Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

eROAD RACE e By the time the pack reached turn three for the first time Scott Russell (1) had already established a lead over Mike Smith (68) and Miguel DuHamel (17) in the Superbike National usse wins awet one at· ou on By Paul Carruthers Photos by George Roberts WUOON, NH, JUNE 20 t is very rare when a motorcycle racer boldly predicts the outcome of a race a day before it happens. Bu t on Saturday Scott Russell said there was no doubt as to who would win the 70th running of the Loudon Classic. On Sunday the Muzzy Kawasaki rider let his actions speak louder than his words as he annihilated the competition in appalling conditions at New Hampshire International Speedway, winning his third successive Loudon Classic. It mattered not that rain fell in buckets on the New England state come race day. Russell's prediction still held true. On a break from his World Championship Superbike Series schedule, the Georgian who now calls Monterey, California, home was the fastest in dry qualifying (see sidebar) and he was the fastest in the wet race. It actually only got worse for the competition when a storm rolled through the area - for in the rain it was almost as if Russell were riding on a different race track than the others. At the completion of the 40-lap, 64mile race, Russell was 39.33 seconds dear of second-placed Mike Smith on the Camel Honda RC30, and had lapped all the way through to eighth place while averaging 64.879 mph on a thoroughly soaked race track. It was the I 6 10th National win of Russell's career and he pocketed $11,000 of the $75,000 purse for his efforts. For Smith it was a refreshing change to finish on the rostrum for the first time this season, with his best previous effort being a sixth-place finish at Laguna Seca back in April. Russell's teammate Takahiro Sohwa filled the top three, the Japanese rider having the best outing of his AMA Superbike career. Ironically, Russell had ridden Sohwa's backup bike to victory. Adding to a very successful day for the Muzzy Kawasaki crew was Miguel DuHamel, the French Canadian finishing fourth and to give Kawasaki three of the top four spots in the final results. DuHamel's effort also strengthened his hold on second place in the AMA Superbike National Championship. Vance & Hines Yamaha's Jamie James continued his consistent run of top finishes since returning to racing after missing the first two races due to injury. The Louisianan rounded out the top five after running as high as third before oil started to leak on his rear tire, making his ride akin to "ice racing on a 750cc superbike." Team Mirage's Dale Quarterley ended the day sixth, a somewhat disappointing result considering tha t the New Englander had passed Smith to move into second place before crashing the Kawasaki on the slick race track; he remounted and rode his slightly bent Kawasaki to a sixth-place finish. And what of championship point leader Doug Polen? The Fast By Ferracci rider was ba ttling a front end push all weekend on his Ducati, and the rain only served to compound that problem. Never one to do something foolish, Polen cruised to a seventh-place finish to maintain that championship lead. Although DuHamel's fourth-place finish allowed him to cut into Polen's lead, the two-time World Superbike Champion still holds a 34-point advantage, 192-158. Quarterley's 151 points keeps him in third place with Russell jumping to fourth, despite racing in only four of the six rounds, with 131 points. James is fifth wi.th 110 points. Vance & Hines Yamaha's Colin Edwards II had a miserable afternoon. The young Texan's Yamaha died on the start line with an electrical problem after the sighting and warm-up laps, and it took the team a few laps to get it started. The problem wasn't completely solved, though, and the bike ended up dying again a few laps later. The non-finish dropped Edwards all the way down to eighth in the championship with his 98 points. With the largest crowd in recent memory scattering for cover thanks to the rainy conditions, the National got underway with the entire field fitted with full rain tires. Russell nailed the start with Smith directly alongside, but Russell didn't wait long to assert himself as the man to beat in this one. He .charged up the inside of turn one, exited the comer with the rear wheel spinning and was never challenged again. Smith stayed dose for two laps, but that was it. Smith's race would also be a lonely one, at least early on. At the halfway mark of the 4O-lapper Quarterley started to eat away at Smith's stranglehold on second place. On the 22rd lap, Quarterley had the Kawasaki right on the Honda and two laps later he moved by on the transition between turns nine and 10 - the partisan crowd cheering the New Englander on. But the cheers suddenly turned to moans as Quarterley crashed in turn three, losing the front end. "I got in front of Mike (Smith) and decided to slow down a little," said Quarterley, who was the only top finisher using Michelin tires. "I went slow through turns one and two and maybe I

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