Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Lett) Dave Stanton (shown) and Tray Batey gave Team Suzukl Endurance Its 117th consecutive andurance race victory at round eight of the WERA National Endurance Series, held at Memphis Motorsports Complex. (Below left) Joe Prusslano III (shown) and Chris Hughes rode this Arcllght Racing Suzuki to second overall and first In the Heavyweight Supersport class. eye Trans-Cal NationatSeries, Round 1 All hail Holland! By John Sliva' ANDERSON, CA. SEPT. 15 usty Holland raced to a four-moto sweep aboard his Pro Circuit-prepared Kawasakis in the opening round of the 15th annual CMC Sunstar Sprockets Trans-Cal Series at the Shasta County Fairgrounds. Holland's victory in the 12Scc Pro and 250cc Pro classes took place on a tight, technically challenging track laid out in the grass-covered infield of the fairgrounds' paved stock-car oval. Hundreds of the best riders from throughout the West competed in highly changeable weather, including a brief but intense rainstorm, hail and finally warm sunshine. Fortunately, the track held up well and the fans in the covered grandstand stayed dry through it all as they enjoyed the action on the 100-percent viewable track. In the first 125cc Pro moto, Holland launched off the line along with Justin Tiearney, Rick Ryan, Shane Esposito, Jake Windham and Scott Davis. The leaders stayed in a tight pack· until Ryan's familiar number 93 tripled the first jump complex, then pulled ahead with a diving move to the inside of the second turn. The racing was· close until Holland found his way around when Ryan bobbled slightly. Ryan appeared to back off a bit after Holland went by. With Esposito in third, the podium positions were set. The remaining top 10 spots were still up for grabs and Suzuki-mounted Jake Windham and Scott Davis traded paint in a midfield comer. Windham came up the loser in the first contact but battled back to retake fourth with a retaliatory contact stuff pass. Shortly thereafter, Davis was disqualified for seeking revenge in an unsportsman1ike fashion. Once out front, Holland built a comfortable lead which he maintained to the finish, followed by Ryan, Esposito, Tiearney, Windahm, Kenny Lash, Cliff Cook, Tim O'Brian and Keven Buck Jr. Holland blasted out of the hole in moto two; quickly setting the pace for the field, while Tiearney and Ryan battled briefly until Ryan suddenly pulled off the track. "The transm'ssion failed again," a disappointed Ryan said. A similar fate befell the popular Northern California rider during this year's Golden State Series. With his challengers subdued; HoIland roosted on to win over Tiearney, Esposito, Windham and Lash. Although Holland was clearly the man to beat, he was quick to give praise to his formidable competition. "Ryan, Justin Tiearney and Jake Windham, they're all going pretty good - tough competition," Holland said. R WERA National Endurance Series, Round 8 Again! By Aaron Mintz Photos by VIP Photography MEMPHIS,TN, SEPT. 7 ot and muggy weather for the eighth round of the WERA National Endurance Series at the Memphis Motorsports Park didn't stop Tray Batey and Dave Stanton from giving Team Valvoline Suzuki the 117th consecutive Endurance race victory on the number-one plated Heavyweight Superbike. Batey went baUistic right from the start and brought Arclight Racing's Joe Prussiano III, TKO Rayce's Joey Gilleland, .and Bell's Suzuki's Roger Bell in tow behind him. However, by lap-l0 Batey punched out a quarter-mile lead over the pack and Grant Lopez put th Valvoline Suzuki Endurance's 750cc first behind Batey. "The heat is really bad, but the tr,ack is in good shape, so I am able to enjoy the ride," Batey said during the race. "To compensate for the heat and its effect on concentration, we're riding for 45 minutes rather than our usual hour." Second overall a·nd first in the Heavyweight Superstock class went to Arclight Racing's Prussiano and Chris Hughes. Lopez, Jamie Hacking and Josh Hayes on Valvoline Suzuki's second entry took third overall and second in the Heavyweight Superbike class. Lopez took the 750cc Suzuki from 21st place up to seventh by the end of the first lap. In about five laps more, tt Lopez got by Prussiano and Joey Gilleland. Lopez's efforts were equally matched throughout the race by teammates