Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ROAD RACE.' North American Sport BIke S8rjes on the ninth lap, lost the front end in the first tum on the final lap and low-sided on the exit, leaving it up to the lead three to battle it out. "At the halfway flag I put my head down and tried to make a break," McGrath, who did gain an edge at one point, though not a significant one, said. "I had a hairy slide and then they caught me. We all went three abreast into (tum) one. I got through turn one and one-A clean and confident and then it kind of caught me out. It slipped and I couldn't save it." "As hot as it was, it looked like he was getting away but I just didn't see that bike going that fast for that many laps - and it looked like it just snuck up and bit him," Nobles said. Though he was in second place when McGrath fell, the victory was in no way guaranteed. What was on his side was that he wasn't in the championship chase and Zampach was, and that allowed the "ZMan" the luxury of not having to take any unnecessary risks. "I'm really concentrating on the championship," Zarnpach said after his second second-place finish in a row. "I put in a strong effort in the first half 0 the season and won three events. I'm running up front, but I know points are where it's at for me. I wanted to win real well, but I sure didn't want to take out my buddy Tripp on the last lap." What caused Zampach even more concern was a dodgy front end. "The Triumphs work terrific but they get a little front end chatter going. A couple of times I chattered the front and almost fell," HMC Hansen Racing's Zarnpach said. "McGrath went into two and lost the front and it spookl'd me a little." It may have, but not enough to make Zampach cede second place to the charging Shawn Conrad. Conrad had led the race for the first three I aps before dropping to second, then settling into fourth on the fifth lap. At times he looked like he was losing touch with the leaders, but he always managed to catch back up with them and did so right up to the final lap when McGrath's spill put him on the podium. "McGrath made a mistake around that corner and gave me a gift. I've given away a few of those gifts myself," Hansen Motorcycles' Conrad said. "When I was just riding up front with these guys, 1 noticed 1 was riding a lot better, a lot more mature. I thought I'd just sit back after I lost the lead and see what developed and if I got an opportunity to take advantage of it... I wanted to stay back and conserve my tires and let everything pan out and smooth out. On the same token, I'd catch them going in (turn) one:but they were jockeying for postion and I was getting caught in the wrong place so I'd stay behind them. 1 tried showing Tripp a wheel a couple of times and he'd close the door on me in the back section and the guys were a lot faster than me on the back straight and that last turn." With two races to go, Zampach remains in the lead, holding a 23-point lead, 192-169, on James Hanrahan, ninth today. Behind the lead trio was a very p,ocessional race with only four other finishers, Enfield Motorsports John Scheehser finishing fourth. Portland Intematlonal Raceway PorUand, Oregon Resub: August 11, 1996 (Round 6 of 9) MOBIL 1 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE CHALLENGE: 1. Tripp abIes. 2. Scott Zamp.ch; 3. Shawn Conrad; 4. John Scheehser; 5. Michael _ Round 6: Portland International Raceway (Right) MlItt We" (95), won 1he TwtnSporm nICe by"" lhIIn e MCOnd In front of Ben Bostrom (8) and OlIVe Estok (12)."- Walt's fourth victory of 1he S8lI8On. (Below) Masehlro Ilzuka rode to sno1her 125 GP victory, though this time the margin of victory was under a ha"second. Fitzpatrick; 6. Benjamin Welch; 7. Michael Gage; B. David McGr3th; 9. James Hanrahan. Time.: 16 min.. 22.094 sec. Distance: 13 laps. 23.4 miles. Av....g. Speed: 91.256 mph- Movgin of Vidory: 0.115 sec. MOBIL 1 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE CHALLENGE C'SHIP SERIES POINT STANDINGS (Aft.r 6 of 9 rounds): I. Scott Zampach (192/3 wins); 2. James Hanrahan (169/1~ 3. Michael Fitzpatnck (147); 4. O.vid McGrath (145); 5. lohn Scheehser (144); 6. Sh.wn Conrad (141); 7. Tripp Nobles (134/2); 8. Benjamin Welch (127); 9. Rkk Kirk (116~ 10. Michael