Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

selecting a false neu tral on the entrance to turn six on th e fourth lap and crashing. Arnaiz said later th at he should have stra ig h tened up immediately, got th e bik e slowed and then continued on. Instead, he tried to not lose ground to the leaders and attempted in vain to keep the bike on the track. So wha t had been seven bikes became six. With Russell no w leading th e wa y a ft er fi ve la p s ov er DuH am el , a charging Kipp, James, Stevens and Polen. Two laps later, the battle was whittled down to fi ve a s Kipp 's Yamaha m ysteriously los t two cylinders as it did last week at Road America: " I was going to the front, " a disappointed Kipp said foll owing the race. The war raged on, with Russell still having the upper hand over DuHamel, James, Stevens and Polen as the race rea ched th e halfway mark on lap I I. Two laps later, and James was out, a victim of simultanous tire and engine failure: "Going up on th e banking it started vibrating," James explained later. " T hen th e motor dropped off one cylinder and then it dropped off completely." The final lap saw DuHamel (97) dive up the inside of Russell (22) while Polen looked on; Russell took the win, though. Russell crashes, still takes p.. : . =.o-=---_ le M uzzy Kawasaki's Scott Russell (right) walked away from his final qualifying session crash unscathed, but his ZXR750 wasn 't as fortunate. Still, the two had combined to pi ck up their third straight pole position, this one coming at Charlotte Motor Speedway. When competitors arrived at the immaculate superspeedway in tobacco co u n try for the first tim e since the last AMA National here in 1977, they found an enjoyable, albeit bumpy, 2.25-mile road course using portions of the famed I.5 -mile oval. They also found a temporary chicane that was too tight for their liking, and it was consequently changed to please them. The on ly drawback to th e quicker chicane was the high speeds the superbik es were reaching on turn four of th e high 24-degree banking. For the second straight rac e, qualifying saw th e top riders top the century mark in average speed, with Russell's lap of one-minute, 17.879-seconds translating to an average speed of 104.007 mph. But th e Georgian was fortunate .to esca pe from his turn-five (a third-gear kink) in cident with only cu ts and bruises. "I let it off and bent it in a nd th e front end folded," Russell explained. " I was going for my fast lap. I had a new rear and the same front. I think th e front may have overworked the rear. " Also suddenly overworked were Russell 's mechanics Billy Oliver and Gary Medley. Russell 's bike was a mangled mes s. The crew received permission to replace the damaged frame from the AMA, b ut had problems on Friday night removing the steering stem from the original frame. So the team had to settle for rebuilding the existing motorcycle in hopes that it wasn 't bent. Based on Russell 's Saturday morning warm-up times, the bike appeared to be okay. Road America winner Jamie James was the second quickest rider after the three timed sessions. The Vance & Hines Yamaha pilot clocked a 1:18.298 (103.45 1 mph ), but was a little co ncern ed about tire wear in the National. " With the tires we have to use, it'll be exciting," James said. " It's bumpy and slick, but it's the same for everybody." The tire problem was on everybody's mind. Charlotte's banking is tight, only a mile and a half compared to Daytona's 2.5-mile tri-oval . The tightness of th e oval, combined with the high-speeds, meant everyone would be using th e hardest compound tires in the truck. "T h is is twice as hard on tires as Daytona," fifth-fastest qualifier and renowned tire tester Doug Polen said. "We've only got two teeth more on the rear than what we run at Daytona. The tight radius of the banking here puts a lot more pressure on them. That's some serious force. I think it 's going to be the guy on cruise mode that will do well. It 's just going to be whatever pace you can run and still have things in good shape. I respect that wall, I can tell you that much." Polen was spending his qualifying sessions putting as many miles on tires as possible, to find just what pace would be comfortable for him, his Dunlops and the Fast By Ferracci Ducati, . : Vance & Hines' Thomas Stevens (I . 18.580) and Commonwealth Honda's Miguel DuHamel (I: 18.629) filled the front row of the grid. Polen, Two Brothers Racing's Freddie Spencer, Muzzy Kawasaki's Jacques Guenette, Jr., Commonwealth's Rich Arnaiz, Wiseco Yamaha 's Tom Kipp and The Boys' Dale Quarterley rounded out the top 10 qualifiers. . For Stevens, Charlotte marked his first front row starting position of th e season. "My mechanic (Jim Leonard) and I work to hit the race setup and that's shown in our race finishes ," Stevens explained. "Naturally, we like to be on the front row because it helps you at the start, but our main goal is to hit the race setup. I was promised a carbon fiber rear fender if we qualified on the front row, now he says I've got to win one to get it. " The group was down to four: Russell leading DuHamel , Stevens and Po len . On the 19th lap, Pol en blasted by Ste vens under braking for th e ternpora ry ch ica ne a t th