Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

The U.S. Round of the World Superbike Championship ast year three riders fought for the lead in each of the two World Superbike legs at Laguna Seca Raceway. This year there could easily be six, maybe seven, scrapping until the very end. The first-ever World Superbike round at Laguna featured tremendous ba ttles in both races, wi th Miguel DuHamel and his Smokin' Joe's Honda mixing it up with Australian's Anthony Gobert and Troy Corser in the first leg, and Texan Mike Hale taking up where DuHamel left off in the second race. When push came to shove, Muzzy Kawasaki's Gobert and Promotor Ducati's Corser had a bit on their AMA Superbike counterparts, but only just. Corser and Gobert split race wins, but both times out they were pressured by the upstarts from the AMA series with DuHamel and Hale recording a pair of third-place finishes. Based on their efforts of a year ago at Laguna Seca, Corser and Gobert have to be considered favorites again as the series returns to the hills of Monterey, California, for a second successive year. But this time the challenge will come from a bigger variety of World Superbike riders. And the AMA Superbike riders coUld easily present an even bigger challenge than they did a season ago. Ducati Corse's John Kocinski has won races at Laguna Seca in the past, including a 500 and 250cc Grand Prix. New surface =la records E xpect the lap times at Laguna Sea Raceway to drop - dramatically - during the World Superbike round on July 19-21. The reason? The best riders in the world on the best Superbikes in the world - but also because of a completely repaved 2.238-mile Laguna Sea race track. For the first time in over 15 years, the entire race track at Laguna Seca has been resurfaced. The work began on May 2, used some 3400 tons of asphalt, and cost $750,000. Laguna Sea turned to Bob Harrington, who was the proje<:t manager for the resurfacing of Michigan International Speedway and several other Penske paving projects, for guidance in getting the job done and it was agreed upon that slag would be used along with a state-ofthe-art polymer additive to get the most out of the new surface. "The project went off like clockwork," said Scott Atherton, General Manager of Laguna Seca said. "The asphalt mix we're using is unique and tricky to work with, but the finished product is outstanding. The track will cure for over a month with nothing on it, then we'll be ready to go racing and break some records." (Top) Hot action, World Superblke style. (Above) John Koclnsklle8ds the Amerk:an contingent of World Superblke racers to their home rounel .•t Laguna Sees. (Left) Troy Corser comes to Laguna ss the hottest rider In the series, with four race wins. He considers it his home track, and he'd like nothing better than to win there again. Kocinski will be joined by his young teammate Neil Hodgson, the Brit suffering an up-and-down year thus far after missing races due to injury. Last year, Castrol Honda's Aaron Slight struggled badly at Laguna. This year he can't afford to do so again as he enters the event with the lead in the World Championship. ]£ he intends to keep it, he'll need a strong effort in California. Then there's Carl Fogarty. Seemingly hell-bent on proving that he can win on anything, the Brit has thus far proven his doubters wrong. Fogarty won two World Championships on factory Ducatis, but it was the bike, the skeptics said. This year he is in the hunt again. And this year he is doing it on a Castrol Honda. So much for the argument that it was the Ducati that won those titles, only bringing Fogarty along for the ride. Fogarty had his worst performance of the season last year at Laguna. Look for that to change on July 21. . Although Hale was a factor at laguna last year, this year he has done nothing but struggle since taking the number-two ride on the Promotor DucatL If Hale is to right the ship, . Laguna would be a good place for him to do so. After all, at least he is finally visiting a familiar race track and that should allow him more time to work on the things that have thwarted his efforts thus far - setting up the stillunfamiliar Ducati. Another who still hasn't won a World Superbike race is Colin Edwards Il, but the young Texan is getting closer all the time. Hampered with perhaps the least competitive of the factory bikes, Edwards has proven his worth as a rider by continually putting the somewhat dated factory Yamaha near the front of the pack. Last year he said he tried too hard to be successful at his home round, but finished both races well off the pace. This year things could be different. There'd be no better place for Edwards to finally crack the World Superbike nut than at Laguna Seca. Although Gobert garners the most attention, it is Kiwi Simon Crafar who is actually haVing the best year on the Muzzy Kawasaki team. Although he hasn't won a race yet (Gobert did, only to be disqualified for illegal carburetor modifications), Crafar has parlayed top finishes into a consistent season that places him in the top 10 in the World Championship. Crafar could be a surprise at Laguna Last year, Pier-Francesco Chili crashed out at Laguna Seca, but the Italian has proven over and over that he has what it takes to win on the World Superbike level. And he did so again only a few weeks ago in the Italian round at Monza. The Suzuki World Superbike team will make its American debut with riders Kirk McCarthy and John Reynolds. The team has had a tough go of it so far in 1996 as they struggle to get the new Suzuki GSXR750 up to speed on the world level. Hale, Edwards and Kocinski are the only Americans in the series. But they won't be the only Americans at Laguna Seca. With the exception of the Japanese round, no other country provides such a local challenge to the top brass as the AMA regulars do when the series comes stateside. Although French Canadian Miguel DuHamel will obviously provide the biggest challenge again, he won't be alone. Back in May, Muzzy Kawasaki's Doug Chandler ran with DuHamel throughout the ational until the Honda rider crashed with only two

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