Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Ammann (1,46.676); 34. Richard Shaw (1'47.079); 35. Stevie Patterson (N7.371); 36. David Roy (H7.42S); 37. Pablo Real (1,47.878); 38. Dean Mizdal (1,47.906); 39. Frank Wilson (1,48.045~ 40. Mark Junge (1,48.376); 41. Daniel Bailey (N9.149); 42. Peter Hupperich (1,49.288); 43. Mike Walsh (H9.508); 44. James Dickenson (1,so.4OO) SUPERBIKE FINAL,!. Doug Chandler (Kaw); 2. Matt Mladin (Suz); 3. Mlguel DuHamel (Hon); 4. Aarcm Vates (Suz); 5. Thomas Wilson (H-D); 6. Larry Pegram (Due); 7. Steve Crevier (Hon); 8. Doug Polen (Suz); 9. Tom IGpp (Yam); 10. Pascal Picotte (Suz); 11. Jamie James (Yam); 12. Shawn Higbee'(Due); 13. Mike Smith (Kaw); 14. Calvin Raybom DI (H-D); 15. Mark Miller (Suz); 16. Dale Kieffer (Suz); 17. Michael Ta.ylor (}(aw); 18. Ricky Orlando (Suz); 19. Rod Greaves (Suz); 20. Frank Wilson (Suz); 21. James Randolph (Suz); 22. Mike Sullivan (Yam); 23. Dax Snow (Sulo); 24. Pablo Real (Duc); 25. Eric Moe (Kaw); 26. Dean Mil.dal (Yam); 27. Arthur Ammann (Suz); 28. David IGefler (Due); 29. Peter Hupperich (Suz); 30. Richard Shaw (Vam); 31. Chris Carr (H-D); 32. John Hillon Jr. (Hon); 33. David Roy (Suz); 34. Tripp Nobles (H-D); 35. David Estok (Due); 36. AI Salavetria (H-D). Doug Chandler (center) holds up the number one plate while Mladin and DuHamel watch. Time: 41 min., 17.407 sec. Distance: 25 laps. 62 miles. A ver:age Speed: 90.094 mph.. Margin of Victory: 22.285 sec. FINAL SUPERBlKE NAT"L C"SHIP POINT STANDINGS {After 10 of 10 rounds),!. Doug Chandler (287/2 wins~ 2. Miguel DuHamel (282/4); 3. Tom IGpp (258); 4. Mal Mladin (257); 5. Pascal Picotte (243/1); 6. Aaron Vates (210/1); 7. Larry Pegram (198)' 8. Shawn Higbee (182); 9. Thomas Wilson (179); 10. Steve Crevier (173); 11. ~ Smith (148); 12. Chris Carr (136); 13. Mark Miller (134); 14. James Randolph (132); 15. AI Salavetria (123); 16. Alessandro Gramigni (121/2); 17. Jamie James (109); 18. Dave Estok (97); 19. Frank Wilson (86); 20. Eric Moe (84). B·rieflv·. ... ._. Auiwalia~ Mat Mladln: who finished second in the AMA' Superbike N'!tional for the second' time in a.s many races 'on his. Yoshimura Suzoki. said h'e will ride. a F~st By F~rracci Ducat! in the 1997 AMA Superbike National Championship. He was pianning to break the news to "the Yoshimura' Suzuki team shortly after the Nationai 'at Las Vegas. Motor Speedway. Larry Pegram also is hoping. to secure his spot 'again with the Eraldo Ferracciowned Ducati team. "I think I'm staying' here: Pegram said. "I liave a verbal agreement - at least!. did before the start cif the race." Pegram finished sixth after haVing tire and engine troubles in the National. . Even with the departure of Mladin. Yoshimura Suz~ki still has two riders for 1997.. Pascal Picotte will be in the second year of a two-year contract a-nd Aa,...n Yates recently inked a deal that will see him in the superbike and 6.oocc Supersport class io '97 .. There also is considerable talk that Suzuki won't field factory bikes in the 750cc Supersport class next year, instead leaving it to privateer Suzuki riders who have haa a great deal of success on the new Suzuki GSXA750. Rob Muzzy also made the official announcement at Las Vegas that he will no longer be involved with Kawasaki"s World Superbike effort. "My commitment here is to further develop our motorcycle as it has been in the past." Muzzy said. "·It's a real relief to me not to be going back to World'Superbike racing. I'm looking forward to the new cliallenge of developing products here again. -I'll be a lot more i.nvolved than I have been." With Doug Chandler having a second year on his two-year c,ontract, Muzzy's number-one.rider is'firmly in place. The nurpbertwo spot will be decided upon shortly. Muzzy said. Kinko's Kawasaki"s Thomas Stevens is a "favorite to get the ride'and was scheduied to ride the Muzzy superbike 'on Monday after the race. "Thomas will make some laps on the bike." .Muzzy said. "i thou9ht he'd like to see what'a Kawasaki superbike is liKe. it's not a test. ii's just an opportunity .for him to'see what he thinks."· "I want to race." said James after finishing 11th. in th!, season replica he'lI be selling. next year. Er.aldo Ferracci'confirm~d at las finale. - I've' been at this a long' time and at this stage rd. want to' · Vegas that he'd be there with' Larry Pegram 'and Shawn Higbee. Ferracci also' said that he was very close to announcing .his rillers cpme back with a certain. position. I.th)nk I can contribute to a top for 1997 .." About three 'or four weeks.: he said ..·though ifs team. I know. I can help out with the' bike because this Yamaha is a iqt better tban it.was.when I'got her.e. "I've got a lot of experi"nce. known that .Mat Mladin is one of the two .ride,.. and that he has a and I want to help somebody.