Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

A~ ·" P:R~VIE.V{ 1994 AMA U.S. Superbike Nati.onal Championship By Paul Carruthers Photos by Henny Ray Abrams t of icks. tant with others. The man who made us 100 stupidest was Dale Quarterley. We icked him for 10th and w be damned if he didn't go ahead . . h second. Nice going, Dale. To make matters worse, he it up in our faces all year, going as far as to quote our story for word. We have a feeling, though, that we weren't the o es who were surprised by Quarterley's season. The New der and his Team Mirage Kawasaki stayed consistent ghout the season - and then they went and kicked everybody's rear at the Mid-0hio Sports Car Course. We picked Miguel DuHamel to finish second and he ended up third, missing out on second by only a few points. That's not too bad, eh . We also said that Colin Edwards would finish third in his rookie season. That proved to be a bit optimistic, though > .·z·· .·· .' ., . .' . . . . .', :: : · .· ·: ~:r~·~~gee:. : ..-:: he did show flashes of brilliance. He ended up sixth. Our second correct pick cam e with the selection of Jamie James to finish the season as the fourth-ranked superbike rider - and so he d id. Then we 'straye d again, picking Pascal Picotte to finish fifth. Instead, the French Canadian ended up missing some races due to injury and he ended up 10th. Mike Smith was" supposed to finish sixth according to our expert, but he ended up seventh. Close enough. We wrote that Thomas Stevens would end the series in seventh and he wound up eighth. Again, close enough. Tom Kipp was supposed to finish the season as the eighthranked rider, but a broken leg pushed him all the way back to ZOth. Injuries also ruined Donald Jacks' season, as well as our prediction on how the Floridian would finish . Jacks ended up 31st not ninth. Our pick to finish 10th - that was Quarterley. He didn't like the pick, and he went out and did something about it. The two men that crept into the top 10, effectively replacing our picks of Kipp and Jacks, were Takahiro Schwa (fifth) and Pablo Real (ninth). Sohwa did better than expected, and privateer Real ended up being in the points at each and every race. Those two,"with Quarterley's help, have made us determined to do better in 1994. Unfortunately, this could be a season where we really emerge with egg on our face. . Without further ado, here's our forecast for 1994. : '. ",: Age-31 · . ' . . '.' Ho~etown:" Horsha~;Austialia ' " -: ,: . . : . . ' . .: . . Although there 's still some debate as to justhow good the new HOnd~'RC45 <: really is; fewcan argue' about the racing skills of Kevin Magee: The friendly' Australian . .:.brings a solid racing resum~ ·to the U.s.$iIpet~ike ~ati0na l ,c:ha;mpionshiP:' ~d~o matt"e~ . · how he fares he'Il prove-to be an asset to the senes. . ::. ' . : . :: '. . '. :. . : .. . . · ' " .' We predict that·Magee .will .adapt to AMA racin g easily, will learn:unfamiliar race tracks' . quickly, and. willwin races .iMageebririgs two essen tial qualities to the series > the -sheer · .speed towin and the experie nce to settle for less when he ,can't win:' Speedand .experience . ': is hard to beat andthe comb ination usually results in wirming ch ampionships. " .: ... .:: . . . , .Magee is also armed with wha t ma y turnout to be the best. motorcycle in the.series; and he .has' definitely .su n:oilnded himself with a top-notch team - .the 'Martin Adams-owned, . .. Smokin JOe's Racirig. : '. , '. ". ". • ...