Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127944
-"'~/~~~&~ERONCOATNEYf--H_~S_B_K'l_OTi_td_C_)'I_CIi_e_Fe_s_t:_R_oa.,.--d_A_m_e_ric_a ---.J • iAtttHfJ tJH, By Jennifer Gardiner Photos by Brian Nelson ELKHART LAKE, WI, MAY 10 he North American Sport Bike Series came to scenic Road America for its second round, and St. Charles, illinois' Todd Harrington stole the show by winning the premier EBC Brakes Sport Bike class. In doing so, Harrington set a new class record as he completed the ninelap, 36-mile race in 21 minutes, 29.312 seconds.at an average clip of 100.519 mph. That effort bettered the mark set last year by Dave Sadowski by some four seconds. Harrington and his Kawasaki ZX-6R led from the end of the first lap to the finish, after defending class champion Eric Wood grabbed the holeshot at the start. Wood dropped out with a mechanical failure on the third lap, leaving Mark Junge and his Suzuki in second while Suzuki-mounted Grant Lopez . held down third. Lopez passed Junge for second on the fifth lap but was never able to mount a serious challenge for the lead, with Harrington taking the spot by nearly four seconds. Grand Prix-class racing came to Road America with the HRC Grand Prix Series by Idemitsu, featuring the USee two-strokes.. Rolando Quintero grabbed the holeshot and led the first two laps of the race before his exhaust system start- , ed to come off. This allowed 16-year-old Toby Jorgensen to take over the front spot. Pole sitter Chris Ulrich moved up from a fourth-place start to second place on his Honda RS125, and he seemed poised to mount a challenge when his . ram airbox came loose. That held up his . charge to the front. At the finish, it was. Jorgensen over Ulrich and Quintero. LaVaughn Montgomery finished fourth, and that was good enough to move her into first place in the series point standings' with 56 points. Stewart Aitken-Cade, seventh on the day, is second in points with 54. GT Series racing featured Sunocobacked GTO, GTU and GT Lights, and Michael Fitzpatrick ran away with the GTO-class win on his Kawasaki 900. Mark Junge put in a strong ride in GTU to take the victory, while Bill Wachholder did likewise to win the GT Lights class. Perhaps the most compelling story of the weekend was the one of Wisconsin's own Billy Graef. Despite never having won a t his home race track, Graef crushed the competition in the Harley Twin Sports race on his Hal's H-D. backed 883. In the end, Graef.- who was the focus of the pre-race media tour had more than 12 seconds over secondplaced Shawn Conrad. Conrad had t (Above) Todd Harrington rode his Kawasaki to victory in the EBC Brakes Sport Bike class during the NASB World Cycle Fest at Road America. (Left) Hometown racer Billy Graef finally ended his winless streak at Road America when he doubled on the day, taking the Harley-Davidson'Twin Sports class as well as the Buell Lightning final. !' a win apiece, Higbee, the Daytona winner, and Graef are tied for the points lead. L' Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin Results: May 10, 1998 grabbed the holeshot at the start of the race, but Graef was in control by the end of the first lap. Although he had second place well in hand, Conrad couldn't make a challenge for the lead. Jess Roeder had third place wrapped up early and stayed there to the end. With a pair of wins at Daytona and Road America, Graef is in control of the points chase with 70 points. Roeder sits in second with 60, eight points dear of Brian Bodine - who finished seventh on the day after getting a stop-and-go penalty for jumping the start. Defending Buell Lightning-class champion Shawn Higbee showed up to defend his title and came off the line behind Graef, who nailed the holeshot. The pair quickly pulled away from the field, but by the end of the second lap Higbee had started to drop back with a bent shift lever. The Californian was able to kick it back out to where it would work, but by then Graef was long gone. At the checkered flag, it was Graef with his second win on the day - over Higbee, with Conrad taking third. With SPTIBK: 1. Todd Harrington (K.1.W)i 2. Grant Lo~2: (Suz); 3. Mark Junge (Suz); 4. Jason Farrell (Han); S. Brian Livengood (Suz). 125 GP: L Toby Jorgensen n-Ion); 2. Chris ULrich. (Hon); 3. Rolando Quintero (Hon); 4. LaVaughn Montgomery (Hon); 5. Sean McNew (Hon). .. GTc>. 1. Michael Fitzpatrick (Kaw); 2. Joshua Hayes (Suz); 3. Scott Ruehle (Suz); 4. Edward B.lrtoli (Suz); 5. David McGrath (Suz). GTU: 1. 'Mark Junge (Suz); 2, Eoc Wood (Kaw); 3, OiJ,t Bretz (Hon); 4. Jason farrell (Hon); 5. .Rick Schopp (Suz). GT LfGHTS: 1. Bill Wacholder (Suz); 2. Se"" Mowry (Yam); 3.·Brian Surtees (Yam); 4. Mark Morrow (Hon); 5, M.rk Reynolds (lfon), H-D TW SITS: 1. Billy Graef; 2. Shawn Conrnd~ .3. Jess Roeder; 4,. Richie Morris; 5. Matthew Jensen. BUELL LIGHTNING: l.Billy Graef; 2, Sh,w,llJ Higbee; 3. ,Shawn Conrad; 4. 'Brian Conley; 5. Richi. Morris. '9 Upcoming Rounds: Round 3 - Buttonwillow, California, July 5 Round 4 - Topeka, Kansas, August 16 iq