Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ROAD RACE NASB HRC AMERICAN GP BYIDEMITSU Wes Totaubo (60) led the early going In the 125cc GP race. Roland Sands (90), Vicky Jackson-Bell (2) and eventual winner Masahiro lizuka (1) give chase. NAsa HRC American GP by ldemnsu Round 2: Willow Springs Inlemal'l Raceway lizukaby a hair By Mark Hoyer Photo by Ko Kagiya Curtis Adams' time and you look at my time and it was 1.3 mph he was averaging faster around the track than me. So I just tried to add a mile an hour in every section of the race track and I caught up to Chuck. I think if I'm not mistaken, Chuck's bike was missing in the last two laps. It didn't have the same squirt up the front straightaway and the back chute that it did early on in the race and I think it was an ailing motor." W1)ile·it wasn't an ailing motor, poor carburetion was slowing Graves down, as well as compounding traction prob. lems he faced. "I just couldn't get all the grip off the tire that I was looking for," Graves said. "And the carburetion was really poor so it just wouldn't come on smooth and it would just want to spin the tire on me. I got off it a few times almost in five and over the crest of six. I got into eight and there was a lapped rider and I didn't just buzz him. I'd figured I'd put some distance on Sadowski and I was looking to the side to see, but I couldn't see the signals from (my crew). And he was right there and I just didn't have the motor. I stuffed him going into nine on the white-flag lap and figured I could brakes check him and slow him down a little bit up the front straight, but..." Batey came out on top' of a battle for fifth with Mumford and Grigg. Local racer Mumford thought he might make the pass on Batey but just didn't have the power to make it stick. "1 almost went under him in nine," Mumford said. "They'd leave me from six to eight every time and then I'd catch right up on them in eight and nine. 1 was going to go under him but then I figured I'd get in his draft, came out two inches off his wheel and he still pulled away, just p~ed out of the draft. I'm just on a little bike and he's on a big one." Grigg finished seventh and wasobviously pleased with what was tpe fourth pro race of his career and said he can't wait to receive the leased Raptor Muzzy is preparing for him to use in the rest of the series. "Mumford was going pretty good," Grigg said. "1 think I had some motor on him but we went through traffic and he got position on me and I think he got better drive, better gearing, coming out of nine. A couple times I probably could have went in on tum one but it would have been a little iffy. I just wanted to be safe, race smart with these guys. It's probably the best weekend of my life." Fritz Kling came next in an uneventful eighth, relieved to move on to the rest of the rounds. "I didn't have any real battles," Kling said. "I just tried to focus on the next guy and catch him through most .of both legs. I really got slammed (on the start) in the second race. Everybody was doing all kinds of stuff and I had to hit the brakes. I'm just glad to get out of here." Labelle protege Fraser and Deather4."N age rounded out the top 1 O. Willow Springs International Raceway Rosamond, California Results: March 16, 1997 (Round 2 of 9) , QUALIFYING, 1. Curtis Adorns (1,23.747/107.467 mph); 2. Chuck CJ:av.es 0:24.152); 3. Jason P1"idmore (H4.458); 4. Tray Batey (1,24.566); S. David Sadowski (1:24.609); 6. Jason Fraser (1:24.810); 7. Steve Grigg (1,25.466); 8. William Beck (1,25.846);.9. Andy Deatherage (1,25.986); 10. Paul Mumford Jr. (1:26.047); 11. Brian Garbelini 0:26.077); 12. Luco Nicoldi 0:26.123); 13. Troy Maturo (1:26.646); 14. Fritz Kling (1,26.667); IS. 'Lee Shierts (I :26.698); 16. Dean Vincent (1:26.857); 17. Rob Fletcher (1,26.858); 18. Ben Welch (1:26.%7); 19. Mkhael Fitzpatrick (1,27.336); 20. Chris Taylor (1:27.348); 21. Michael Montoya (1:27.365); 22. Joe l'ittma" (1:27.661); 23. Eric Wood (1:27.687); 24. James Randolph (1:27.992); 25. Matthew Cusumano (1:27.953); 26. Mark McDaniel (J ,28.044); 27. John Hilton Jr. (1,28.742); 28. Mike Nissen (1,28.745); 29. Stephen Rewitl (1,29.108); 30. Douglas Newhouse (1:29.152); 31. Steve Poore (1:29.374); 32. Clinton Whitehouse (J'29.506); 33. Bob Siebenhaar (1 :30.459); 34. Kevin President (1,30.630); 35. Craig Cook (1,30.657); 36. Edward Salame (1:32.474); 37. William Taylor (1:32.641); 38. Michael Sidwell (1:32.913); 39. Frank Prins (1:33.028); 40. David Smith (1:33.449). RACE ONE: 1. CUJ'tis Adams (Sulo); 2. lason Pridmore (Sulo); 3. Steve Grigg (Kaw); 4. David Sadowski (Hon); 5. Trny Batey (Suz); 6. Fritz Kling (Yam); 7. Paul Mumford Jr. (Kaw); 8. Andy Deatherage (Kaw); 9. Jason Fraser (Hon); 10. Ben Welch Yam); 11. Rob Fletcher (Hon); 12. Chuck Graves (Suz); 13. James Randolph (So2); 14. Michael Fitzpatrick (So2); 15. Chris Taylor (502);'16. Mike Nissen (Han); 17. Joe Pittman (HD); 18. Matthew Cusumano (So2); 19. John Hilton Jr. (Han); 20. Kevin President (Yam); 21. Douglas Newhouse (Kaw); 22. Bob Siebenhaar (Han); 23. Frank Prins (Suz); 24. Craig Cook (Duc); 25. David Smith (Suz); 26. Michael Sidwell (Kaw); 27. Devin Battley (Yam); 28. Dean Vincent (Yam); 29. Stephen Hewitt (Han); 30. Luco Nicoldi (Duc); 31. Mark McDaniel (Sux); 32. Edward Salame (Suz); 33. Wimam Beck (Suz); 34. Sean Sidwell (Kaw); 35. Lee Shierts (502); 36. Eric Wood (Kaw). Time: None due to red. flag Distance:: 12 laps. 30 miles Average SpHd: None due·to red flag Margin of Victory: 8.401 sec. RACE TWO: 1. Curtis Adams (Suz); 2. Jason Pridmore (Suz); 3. David Sadowski (Han); 4. Chuck Graves (Suz); 5. Tray Batey (Suz); 6. Pa.ul Mumford Jr. (Kaw); 7. Steve Crigg (Kaw); 8. Fritz Kling (Yam); 9. Jason Fraser (Han); 10. Andy Deatherage (}

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