten Yamaha FZR600. " I 'm glad that I never have to ride a 600 again," Stevens said. " T ha t bike has done nothing but make me crash. I was just working my way back up - I was off the brakes. Using DOT ti res limits yo ur ability to push, and I try and push the tires too hard. I just keep going on my head on that thing. " Kunitsugu was up to third at this point and gaining ground on the leading pair. A .lap later and he too was down in turn three: " I hit the cases," he said later. " I could feel them touch, but that time they hit too hard and I lost the front." From then on, it was all Sadowski I Russell. With the pair repeatedly swapp ing spots at the front, this one was in doubt to the finis h. But it was Sadowski getting the best of the battle as he sneaked down the front .straight to nip Russell at the line. "Things were going too good," Sadowski said when asked why · he didn't opt to take it a little easier and finish behind Russell. "We were both pushing the front bad in eight, but his was a little worse. I was making up' ground there and traffic went my way on the last lap." Farmer got the better of a good race for third as he topped Barnes , Schwarzbach and Coloradoan Danny Walker. . ~ Results . HEAT 1: I. David Sadowski (Vam): 2. Jeff Farmer (Vam); 3. Harold Winkles (Va m); 4. Tom Aquino (Yam): 5. Raymond Hathcock (Va m ): 6. Tim Tillman (Vam ); 7. Michael Barn es (Vam); 8. Richard Moore (Raw ): 9. Mike Moores (Vam ): 10. Mark Ingalls (Va m); II. Greg Blink (Va m): 12. Hideaki Nakazawa (H on) . . Time: 7 min .• 38.640 sec, I)i,tance:~ 12.5 mi les. la '. Avera$oote (28): 12. Danny Walker (26): 13. John Condren (25): 14. John Jacob (21); 15. (TIE) Danny Roberta/Pascal Pi cotte/David Leach (10). It's Chandler's . turn again . By Paul Carruthers ROSAMOND, CA, SEPT. 1 5 oug Chandler led a Muzzy Kawa saki 1-2 attack as he topped his teammate Scott Russell to win the 750cc Supersport race at Willow Springs International Raceway. D _ Chandler ra n away with the race as Russell , who wrapped up the championship last week in Ka n sa s, struggled with a bad start. The Georgian, however, managed to fight through the pack to finish second, some three seconds behind Chandler. Third place went to Yoshimura Suzuki's Tommy Lynch with the Suzukis of David Deveau and Rick Kirk rounding out the top-five finishers. Chandler averaged 99.179 mph in winning the 14-lap race in 21 minutes, 10.430 seconds. It was Chandler's fourth win of the nine-race series , tying him with R ussell for the most victories, R ussell earned the title with his 157 points to Chandler's 125. L yn ch finished third in the championship wi th 96 points a nd Kirk edged out the absent Robert Wright, injured in the Monsterbike Shoot-Out at Topeka, for fourth, 72-64. The final started with heat race two winner Chandler grabbi ng the lead ahead of Lynch and Will ow Springs loca l Chuck Graves. From that point on, C h a n d ler streaked away unchallenged. Lynch, meanwhile, also made a break and held on to a comfortable second until Russell fought through late in the race. In the beginning, though, it was Graves, Kirk and Deveau fighting for third with Russell up to sixth by the end or the first lap. The Georgian would dispose of first Graves on lap four, then Kirk on lap six, and finally Deveau on lap nine. From there he would charge after Lynch, making a pass on lap 13 in turn three. "I knew he was coming up," Lynch said later. " I think the tires got a bit too hot because I tried to run hard at the start with Doug (Cha ndler)." Arter Russell knifed through, Deveau was challenged by Kirk, but managed to hold him off at.the finish. Graves, meanwhile, was a comfortable sixth with Dean Mizdal, Tripp Nobles, Mike Tihanyi and Guillermo Villarreal rounding out the top- IO finishers. "Those local guys go good here," Russell said in the winner's circle. " I had a ro ugh time out there." Chandler said his par ticipa tion in the 750cc Supersport race would help him on his superbike: "I was really happy," he said. "I've had trouble at this race track getting my times down, but I think riding the Supersport class has helped me this weekend." Chandler and Russell used Dun lop rubber while Lynch 's Suzuki was fitted with Michelins. ~ Results REAT 1: I. Scott Russell (Raw); 2. Tommy Lynch (Suz): 3. Paul Herrell (Raw): 4. .Dean Mizdal (Suz): 5. Larry Scwanbach (Varn): 6. Tril'P Nobl es (SU7.): 7. Guillermo Villarreal (SU7.); 8. CraIg Gleason (Suz): 9. Joe Arm (Suz). Time: 7 min., 37.590 sec. 1)i,tanCC:~la • 12.5 mil es. Avera~ • 98.341 mph. Margm Victory: 3.610 sec. HEAT 2: I. Doug Chandler (Raw); 2. Qluck Graves (Suz): 3. Rick Kirk (Suz): 4. David Deveau (Suz): 5. Michael Graves (Suz); 6. Mike Tihanyi (Suz); 7. Danny Walker (Vam ): 8. Tad Hebert (Suz): 9. Mike Moores (Suz); 10. Paul Wright (SU7.). Time: 7 min. 36.558 sec. 1)i,1aDCC:~1a• 12.5 mil es. Avera$< S • 98.609 mph. Margin Victorr- 4.590 sec. 750 SIS FIN AL: 1. Doug Chandler (Raw): 2. Scott Russell (Raw ); 3. Tommy Lynch (Suz): 4. David Deveau (Suz); 5. Rick Kirk (Suz); 6. Chuck Graves (Suz): 7. Dean Mizdal (Suz): 8. Tripp Nobles (Suz): 9. Mike Tihanyi (Suz); 10. Gu illermo Villarreal (SU7.): II. Mike Graves (Suz): 12. Craig Gleason (Suz): 13. Tad Hebert (Suz); 14. Mike Moores (Suz): 15. Ed H ulli nger (Suz): 16. Pa ul Wrig ht (Suz): 17. Paul Harrell (Raw ); 18. Larry Scwanbach (Vam): 19. Joe Arm (Suz). Time: 21 mi n ., 10.430 sec. l)i,tance: 14 laps. 35 mi les. Average Speed: 99. 179 mph. Margin o( Victory: 3.810 sec, n N AL 750 SIS POINT STAND INGS: I.Scou Ru ssell (157): 2. Doug Cha nd ler (125): 3. Tommy Lynch (96); 4. Rick Kirk (72): 5. Robert Wright (64): 6. Crai g Gleason (ii): 7. Miguel DuHamel (36); 8. Ray Yoder (32); 9. Tad Hebert (28); 10. (TIE) Glenn Barry/Kevin Rcnw:1I (27): 12. Guillermo Vil1arn:aI (26); 13. John Choate (23): 14. Mike Barnes (21): 15. Larry Schwanbach (20) .

• Cover