Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

.ROADRACE ..World :champiOnship Superbike RoadRace'Series Round 7: Laguna Seca Raceway (Lett) Paolo Casoli (13) holds off Tom Klpp (16) In the second race; Plerglorglo Bontempl (8) and Mauro Lucchlarl (12). (Right) Miguel DuHamel' and Mike Hale check out the monitor during qualifying. l/') 0\ 0\ ...... N .... rJ:J f 10 said. "Then I saw he was braking a little bit earlier than what I was in there. I ended up just going past there, but I went so deep that I ended up messing Mike up and myself. When I got down to turn two I realized the Ducati was behind me, so I was a little bit disappointed then because I knew it was going to be another tough race." For' the next few laps those watching in tum five were privy to a display of bravery on the entrance to the corner. Corser would draft next to Gobert on the straight between four and five, but the Muzzy Kawasaki rider would simply outbrake his compatriot. At times they ran side by side through the fast left hander. Just when Corser had Gobert lulled into thinking that the pass would come heading into tum five, the Ducati rider reverted to the move that didn't quite work in the first leg. This time, Corser only just went by Gobert on the entrance to tum three, not allowing the Kawasaki rider to square it off and come back· underneath. "Last time I worked out not to go past him, just to sit beside him through the comer," Corser said later. "I was following Anthony for a couple of laps and I could see that he was sliding a lot more than what I was - which was completely opposite from the first race. I'd got by him a couple of times (going into five), but he'd come by on the brakes. I realized I had to get by where I could put a bit of a gap. 1 knew once I got in front 1 could do consistent fast laps and hopefully pull away. I swapped bikes, and used the number-one bike in the second race after using the number-two bike in the first race. We found a bit of water in the bottom of the motor, so we swapped bikes and it was actually a bit better than the other bike." And that's all she wrote. Corser simply walked off into the distance, eventually winning by 6.321 seconds from Gobert. "The rear tire was sort of sliding around a little bit; it wasn't giving us the traction that it was in the first race," Gobert said. "I was still trying as hard as I could, but it was sideways in every corner. I was actually having a good time and I think for a while there I was more concentrating on having a good time and sliding around. 1 was really enjoying myself out there. I was watching the way Troy was puI1ing away coming out of the turns and I was making it up on the brakes - but I knew 1 wouldn't be able to catch him. Once he got that gap, that's where it sort of stayed." Hale, too, was never challenged as he rode to a lonely third, some 10 seconds ahead of DuHamel, who just barely held off Nagai at the finish line. "I tried really hard to run a pace with (Lett) DuHamel barely bitat Nagai to the finlah line In the second race; the pelr finished fourth and fttlh. (Below) Troy Coreer pope the bubbly after winning race two. those guys and 1 just wasn't able to," Hale said. "The bike was really loose and I was doing all of the sliding that I could handle. I'm really happy with finishing third; that was my goal coming into the weekend, putting it on the podium. I was a little disappointed that I finished fourth, one spot short, in the first race, but I just didn't have the starting procedure figured out for the first race. 1 made sure 1 knew how to do it the second · time. " Behind DuHaII)el and Nagai came Crafar, the flu-ridden New Zealander having a good day at Laguna Seca. Fogarty was seventh. "I regret using that bike," Fogarty said. "It was worse in the front and it kept jumping out of second gear. I should have stayed with the other one. 1 could've ended up fourth with it." Pirovano, Edwards and Picotte filled the top 10. "I put a softer tire on and it was okay," Edwards said. "After 15 laps it was down the tubes. That's the way it goes. I'm really disappointed. We didn't do any testing here and we should have. It's not a track you can just show up at and go good out of the box." "I had a better tire for the second leg," Picotte said. "I just can't stay with anybody on the exit. They pull me five, six bike lengths on the exit. We definitely need more midrange. It's very difficult. I did the best I could with the equipment I have. It's frustrating. I did 28s, 28s, 28s here two years ago. Now they h,~ve better tires, better equipment... A notable non-finisher was Chili, who suffered his second crash of the day - this time in tum three. ~ Laguna Seca Raceway Monterey, california Reauita: July 22-23, 1995 QUALIFYING, 1. Troy Corser (1,26.784); 2. Mike Hale (1,27.205); 3. Anthony Gobert (1:27.327); 4. Yasutomo Nagai (1 :27.56.1); 5. Freddie Spencer 0,27.686); 6. Colin Edward. n 0,v.708); 7. M;guel DuHamel 0,v.90S); 8. Simon Crafar 0~/043); 9. Tom IGpp 0:28.203); 10. PierFrancesco Chili 0,28.277); 11. John Reynolds 0'28.637); 12. Carl Fogarty 0,28.702); 13. Pascal Picotte (1:28.715); 14. Cian Maria Uverani (1:28.820); 15. Fabrizio Pitovano 0~.837); 16. David Jefferies 0,28.972); 17. Jochen Sdunid (U9.062); 18. Aaron Slight 0:29.098); 19. Mauro Lucchiari 0,29.131); 20. Takahira Sohwa 0:29.142); 21. Mike Smith 0,29.190); 22. Steve Crevier 0~.473); 23. Piergiorgio Bontempi (1:29.541); 24. Andreas Meklau (1 :29.543); 25. Adden Morilla. 0,29.591); 26. Paolo Ca501i (1,30:119); 27. AJ Salaverria 0,30.140); 28. Doug Toland (1,33.047); 29. M;chael Rutter 0 :33.180); 30. Mike Krynock (H5.706). RACE 1: 1. Anthony Gobert (Kaw); 2. Troy Corser (Due); 3. M;guel DuHamel (Hon); 4. Mike Hale (Hon); 5. Carl Fogarty (Duc); 6. Simon Crafar (Hon); 7. Freddie Spencer (Due); 8. Colin Edwards]] (Yam); 9. Aaron Slight (Hon); 10. Yasutomo Nagai (Yam); 11. Mike Smith (Dud; 12. Tom Kipp (Yam); 13. Piergiorgio Sontempi (Kaw); 14. Mauro Lucchiari (Due); 15. Pascal Picotte (Kaw); 16. Jonn Reynolds (Kaw); 17. Steve Crevier (Kaw); 18. Andreas Meklau (DuC); 19. Al SaJaverria (Due); 20. Jochen Schmid (Kaw); 21. Gian Maria Liverani (Duc); 22. Adrien Morillas (Due); 23. Doug Toland (Yam); 24. David Jefferies (Kaw); 25. Takahiro Sohwa (Due); 26. Fabrizio Pirovano lance: 29 laps, 63.684 mph. Margin of Vidorr- 6.321 sec. Fastest Lap' Troy Corser. 1,v.651, Lap 21. SUPERSllCE WORLD C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 7 of U round.), 1. Carl Fogarty (295/7 wins); 2. Troy Co....r·(l7912 win.); 3. Aaron 5Ught 068/1 win); 4. Fabrizio Pirovano (U6); 5. Yasutomo Nagai (119);'6, Pier-Francesco Chili (117); 7. (TIE) Anthony Gobert/Simon Cra/ar (110/1 win); 9. Mauro Lucchiari (l0912 wins); 10. Piergiorgio Sontempi (92); 11. Colin Edward. II (84); 12. (TIE) John Reynold./ And,.a. Meklau (55); 14. jochen Sdunid (53); 15. Scott Russell . (34); J6. (TIE) Miguel DuHamel/Mike Hale/Paolo Coso" (29); 19. (TIE) Jamie Whitham! Adrlen Moril1as (24). Upcoming Rounds Round S: Brands Hatch, England· August 6 Round 9: Sugo. Japan· August 27

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