Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

By the 20th lap, Gobert and DuHamel had pulled away a little bit £rom Mladin, who gave it one more shot with his fastest lap of the race on the 21st go-around, but he simply didn't have enough. "Ba ically, I was a little bit down on drive today," Mladin said. "Really, we've struggled all weekend with speed. Through the radar traps we've been between 6 and 8 mph down on the Honda and Kawasaki and about 5 down on Anthony (Gobert), so we knew we were going to struggle a little bit. When there's a big freight train, you're going to be the one that ends up at the back of it most of the time. Fortunately, I was quick into nine down there; from turn eight to turn one I was pretty quick, so I was able to make a little gap on most people when I was in front of them and they couldn't get me down the straight. No excuses; that's the way it was. It didn't matter if we were a second quicker than everyone, we weren't going to get away. That's just the way it went. We struggled with drive and acceleration, On a little bit smaller track, it's not so critical. I made a few little mistakes going thro!,gh traffic, just picking the wrong side. I knew I had the other guys covered, but Miguel and Anthony got away about a second, second and a half. Toward the end, I ran about a flat 21 trying to catch up, but they were just out there too far. Without being in the draft, I couldn't stay there. "My tire was good all race," Mladin added. "The front tire dropped off a bit more than I'd hoped, probably because I was pushing a little bit trying to make up for what [ was losing on acceleration. The tire was good, better than I expected. At the end it was performing basically as good as it was at the start. We're happy with third. We took over the lead in the championship again, which is good. We've just got to keep trying to finish there." There was more to be done at the front, however, and it wa all being done by Gobert and DuHamel. In the end, the Honda was just too much for the Ducati and crafty Little DuHamel had won again. • !'I was drafting coming out," DuHamel said. "All weekend I've been getting good drafts off nine and getting really good top speed. The bike is going good, obviously. When I got in front I didn't want to get too excited, try to make a big break and burn up the tires. I couldn't get away. Some places I was just a bit too slow and these guys would ju t stuff me. I was just trying to be smooth and maybe put them to sleep, but we were running hard and my tires seemed to get a bit hot when I was out front. Then I got back in the draft and I was regretting passing Anthony (Gobert) on the front straight because I thought he might do something to break the strategy I had gOing." Gobert was far from disappointed, especially considering his results of late. "Hopefully, now we can just build and come away with the championship at the end of the year," Gobert said. "That's what all of us want. You've got to be smart here in America. In World Superbike you can just throw it away and win the next few races and you're back there. Here, it sucks, really - the points system. It's really set up for well, I can't say that because the ladies will get offended, but it's sort of set up to ride with a skirt on sort of thing, you know. You can't go and just risk for the win every time and 1 don't really like to race like that. 1 see all three of us. When we're together, it's kind of a tentative kind of race. That I don't like, but I love racing with these guys. 1 just had fun in the race. It's a shame 1 didn't win becau e everyone wants to win the race, but I'm still happy just to be second and back on track again, really." (From left to right) Anthony Gobert, Miguel DuHamel and Mat Mladln celebrate. Each had a reason to be pleased; Mladin now leads the championship while the others also gained ground in the point standings. Though Chandler's run was inspired, it stopped when he got to Bostrom, who finished fourth for the second straight race (and fourth straight, counting his recent two fourth-place finishes in 600cc Supersport). "Four times in a row," Bostrom said. "It was an easy race, really. I lost th front in eight once, but it was like no big deal. 1 caught back up, got in the draft and tried to save my back tire. With seven laps to go, I passed Rapp and Mladin and thought, 'Well, this is a podium: But then Mat passed me again and then slowed down. He was riding really good and 1 couldn't pass him. 1 was way pissed off. He's good on the brakes and seemed content to get third. It wa a frustrating race. 0 one let up, not even for one lap. I thought we had the peed today, but I got fourth again. Race number five has got to be it!" A relieved Chandler was fifth - a far cry from his 15th qualifying spot. "I used the new forks, but we made a steering-head-angle change," Chandler explained. 'We brought it right in and I was well happy with it. I actually closed on them and I think I could have run with 'em. I can't complain, but we should have tried this (setup) on Friday. We've got a good baseline for when we come back here." Picotte had ridden hard to get sixth, his best-ever resul t on the HarleyDavidson VR1000. "I got stuck with Rich (Oliver)," Picotte said. "He got me three times on the front straight and 1 was getting him in the corners. I got him twice in turn four and once in eight and nine, but he'd blow by me on the front straight and we'd lose the front pack. 1 felt 1 could have ca ugh t the lead group because my tire was still in good shape. 