e end of th e backstraight, Then Stevens sudden ly slowed wit h a bl ist er ed re a r ti re. Fo rtun atel y for the Florid ian , .h e would nurse th e wo u nded Yamaha horn e to a fourth-p lace fin ish. " I was right where I needed to be," Stevens said. " I closed on 'ern, and th en th e rea r started vibrating. I though t it was better to finish a nd ta ke the points a nd go to Mid -Ohio th a n co rne o u t with nothing a t al l. I cou ld n 't have done it any differently. I wanted to beat 'ern and show them th at I deserve to have th e points lead, b ut there wa s. noth ing I co uld do. It j ust wasn 't ou r da y. " The ba ttl e for th e win ca rne do wn to a th rilling last la p. O n the exit of th e banking's fo u rth corn er leading to th e wh ite flag, Russell go t sidewa ys, prompting hi m to " back o ut o f it." That was all DuHamel needed to pull alongside a nd aro und Russell in turns one and two. But it wouldn 't be eno ugh. As DuHamel charged up th e inside of Russell going into tu rn th ree, th e G eorgi an persisted and dove back under the Canadian in mid-corner. " H e did n 't really drift wid e, I just put it in the re," Russell said. " I wen t wide a bit," DuHamel sai d. " The tir es were slid ing." Russell led into a nd o u t of th e chica ne, a nd held a drafting DuHamel o ff to the fin ish lin e. " I tri ed to get the best exi t o u t o f th e ch ica ne," Du Ha m el exp lai ned. " I kn ew I co ul d go faster in th e chicane and I th ought I had enough momentum, but I guess we didn 't." " I was running slow er than in qualifying," Russell said. " I sh ould ha ve p ut m y quali fying gearing back on. Co mi n g out of o ne it just wasn 't up on th e power where I wanted it to be." The o ther two almost erred in di scounting Pole n, wh o almost drafted by the du o en route to the flag after clocking the fastest lap of the race, accordi ng to th e wa tch es of Dunlop's J im All en , at one-m in u te, 18-seconds. " I held back for 21 laps o u t of 22," Po len said. " I co ul dn ' t find my pit board the last five la ps. When I fin ally fou nd it , th e next lap was the white flag la p." Pol en had th oughts of a ttem p tin g a pass u nder braking for the chicane, b ut thought the bett er of it. After all, he 's the points leader in th e World Championship Superbike Series: " I was there, but I thought: 'This is okay.' I didn 't want to have th em let o ff th e brakes a nd go with me. It 's a little tight through there and a nyth ing co uld have happened. " Steven s was nex t across the line, a good di stance a head of Lynch , who go t the better of Adamo. L ynch 's finishes are improv ing dra ma tica ll y as the season wears on: 16th at Daytona; n in th at Loudon; eig h th at Road America; and fifth today. t:N Results SUP:EltlIIKE Q UAUFYING: I. Scou Ru, ,,,,11 (1:17.879); 2. Jamie James (1:18.298); 3. Thomas Stevens (1:18.,80); 4. Migu el DuHamel (1:18.629); 5. Do u g Polen (1:18. 779 ); 6. Freddie Spencer (1:18.955); 7. J acques C uenene. Jr. (1:19.019); 8. Richard Arnaiz (1:19.262); 9. Tom Kipp (1:19.567); 10. Dale Quarterley (1:19.931); II. Tommy Lynch (1:19.986); 12. Jimmy Adam o (1:20.550); 13. Briu T urk i ngton ( 1:2 1.823); 14. Mari o DuH a mel (1:22.028); 15. Eri c Moe ( 1:22.423); 16. John H o pp erstad (1 :22.028); 17. Christia n Ga rd ne r (1:23.135); 18. Brad Hazen (1:24.145): 19. Ph il Kress (1:24.329); 20. Pab lo Real (1:24.509); 21. Bob San dy (1:24.555); 22. J oe William, (1:24.858); 23. Ma rcello del Giudice (1:25.150); 24. Jell Atwell (1:26.273): 25. R ick Sh a w (1:26 .50 4) ; 26. Willi am O' Beesc b ( 1:26.587); 27. Peter Willacaro (1:26.942); 28. T odd Hoge (1:26.962); 29. Craig Gleason (1:27.051); 30. Mik e Wals h (1:2 7.602) ; 51. St even Harriso n (1:27.92 7); 32. Greg Kopp (1:27.982); 33. Ri ck Herndon (1:28.070); 34. Mike Karm (1:28. 192); 35. Warre n Elliott (1:29.961); 36. Mike Harth (1;30.251); 37. Taylor MaS!lCY (1:31.650); 38. Devin Bouley ( 1:31.732); 39. Bobby Franklin ( 1;3 1.9 H ). SUP:EltlIIKE NAT L: I. Scott Ru =1I (Kaw): 2. Miguel DuHamel (H on ); 3. Doug Polen (Due ); 4. Thomas Stevens (Yam); 5. Tommy Lynch (Suz); 6. J immy Adamo (Due); 7. Brad Hazen (Yam); 8. Joe Williams (Hon); 9. John HOl?perstad (Ya m); 10. Cra ig G leaso n (Suz); I I. Ene Moe (Hon); 12. Ch ristian Gardner (Ya m); 13. Mario DuHam el (Suz); H . Bobby San dy (Ka w) : 15. Pbi l Kress (Ka w); 16. Marcc:llo del G uidice (Suz); 17. Todd Hoge (Suz); 18. Rick Shaw (Ya m); 19. Willi am Beesch (Sur ); 20. Rick Herndon (Suz); 21. Steven Harrison (Kaw); 22. Britt T ur kington (Suz); 23. Jamie James (Yam ); 24. Peter Villacaro (Kaw); 25. Tom Ki pp (Yam ); 26. Mike Walsb (Yam); 27. Richard Arnai z (Hon ). Time: 29 mi n., 9.997 sec, Dist.ancc 22 laps. 49.5 miles. Averag< Speed: 101.829 mph . Margin o(Viaory: .042 !ICC. SUP:EltlIIKE CSHIP POINT srANDINGS: I. Thomas Stevens (60); 2. MilP'el DuHa mel (54); 3. Scott Ru =1I (51); 4. J am ie J ames (50); 5. Richard Arnaiz (39); 6. J acques Gu enett e, J r. (30); 7. T o mmy Lynch (26); 8. Dale Q uarterley (30); 9. Rueben McMur ter (19); 10. T om Ki p p (17); II. (TIE) Doug Polen/Jimm y Adamo (15); 13. Pasca l Pi cott e (13); H . J ohn Hopperstad (12); 15. Mark Ch in (8). II

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