Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127793
On the fourth lap, Chandler blasted his way around the third Ferracci bike, and it was on the fourth lap that Eric Wood's Kawasaki caught fire on the front straightaway. When the pack came around to put five laps in the books, they were greeted with a plume of extinguisher powder that blinded them as they stormed through it. Gramigni actually raised his hand and slowed, thinking that a red flag would be thrown. The powder quickly went away, however, and the racing continued. But not for Pegram. The primary gear was broken on the factory Ducati as he crossed the stripe after the fifth lap, and his race was over. "1 was just following him (Gramigni)," Pegram said later. "1 didn't have any reason to pass him that early. We were getting away pretty good. 1 went for a shift and there was nothing." By this point, Gramigni led Chandler - who had moved around "DuHamel when the latter slowed slightly for the powder storm - by two seconds, despite doing his slowe$t lap of the race, a 1:43. . From there, Gramigni continued to pull away. . Chandler, too, started to pull clear, though DuHamel said later that was at least partially due to the fact that he could see liquid spraying from the rear of the Kawasaki. "1 was behind Doug (Chandler) and 1 could see stuff spraying out," DuHamel explained later. "1 wasn't sure if it was water or oil, but 1 thought 1 could smell oil. I was trying to be safe, but not let him get away. 1 mean, the bike might make it to the end - you never know. 1 wasn't too sure what was going on there, but every time he downshifted smoke was coming out. 1 was thinking a ton of things, but as it turns out his bike was really sick. 1 didn't want to be too close to him and having this same conversa tion after being on the ground, 'Well, 1 knew there was oil coming out and 1 was following and cljashed in it.' 1 was using different lines and trying to keep him in sight and maybe go by him. I couldn't get the 'confidence to just throw it in there with smoke and stuff coming out. 1 mean my shield was completely covered, my first tear-off. He came out of one, put his hand up and that was it." On the ninth lap, Chandler's race came to an abrupt end when the Kawasaki lost power in turns one and two, the Caljfornian nursing it back to the pits. A disappointed Chandler walked back to the Muzzy truck, dressed and promptly left the race track ior a flight back to California. With Chandler suddenly out, Gramigni had 3.6 seconds on DuHamel after nine complete laps. But DuHamel was being caught ever so slightly by those battling behind him - Mladin and Kipp. By the 13th of 21 laps, the three were together with Mladin leading the group on laps 15, 16 and 17 before giving way to Kipp for a lap, and then DuHamel again. It came down to the finai lap. Kjpp drafted by going into turn one only to have DuHamel move back around in tum two. From there the French Canadian was able to hold his line to lead the other two back to the finish line, claiming second place and the championship points lead in the process. "1 was taking it easy (after Chandler went out)," DuHamel said. "I didn't want to be an idiot. Alessandro was riding really well and to catch him 1 would have had to dde really hard. Sometimes you feel real comfortable and the next thing you know you're on the ground. So 1just rode easy for a few laps and just (Above) Miguel DuHamel (1) and Doug Chandler (10) were close early in the race. Chandler moved around the defending National Champion before a mechanical failure knocked him out of the race and possibly the championship. (Right) Mat Mladin (66) finished fourth behind DuHamel (1) and Tom Klpp (16). tried to keep him in sight. After that, the rear end was sliding so 1 said, 'Okay, I don't want to push it.' Going into the chicane 1 stopped downshifting it. 1 didn't want to rev it too much because 1 was starting to hear noises. 1 just decided to go for second. Tommy (Kjpp) was riding really well, much better than the other riders through the infield section of this race track. So when he got in front he actually surprised me a bit. So 1 said, 'Okay, I've got to go a bit faster.' 1 picked it up and. we got in a Httle race there for second place." Kipp led Mladin across the finjsh line, with second through fourth separated by only 0.451 second. "It was a good race," Kjpp said later. "1 was able to catch the draft going into tum one, but 1 could never get the drive out of turn two that 1 needed. 50 that was Miguel's primary repassing spot, going into turn three. My bike was working great in the infield and I could always catch back up. On the last lap there were a lot of close opportunities to pass, but there was a lot at stake and there's stiU two races left. We're tickled because we had so much catching up to do and I'm happy to be back where we're at. We qualified 12th yesterday and 1 was giving it everything I had. We made some pretty big changes this morning. more or less educated guesses on what the bike needed. We spent a lot of time on the computer last night and a lot of time on the computer this morning and 1 think we made all the right decisions. We changed like five things, which is'a lot. On the first start 1 was back there in like 10th; 1 wasn't going to get up there from back there. So the restart was a real blessing for us." Then came Smith in fifth, an additional three seconds back, matching his best finishes of the year at Laguna Seca in April an_d Homestead in May. The Georgian ran the race alone, not quite able to get to the group in front of him but happy to have finjghed well. "It went real good," Smith said. "1 ~ 0\ T"'"'l 7