Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ROAD RACE Round 1: Willow Springs International Raceway EBC BRAKES FORMULA PRO SPORT (Left) Vincent Haskovec won the Pro Sport 126-hp class with ease on his detuned ZX-9R. (Right) Mark Junge came out on top of a heated battle for second that included four other riders. (Below) HyperCycle's Nicky Hayden, 16, won the red-f1aginterrupted Pro-Tek Super Sport race. Foreign • • Invasion By Mark Hoyer ROSAMOND, CA, MAR. 15 zech import Vincent Haskovec didn't have much to say from atop the podium after the EBC Brakes Formula Pro Sport race. Then again, he probably said all he needed to out on the race track. From his second-place start position, BAM Performance's Haskovec powered his way into the lead early and by the middle of the second lap already had a second in hand over second place, Fast By F~rracci's Steve Grigg on a Ducati 748, stretching it out to nearly seven seconds by the end of the race, his lead never threatened. The battle for second was a different story. Grigg had it pretty easy in the early going, but the combination of a slipping rear tire and a certain Nicky Hayden suddenly changed that. That 16-year-old Hayden can be found at the front of a race is impressive enough.. Factor in his last-on-the-grid starting position and the fact that he was riding a GSXR600 in what is basically a 750cc class - well, what can you say? By the middle of the third lap, HyperCycle's Hayden had moved into third in the 126-hp-limited class, and a few laps later was right on Grigg. Vesrah/Marshall Dist.-backed Mark Junge was soon in the mix as well, setting up a battle that would last to the finish. Junge ended up getting second in front of Hayden after Grigg had a big slide near the end of the race that ultimately dropped him to fifth. Haskovec leads the points standings with 50 points for his victory, followed by Junge with 42 and Hayden with 37. The flag was dropped on the EBC Brakes Pro Sport class a few min utes before 4:30, with the wind starting to pick up. ZX-9R-mounted Haskovec wasted no time in taking the lead and just started running away with the race right from the get-go. Second-placed Grigg, himself on a 955-powered Ducati 748, was apparently helpless to respond. "I thought Haskovec had some C motor on me, but my tire started going away and I just wasn't getting the drive I needed," Grigg said. After that, Haskovec was totally out of the picture. Grigg held second for mo t of the race until coming under pressure from a tight group that included first Hayden, then Junge and Team Valvoline Emgo Suzuki's Josh Hayes. Valvoline teammate Grant Lopez had been in the mix in the early going, but ultimately dropped to sixth after Hayden, Junge, Hayes and pole qualifier Bryce Gross went by. Gross, however, was soon out. Graves Motorsports' Chuck Grave crashed in turn two and Gross passed a rider under waving yellow, then crashed. 'Because he crashed out of the race, he was not penalized. On the last lap, Grigg had a big slide, Jetting Junge, Hayden and Hayes by. "The tire was gone on the third lap," Grigg said. "I rode it like a dirt bike until the end. of the race but had a big slide in turn two. God set me back in the seat but also let like four guys past me!" Hayden was ntnning around fifth at the time, a little unhappy about it after running third for several laps. "I worked my way up and got to third, then guys started going back by," Hayden said. "1 kind of got frustrated. Those guys were riding really good the last two laps and we started getting really' close. 1 think a little paint was exchanged. 1 was just having a blast out' there. It's too bad we weren't fighting for the lead, but still, it was fun." In the-final-lap melee, Junge ended up in second, Hayden third and Haye was fourth. Grigg finished fifth. ex Willow Springs International Raceway Rosamond, California Results: March 15, 1998 (Round 1 of 6) PRO SPORT FINAL: 1. Vincent Haskovec (K..1W); 2. Mark Junge (Suz); 3. Nicky Hayden (Suz): 4. Josh Hayes (SUZ)i 5. Steve Grigg (Due); 6. Grant Lopez (Suz); 7. Karl Lowry Jr. (Suz); 8. Eric Wood (Kaw); 9. Michael Fitzpatrick (Kaw); 10. Matt Cusumano (Suz); 11.1oke Zemke (Suz); 12. Jeff Hagan (Suz); 13. Tony Doran (Suz); 14. Steve Poore (Hon). EBC BRAKES PRO SPORT CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (Alter 1 of 6 rounds): 1. Vincent Haskovec (50/1 win); 2. Mark Junge (42); 3. Nicky H.yden (37), 4. josh Hayes (32); 5. Steve Grigg (29), 6. Grant Lopez (27); 7. Karl Lowry