Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ROAD RACE·: . : AMA Superbike National C hampionship . Round 5:Road America crossed the . line in tight for mation: DuHamel, Hal e, Smith. "I took the lead o n th e final lap becau s e I knew I could n' t draft past before the checkered flag," DuHamel explained . "I figured if 1 could hold th em off into five I'd be okay. 1 was going into 11 pretty hard every tim e and making a lot of time. Going in th ere. 1 left the d oor open a bit wi th a big old welcome mat, and Mike (Hale) step ped right in there. I was su rp ris ed because that was the deepest he'd been in there the whole race. I didn't think he would try it, but I shou ld know better because if there' s an opportuni ty he'll go for it . He did a great job , but he went a little wide. I was able to keep a tighter line and he was out there on the white line. It was a pretty tight pass a nd I d on 't really like doing tha t tight of a pass wi th m y teammate. Mike (Ha le) gave m e some room a n d then he wa s b ehind me." Sp encer was n e xt , followed by Stevens and then a gap back to Kip p, a nd an even larger one to Merkel. Behind th em ca me a battle to th e end with Sohwa ed gi n g Quarterley and (Lelt) Mike Smith had his best outing of the year, finish ing third alter leading early In the race. (Below) For awhile it looked as though Freddie Spencer would move into the lead group , but lapped riders thwarted his charge. to get out there and go that many laps with the Ducati . We got the setup right prior to the race. The laps that I led I felt comfortable - 1 just did my pace. I rod e at 98 percent and just let the cards fall wher e they would. The race doesn't take place until the last five lap s, 1 feel, if you get a go od start and yo u have a good setu p . I was kinda lonely out ther e by myself anyway . I didn't think they'd let me get too far out there. The y were able to get into the com ers really deep, and I SU PE R BIK E C' SH I P POINT STANDINGS (Af ter 5 of 10 ro u n ds) : 1. Mike Hal e (146 /1 win ); 2. Fred Merk el (l 27) ; 3. Migu el DuHamel (1 20 / 2 w ins) ; 4. Dal e QuarterJ e y (119) ; 5. Th oma s St eve ns (11 6); 6 . Fre d d ie Spen ce r O OS/ l win}; 7. (TIE) Donald Jacks /Tom Kipp (104); 9. Pascal Picotte (92); 10. Jami e James (SO); 11. Eric Moe (7M; 12. Steve Crevier (61); 13. AI Sela ve rria (58); 14. Mike Sm ith (57); 15. (TIE) Tod d Harrington / jeff Ree ves (52); 17. Da mia n Weber (49); 18. Takahiro Sohwa (47); 19. David Sadowski (44); 20. Dou g Polen (40 ). Upcoming Rounds Round6 - Loudon, NH - June 19 Round 7 - Brainerd, MN- July 16 1996,.according to the AMA's Ron Barrick, ·Rich Oliver. Chuck Sorensen and Mark McDaniel have indicated to Barrick that they will take part in the test at Watkins Glen on Alter Saturday's final Superbike qualilying June 20, two days after the AMA National at session, the top three riders again voiced NewHampshire International Speedway, complaints about the AMA's policy· 01 not using a blue flag to wam slower riders when Radar gun readings Irom the .Iront straightthe leaders are approaching: ' I leel very away . a t Roa d Ame rica had Freddie strongly that the AMA needs to look into Spencer's Ducati the lastest al 174 mph: The lastest S uzuki was the one ridden by Thomas using blue flags at the comerworker stations: Mike Hale said. ·'At Mid-Ohio: backmarkers Stevens at 170 mph; ditto lor the Hondas 01 played a big part and at every track we go to Miguel DuHamel and .Mike Hale; with the backmarkers playa big part. Here lt affected Kawasaki 01 Pascal Picotte clocking In at 169 us all in qUardying. You get into a 'race situa- mph; Tom Kipp'sYamaha YZF750 tripped tion and there's a lapper between you and