Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

eROAD RACE e Su erbike Series: Round 1 - Filice smokes 'em in Phoenix By Henny Ray Abrams . GOODYEAR, AZ, FEB. 15 oo often last season Otsuka Electronics/Wayne Rainey Racing's Jimmy Filite found himself chasing Thomas Stevens (11) and Miguel DuHamel (17) race for fifth place in the National (Left to right) Pascal Picotte, Doug Polen and Scott Russell celebrate their 1-2-3 finish. 8 Edwards said with a smile. "They weren't banging bars or anything." DuHamel and his Muzzy crew had made some last minute changes to the Kawasaki ZX7R after the final practice session, but the French Canadian changed it back after the warm-up lap. "I turned the forks up two clicks on the start line," he said. "The bike worked really good today. I went with a used hard rear tire (at the break) and it wasn't hooking up. Maybe a new one would have been better. I had quite a bit of difficulty getting by Thomas (Stevens). Unfortunately, nobody else had problems getting by Thomas." Stevens got caught out by a poor tire choice. "I thought a softer tire would go the distance, so that's what we had ready in case the race was stopped for some reason;' he said. "Once I got started (in the first leg) I knew that a softer one wouldn't last. My only other choice for the restart was to use a used medium compound tire. Hey, we proved that the new Suzuki is competitive. Yoshimura is back and Suzuki is back. We'll get 'em - it's a long year." The two Camel Honda riders, Kipp and Smith, weren't too pleased with the way things went, and that was before they'd learned that they had been disqualified. . "I just had trouble getting the power to the ground," Kipp said. "It was no problem with the qualifying tire, but the race tire was at least a second and a half slower a lap. I used the 614 in the second leg and it went off after six or seven laps. It was just a band-aid to the problem. I got a bad start and there w<\sn't much I could do, and then the tire was gone. It's definitely not the tire's fault. I thought I was going to win the thing at the start (of the first leg). I just didn't realize that it would be as bad as it was." "I felt better on the Superbike than I did on the 600:' Smith said. "But I just wasn't riding my best this weekend. I definitely thought I had a shot (in the second leg). Then it was like, 'Wow, man: I made a couple of mistakes and everybody passed me." . ~ Results SUPERB IKE QUALIFYING: I. Doug Polen (1:02.973/85.751 mph); 2. Tom Kipp (1:03.309); 3. Scott Russell (1:03.571); 4. Pascal Picotte (1:03.676); 5. Colin Edwards (1:04.285); 6. Miguel DuHamel (1:04.352); 7. Takahiro Sohwa (1:04.422); 8. Thomas Stevens (1:04.427); 9. Mike Smith (1:04.753); 10. Larry Pegram (1:05.136); 11. Christian Gardner (1:05.259); 12. Dale Quarterley (1:05.3BO); 13. Jacques Guenette (1:05.435); 14. Donald Jacks (1:05.627); 15. Eric Moe (1:06.236); 16. Bob Sandy (1:06.sn): 17. Jimmy Adamo (1:06.730); 18. Scott Gray (1:Q7.132); 19. Fritz Kling (1:Q7.388); 20. Larry Locklear (1:07.626); 21. Pablo Real (1:08.393); 22. David Kiefler (1:08.751); 23. Jim Sabin (1:09.182); 24. Shawn Higbee (J:09.36S); 25. Kel Da.ndson (1:10.333); 26. Jell Rheaume (1:1 !.l181); 17. Robert Wright (1:18.451); 28. Steve PaleU. (1:18.729) SB NATIONAL: 1. Doug Polen (Duc); 2. Pascal Picotte (Due); 3. Scott Russell (Kaw); 4. Colin Edwaros n (Yam); 5. Miguel DuHamel (Kaw); 6. Thomas Stevens (Suz); 7. Dale Quarterley (Kaw); 8. Christian Gardner (Yam); 9. Soolt Gray (Kaw); 10. Jimmy Adamo (Due); 11. Bob Sandy (Kaw); 12 Jim Sabin (Kaw); 13. Fritz Kling (Kaw); 14. Eric Moe (Hon); 15. Shawn Higbee (Kaw); 16. Robert Wright (5=); 17. Donald Jacks (Suz); 18. Larry P~ram (Hon); 19. Kel Davidson (Kaw); 20. Jacques Guenetle (Yam); 21. Pablo Real (Due); 22. Larry Locklear (Kaw); 23. Takahiro Soh... (Kaw). Tune:. 1 hour. 'YJ min., C6.87'9 sec. D;'taJu;r. 42 laps. 672 miles. Average Speed: 38.125 mph (red-U.g) Ma'llin 01 Vktory. 0.010 sec. AMA SUPERBIKE C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS: 1. Doug Polen (36); 2. Pascal PIcotte (32); 3. Scott Russell (30); 4. Colin Edwards 11 (28); S. Miguel DuHamel (26); 6. Thomas Slevens (25); 7. Dale Quarterley (24); 8. Christian Gardner (23); 9. Soolt Gray (22);10. Jimmy Adamo (21); 11. Bob Sandy (20); 12. Jim Sabin (J9); 13. Fritz Kling (18); 14. Eric Moe (17); 15. Shawn Higbee (16); 16. Robert Wright (IS); 17. Donald Jacks (14); 18. Larry Pegram (13); 19. Kel Davidson (12); 20. Jacques Guenette (11); 21. Pablo Real (10); 22. Larry Locklear (9); 23. Takahiro Sohwa (8). much swifter Yamahas from the seat of his underpowered Honda For 1993 he realized if you can't beat 'em, join 'em T D'Aluisio quick; rainbrings controversJN ew bikes, new teams, and a new track looked to shake up qualifying, but, In the end, it was a couple of old hands at the front. Southwest