Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Opposite page) The AMA Superblke National gets underway at Gateway International Racewsy near St. Louis. Pucal Picotte (21) gets the Jump on the field, with Mike Smith (68) ready to tuck In behind the French Canadian. (Right) Picotte continues to lead st the end of the first lap, with Tom Klpp (16) already experimenting with the Inside line that he would later use to pass several riders. (Below) By race's end, It was a battle between Miguel DuHamel (17), Psscal Picotte (21) and IOpp. Mike Hale (23) was also a factor. hard and chunk a tire. 1 just knew 1 had to be in front by turn six; coming out of four is where 1 passed him." Picotte didn't retaliate, instead he was left to try to fend off Kipp in the late stages of the race. "I got the lapped riders at the right spot - except at that chicane," Picotte said later. Kipp, though, was at the top of his game. On the 13th lap, Kipp got by Smith and started to close on Hale. On the 18th lap, Kipp shot up the inside of Hale heading into turn one, a right-hander at the end of the drag strip. He couldn't make the pass stick, however, as he drifted wide on the exit, allowing Hale to come back underneath. But that would be the last time that Kipp's turn-one exploits would fail. It would work a lap later. And then again. This time it was Picotte who served as the victim going into turn one on the 20th lap. Kipp then moved up to the rear of DuHamel, but he didn't have enough to beat the Honda rider. Oh, Canada M uzzy Kawasaki's Steve Crevier (right> earned his first-ever AMA Superbike pole position as he lead a 1-2-3 performance by Canadians during qualifying for the eighth round of the AMA Superbike National Championship at Gateway International Raceway. There weren't many in the paddock who weren't happy for Crevier, including those he topped to take his first-ever pole position - most notably the man he squeaked by at the very end to snatch the pole, Pascal Picotte. "I'm really happy for Steve after all these years," Picotte said. Crevier's fast lap came very late in the session, after a few blunders. '1t was so hot, I waited a while to go out," Crevier said. "I had a hard-compound tire on and one-tooth-shorter gearing. Then the temperature gauge fell out and then the whole cluster broke off. It was all lying in the fairing. 1 came in and took one tooth off the rear. There was six minutes left in the session so I went out to pop off a good time. Then my willy started getting wet; fuel was splashing on my crotch area. I got a gas cap and got four more la.ps. On the last lap I got a good drive and 1 think that's what got our time. I'm really happy." With Crevier's lap of 1:29.919 leading the way, his teammate Picotte was just off the mark with a 1:29.948 - and it was Crevier who may have ruined Picotte's chance for a better lap. Crevier came out of the pits and went right in front of Picotte who was on a ~~ . "It was my last lap," Picotte said, smiling at his teammate. "I had to slow down - he was right in the racing line. I knew I was able to do a 29 - that was my goal. I just need three qualifying tires every weekend." Not surprisingly, it was Miguel DuHamel who was third quickest, turning in a 1:29.970. The French Canadian would have liked to have earned pole position· just to get the extra championship point that goes along with it. HI was really disappointed," DuHamel said. "Maybe I was a little too confident. I . took it easy and waited, and I couldn't put the laps together. I crashed but didn't do any damage when I finally went out - as it turns out I needed those lost minutes. It cost us the pole. You won't see us wait for 13 minutes in pit lane again." Three Canadians on the front row. It led many to believe that Gateway must resemble race tracks in Canada. "1 told my dad, 'it's bumpier tI\an bumpy,' "Crevier said. '1t's a typical Canadian race track. It's a lot like Westwood - bumpy and technical. Getting pole means a lot to me, but I don't get too emotional. But 1 think if you see me win a Superbike National you'll see me get emotional." The front row would be filled by Vance & Hines Yamaha's Tom Kipp: "I did my qualifying time on my race setup:' Kipp said. '1 was basically saving myself for my supersport race. I wanted to have at least 20 minutes between qualifying and my race. 1 just came in and cooled down, put my feet in ice. 1 think I very well could have taken pole. I think we'll do 31-flats in the race. Passing will be a problem. I've sat for half a lap trying to get past riders." The second row was led by Fast By Ferraro's Freddie Spencer, just dear of Smokin' Joe's championship-leading Mike Hale, Ferracci's Mike Smith and Vance & Hines Yamaha's Jamie James, a questionable starter after a practice crash. '1 can go faster:' Hale said. '1' d like to have the bike a little better; it could be better in the rough stuff. We had some problems with mechanical stuff that cost us some time on Friday. ['m thinking about the championship, but 1 want to win every race I go to. I might have played it a little easy in the middle part of the season, but I had to with the injury (Hale suffered broken ribs during practice at New Hampshire International Speedway). It's a fight to the end now; it's time to win races again." Former Gateway lap record holder Tray Batey would lead row three in what would be his first outing on a superbike. "I've been coming here for three or four years when they pay Suzuki money," Batey explained. "It's about five hours from home. I don't have a whole lot of superbike experience, but the bike feels pretty good. You can lean over more and get more out of it. At the star! of the weekend, 1 couldn't go faster than what I did on my Superstock bike." The factory Suzukis, meanwhile, were struggling. Fred Merkel was the first of the two Yoshimura Suzukis, qualifying next to Batey on the third row. Thomas Stevens would end up 13th. '11's a lot of work:' Merkel explained. '1t' 5 a tiger by the tail out here. Top three in the championship - that's what I've been going for. That would be quite an achievement."

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