Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~-.,... AM=A/CCS Harle -Davidson TwinS The rid ers took the gri d under dark but slowly clearing sk ies. Turkington served notice immediately that he was very serious by getting a great start, almost jumping the gun as he launched from the second row and holeshot the entire field . He powered into Brainerd's turn one, but So hwa and his Muzzy Kawasaki drafted ahead to lead the pack into tum two, the second of Brainerd's very high-speed comers. Pridmore took the lead on lap five, drafting by the leaders, but he knew he wouldn't be able to hold it . "I'm on a year-old bike where these other guys are on new equipment. Jake, my mechanic, checked my compression the other day and it's so low, it's almost embarrassing." Sohwa had smoked by into the lead by the race's halfway point and he tried his best to br ea k the d raft by weaving down the front st ra ig h t. Fritz Kling, Prid more' s teammat e, work ed the pack ha rd on the brakes in each comer, inching his way to the front. Rothman drafted to the front go ing into turn one onl y - to be passed by Tu rkington, who would hold the lead un til the checkers . Rothm an lost the draft by lap 13 and faded to an even tua l fifth-p lace fin ish. Kling continued to att ack on the brakes, going by Sohwa in turn 10 only to be passed on the straight. Tu rkington came u p on so me ba ckmar ker s and pitsid e pund its thou ght he migh t run into p roblems negotiating traffic. It was not to be as he was balked only fo r a m oment before blasting to victory. . The pa ck behind Turkington began to s tri ng out as t h e la ps ran d own. So h w a knew i t w as tim e to make a move, and he tr ied valia ntly to o u tbrake his way forward. Pridmore realized this and on the final lap he braked ea rly in the fin al corn er to d eceive Sohwa. Sohw a braked, too, squaring the comer off, but Pridmore swung wide to fend off the Japanese rider to the line to take second. " My lap times were all ver y close, very consisten t. I knew I had to mak e a break and I did. Traffic wasn 't really a problem," said winner Turkingto n. And what of the 750cc Su p ersport champ ions hip that he now com ma nds by a 22-point margin ? " I wasn 't reall y thin king o f any cha mp io ns hi p, w ell, may be on the last la p b ut not before that. I have always wo n races, never really won a cham pionship an d winning races is what fuels me. I guess once I d o win a cha mpionship that'll change." Prid mo re cut the fas tes t la p of the race on lap th ree, a 1:45.66, but once he lost the d raft for a moment his fate was sea led. "I wan ted to win th is one again like I had last yea r, bu t my bike is just too slow. Maybe Mid -Ohio ." When third place finisher Sohwa was asked in the w inner's circle by announcer Richard Cha mbers if he thought Jason Pridmore was a masterful rid er on the brakes he sai d, wi th a h int of a nger in his voice, "No!" Prid more bea med. COl Res ults 7SOccS5 ANAL: 1. Britt Turkington (Suz); 2. Jason Pridmore (Kaw); 3. Takahiro Soh wa (Kaw); 4. Fritz Kling (Ka w); 5. Ge ral d Rot hman Jr. (5uz); 6. James Leslie (Suz) ; 7. Jam es Rand o lp h (5uz); 8. Ma rk McDaniel (Suz); 9. Ray Yode r Jr. (Suz); 10. Michael Ruehle (Kaw) ; I I. Shawn Higbee (Kaw); 12. Dea n Mi zd al (Ka w); 13. Anthony Lu po (Suz); 14. Robert Meister (Suz); IS. Dave Rosno (Ho n); 16. James Mil roy Jr. (5uz); 17. Hika r u Miy agi (Hen ): 18. Roger Hen d ricks (5uz) ; 19. Ard en Friesen (Yam ); 20. Keith Dier kes (K.1.w) Ti me: 28 m in .•38.483 sec . Distance : 16 lap s, 48 mil es . Ave rage Speed: 100.420 mph, Ma rg in of Victo ry: 0.685 sec. 75O

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