1 knew the bike would be fairly good here. We have a stiff chassis that is good for. the high-speed tracks. We just lack a little horsepower. We need five more horsepower on top end, but I'll take 10 or 15 more." {~ Willow Springs International Raceway Rosamond, California . Results: April 26, 1998 (Round 4 of 14) SUPERBIKE QUALIFY[ C, 1. Mat Mlad;n (1,20.626); 2. Anthony Cobert 0,20.771); 3. M;guel DuHamel 0,20.910); 4. Rich Ol;.er 0,20.944); 5. Ben Bostrom 0,z].016); 6. Ste.e Rapp (1:21.SIn; 7. Ste.e Cre.;er 0:21574); 8. Pascal Picotte (I,2I.S75); 9. Jam;e james 0:21.755); 10. Curtis Adams 0:21.903); 11. Thomas Wilson jr. (1,21.986); 12. Tom K;pp (1:22.061); 13. jamie Hack;ng (1:22.229); 14. Steve Grigg (1:22.259); IS. Doug Chandler (1:22.263); 16. Tray Batey (1:22.690); 17. Mike Hale (1:22.703); 18. Mike Smith (1:22.994); 19. Tommy Hayden (1:23.056); 20. Larry Pegram (1:23.338); 21. Rad Grea.es (1:23525); 22. Chris Rankin (1:24.263); 23. Lucio Nicolodi 0:24.314); 24. Frank Aragaki 0:24.447); 25. jack pfeUer (1:25.313); 26. jeff Short (1:25.568); 27. Richard Alexander Jr. (1 :25.655); 28. James comers. the consequences are normally high.' Not so for Anthony said. "I mean they have. but they Iiavent·got the yearS of experiGobert, who ran off in ·turn nine on Friday afternoon while running ence with the bikes like (~raldo)' Ferracci. To be honest, .1 would in front of Miguel DuHamel. "On the splits it was a pretty good . be better off a lot of times with Ferracci because they do heve lap." Duf-jamel expl!,ined. "When I came irito eight. GQby was in that experience everyWhere. We"re cha"nging so much on ih.e bike frO'll of me. I was attacking the corner going into nine 'and I see all the time. so rthink that our gUys have along way to go."' Mat Mladin 'was 'still riding somewhat injured. having done sOrne him pick it right.up and ride off. into. the desert. It was like "Blazing ligament damage to his right k"ee in his. Sunqay morning 'crash' Sacldles" or "City Slickers.' He was going 16 look for SOme gold: 'The'top three in the AMA Superbike Natipnal' were asked:o com: at Laguna Seca a week ago. "The knee's okay.' Mladin said. "It's I was telling myself, 'Don'i ·Iook. don't.iook.' The tires. are only ment On the performance of iooki.e S~ve Rapp. the Vance &. hurting a bit. but ifs okaY. I dont.know in medical'terms what I've' good fer a lap. so I'm trying. not to look. The next thing I know..l'm dOne to it. I havent seen a doctor cecause all they tell you is to "fay inside in corner nine and it" sort' of messed me up. It was a . 'Hines recruit who ran near the front eariy in the rlice. ""A couple of lay on your back for six weeks. I've done ligaments in it before gO!Jd save for him and.rm glad he didnt fall. I'm like. :Man, that's times when he got past ·me. he was a' .bit over his head." Mat and I know what it feels .like. so I think r.ve done that. When I walk p.retty hairball.' Ifs pretty fast and he stiH saved it. I've Qeen riding Mladin said. "I nearly ran Into .him ~ feV.: tim~s coming down the r dont have too much eontrol over my foot and st~ff - it sort of : motocross with this guy. so I knew he couid save it. If anybody hill. He'd get into the top of t!>e hill really hot and he'd get all wide . and get off the off-camber bit. The rookie superbike bullshit is just hangs out there a bit. Sitting here· it's not a'problem. ~t's just on could save it. it was him. " a load ofcrap.ln_'!'Y rookie season on the superbike Gn A~stralia). the bike when ifs bent up a lot - I get a bit of pain.' . The tum'Aine incident dian't seem to faze Gobert much. not I wOn 17 of 22 races. Anthony (Gobertl saw it and he'll vouch for Suz';ki hasn't put any timetable on the return of Aaron Yate•. that anything does, "I was surprised f stayed on because· I ran· off me. It 'was my best superbike 'year ever. And ifs (the Ducati) a According to a Suzuki spokesperson, they're not sure when at the fastest point.' Gobert said. 'You go around ejght and you good motorcycle - I know that fTOm last year. Ifs also the type of Yates will return to racing after badly. injuring his wrist in a gas it to nine - well, I didnt even go back for nine, I just went circuit where you can just hang on:" "When he was in front of me. motocross accident. Yates will definiteiy not return prior 10 the straight off the track. To be honest, I had one of those hard Day- I coulO see he was using his tn-es pretty hard and J didn't think Road Atlanta round. tona tires and I kept losing the rear so I wasnt that confident. All he'd be there at the end." Miguel DuHamel said. Mladin then of a suc;lden I got to that point and I·thought, ·Oh. the lap's pretty added. "I dont think he'lI be racing for the lead at Sears Point. Irs Steve Grigg was on hand at Willow Springs. ridiog his fast By shit. I'll make it up here.' By the tim'e I shut it off. ·there was no a pretty tough track and you wouldn't ~xpect him to b~ at the Ferracci-built Ducati. The North Carolinian ended up just slower hope of getting in the oght·hander. " 'When asked how far off track lead. II's a ham tmek to get. around fast". I'll be surprised if he:s than F~rraccj's Tom Kipp and quicker than Mike Hale in qualifying. he went. Mat Mlaclin inte~ected; "Back to Lancaster.' Gobert there. If he is there, iI's a damo good effort:" "We've got the front working better," Grigg said on Saturday. 'The high-speed stuff is good. We're trying to get it better then said, "At first I thought 1was going to have to put it down. "through the tighter stuff. The slow stu~is boring. Iwish we'd race but they plowed it since we were here for testing," prompiing the Yamahas Jam'ie Ha';IUng' suffered ·through· the worst weekend on World Superbike-type tracks all the time." Grigg ended up following response from Mladin, "You've be

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