Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

The bike felt really good, but it felt great around the banking. I lost the rear and then th e front a couple of times, so I tried to make up for those mistakes by braking hard er into the comers or exiting the comers better. We struggled to get the bike tuned in qualifying , but it all came together in the race when it really counts." Jus t as Oliver was leaving Cornwell, Cornwell was trying to do the same to Mike Sulli van and Danny Walker, though it w as more of a struggle. It wasn't until the 19th lap that Cornwell was able to pull free, after holding second the entire race, and, once clear, his cushion grew more comfortable with each lap. "The other guys had a little bi t of a problem and I p ut my head down and tried to be consistent:' Cornwell said. "I knew I was tired, and if that was in the back of my head it would bother me and I would m ake big- tim e mista kes . I didn't wa nt to do that. '''1 wa nted every lap to be the same an d carry my rhyth m throughout the ra ce. I was pleased tha t I was able to stay patient and finish where I did." The b attl e fo r third began on the fou rth lap, with Sullivan and Walker right beh ind Cornwell, along with Hough. As Cornwell inched a wa y, Walker stuck with Sullivan, both riders having tracti on di fficulti es after choo s. ing a hard compound tire. "I sta rted the race wi th a harder compound tire than I'd used all weekend:' Sulli van said . "I was able to pick off riders and mo ve up un til my tires ~ent off. At that po int, I was trying harder to get Jon, but the hard er I tried , the more I lost my rh ythm." "I went with a hard compo und rear:' Walker said, echoing Sullivan's comments. "I kep t telling myself, 'Smooth and consistent, smooth and consis tent don't be in a hurry.' Sullivan held me up in a few pla ces. I wanted Cornwell so bad, but I was tight. It was all me - I was out of sha pe. I got tired and tight and I couldn't do a thin g about it." Walker moved into third in tum one on the 12th lap, Sullivan not relenting until the race wo und down. lenatsch moved up into fifth on the 17th lap, pass ing Hough after an earlyrace seizure nearly put him out of the rac,e. Ent ering turn on e on the fo urth lap, lenatsch felt his engine tie up, the rear wheel locking and nearly throwing him from the seat. He gathered it back in, let the clut ch out and re-started the ' engine. Thinking that it was an air leak, lenatsch rea lized he couldn't use any engine compression to slow the bike so he wo uld have to keep the clutch in and rev the engine at the end of the fro nt straight as he coasted through tum one. "It w orked, " sai d Ienatsch, who added that his engine had seized in the morning practice. "I ran 1:045 and 1:05s. It lost horsepower and I was about even with the self- t un ed gu ys ; normally we're faster than them . I was using fifth on the front but I had to use sixth. That was the only place that scared me. There was a pretty good chance it could seize again." . lenatsch's Zero Gravity tea m mate Taylor moved in behind him , though at a distance, with abou t thr ee laps to go. Taylor had been part of a group giving chase to the top six, riding at the end of a trio that was led by Moto Liberty' s Takahi to Mori and Performance South's Sorensen. On the 25th lap Mori highsided exitin g tu m seven and ended up face-down in a trackside pool. " He's a n idiot," Tayl or said, ada ma ntly . "There's no call for what he does . He just high-sided. He ran off the track in one and he ran off the track in three." Mori was transported to Good Samaritan H osp ital by ambulance for trea tment of a posslble back injury and an injured left wrist. He'd also crashed in tum two d urin g the 600cc Supersport race. "I had a good race with those gu ys (Sorensen and Hough)," Tayl or said . They were ahea d of me and I kind of got a second wind. I got Hough in one and sn uck around Sorensen two laps from the en d on the outsid e of th e bow l. Sorensen had som e motor on me. I was just slid ing around staying where I was, then I decided, 'I'm going to pass these guys.'" L~ Phoen ix Inte rnation al Raceway Good year. Ar izona . Resuns: March 27, 1994 250 CP Qu.d if ying: 1. Rich Oliver (1:03 .895); 2. Ch ris D' Alu isio (1004.186); 3. Nick Iena tsch (1004 .333); 4. Jon Co rnwell (1:04.708); 5. Ma rk Fos ter (1:04.986); 6. Taka hi to Mori (1:05.118); 7. Doll.lld Hou gh (1:05.139); 8. Danny Walker (1:05.326); 9. Chris Taylor (1:05.464); 10. Jaso n Paden (1:05550); 11. Ch uck Sorensen (Yam); 12. Mike Sullivan (1:05.842); 13. Geep Terranova (1:06.173); 14. AI Sala ve rria (Ya m); 15. Micha el Barnes (1:065 96); 16. G,,"& ~, (1;06.922); 17. Ma rk McDoll.lld (UJ7.013); 18. sm Qui rm (1;07.099); 19. Aa ron Turner (UJ7.458); 20. Christopher Rankin (Yam); 21. Bru ce Lind (1;0!1.O03); 22. Leon Co n es (1;08.214); 23. Wa rre n Dunawa y (U18.281); 24. Bill Bors ell! (1:08 .893) ; 25 . C hristo p he r Wa ll er (1;08.913); 26. Edward Sadvar (HJ9 .029); Z7. Billy Dolu (1;09.424); 28. Don G ri jalva (1;09.599); 29. Jeff Or tlip (1;09.600); 30. Step he n Dahlstrom (1;10.470); 31. Steve Daviso n (1:113 14); 32. Fra nk Ara gaki. 25 0 GP: 1. Rich Oliv er (Ya m ); 2. Jon Corn w e ll (Yam); 3. Danny Walker (Ya m); 4. Mike Sullivan (Yam) ; 5. Nick Ien atsch (Ya m); 6. Chris Taylor (Yam); 7. Chuck Sorensen (Ya m) ; 8 . Do na ld Hough (Ya m ); 9 . A I Sa la ve rria (Ya m) ; 10. Jas on Pa d e n (Ya m) ; 11. Ma rk Pos ter (Ya m); 12. Ge e p Te r ra n ova (Ya m ); 13 . Chris top he r Rankin (Yam ); 14. Bill Quinn (y a m); 15. M a r k McD onal d (Ya m) ; 16. Bru ce Li nd (Ya m ); 17 . Aaron Turner (Yam ); 18 . Gre g Esser (Ya m ); 19 . Christopher Waller (Yam ); 20. Bobby Keith (Yam); 21. BllI y Dal u (Ya m ); 22 . Don G r ija lv a (Ya m) ; 23. Bill Borselli (Ya m ); 24. Warren Dunaw ay (Yam ); 25. Leon Cortes (Ya m); 26. Stephen Dahlstro m (Yam); 27. Frank Ara ga ki (Yam); 28. Edwa rd Sad var (Yam); 29. Ta kah ito Marl (Ha n); 30. Jeff Dr tli p (Yam) ; 3 1. Steve Da viso n (Ya m); 32. Micha el Barn es (Hon); 33. Ch ris D' Alu isio {Ap r). Time: 33 m inu tes , 24.205 seconds. Disunce: 32 laps, 4832 miles. Average spe ed: 84.081 mph . M~rgin of victory: 4.623 seconds. AMA 250

• Cover