Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

• .ROAD RACE . North American Superbike series Round 4: New Hampshire International Speedway John Sct.ehser (61) makes his move for the lead In American Sportblke with this pass on Russ Katzenberger, NORTH AMERICAN SUPERBlKE C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (after 8 of 10 rounds): 1. Keith Pinkstaff (178): 2. Pablo Real (174); 3, Tripp Nobles (165); 4, Todd HarringtQn (152); 5. Eric Moe (150); 6. Michael Fitzpatrick (143); 7, Joe Pittman (IDS): 8, Andy Deatherage (103); 9, Damian Weber (91); 10, Rick Shaw (85): 11. Mike Walsh (84); 12, Dale Quarterley (70): 13, Seth Hahn (70); 14, Scott Russell (70); IS, Tray Batey (65); 16, Don Munroe (64); 17, Colin Edwards n (62); 18. Yasutomo Nagai (62); 19. Aaron Yates (56); 20. George Tarrioone (56). Round 3: New Hampshire International Raceway Unlimited Sport Challenge SECONd WiNS By John Flory LOUOON, NH, OCT, 8 he Unlimited Sport Challenge event was combined with the LRRS Unlimited Supersport, making viewing confusing because some of the riders in the race were not entered in the NASB event. And it was, in fact, nonNASB rider Jim Leslie who crossed the finish line first after a race-long battle with Eric Golbransen, who was credited with the win, Seth Hahn put his Ohlstein Motorsports Suzuki GSXR1100 into the lead right off the bat just ahead of Gulbransen on his New York Motorcycles Kawasaki ZX-7 and Leslie on his Te!JIIl Suzuki Sport GSXR750, New Yorker Gulbransen immediately snatched the lead from Hahn in tum three on the first lap, and three turns later Leslie demoted Hahn to third with a classy outside move into turn six. Gulbransen and Leslie disappeared in their own private duel for the lead as Hahn drifted back, being passed for third by Rick Doucette and then becoming embroiled in a struggle for fourth with David Cote, Robert Kessell, Rick Maron, Michael emeth and Russ Katzenberger, Leslie, so sick with the flu that he had dedded not to ride the Superbike races, shadowed Gulbransen closely for several laps until he noticed that his opponent's tires appeared to be going away, GuI\>ransen was bucked out of the seat by a near-high-side in tum seven, and Leslie used it to his advantage with an inside pass going into turn one. "As we went around turn one my chin was resting on his footpeg - it's a good thing I trust him!" exclaimed Gulbransen, "He (Leslie) was right alongside me, maintaining his line perfectly," Gulbransen tried to hang with Leslie despite another near-high-side exiting turn two, and even took a look inside him going into tum six, but Leslie just pulled away and took the overall win, Gulbransen later explained that this was the first time he had been able to race the new Michelin TX15 and TX25 race-compound tires in the dry, and was so excited about it that he forgot to raise the tire pressures from the low settings used in the morning T 11') 0\ 0\ '"""" 11')' N l-< OJ .g ..... o U 20 practice when the track was wet. "They worked great for about four laps and then I started sliding everywhere," said Gulbransen However, since Leslie was not .registered for the NASB portion of the event, the win went to Gulbransen after all. Meanwhile, canny Katzenberger had realized before the event that none of the previous points scorers ill the class were entered - except him. He figured that the points he scored at the Elkhart round combined with points scored here and at the final in Daytona might be enough to give him the championship - despite the fact that he rides a Kawasaki ZX-6R. The ew Hampshire native hung around in ninth until the penultimate lap, Within one lap he dispatched four riders and then went inside Hahn in turn six on the last lap to bring the Hooksett Kawasaki ZX-6R home fourth (which turned out to be second, since neither Leslie nor Doucette were ASB entrants), As a result, Katzenberger leads the Unlimited Supersport standings 52-35 over Aaron Yates and John Reese going into the final round, fN New Hampshire International Raceway Loudon, New Hampshire Resuhs:~ober8,1995 UNLIMITED SPORT CHALLENGE, 1. Eric Gulbransen (Kaw); 2. Russell Katzenberger (!

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