Motorsports' Chris D'AIuisio earned the pole position with a lap of 1:04.248 despite some concerns about the trade. "There's nothing super--tricky about it:' D'Aloisio said. "It's real bumpy. It's 60 bumpy it's hard to keep it pointed in the right direction. The banking's not real good. You're turning into the wall and for the rain, there aren't enough hay bales down the track." A rainy practice on Sunday morning gave the riders time to think about racing in the rain and D'Aluisio was one of many who felt that, because of the banking and lack of run-off, it was unsafe, a stand that would later cause many in the 250 field 10 ask that the race not be nul In the wet. . "There are lots of big puddles and. there's'sealer all over it. On the front straight there's a whole section that's sealer. You go across it and the wheel starts spinning and doesn't stop Wltil the first tum," D' Aluisio said. Otsuka Electronics/Wayne Rainey Racing's Ttmnly Filice was enjoyin~ the newfound power In his Yamaha, saying that it saved him because he didn t ride that well in qualifying. "I think fm making time up In the fast banking. It fee1s like a mile comer." But if it rained, Filice said, ~It's not going to be no fun at all just because of the danger of the racetrack. You can light it up all the way down the front strai$d:\t. There's puddling all through the Inside of the comers." DannyWalker was third fastest and enjoying being able to concentrate 60lely on his riding and not having to worry about his machinery, which he did last year. "The greatest part is that I don't have to work on it. I can totally think of riding," Walker said. "BasicaIJy, this is my year to prove I merit this equipment. My bike was pretty quick, but this feels like a whole different motorcycle. There's more midrange power and it drives off the corner so much. harder." Walker was also getting used to uslng Dunlop tireS irIstead of the BridAestones whid\ he used last :He said they had a lot of the same charactetlsth:s,but tbA't Dunlop made a much better f r o n t . " ' After Sunday's wet practice several of the 2SO riders decided they didn't feel the track was safe to race on in the rain. They took their conoems to the referee who was to relay it to the AMA's Roger Edmondson. In orcle1 that they speak with a unified voice, the riders were asked to sign a grid sheet by their name if they agJ't!ed that the track wasn't fit for racing. They wanted it made clear that this was not an organized boycott, merely a statement of concern. In addressing the crowd of riders who gathered just behind the press room, Filice said: "We could all go out and ride around. But me and Olris are going to battle and 60 are you, and 60 are you. and so are you. When you put your shield down, you're going to race." "The AMA said, 'It's up to you: We took a signed grid sheet of who wouldn't ride. We need backing to go talk to Roger," D'AIuisio said. But Edmondson said the riders should have come 10 him individually, instead of circulating through the paddock with the grid sheet. The riders had also agreed among themselves that the purse money be split equally among all the riders to help with expenses and that no points be paid. Though it seemed like an equitable solution, Edmondson said there was no provision for such a decision in the AMA rules. What also violated AMA rules, he said, was that some of the veteran riders tried 10 use their influence to affect the decision of others. But the riders said they weren't trying to coerce anyone, merely make them aware of the danger, which was manifest. ~Daytona is the next race and I want 10 go there with a good mind and body," sixth-fastest qualifier Nick lenatsch said. ~The riders aren't going to decide whether to hold or cancel a race. But the final decision is their's on whether to take part" Edmondson said. AMA Vice President of Sports Marketing Diclc Maxwell said that, had the race program not been cancelled, the race would have been run with whomever decided to compete. He also felt that, despite the 24 signatures of the 27-rider field, there would have been some riders who changed their minds and raced. "1 would rather the rider make the decision when the time comes," Edmondson said. "We had already decided to canoe! the race when they told us." The race was cancelled due to a persistent rain and a four-rider crash on the banking during the first lap of the Harley-DaVidson Twin Sports race. Edmondson later met with several of the riders, scolding them for their actions and, according to two of the riders present, threatening their careers. Edmondson denied the charge, but the riders were resolute. And despite Edmondson's denials, AMA Director of Competition Roy Janson said that, for the future, "They were made aware about how seriously this would be viewed." year.

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