•. . ... . : :. ', . : '. . . The onl y qu'esti on is Magee's he~lth'.A ling ering ltar;dU;jury 'p revented the former ::' Grand Prix rider from getting serio~s du rin g the 'Dunlop tire test held "j~ ear lyDecember, and he underwent surgery almost immediatelyafter the test.. Nearly threefull months of • recovery time willlikely take care of the problem . .' ' . ' . " . ' . ' . . . . . . ' ' . " . It remains to be seen ' if. Magee will be strongenoughto contend in the Dayton a'Zoo - but it is als9 important to rememberthat the U.S: Superbike Championshipisn'twon at Daytona. It's won in June,'during :the dog days ofsummer.atplaces like Road America, Mid-Ohio and New Hampshire International Speed.w.ay. ". . ' . . - ' ... . ': ... . '' . ' . C~lin Ed~a~ds .e .. .: . #45 " . . ". . .Age: 20 ' .: . : . .. . . II·.... : -: : ". . . -. ':" . . . :. , :.': .' · ' • Hometowre' Conroe, Texas .. .. . .', . . . . . ," . .. ."1t would be easy for ~hose .who d(:m'tknow anything to." dis regard ColiIl ..' · Edwards D as a flashin.the .pan .. If would be easy to lookat his .1993'results with some d is- '.' dain, But triose doubters, should: also .take time toremember.that :93 'was Edwards": . rookie season -; his first full season of superbike ra cing:Anyonewho has' given up on .: Edwardshas done sotoo soon: ·: : . ,. , ,.: ... .. ' : '. ' . : ~ . .:.., . ' .. ,. .' c.. ." " . .' : . .. '. . ' We' predict Edwards will be Magee's toughest corripetition.We thinkEdwards Will win his first Superbike. .National this year 'and we think he'llmake a .ru n at "thesuperbike crown, Thefactthar the young Texan didn't set the ' world on fire last year may actually have' done him more.goodthan harm; He learned some .h ard lessonsduring his . · first season, but thosesame lessons should propel-him to betterthings 'in 1 9?4: ':" " . , . . . : . Edwards has the speed - he ea rned the first pole. p osition; of his career at Road America,' and 'finished second once '. · and fourth three times " th ere's no one faster.off the line. Edwards sufferedmost.last.year when he became frustrated withtrying 'to keep pace wi th the Past.ByPerracci Ducatis.espedallyafter losing ' aseven-second lead' to tile red V-." .twins at Road America: Hewas also one of the more vocal proponents of a rule change to lightenthe four-cylinders andaddweight td the ~inS. ' . . ' ,, : ..:. ' . ' <.. . . .. " '.' < "; .:.. : . .. :'. . ':.. ': '" . -:. " .- . ' '. ': , '1JUngs shoiildbe mor ebal!,nced for the yoimgs"ter ~ .'94. The ·yance·& Hines YaIDaha team have aCio had a coin- . · ple.te·off-SeasO,,'to ' work with the Yamaha X~O; and 'it.is highly likely that .crew chi~f. Jim 'Leonard will p.rovide Edwards" with abetter bike for the.coming season And who kpows ~xactlY.· how.goOd the I)iicati will be'.without, .Polen. ': . ' " . . . .' . .. , . . . . Same MfA .r.: ". .. . ",: . .. ; 3 .. " . ' . . iami~ j~~~s " . . . ' · . .. , ' . ' : . . ~~~:'3~ ... ... : .. . '. .. . .. : :- :' ....: ... . ' :: ... . Hometown: Prairieville; Louisiana " ' . . ... . . ... . . . ' " . . ' ,- . .. .. ." . . . ... : . . '. . . ' .' . Ja~ie "James .surpri ses 'us each an d every year, alld ·'c o~ld very easil y. end the.,199:t. season as ' ~he"""MA Sup.er~ike· National Champion. Despi te starting the sea:;on late last year because of a hand mjllry; JameS still ma,ilaged tQ'finish f~urt~ tlte stand-. · . ings . When James came back, he·came back strong; always finishing in the top five and scoring points .in masses fqr the rest ofthe.sea~ · . . Son.: . .· ' . : . ' . : '. ", ' .'.,.' : '.:,", . .~. ' . .: ' : , ':. . , : : : . b ·. . .. . . '. . '. . Ja.mes·.is back with Ya~<;e "& Hines Yamaha' for ~otherseaSon. imd this could . e the season that .sees him cliij:lb'all t~e way'back 'to · the top'.o f the 'serieSp oin t standiI:lgs: HavinS two fast gtlys on a team 'd oesn't al.waynvork well, bilt Edwatds and James have never bther's.ski!is;and togelher they make a form idat:'ie team .. ' : . : :. . , .. .' : ' . ':' . .' : : : " . m

• Cover