the gun at 167 mph, 2 mph better than his . the checkered lIag anda win, you're going. · teammate Jamie Ja mes. through 'ern; It's just going to cause someKinko's Kawasa ki's' James Randolph was a body to get hurt.The GP guys do it (use blue lIags), the World Supertlike guys do it,there's non starter In the 600cc Supe'rsport flnalas no reason Why we 'can't do it here. Ileel real .the team "didn't have enough parts to 'repair strong about thaI. I think the AMA could talk . his Kawasaki ZX6 Irom his Mid-Ohio crash. about it, meet with the cornerworkers tonight. ·Randolph said he'll be back inaction at New Hampshire Intemational Speedway' on June and implement lt tomorrow, It's very simple: a ·18: . . . . slow guy is coming, you show him the blue lIag. You have a riders ' meeting, you ' te ll . 1 them the blue Ilag procedure and you use it: ;1 WaS long arid boring,~ said Dale cn;arterley 01 his race.. ~I was running with (Donald) .tornorrow, I brought this up three races ago.at Jacks all day. I just can't seem to lind the Pomona, and nothing's happened." ' . speed with t he chassis. It'll wiggle and shake Former 750cc Suparsport Champion Britt . ill go any laster, and I'd just get mysen into .Turklngton showed up at Road America with trouble: It was a problem at Mid-ohio and ~'II sponsorship trorn Head Sportswear on his ': be. a problem at Loudon: Ineed Eraldo (FerKawasaki ZX6:.Head Sportswear; a division . raccl) to kiss itor something. The problem is 01 Head U.S.A.; also 'sponsors' an NHRA top on.the brakes. II I p~ch it in, it starts to warluel dra gs ter 'a nd lunny car. Turkington low." Quarterley ended the day in ninth place. crashe d in the 600cc Supsr sport linal and " Thoma~ Stevens said he erred in choosing a :injureda heel: .different exhaust system on his Yoshimura For the siXth straight year. the .AMA NationaJ .Suzuki p riorto the National. 'I was looking lOr Championship Road Race Se ries at Road an edge, an edge in acceleration, but ~ killed America was sponsored by·Coca-Cola . For. .the top-end power: Stevens explained. ' I his efforts in winning the Supertlike Natiorial. couldn't draft by·anybody. I got a.decent start 'Mlgue l DuHam e l pocketed .$7500. Mike ' and I just wa nted to get away Irom those Hale earn ed $5000 lor s econ d with Mike ' guys. I ended up closingto within a second 01 Smith taking home $3500 lor thircLThe toial .the leaders, but I tiil traffic and it killed me. -. purse 01 the Super1:>ike National was $45,000. . T~is week I made the right .tire choice, I just '. . '. ' . . .. .. picked the wrong exhaust.' Stevens ended Mike Hale will team wiih ABron Slight on the ' up fifth. . number-one tactory Honda RC45 In.the . .Suzuka 8-Hour In·J uly. Hale's Smokln··Joe's · Pasc al Picotte ·~nti·n ues· to hi ve' a' trustrat-'" Racing teammate Miguel DuHamel will be.'. ing season. The Muzzy Kawasaki rider used . .teamed with 'a Japanese rider. '1·leel rea lly a new engine brought in by ex-scott Russell honored to be given such an opportunity,": me chan ic.Ga ry. Medley , but it didn't las t Hale.said.at Road America. "lt Ieels good that throughpractice. ' Friday morning it was a Honda is showing laith in me . I feel really rocket." Picotte said. "I think I over-revved it a .good On the RC45.and we'll do good at the · little bit and .I might have damaged .some-. . thing. He fixed it and Saturday moming it was eight-hour." : pretty good . Then it sta rted to :go a lillie John Sa unders , the gen era l manage'r of down, a lillie down. I raced with Ihat engine Watkins Glen, 'has asked the .AM to orga- and by the end it couldn't even pull sixth A nize a test with AMA riders to get input on gear. But at least nothing happened to my changes that may be deemEid necessary to bike. Last week I lost the axle boll on my 600. both the Watkins Glen race track and lacility and linishe d with lour loose bolts on the' in order 10 . run an AMA National there in -. sprocket on my Super1:>ike and two lost bolts.". Briefl Tom Kipp (16) and Thomas Stevens (11) battle. Stevens finished filth with Kipp s ixth. L() 0\ 0\ ...... 