Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

guess Chuck got held up a little bit," Adams said. "After that [ just maintained a steady pace and told myself not to make any mistakes." "We got into lapped riders," Graves said. "I went left, he (the lapped rider) slammed the door and then [ tried the other side, but he went all the way to the inside there, too. That really put a damper on thing - I lost a couple of seconds at least. Then I started to make some time back up, but I made some big mi takes and 10 t some of that." In the end, as Graves put it, it was "Not en·ough, not soon enough," and Adams had the comfortable win. The fight for third place had been left (Left) Smith (5) and Batey (3) ran this close for most of race one. Smith came out on top, taking the final spot on the podium. After running as high as second in race two, a mistake dropped Smith to fifth, one spot ahead of teammate Batey. (Above) Number-two plate holder Fritz Kling ran a lonely fourth in race one, then slumped to eighth in race two. (Top right) Adams (center) lets the champagne fly after his race-two victory with double second-place finisher Graves (left) and Grigg. well behind, but what a battle it was, as Batey and Smith never got more than a few lengths apart and often ran side by side. Smith mainly had the advantage on the straight, seeming to get a better drive off of critical tum rune, but Batey would try his band going up the hill. Despite having trouble with grip, Smith said he felt like he had Batey covered in the first race. "The rear tire went off in the first five laps trying to stay with the first two guys (Adams and Graves)," Smith said. "Then [ basically had to baby it to fillish as good as I could." As for Batey, Smith said: "I was trying to hold him up." it was by and large a successful strategy. Ba tey laid on the hea t in the final laps but couldn't make the pass stick. "We had a ruce little battle going on," Batey said. "I knew Curtis and Chuck would get away, but Mike seemed to be truggling a little bit with times here, and not to take anything away from him because he's a great rider, but when Mike came around me, it really shocked me. I could not get past him on the straightaway. The only way was in the turns, but each time I'd pass him, he'd get me on the front straight. So for the team it was good (Smith's third), for Tray Batey it wasn't so good." Dutchman "Yamamonster" rider Fritz Kling came home a lonely fifth, with the trailing Grigg, equally lonely and just cruising after running too hard a tire, well behind him in sixth. Local racer Vincent Haskovec took his Kawasaki ZX-9R to seventh, with Grant Lopez, a last-minute entry in the class riding Valvoline teammate Smith's backup bike, getting eighth after starting last on the grid. Zlock Racing's Eric Wood was ninth and Valvoline Emgo Suzuki rider Josh Hayes was 10th. RACE TWO By the time the second race was run it was nearly 5:30 p.m. and the riders would face challenging conditions in the form of the typical high-desert afternoon winds and a rapidly setting sun. Two things took place between the first and second races that would change the face of the contest more than wind or the hadows of the setting sun, however: Adams got faster and Graves got slower. . "We changed the rear spring to a softer one and it made the bike more comfortable and it gave a lot better feedback," Adams said. "After the first two laps [ was really comfortable and just started running good laps. I got signs from my crew of a good lead and never looked back." Graves, meanwhile, had suffered two hard get-off in the Formula USA support races run between Formula USA leg and was dealing with the consequences. "All I wanted to do was finish," Graves said. "My leathers were looking pretty poor there. I knew that there wa no way that I was going to run with Curtis so [ just tried to do the best that I could." Smith got the early jump, but wasn't entirely comfortable leading the race under the windy conditions, and Adams took over in turn five on the first lap. "I took the lead right off the bat, but for me that wasn't really comfortable because the wind was blowing so hard," Smith aid. "The wind was blowing so bad in eight and rune, you kind of have to drive in ort of facing it - you've got to want it real bad to drive it through there (with the wind so strong)." Adams was gone after that, pulling away to a even-second margin by the end of lap 11 and then cruising home with the win. Smith, meanwhile, held on to second in front of Batey, but the hurting Graves was on the move, first getting one fellow Suzuki rider and then the other to take over second. Smith hovered behind now-secondplaced Graves and later in the race managed to get by a few times, making it past in turn one on the brakes - usually a Graves maneuver. "My left arm is really sore and it affected my braking," Graves