Jr. (25); 8. Eric Wood (23); 9. Michael Fitzpatrick (21); 10. Matt Cusumano (19),11. Jake Zemke (17), 12. Jeff Hagan (15); 13. Tony Doran (3); 14. Steve Poore (2). Upcoming Rounds: Round 2 - Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 17 Round 3 - Bowmanville, .Ontario, Canada, June 7 Pro-Tek Formula Super Sport Round 1: Willow Springs International Raceway Hayden hyper By Mark Hoyer ROSAMOND, CA, MAR. 15 ypercYcle's Nicky Hayden just came out to Willow Springs International Raceway as a warmup for the AMA National at the facility next month. It looks like he's ready. A.fter the first start of the Pro-Tek Super Sport 103-hp class was redflagged when Grant Lopez crashed in the middle of turn four, Hayden returned' to chase early leader Jerry Evans Jr. during the first half of the completely restarted race, then made the pass and motored his way smoothly to the win. BAM Performance's Vincent Haskovec had a rough start but quickly went .to work, powering his way through the pack on his deluned ZX-9R and ultimately working his way up to second after a late-nice pass on thirdplace finisher Evans. Hayden, who doesn't plan to contest any more rounds of the series, leads the point standings with 50 points, followed by Haskovec with 42 and Evans with 37. Team Valvoline Emgo Suzuki's Lopez took the early lead when the flag was dropped for the Pro Tek Super Sport final. Lopez was at the head of a supertight pack, with Hayden, Graves Motorsports' Chuck Graves, Evan and Lowry hot on his heels. Though Graves was the first to go, with.a crash off of turn three while he was trying a pass he later said he shouldn't have, the red flag wasn't thrown until Lopez crashed on a cooked tire in turn four, his bike ending up on the racing line. Lopez was okay and H rode his bike back to the pits to get it fixed for the restart. Hayden, too, rode back to the pits, passing two red flags along the way. Hayden will be fined an unspecified amount. Since it was a full restart, racers and teams· were given time to fit new tires, refuel and repair their bikes a needed. Graves did not make the restart. When the green flag wa ved for the second time, it was Evans off to the early lead with Hayden in tow, those two pulling a small gap on the pursuing pack of Hayes, Lowry and Haskovec. By the end of lap six, though, Hayden pulled away after figuring out the line through the fast and critical turn nine. "It was a tough race," Hayden said. '1 made a few mistakes and these guys were going awful fast, but I just put my head down and (tried to) see who 1 could get around. At the beginning I wasn't doing too good in tha t (turn nine); toward the end I just put my head down and 1 was able to get some time on those guys. Bike worked perfectly. It was just really a good run and I'm really happy." Haskovec made an impressive charge through the field but really had to work for his runner-up spot after getting a poor start. "As soon as you pass them they are (back) around you," Haskovec, a Czech, said through a translator. '1t was very hard to keep them behind you. I am hoping for a little bit better in the next race (Pro Sport). It was very hard because of the start." After being passed by Haskovec, the GSXR600-mounted Evans hung on briefly but dropped back to finish just ahead of Lowry. Seevers Racing Development's Ken Chase finished fifth. (~ Willow Springs International Raceway Rosamond, California Results: March 15, 1998 (Round 1 of 6) SUPER SPORT FINA[., 1. Nkky Hayden (Suz); 2. Vincent Haskovec (Kaw); 3. Jerry Evans Jr. (Suz); 4. Karl Lowry Jr. (Suz); 5. Ken Chase (Suz); 6. Mark Junge (Suz); 7. Josh Hayes (Suz); 8. Jeremy Toye (5uz); 9. Dave' Campbell (Hon); 10. Michael Fitzpatrick (Kaw); 11. Tony Doran (Suz); 12. Grant Lopez (Suz); 13. Bryan Bemisderfer (Yam); 14. Steve Laszko (Hon); 15. Tony Silvera (Hon); 16. Bob Laszko (Hon). PRO TEK SUPER SPORT CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 1 of 6 rounds): 1. Nicky Hayden (SO/l win); 2. Vincent Haskovec (42); 3. Jerry Evans Jr. (37); 4. Kad loW')' j,. (32); S. Ken Chase (29); 6. Ma,k junge (27); 7. josh Hayes (25); 8. je,emy Toye (23); 9. OClve Campbell (21); 10. Michael Fitzpatrick (9); 11. Tony Doran (17); 12. Grant Lopez (15); 13. Bryan Bemisderfer (3); 14. Steve Laszk (12); 15. Tony Silvera . nO); 16. Bob LasTko (8). Upcoming Rounds: Round 2 - Coiorado Springs, Colorado, May 17 Round 3 - Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, June 7

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