Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

he tried to let the Canadi an by to poss ibly speed the group's pace in an effort to catch Smit h, Picotte had made a mistake and wasn ' t close eno ugh. Tha t a llo wed Smi th to move out of reach fro m the Picotte, J ames, Stevens du el. "T ha t was one of th e toug hest races I' ve ever been in," J am es said. " I was Oilld struggling in several sections. It W sp in , the n hook up, then spi n. It was real viole nt and 28 laps of that mad e my ar ms tum in to ru bber. It was my ow n fault, I'm still a little rusty. I thought the setup would get better wh en th e tires wore. In stead, it would just step out farther and get more viol ent. I'd just have to make it all up on the brakes, but I was getting tired and apt to make a mistake. I decided to finish th e race ra ther than throw it down th e road." When Pi cotte finally worked his way past James, he dropped the pace down to 1:30s, after the trio had circulated mostly in the 1:31-1:32 range. " It was a good race," Picotte said. "J amie held me up a li ttle and I probab ly would h ave caugh t Mike Smi th. Bu t I'm pretty happy. I finished and I have some po ints." Stevens, too , seemed fairl y happy, co nsidering the defendin g champion still hasn 't been able to match the pace set by his teamma te Russell and Pol en. "It was a pretty good battl e," Stevens said . "I saw th ose guys taking off so I picked up th e pace. I had some brake problems and I couldn 't run 'er off in there as deep as I wanted to. I did th e best f cou ld. I rode it as hard as I cou ld wi th th e way I had it set up. " In itia lly , it was a three -way struggle between Crevier, Sadowski and Kipp for seven th p lace, bu t Kip p eventually pulled clear to take the spot. Sadowski also go t the best of Crevier to finish eigh th, with Cre vier n in th ahea d of Spencer. . Scott Gray had the Bru ce LaBellebacked Kawasaki in the top 10 early on, but it tossed a chain on the 15th lap. " I reall y needed the 28 laps at ra ce pace," Kipp said. " I didn't get it at Daytona. It was a little rich and I probably could have used more gearing on th e rear . We struggled all weekend and come Sunday I'm still in th e dark. That race will do me good. Thomas Stevens (1) battled with Jamie James (2) and PaSGlI Picotte for fourth place. Steve Crevier tries to hold off Tom Kipp and David Sadowski. (Left to right) Smith, Polen and Russell celebrate in the winner's circle. TOY OTA It 's taking some tim e getting adap ted to the H on da, but I don ' t want to ju mp the gu n. I kn ow I can runwith these gu ys a nd co m pe te. We' re ma kin g p rog ress, and I thi nk Ch arl otte will be a good race for us. " T he battle for II th p lace end ed up go ing to Yosh imura Su zuk i's Britt Turkin gton after he reeled in the New Yor k Motorcycles-backed Kawasaki of a Ph il Kress late in the race. GR~ P X OF -'NASECA Results SU PER BIKI: Q UAU FYt NG: I. Dou g Polen (1:29.-15 1); 2. Scott Russell (1:29 .-166); 5. PaSQI Picotte (1;29. 828 ); -I. Freddie Spencer (1:50.262); 5. Mike Smith (1:30.-121); 6. Thomas Stevens (1:50.578); 7. Jamie j am es ( I :50.758 ); 8. Steve Crevier (1:51.152); 9 . Da vid Sado wski ( 1:5 1.5 86); 10. Tom Ki p p ( 1:5 1.795); 11. Sco tt Gray ( 1:52.-1 15 ); 12. Bri tt Turki ngton ( 1:52.-159 ); 15. La rry Sch warzbach (1:35.060); 1-1. Dale Quanerley (1:35 .5-11); 15. Jimmy Adam o ( 1:55 .556); 16. J acq u es Gu en et ~ e . J r. (t:55.576) : 17. Larry Pegra m (1:55.68 7); 18. Phi l Kress (1:55 .877); 19. Scott Zampa ch (1;5-1.788); 20. Keith Pin kstaff (1:5-1.9 18); 21. Ch ristian Gardner (1:55. I 15); 22. J oe Brett Will iams (1:55.506); 25. Kenny Kopecky ( \ 6.2 15); 2-1 Michael Taylor (1:36.27-1); 25. Eric Moe . (1:56.552) ; 26. John Ashmead ( \ :56.559); 27. Bob San dy ( 1:56.66-1); 28. Robert Meisler (1;56. 