Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

__________ Ha_rl~~_D_~_~_oo_~_~_~~~~~d3R~AAaB e Mike Hale (32) leads Scott Zampach (1) and the rest of the Harley TwinSport field. Hale again at Laguna Seca By Henny Ray Abrams MONTEREY, CA, APR 18 ike Hale went to school during the Harley-Davidson Twin Sports final at Laguna Seca, and when the race ended he'd moved to the head of the class, passing his instructor Scott Zampach on the last lap to take his second win in a row. "I studied his lines and found a place I could get by him on the last lap and it worked," the Bartels' H-D-backed Hale said following his narrow victory over the Tilley's H-D-sponsored Zampach. "On the last lap 1 had the lead and Mike passed me coming up the hill to the corkscrew," Zampach explained. "I was going to set him up to pass him going down the hill, but he turned right and cut me off." The official margin of victory would be .259-of-a-second, after the 12-lap, 26.57-mile race. Hale completed the race in 20 minutes, 38.788 seconds at an average speed of 77.208 mph, both new race records. Third, about seven seconds behind, was H-D of Jamestown's Shawn Higbee with Brian's H-D's Chuck Downie fourth and Ricky Graham fifth on an 883 Harley backed by Troom, Dunlop, Motu!, and Noleen Racing. The win allows Hale to pad his points lead to eight points, 98-90, over Higbee. Zampach is third with 85. Hale and Zampach cleared off from the start, the pair nearly five seconds in front of the field by the fourth lap, the rest scurrying behind them to fight for positions. At the halfway point Zampach was into the lead, a margin he would stretch when Hale missed a shift in turn 11 at the end of the eighth lap. "He passed me and coming through 11 1 hit a false neutral in my gearbox," Hale explained, though he was quickly back on the gas. By the end of nine laps the margin was five bike lengths and Hale would be on Zampach's rear fender little more than a lap later. The move would come on the 11th lap, with Zampach unable to answer. M The 750cc Supersport final gets underway at Laguna with Britt Turkington leading. Britt Turkington's win in the 750cc final increased his lead in the championship. with no vents and it was hard to see out there. I just kept ripping tear-offs off until 1 figured out what the problem was." (.'N Results 7SOcc 55 FINAL: 1. Britt Turkington (5uz); 2. Mark McDaniel (5uz); 3. Kurt Hall (5uz); 4. Takahiro Sohwa (Kaw); 5. David st.nton (suz); 6. Robert Wright (suz); 7. Gerald Rothman Jr. (5uz); 8. Dean MizdaJ (Kaw); 9. Fritz 'Kling (Kaw); 10. Chuck Downie (Hon); 11. Tim 81asquez (5uz); ]2. Ken Greene (Kaw); 13. Dave Rosno (Hon); 14. Lee Brown (Han); 15. Jan Olav Noleng (Kaw); 16. Lome Banks (Hon); 17. Arden Friesen (Yam); 18. Hugo Guenette (Kaw); 19. Dan Turner- (Hon); 20. Mark Miller (Kaw); 21. Jason Pridmore (Kaw); 22. Chuck Graves (5uz); 23. Brad Stephens (5uz); 24. Anthony Lupo (Suz); 25. Mike March (Yam); 26. Steve Crevier (Kaw); 27. Thomas Montano (Hon); 28. Aaron Lanningham (SU%); 29. Robert Torset (Suz); 30. Don Roberts (Kaw): 3I. DaVId Sadowski (Su.). Time: 35 min., 54.131 sec. Oisl.tnce: 22 laps, 48.708 miles. Average Speed: 81.401 mph. Margin of Victory: 7.231 sec. 750« SS C'sHIP POINT STANDINGS (Aller 3 0111 rounds): 1. Britt Turkington (100/2 wins); 2. Takahiro 50hwa (81); 3. Gerald Rothman Jr. (78); 4. Jason Pridmore (70); S. Mark McDaniel (68); 6. Dean Mizdal (62); 7. Chuck Graves (60); 8. 'Kurt HaU (56); 9. Robert Wright (55); 10. (TIE) Fritz Kling/Tim Blasque. (47); 12. Steve Patterson (46); 13. James Randolph (44); 14. David Stanton (41); 15. Dave Sadowski (35/1 win); 16. Hugo Guenette (34); 17. Chuck Downie (33); 18. Donald Jacks (28); 19. Dave Rosno (24); 20. Marc Smith (22); 2I.James Lussier (21); 22. Mark Miller (20); 23. (TIE) Ken Greene/Randy Renfrow (19); 25. Anthony Lupo (18). While the leaders were taking off, Higbee was trying to get around Graham, the dirt-tracking veteran having gotten away third. It took until the third lap for it to happen, and, though he would be pressured, especially at the end, his third was secure. "I got off to a terrible start: 1 wheelied twice and 1 was 10th into turn one," Higbee said. "All 1 could do was get up with those guys, but 1 knew they'd break away," which is exactly what they did. Still, he was third from the end of the third lap on and it was only in the later stages that Chuck Downie would get close enough to threaten, but not close enough to pass. Further back Graham, after dropping to seventh, moved up a notch when Scott Gray lost several positions after getting off the racing line coming down the hill. He dropped from fifth to seventh, but would make up one spot passing Chuck Blackmon on the ninth lap and closing rapidly on Graham when time ran out. Jeff Heino ended up eighth ahead of Bartels' H-D's Nigel Gale and Texas Harley-Davidson's Larry Locklear. tN Results H·D lWIN SPORTS FINAL: 1. Mike Hale (H·D): 2. Scott Zampach (H·D): 3. Shawn Higbee (H·D); 4. Chuck Downie (H-D): 5. Ricky Graham (H·D); 6. Scott Gray (H·D); 7. Chuck Blaclcmon (H·D); 8. Jeff Heino (HD): 9. Nigel Gale (H·D): 10. Lany Locklear (H-D): 11. Jay springtsteen (H-D): 12. Richard Koehler (H-D): 13. Don (H·D); 14. John Jacob (H-D); 15. Mark PasliT (H·D); 16. Matt Wait (H·D); 17. James Whitaker (H·D); 18. Steve Aaeltine (H-D); 19. Joseph Winston (H·D); 20. Rick Hutchins (H-D); 21. Clint Vahsholtz (H·D); 22. B';an Kohl (H-D); 23. Jon Stauffer (H·D): 24. Robert Cunnington (H-D); 25. Brian Catterson (H~D); 26. Shawn McNary (H·D); V.Jason Aetchet. Es"'" Time: 20 min., 38:788 sec. Disl•.nce: 12 laps, 26.57 miles. Margin of victory: .259 sees. Aver..ge speed: 77.208 mph. H·D TWIN SPORTS STANDINGS (After 3 of 11 round,): 1. Mike Hale (98); 2. Shawn Higbee (90); 3. Scott Zampach (85); 4. (TIE) Chuck Blackmonl1eff Heino (75); 6. Jay Springsteen (n); 7. Richard Koehler (69); 8. Scott Gray (64); 9. Nigel Gale (57); 10. Ricky Graham (48); 11. Chuck Downie (28); 12. (HE) Mark Pastlr/Robert Cunnington (25); 14. (TIE) Randy Texer/Jason Fletcher/Joe Winston/Ian Cobby/James Whitaker (24); 19. Shawn McNary (23); 20. (TIE) Francis. Williamson/Fabian Cortez/Lany Locklear (21). 11

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