·1 can still get the JOD done..This last · ver:bal' contract 'with Larry Pegram.' He also said that Alessandro year here there just wasn'.t a lot of excitement. Some of that was' Gramign", who. won two races for Feriacci this year. will not be back. 'next year and he wasn't bro.u.ght to Vegas. "This is the lasi my fault with my injuries· ;md stuff. but the morale just goes down and it's like yOu're just there. I need something new to see' how. chances these guys -aytona foliowing the NASB fall weekend. few":'leeks. Deja vu: For Doug Polen things ware starting to take on an identical pattern to the disaster th~t was his Se~rs Point NatiOnal when he arrived at Las Vegas. Motor Speedway. :1 was fastest in the morning, fastest iri the afternoon until the last lap and it was Thomas Wilson going faster again. I thought, 'Oh, no.-this is just like Sears Point.' This morning I just went out and tried some stuff and just cruised." Sears Point had a similar pattem, but Polen was rear-ended by James Randolph Saturday morning imd his bike was destroyed. The following' day. Polen crashed his bike in the morning warmup and it caught fire. forcing him to miss the Nation- . al. Things went" better for Polen in Vegas. however. as he rode to an eighth-place finish in the National. For ttiose who thought that the Pomona round of the AMA Superbike Nationai Championship. would possibly be.placed in the April TBA date on the current 1997 schedule. forget about it. No AMA National road race will be held at Pomona in '97. according to AMA road race manager Ron Barrick. "lfs totally out." Barrick said. "We couldn't reaoh a satisfactory agreement." .Bamck said there is a strong possibility that the TBA date in September wili be' filled. but "I can't say about the early one at this point." The return of the 125c'; GP class:. The(e is a possibility that the 12·5cc Grand Prix class will return to the 'series in' 1.997 after a one-year hiatus: according to Ron Barrick. After seeing a number of tire failures at Las Vegas. Dunlop's Jim Alien said that Dunlop wouid be bUilding a special tire just for this track next year. "We're going to- have to order a special tire · for next year." Alien said. Because of the. track· s layout wtu'ch has a greater nomber of high-speed left-hand turns. the tire is overstressed on that side ana most of the top runners had some kind of tire problem. "Let's put it this way. we can get better performance for this race," Allen added. Formula Xtreme, the new format for large-bore production bikes,. is drawing mixed reviews frpm 'the established SuperTeam competitors. Erion' Racing's Kevin. Erion said he thought he would be competing, but was awaiting word from Honda on his budget for 1997. "I really don't know until I have budget: Erion said at Las Vegas. "Honda tells me what they want me to do." Erion also said that his decision on fielding riders in the 600cc Supersport class was dependent on his budget. Mota liberty's' Sam Yamashita was less !,nthused about the sWitch from SuperTeams. "I dori't want to run it. but Horida wants me to run it: Yamashita said. As for running a superbike. Yamashita said. "' don't think it's time to go superbike next ye!'r because next year is the last year for the RC45." The 'most enthusiastic ·backer of the class is EBSCO Indus.tries Landers S~vier. Sevier said: "II" the class exists. we·li· be there to' kick ass. We want to shift the. money to where the money and TV time are." He expressed Same concem · that the cla:ss wouid, indeed,. be part qf the AMA prograrp for · 1997. but AMA road race manager Ron Barrick puts those doubts to rest. "We want to· see the big bikes out there. - he said. Barrick also said that the rules. were stili being discussed and that the only thing that was 'pretty firm" was a 375-pound weight limit. Other than that. he said that there. "weren't going to be any dramatic sweeping changes. 'We're n.ot going to do .anything that would make the curre·nt teams dump their machines and start fresh.: . a to. .iocal journalist tried to prob'e into the .Doug. Chandler/Miguel DuHamel relationship' in the media o€mter at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. but a hate/hate relationship is far from accurate. "We don't hang out together. but I get along with. him," Chandler told the reporter. "He·s o~ay. At thi> tire test we Muzzy also said he'd heard' the rumors that his Worlo Superbike .. did a couple of weeks ago we all went out - the Honda and rider Anthony Gobert had signed a contract with Lucky Strike Kawasaki guys - and drove go-karts together. Still, we·re. not.budSuzuki's Grand Prix t!,am for the coming year. "ContracllJally. dies. We're a little different. He's loud and I'm,quiet. I (ike him. he'lI have to show us something from. a doctor for him not to noe and he's a hell of a rider. " . at Phillip Island took the from the Sears Point r

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