Hacking and Hayes. . "Early in the season I was riding a little too aggressive, maybe trying to prove too much too early and that created some mistakes," Hayes said before the race. "John Ulrich told me I was doing well, and that in order to go faster I need to slow down." However, things began going wrong for the number 34 bike about midrace. A miscue on a gas stop compelled Hayes to bring the bike back into the pits to finish refueling. In the last hour of racing they lost a footpeg and had to sacrifice second overall to Arclight Racing to deal with the problem. Gilleland and John Jacobi of TKO Rayce Team Two took fourth place overall and second in Heavyweight Superstock, one position ahead of TKO Rayce Team's Gregg Blackwell and Dean Hayes in the overall and class standings, Memphis Motoraports Complex Memphis, Tennessee ResultS: SepllImber 7,1996 (Round 8 of 11) OIA, 1. Team Suzuki Endurance (Suz); 2. Ardigh. Racing (Suz); 3. Team Suzuki 1] (Suz); 4. TKO Rayce Team Two (Suz); 5. TKO Rayce Team (Suz). HIW SfBK.: 1. Team Suzuki Endurance (Suz); 2. Team Suzuki II (Suz); 3. Team Bell's (Suz); 4, The Real Team MSSR (Yam); S. Canlon Racittg II (Suz) HIW S/SPRT, 1. Ardigh. Racing (Suz); 2. TKO Rayce Team Two (Suz); 3. TKO Rayce Team (Suz); 4. H&H Racing/RK Motorsports (Suz); 5. Team RPM (Suz). ' . MIW S/SPRT, 1. Team Fury (Kaw); 2. Cyde Speed Racing (Han); 3. SBR (Yam); 4. Triple R Racing (Kaw); 5. Sharkskinz Racing (Yam). MIW SIBK: 1. Plano Honda Endurance (Hon); 2. Team Triad D/Tapeworks (Yam); 3. Anny of Darkness (Yam); 4. Royale Radng (Hon); 5. Team Ten 40 Racmg (Hon) . Upcoming Rounds: Round 9 - College Station, Texas, September B Round 10 • Braselton, Georgia, October 13 "These tracks always make for real tight racing. It's always good racing. "It's a shame about Ryan dropping out," a tongue-in-cheek Holland continued. "Those Yamahas seem to have quite a bit of problems with transmissions,. but maybe he'l! get smart and buy a Kawasaki!" The 250cc Pro class found Holland again battling with Ryan and Tieamey, while Kevin Cordua, Cook and Lash formed a second group dicing for superiority. Holland was brimming with confidence as he blasted into the lead, and was clearly the man to beat. ''I've been hurt for about the last three months," Holland said after his first 250cc moto win. "Actually, this is my first week back. I'm just stoked to be riding." Tiearney holeshot the second 250cc Pro moto and set a blistering pace with Ryan, Lash, Cordua and the rest giving chase. Holland got off to a slow start, and took his time picking his way through the other pros. "Yeah, they gave us enough laps where you could do what you needed to do, take your time and pick guys off when you needed to," Holland said. "I didn't have to push too hard, since I had time to deal with it (the bad start)." Tieamey was still leading at midrace, but Holland was on the gas and closing in quickly. Holland moved steadily toward the front-runners and passed Ryan jus~ past the halfway point. After taking over second, Holland set his sights on Tieamey. In a gutsy move in front of the grandstands, Holland swung wide, then ran inside of Tiearney to steal first away. Holland rode the remaining laps flawlessly to take the win over Tiearney, .Ryan, Cordua, Lash and Cook. The 250cc Intermediate class was a competitive group, paced by Jason Mathews, Scott Johnson, Jesse Bath, Colin Couto and Cory Morais in the first moto. In the second moto, Bath charged off the gate to take the early advantage. "The. key thing was getting the holeshot and then doing the triple on the first lap," Bath said. Morais recovered to chase after Couto, Mathews and Johnson for the top positions. Bath stayed cool, unaware of the mayhem behind him. "I just concentrated on staying smooth, choosing good lines and not giving up the inside line," Bath, who raced to both the moto and overall victory, said. "Stay in front af 'em and win." Couto, Johnson, Morais and Mathews chased .Bath across the finish line to place second through fifth. Shasta County Fairgrounds Anderson, CsIHomla Results: September 15, 1996 (Round 1 of 4) 250 PRO: 1. Rusty Holland (Kaw); 2. Justin Tieamey (Yam); 3. RJck Ryan (Suz); 4. Kevin Cordu. (Han); S. Kenny Lash (Suz) 125 PRO: 1. Rusty Holland (!

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