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ROAD RACE AMAIMBNA SUPERBIKE NAOONAL CHAMPIONSHIP By Paul Carruthers Photos by Henny Ray Abrams ROSAMOND, CA, APR. 26 ay what you will about Willow Springs International Raceway, but there is no denying that it proed one hell of an AMA Superbike National. With as many as seven riders running nose to tail for the majority of the race, it finally came down to just two on the final dash to the flag: Miguel DuHamel vs. Anthony Gobert. Gobert and his Vance & Hines Ducati led the entire final lap until the final 200 yards - that's when DuHamel and his American Honda-backed RC45 drafted past to take the win. Margin of victory: .065 of a second. The win was DuHamel's second in a row and the 19th of his career, moving him to within one of tying Fred Merkel at the top of the all-time AMA Superbike career-win list. It also bolstered' DuHamel's chances of moving into contention for the AMA Superbike crown. The French Canadian now trails championship points leader Mat M1adin by 22 points - but there are 10 rounds remaining in the series. It was a race that left nearly everyone feeling pretty good. Although many were apprehensive about the AMA returning to Willow Springs after a even-year hiatus - and high winds in the Antelope Valley during Friday's and Saturday's qualifying did little to encourage them - Sunday was a chamber-of-commerce type of day in tbe desert town of Rosamond. Brilliant sunshine, clear skies and only a light breeze made race day at Willow one to remember. And the race itself was even better. Fast tracks usually provide the closest racing, and they don't get much faster than Willow Springs - "The Fastest Road in the West.~' They also don't get much closer than the Superbike National that ran at Willow today. Although DuHamel and Gobert proved to have just a little bit more than Springs International Raceway the others did right at the end, for the majority of the race it was anybody's guess as to who would come out on top. Gobert, DuHamel and Mladin were the only ones to cross the start/finish line with the lead, but several others were always in tow. With five laps to go, Gobert and DuHamel made a bit of a break, with DuHamel turning the fastest lap of the race on the 20th lap - a 1:21.165. With three laps to go, the pair were almost two seconds clear and it was apparent that one of these two would win. Exactly which one was in question until the final few hundred yards - that's when the top speed of the Honda made the difference and DuHamel was able to draft by the helpless Gobert to take the win. "Obviously, if I didn't pass him before nine, that was what [ was going to try to do," DuHamel said after scoring his 19th career victory. "He came out of nine good, but I got a good drive on him, got a bit of a draft and pulled up to the side. The bike was real fast. Ray Plumb did a good job with that engine, and AI Ludington did a good job on making the bike good since Monterey." Gobert could do nothing but watch. "Really, the Honda had a little bit on us in top speed," Gobert said. "Apart from that, come race time it's really hard because we seem to be gearing the bike for the qualifying tire. They gear it for that, and I noticed that it was out of power a bit coming up out of turn two and a little bit here. When I was behind the guys it was good, but when I was out front it was lagging a bit. It was just one of those racing things. I had a good race, I feel good and l'm glad to be on the podium again after a couple of bad races." Third place wen t to pole sitter .Mladin and the Yoshimura Suzuki. The Australian had his turn at the front, but he knew he was going to be in for a tough fight. Lacking the top speed of the Honda and Ducati, M1adin had to rely on the draft. Once he lost it, his chance for victory was gqne. But he did manage to leave Willow Springs with the lead in the AMA Superbike National Championship. (Top) Anthony Gobert (95) leads Miguel DuHamel (17) and a freight train of superbikes on the first lap of the National at Willow Springs. (Below) Gobert holds off DuHamel, Ben Bostrom, Mat Mladin and Steve Rapp.