78-1); 29. Cra ig G leason (1:57. 100); 50. G reg Abbott ( 1:37. 172); 3 1. Louis Saccoccio ( 1:37.-199) ; 32. Robctt Wright (1:57.897 ): 33. Ja son Pridm ore ( \ ;58.-133); 34. Sean Smythe (1:38.789 ); 55. Mike Walsh (1:59.555); 56. Kenny Evan ( 1 :~9. 5 98) ; 37. Andr ew Death erage ( t ;-IO.296) ; 38. Joh n Hop per stad (1:-10.-1 1); 39. Bruce -1 T ebo ( 1:-10.665) ; 40. Jo hn Burgoyne ( 1:40.9 74~ AMA SUPERBIn: NATIONAL: I. Dou g Polen (Due): 2. See n R ussell (Kaw); 3. Mike Smith (Ho n); .... Pascal Picotte (Due); 5. Jamie J ames (Yam); 6. Polen slips tiy Russell for p-"---ole.::..---_ Thomas Stevens (Ka w]: 7. T om Kip p (Hon ); 8. David Sadowski (5 02); 9. Steve Crevier (Ho n ): 10. Freddie Spencer (Hon); 11. Briu T urkingt on (5 02); 12. Ph il Kress (Ka w ): 13. Jacque> O ueneue. Jr . (Hon): 14. Dale Quarlerley (Ka w) : 15. Michael Taylo r (Kaw); 16. Chr istian Gard ner (Yam); 17. Larry Pegram (Hon); 18. Joe Brett Will iam s (Hon); 19. Keith Pi nkstaff (Kaw); 20. Scou Zampach (Yam); 2 1. Eric Moe (Ho n ); 22. j ohn Ash mead (Kaw); 25. Lo u is Saccocci o (Ka w); 24. Cra ig Gl eason (Suz ); 25. Ro ber t Wrigh t (SUl): 26. Kenn y Kopecky (5 02 ); 27. Robert Meister (Yam); 28. Greg Abbou (Kaw): 29. Jo hn Bur goyne (Sm) ; 30. Bruce Tebo (SUl ); 3 1. Kenn y Evan (SUl): 32. j am es Adamo (Due); 33. J ason Prid more (Ka w) : 34. ScOIl Gra y (Kaw); 35. Scan Sm ythe (Hon ); 36. Mike Walsh (Yam); 37. Andrew Deatherage (Suz). T ime: 42 min.• 25.361 sec. Distance: 28 la ps. 60 mi les. Average Speed: 87.678 mph . Margin o( Victory: 1.356 SK. AMA SUP l:llBlKl: NAT'L CHAMPION SHIP POINT STANDINGS: I. (T IE) Dou g Polen/ Seen Russell (57); 5. Mike Smit h (30): 4. Dave Sadowski (2 1); 5. (TIE) Thoma s Stevens/S teve Crevier (18); 7. Pascal Picot te ( 13); 8. J amie j ames (11): 9. S. T sukamo to (10); 10. (TIE) Ji mmy AdamolTom Kipp (9): 12. Larry Schwarzbach (7); 15. (TI E) Scou Zampa ch/Freddie Spencer (6): 15. (TI E) Mark Chi n l Britt T urkingto n (5). important. But if it (a bad start) happens. it happens. There 's nothing I ca n do about it. " Russell was caught witi} u sed front tire when Polen did his final sessio n time, and the Georgian didn't have tim e to reta liate. Still, his 1:29.466 was good enough for the second fastest time. " I was testin g th e front tire and it was the same one I had on in the morning session," Rus sell said. "So I go t tha t accom plished . I wasn 't push in g and he just n ipped me there at the end. It looks like another Dayton a. I'm going to U 5e the 474 (compound Du nl op) in the race. I' m not going to gamble with an yth ing softer here. It ain't worth it. I needed to test the front tire more than I needed to sit on the pole, so we' ll be alright. 1 th ink we' l! run in the 30s, h igh 29s, and I' d like to to some 28s early on . T hird quickest was Picotte, in h is first-ever outing at Laguna Seca. T he number two man in th e Fast By Ferracci ca mp circula ted in 1:29.828, becom in g the fina l rider to crack into the 1:29 bracket, " I had a good lap going. but some slower riders got in my way righ t there (tu m 11)," the French Canadian said. "Lahink it would have put me right there. I nave a Ii' tie chattering on the frons. There are a lot of fast corners, but I don't thi~ he ap .times wit! t ia tHe race. I used, a race compound on theiib sa lte (Polen] softer tI:ian me, " ac:, 'ng 7

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