said. "I just couldn't outbrake Smith into one. He was getting me there every time." They traded the spot pretty much every other lap toward the end with Batey and BAM Performance's James Randolph there the whole time, but Graves was riding wide and as slowly as he could while still trying to hold on to the spot. "Chuck had finally got around us," Batey said, "but he couldn't seem to get away. I thihk Mike learned a few things from Chuck, but Chuck started slowing down - out of five, he was just creeping. Grallt (Lopez) and Grigg then caught up with us. I don't think they would have caught us." Lopez and Grigg, running sixth and seventh, respectively, had indeed closed on the group in front of them and first passed Randolph, standing in for the still-injured Dave Sadow ki, and then pulled· right up on Batey. Graves, leading the now-five-rider group, was intent on keeping his pot. "On the last lap, there was no way I was going to let them past me," Graves said. "I couldn't get through lefts very well but had a lot more speed through right turns. Once I got to the hill, there was no way they were going to pass me, and once I got over the crest of six, I knew I had it." Had it he did, but Lopez had moved in behind Graves after Smith lost the rear end in turn nine. "I had to roll out in nine and just lost my drive," Smith said. Batey had a front-row seat for Smith's loss of traction, had to roll ou t himself, and thus had allowed Lopez and Grigg a way past. "Mike lost the rear and I was so close, I had to roll out of it," Batey said. "I went from fourth to sixth in half a second." Lopez chased Graves on the final lap and was shooting for a pas in tum nine, a corner in which he had found succes earlier. "I was on Graves for at least the last lap and almost got past in turnoQne," Lopez said. "I followed him around for most of the last lap. I had been going good in rune and passed a few guys through it and thought I could get Chuck, too. I set him up and planned on it (a pa s), but lost the back. That little slip cost me third for sure. Unless Grigg was setting me up." Which in fact turned ou t to be the case, as Grigg was right there to take advantage. "As we came into nine, Lopez went wide," Grigg said. "We were either going to hit or J was going to get by. Turns out he lost the back." Grigg was through and into the final podium spot. Lopez, Smitb and Batey, in that order, were all right on his taj] at the line in a very tight fillish. Randolph, Kling, Haskovec and Hayes rounded out the top 10. {";'; Willow Springs International Raceway Rosamond, California Results: March 15, 1998 (Round 1 of 6) RACE 1: 1. Curtis Adams (Yam); 2. Chuck Graves (Suz); 3. Mike Smith (Suz); 4. T,.y Batey (Suz); S. Fritz Kling (Yam); 6. Steve Grigg (Dud; 7. Vincent Haskovec (Kaw); :G,.nt Lopez (5uz); 9. Eric Wood (Kaw); 10. J06h Hayes (Suz); 11. Chris Voelker (Hon); 12. Mkhael Fitzpatrick (Kaw); 13. M. Dean Vincent (Yam); 14.James Randolph (Muz); 15. Lucio Nicolodi (Duc); 16. Jerry Evans Jr. (Yam); 17. Kevin President (Yam); 18. Matt Cusumano (5U2); 19. Bryce Cross (5uz); 20. Bryan Bemisderre.. (Yam); 21. Stephen Hewitt (Hon); 22 Brian Long (5uz); 23. Tyler Paulson (Kaw); 24. Claudio Szyszkoski (Duc); 25. William Beck (5U2); 26. Devin Battley (Yam); 27. Kyle Zazzi (Yam); 28. Chad Stuart Jensen (5U2); 29. Mike Sullivan (Kaw); 30. Frank Aragalci (Kaw); 31. Oa";d Smith (Suz). RACE 2: 1. Curtis Adams (Yam); 2. Chuck Graves (Suz); 3. Steve Grigg (Dud; 4. Grant Lopez (5U2); 5. Mike Smith (Suz) 6. Tray Baley (5U2); 7. James Randolph (Muz); 8. Fritz Kling (Yam); 9. Vincent Haskovec (Kaw); 10. Josh Hayes (5U2); 11. Lucio Nirolodi (Due); 12. Eric Wood (Kaw); 13. William Beck (Suz); 14. Mike Sullivan (Kaw); 15. M. Dean Vincent (Yam); 16. Chris Voelker (Hon); 17. Frank Aragaki (Kaw); 18. Matt Cusumano (Suz); 19. Kevin President (Yam); 20. Stephen Hewitt (Hon); 21. Brian Long (5uz); 22. Tyler Paulson (Kaw); 23. Bryan Bemisderfer (Yam); 24. David Smith (5uz); 25. Chad Stuart Jensen (Suz); 26. Devin Battley (Yam); 27. Claudio Szyszkowski (Due); 28. Kyle Zazzi (Yam); 29. Michael Fitzpatrick (Kawl, FORMULA USA CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANOrNGS (After 1 of 6 rounds): 1. Curtis Adams (loo/2 wins); 2. Chuck Graves (84); 3. Mike Smith (66); 4. teve Grigg (64); 5. Tray Batey (59); 6. Grant Lopez (55); 7. Fritz Kling (52); 8. Vincent Haskovec (46); 9. Josh Hayes (38); 10. James Randolph (37); 11, Eric wood (36); 12. Lucio Nicolodi (27); 13. Chris Voelker (25); 14. M. Dean Vincent (23); 15. Stephen Hewitt (18); 16. Jerry Evans Jr. (16); 17. Michael Fitzpatrick (15); 18. William Beck (13); 19. Mike SuW""n (12); 20. Kevin Presiden' (8). Upcoming Rounds: . Round 2 - Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 17 Round 3 - Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, June 7

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