Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ROADRACE···· . AlA 'Natlotl.a1 Ch.ampiQnShip R9Id Race. Series' Round 8: Gateway International Raceway The SuperTeama race gets underway. The one-hour evant was won by Dutchman RacIng's Fritz Kling and Nick lenatsch, Hey, it feels good to win regardless. I'm picking up some Suzuki bonus money that's for sure." Vance & Hines Yamaha's Tom Kipp will likely end up with a completely different view of the points-paying system. The Ohioan can almost cruise to the title after posting his fourth straight secondplace finish to go with his two early season victories. After eight of 10 rounds, Kipp leads Merkel, 256-235, with only two races remaining. . "I'm riding really hard because there's good competition," Kipp said. "But I'm not taking foolish chances. I've got everything to lose right now. It's the reverse of last year - that's the position Fred's in. He doesn't have a lot to lose. The championship is really important to these guys (Yamaha). We'll take it any way we can get it this year - next year we'll win it the way we want to win it." Third place in the red-flag interrupted final went to the Kinko's Kawasaki of the ever-improving Thomas Wilson, ahead of fourth-placed Owen Weichel, who was riding a Hyd-Mech Sawsbacked Kawasaki ZX-6 - against the bigger 7505. Fritz Kling rounded out the top five finishers. The first start was just that - only a start. The leaders completed one lap 'before the red flag came out; Mark Barlow crashed in tum 10 and the race was stopped while cornerworkers removed debris from the race track. The restart saw Merkel again grab the lead, this time with Weichel riding around the outside of Kipp in tum two to take over second place. Kipp didn't want any part of Weichel and he repassed the Canadian on the front straightaway to start the second lap. Merkel, meanwhile, was gone. The Californian would never be headed as he pulled clear to win by 6.366 seconds. Kipp was also a secure second and he too was never challenged again. Weichel soon had Wilson nipping at his heels and the 600cc rider succumbed on the sixth lap. From there the top four were set, and there's wasn't much excitement going on behind them. Kling and David Deveau battled over fifth for awhile, but Kling was eventually able to pull clear while James Randolph was also able to move in and work around Deveau, who ended up settling for seventh. By the end of the race, there wasn't a single battle on the entire 2.2-mile race track. Mark Black, Hikaru Miyagi and Dale Kieffer rounded out the top 10 finishers. "Jeff King told me that if I wanted any support that I had to go out and ride it," Weichel said. "In the first part I just wanted to be cool and run some 34s. Wilson and Randolph were all over the place and I got sucked up. In the second start I just said, 'Screw this, I'm going with Merkel.' I lost him, but I ran with Kipp. They were faster in the fast stuff. My foot was burning up; it was unbearable. I was struggling. Getting fourth was a bonus. Jon Cornwell (from Oh1ins) revalved my shock at Laguna - and that was it. I've only changed it one click from Laguna." (N G8teway International RIIC8Wl1y Fairmont City, IlIInol8 Results: August 12, 1995 7SOcc SUPERSPORT, 1. Fred Merkel (Suz); 2. Tom Ki.pp (Yam); 3. Thomas Wilson O(aw); 4. Owen Weichel (Kaw); 5. Pritz Kling (Yam); 6. James Randolph (Kaw); 7. David Deveau (Suz); 8. Mark Black (SUZ)i 9. Hikaru ~yagi (Hon)i 10. Dale Kieffer (Hon); 11. Rad Greaves (Hon); 12. Mark Miller a

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