Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

DRAG RACING NHRA WIN STONDRAG RACING SERIES Round 10: Indianapolis Raceway Park I hit all the shift point s on time , which is too bad because I would lik e to ha ve see n what we could ha ve done, but I'll take th e win any day." Two days before fou ling agains t Myers in the U.S. Nationa ls final, Hines won Pro Stock motorcycle racing's riches t event for th e second s traight yea r when he beat Schultz in the final of the pres tigious Wax Sho p Pro Bike Dash, a specia l $15,000-to-win event open to the eight bike racers who consistently qu alify well at NHRA even ts. Winning th e Wax Shop Dash made H ines' loss to Myers eve n m or~ pai nful, beca use it cost him a sho t a t the 510,000 bo nus NHRA has posted fo r any Pro Stock bike racer who can win TIle Wax Sh o p Pro Bik e Da s h a n d th e U. S. Nationals title on the same weekend. "I mu st have bee n thinking about the money in the fina l," said Hines, who has wo n five times in his so phomo re season, (Left)The Pro Stock Bike linal 01 the 1997 U.S, Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway - Par k resembled the final of the 1996 event, where for the second stra ight year Matt Hines (Iar lane) red-lighted aga inst Jo hn Myers (near lane). (Below) For the third lime In his career, Myers (center) claimed a win at Indy, drag raci ng 's biggest event . By Kevi n McKenna CfJ INDIANAPOLIS, lN, AUG 27-SEPT. 1 ohn Myers , who has never won fewer than two events in each of h is n ine seasons as a Pro Stock bike ra cer , s a lv age d what has been one of the most frustrating years of his career when he bea t risin g star Ma tt Hines in the final of the U.S. Nati onals at Indianapolis Racewa y Park on Labor Day week end. In a rema tch of the 1996 Indy fina l, Hi nes, the class's do mina n t rid er a nd the points leade r for mu ch of the season, squa ndere d a sig n ifica nt perfor ma nce adva ntage with a red-light start. Hines' foul allowed Myers to wi n d rag racing 's biggest even t for the third time in his storied career. "Some times pati en ce pays off," said Myers, w ho has wo n 33 Na tional eve nts in his caree r, bu t wh o has been winless since A pril, wh en he beat Hines in the fina l of the Fram Nationals in Atlan ta. "This has been a frustrating season. We s ho u ld have run better tha n we have been, and we sho uld have won more ra ces, but I've never lost fait h in my team because th ey never quit on me . They ne ve r sto p wo rking at bein g th e best." Myer s, who has won three Winston cha m p io ns hi ps d rivi ng for Geo r ge Bryce' s Sta r Perform an ce Pa r ts team , has begun to retu rn to his championship for m at the last few eve nts. He quali fied his Close Call Phone Card-backed Suzuki GSX-R in the secon d spot at Indy wit h a 7.41, behind only Hines, who blasted the track elapsed-time record by eig httent hs of a second w he n he rod e th e Vance & Hint'S Suzu ki to a 7.39 to take the po le position for the seventh time in 38 10 races . In eliminations, Myers had little trou- r-, 0\ 0\ ...... l:'-.' ...... .... III ..0 E ~ 0.. (1) ' ble tak ing out his first two opponents, Brian Delon g and Gary To ng le t, with runs of 7.50 and 7.46, respectively, but he needed a litt le help to ge t past archrival Dave Schu ltz in the semis . Schu ltz, winner of six N H RA Pro Stoc k Motorcycle championships, go t off the sta rting line well ahead of Mye rs and a p pe a re d to be o n his way to a n easy victory - and a be rt h in his six th U.S. Na tiona ls final - u ntil his Su no co Suz u ki failed to shif t in to fou r th gear. Mye r s cru ised by fo r a 7,48 v ic to ry whil e Schultz slowed to a 7.63. "Dave ha d me beat, p lain a nd simple," Myers said . "If he had a ll his gear, I wo uld have been going home ear ly." In the othe r half of th e se m i, Myers' Close Call tea mmate, Angelle Seeling, gave Hines all he could handle before los ing a close 7.44-to-7.49 battle w hen her two-valve engine broke jus t befo re the finish li ne . To be safe, the Close Ca ll tea m took no cha nces with Myer s' bike, chang ing clutch se tti ng s, car bu re to rs, ign it ion timi ng and the wheelie-ba r heig h t before th e fi na l in an effo r t to fi nd a fe w p r e cio u s hun dred ths . "We th rew everything we had at it for th e fina l," sa id My ers, who sa w H ines foul immedia tely, then mad e a less-tha n-perfect 7.50 ru n. "I probably lost my concen tra tion, and I don't think and appear s to be headed for the 1997 Winston championship, whi ch has been won by eithe r Myers or Schultz every year since 1989. "I hate to lose like that, but we' ve still go t a go od lead in th e points. [ wa nt to wi n Ind y, bu t all I can do is wait un til next yea r." f,;\ Indi anapolis Racewa y Park Indianapolis. Indiana Results: August 27-September I , 1997 (Round to 0114) PRO STOC K FINAL: 1. John Myer s (Suz) 7.50/1 75.71; 2. Matt Hine!l (5uz) 7..J3/ 174.75 Hou ll. Upcoming Rounds: Round 11 - Reading, Pennsylvania, September 11 -14 Round 12 - Topeka. Kansas. September25-28 .~ ~ I

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