Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

.ROAD RACE. Series Final round: Daytona International Speedway NASB tlnlimited Sports Challel1ge hay bale near the starter. The second wave never moved. And on the fourth try they went, and went hard. Gibbs was first to run at the front of the pack, then Bronson, and Gibbs again.By the halfway point there was a sixrider freight train pulling away, Gibbs in front, then Weichel who threatened to break the draft on the west banking, only to be reeled in at the chicane. Weichel was in front exiting the chicane, but by the time they got to tum one it was the Sudco Kawasaki of Kevin Rentzell at the point. His tenure, however, was short. On the exit from the fast left-hand kink; Rentzell ran wide, riding along in the grass next to the track before tumbling to a stop. "I wanted to break away and I went in and pinched it too tight and hi t one of the pegs," RentzeU said. He was quickly up, unhurt, but the race went on without him and with Krebs taking over the lead. It was about now that Bostrom felt compelled to act. "When it came down to about the seventh lap I figured I n.eeded to get back up front," Bostrum said. "I moved up in front and I just decided to lead through the chicane and I tried to haul butt through there and 1 about went off into the grass." By then it was the final lap, and Krebs was back out front, taking over from Bronson who'd led on the ninth twin' evin an By Henny Ray Abrams DAYTO ABEACH, FL, OCT. 22 his one wasn't much of a contest. Sudco's Kevin Rentzel! powered away to an impressive win in the Unlimited Sports Challenge at Daytona International Speedway. Starting from the pole position after winning his heat race, RentzeJl and his Suzuki GSXRllOO weren't perfect, but it was hard to tell since no one came near him from the third lap on. Rentzell said he'd had electrical problems, but had gotten some help from Valvoline Suzuki's Chuck Graves. "Chuck Graves gave us a black box, plug caps, all kinds of electrical stuff and it still had a low-end misfire," Rentzell said. "It was almost like a turbo the way it would come in, but it was a lot better. We also ran a harder tire this time - a Daytona tire. We used a tandard tire this morning and it greased up a bit." When the curtain fell on the sevenlap, 24.92-mile race, RentzeU was 8.019 seconds in front of West Coast M/C's Kawasaki-mounted Floridian James Bronson. "It was a great run. Last time I was here in Daytona I was on the podium, and it sure feels good to be back," Rentzell said. Behind Bronson came Anthony John- .. son, Ohlstein Motorsports' Seth Hahn closing in on him, both well in front of Hooksett Kawasaki's Russell Katzenberger, whose fifth-place finish earned him the class title. Katzenberger finished the four-race series with 82 points, 15 more than Rentzel!. New York Motorcycle's Eric Gulbransen, seventh today, finished third with 59. Rentzell and Bronson made a clean break from the very start and Ren tzell was on his own by the end of the second lap. "We changed gearing this race to get up there with Kevin," Bronson said, but it didn't work. By the fourth of seven laps RentzelJ had better than five seconds and the outcome was secure. Second was similarly decided. Though Bronson couldn't match RentzeIl, he was a solid second and pulled away from third almost as quickly as he was losing Rentzell. He would say after the race that he was having shock problems, but "overall it was a great run." Johnsonled Hahn and Katzenberger on the second lap and third and some part of everyone to the finish. Hahn closed on the brakes into the chicane on the final lap, but Johnson was able to hold him off at the flag for third. "We had a little bit of a horsepower advantage over Seth (Hahn)," Johnson said. "Seth is really quick through the I learned a lot by riding there ,....,, infield. him. behind $.< Katzenberger had lost touch with the OJ leaders about two laps to go, though he w'!s too far ahead for anyone to chalOJ lenge him for fifth. :> Shane Prieto moved o bransen on the final lap by Eric Gulto take over Z sixth with John Madden a close eighth and Sean Gopp just losing out to Marco Martinez. c:N T E 8 (Above) Kevin Rentzell (48) was a runaway winner In the Unlimited Sports Challenge race at Daytona. (Right) Brian Gibbs (25) leads eventual winner Kevin Krebs (17) and a host of others In the 600cc class. Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach. Florida Results: October 22, 1995 UNLIMITED SPORT CHALLENGE, I. Kev;n Rentzell (Suz); 2. James Bronson (Kaw); 3. Anthony Johnson (Suz); 4. Seth Hahn ·(Suz); 5. Russell Katzenberger (Kaw); 6. Shane Prieto (Kaw); 7. E.tic Gulbransen (Kaw); 8. John Madden (Suz); 9. Marco Martinez (Suz); 10, Sean Goff (Kaw); 11. Steve Reker (Kaw); 12. Brett Metzger (Hon); 13. Eugene Ashworth (Kaw); 14. Rick Narup (Hon); 15. Boyd Hedstrom (Kaw)i 16. Myron Groening (Suz); 17. Kelly La Count (Yam); 18. Patrick Weekley (Yam); 19. Joseph L.eclunan (Kaw); 20. Jamie Brandenburg (Yam); 21. Devin Battley (Yam); 22. William Lee (Suz); 23. Sean Ryao (Hon); 24. Jeffrey Carr (Yam); 25. Shawn Rank (Kaw). Time: 14:32.180 mins. DWancc:: 7 laps. 24.92 &niles. Average speed: 102.589 mph. Margin of Yidoty: 8.019 sees. FINAL UNLIMITED SPORT CHALLENGE C'SHlP POINT STANDINGS (After 4 of 4 rounds): 1. Russell Katzenberger (82); 2. Kevin Rentzell (67/1 win); 3. Eric Gulbransen (S9/1~ 4. Seth Haho (58); S. Brett Metzger (45); 6. Boyd Hedstrom (44); 7. (TIE) Boyd R£ese/ Aaron Yates (35/1); 9. (TIE) James Bronson}Shawn Conrad (32); 11. (TIE) Anthony Johnson/Rick Breuer/David McGrath (30); 14. (TIE) Geoe Church/David Cote (28); 16. (TIE) Ron Foye/Earl Halford (26); 18. (TIE) Greg Kropp/Tommy Dryeson/Shane Prieto (25). ESC Brakes American Sportbike 5eries Krebs bya whisker By Henny Ray Abrams DAYTONA BEACH, FL, OCT. 22 t took four tries to get it started, but once running, the EBC Brakes American Sportbike race was a corker. Sixwide down the backstraight on the final lap, the race was won in a photo finish by Chicago Performance Racing's Ken Krebs by the slimmest measurable margin - 0.001 second. "Everybody was going every which way and there were about 10 of us who could've won it," the Kawasaki ZX-6 I equipped Krebs said after beating Ben BostTom across the stripe. ''I'm just thankful I came out of it ahead." Bartel's Harley-Davidson's Honda CBR600 mounted Bostrom said, "it was a cat-and-mouse game, just waiting and counting laps and hanging back and watching these guys do battle. I was saying, 'They're crazy...• Crossing the line in quick succession were Hyd-Mech Saws/4&6 Cycles Kawasaki's Owen Weichel, Roswell Fun Machines Honda's Brian Gibbs, West Coast M/C's James Bronson, and Honda Canada's Jeff Williams. Well behind the lead six came Hooksett Kawasaki's RusselJ Katzenberger, his seventh-place finish good enough to take the class title. Katzenberger finished the four-race series with 91 points, 21 better than Shane Clarke, a no-show today. Gibbs was third with 56. Krebs completed the la-lap, 35.6-mile race in 20 minutes, 15.190 seconds at an average speed of 105.465 mph. The first try at starting the race ended with a crash in the International Horseshoe, bringing out the first red flag on the first lap. The second try lasted until the fourth lap when Thomas Hutchins crashed in the West End Horseshoe, landing on the track and bringing both a red flag and an ambulance. The third try ended at the start line, Jim Lester running wide on· the start and clipping a lap, though the order was shuffling constantly, especially out of the draft and on the brakes. Six-wide on the backstretch on the final lap, Krebs went in, in third place, but carne out in the righ.t spot and drafted his way to a victory. "Going into the chicane, the way I saw it was that I was in third place, but I learned a lot in that last (heat) race when I went into the chicane second and was relegated to fourth. I learned not to outbrake 'em going into the chicane," Krebs said. "I learned you need to get a good drive out of the chicane, draft 'em and hopefulJy you win. I didn't know I'd won until I saw the checkered flag. I haven't experienced anything like this. I was at Road Atlanta once and I thought that might be similar, but Daytona is unique. There's no other track like it." Weichel was a shadow third and knew that, despite his breaking away at one point, there was no way he could getaway. "I got out on those restarts and saw there was no way to break loose from those guys," Weichel said. "It was very diificuIt for me to draft and slingshot one rider: I could only do it if there was more than one bike. I'm just fortunate to be here in Victory Lane." Gibbs beat Bronson and Williams to the finish, Katzenberger well back and in no danger of being caught from

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