12 Jacks. Jam es and Crevier had crashed ou t in tum one on the 12th lap, just fou r fro m the finish. "Ja mie had just d raft ed p ast goi ng into turn one," said Kipp, w ho witnessed the incident. "He go t inside of Crevier and he ran out of room. He and Ste ve got toget her. That was so me intense ra cing out there . It was really exciting. 1 had to slow down and make sure I did n' t get tangled up in the same incident. It' s h a rd to m ake up a ny ground when you're running by yourself." Crevier didn't lay all the blame on James: "It was a combination of things," the Ca nadian explained. "I thought I was farther ahead of them than I really was. I braked a little earlier to try and ge t a better drive. Jamie was aggressive and he tagged my rear end." Hale was a bit disappointed with his second -place finis h, but was con tent to s ti ll h old a' comfortable lea d in t he champio ns hip : "Tod ay was the best Superbike ra ce, competition-wise, that I've been in," Hale said . "I got a good start and 1 didn' t know w here they went," Smith said . "I looked b ack and ev erybody was way back. I was like, 'My God, what ha ppened?' I thought somebody must have crashed. The y started clickin g away and the next thing, I got in with some lapper and those guys were reall y running good. The Hondas wer e really running go od and this was the firs t tim e we were able just couldn't get this thing in the re that deep. I had to try and make it all up on the way out. I just d id n' t have enough there at the end." C~ Road America Elkhart Lake, Wis con s in Resuhs:June11,1 995 SUPE R BI KE QUALIFYING: 1. M iko Hale (2: 12.318) ; 2. Fr edd ie Sp en cer (2: 12.358); 3 . M igu el DuHamd (2:12.366); 4. Fred Merk el (2:12.413) ; 5. Mike Smith (2:12.85 9); 6. To m Kipp (2:12.947); 7. Ta ka hi ro Sohwa (2:13.1SO); 8. Pascal Picotte (2:13.763 ); 9. Thomas 5tevn>s (2:13 .928); 10. Steve Crevier (2:14.211) ; 11. Jamie james (2: 14 .638); 12 . Dal e Quarterl y (2 :15 .142); 13 . Donald jacks (2:15.498); 14. Ouis Ca rr (2:16.899); 15. Al Sala verria (2:17.244 ); 16. Doug Cha ndler (2:17.600); 17. Rick Kirk (2:18.663); 18. Pabl o Real (2:20 .138); 19. Eric Moe (2:20 .693); 20. An d rew Deatherage (2:21.378); 21. Greg Gibson <2 :22.062 ); 22. Scott Zampach (2:22.097); 23. Dam ian Weber (2:22.923); 24. Ron McGill (2:22.927); 25. Jelf Reev es (2:2 4 .0 10); 26. Ma rk M iller (2:2 4.356); 27. James Mil roy (2:25.351); 28. An dy Fenwick (2:25.503); 29. Brett Ray (2:25 .816); 30 . Mike Wal' h (2:25 .853) ; 31Rick Sha w (2:26. 130); 32. Jim Dickenson (2:26.163); 33 . Will iam Himmelsb ach (2:26.749); 34 . John Ashmead (2:27.2 46); 35. Mike Krynock (2:27.902); 36. Ben Welch (2 :28 . 12 2); 3 7 . Lo rn e Bank. (2 :28.408); 38. Roger Hendricks (2:28.434); 39 . Matt Cus umano <2:28.815); 40 . Anthonv Lupo (2:29.094). SUI'ER BIKE NATI O N AL: 1. Migu el DuHame l (Ho n); 2. Mike Hal e (lion); 3. Micha el Smith (Du e): 4. Freddie Spencer (Dud ; 5. Th Ort\3SStevens (Suz); 6. Tom Kip? (Yam); 7. Fred Merkel (Suz) ; 8. Takah iro Sohwa (Du e); 9. Dale Quarterley (Due); 10. Dc nal d Jacks (Suz); 11. Pascal Picotte (}(awl; 12 Pablo Real (Dud ; 13. Scott Za mpa ch (H ~D); 14. Andrew Death era ge (Ka w); 15. Ron McGill (H- D); 16. Eric M oe (Kaw); 17. G reg Gibs on (Yam); 18. John Ashme ad (Ka w); 19. Mar k Miller o

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