Gage (96); 11. Thomas Murr.y (86); 12. WilIi.m Whit. (84); 13. Dovin BatUey (68); a. Ty How.rd (64); 15. Ray Hixon (39); 16. Thom.s Fourru.r (37); 17. Blain. P.ulus (33); 18. (TlE) Rkk Sh.w /D.vid Hull/ Adam Lewis (32). Upcoming Rounds: Round 7 - Pocono, Pennsylvania, September 1 Round 8 - Loudon, New H<¥1'lpshire, October 6 NAsa Harley·Davidson TwinSports Series Round 5: Portland International Raceway By Henny Ray Abrams Dave Estok or Ben Bostrom would pass him. It wasn't an enviable spot to be in, not with the finish line at Portland International Raceway well down the long dragstrip front stretch. But Wait upped the pace in the final corners and outsprinted his challengers to the flag, notching his fourth win in five tries, this one by a scant 0.790 second. "They were right on my tail going down the back straightaway but in the last two turns I just wicked it up a lot and got that little gap that 1 needed so that they couldn't draft me at the finish," Wait, who recently turned 20, said. "It worked great." "1 wish they moved the finish line a little farther down," Bostrom said after losing out on second place to Estok. Up until the final lap, it was anyone's race. Though Wait was at the front coming onto the front straight for the final five of nine laps, the lead swapped a couple of times each lap, both Bostrom and Estok taking turns at the front. But on the drive down the arcing back straight, it was always Wait last on the brakes and first into the final left and long, looping right onto the front straight. To win the race meant getting through there as cleanly as possible, hard on the gas, out to the wall, and even that was no guarantee - not with the finish line so far away. "I wanted to be third and get the double draft on the last lap. We were aU about half-throttle on the last lap," Wait said. '1 was sa' 'Come on guys, pass me: but they wouldn't. They didn't want to pass me so I gassed it up at the end." What Wait also said helped him was that in the race prior to the Harley race, EBC Brakes Sportbike, Wait was able to get up to speed on his Honda CBR600 (He finished third). "It helped me out because after I got off the 600 - we're going 30-40 mph faster on the 600. So when 1 hop on the 883 I'm 30-40 mph slower and I'm that much more comfortable, I'm right up to speed, whereas they're ~iding the bike as fast as th.ey can:' Wait said. With the win, Wait solidifies his hold on second place in the point standings, and gives championship leader Scott Zampach of Hansen Motorcycles something to think about. With two races to go, Wait trails Zarnpach by five points, 140-145. Zarnpach finished fourth today in the very sparse field of eight riders, dropping back from the lead trio on the second lap and holding his own without effort. Behind him came Hal's H-D's Todd Evans, he, too, taking his spot in the procession on the second lap and never challenged. In fact, the only drama behind the leaders came on the second lap when Hal's H-D's Brian Gibbs crashed out of fourth place in the final turn Portland Intarnatlonal Raceway Portland, Oregon Resub: August 11, 1996 (Round 5 of 7) HARLEY-DAVlDSON TWINSPORTS: I. M.tt Wait; 2. Dave Estok; 3. Ben Bostrom; 4. Scott Zampach; 5. Todd Evans; 6. Brian Bodine; 7. Mike Wassemiller, 8. Brian Gibbs. Time: 11 min., 56.690 sec. Distance: 9 laps, 162 miles. A ve:rage Speed: 86.573 mph. Margin of Victory. 0.790 sec. RARLEY-DAVlDSON TWlNSPORTS C'SH1P POINT STANDINGS (Altor 5 of 7 rounds): 1. Scott Zamp.ch (l45/1 win); 2. M.tt Wail (140/4); 3. (TIE) Ben Bostrom/Todd Ev.ns (118); 5. Brian Gibbs (106); 6. Brian Bodin. (102); 7. D.ve Estok (92); 8. Brian Conley (74); 9. (TIE) Mich•• 1 Friberg, Elmhurst. IIl./Randy Toxter (66); 11. Roger Hendricks (65); 12. Tripp Nobles (57); 13. Ron McGill (SO); 14. Hikuu Miy.gi (45); 15. Devin Battley (42); 16. Tim Johnson (40); 17. Oarvin Loyd (33); 18. D.ig.ro SuzuJd (29); 19. (TIE) Robbie Hermans/Eric Bostrom (28~ Upcoming Rounds: Round 6 • Pocono, Pennsytvaria, September 1 Round 7 • Loudon, New Hampshire, OCtober 6 ....iiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilii__....iiliiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiii......--~~-.;......;....-

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