Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

EVENTS EDITED BY CAMERON COATNEY rode like a man possessed all the way to the checkered flag. "As 1 started to crash, ] quickly pulled in the clutch," Junge said. "Once 1 stopped, ] picked the bike up and it was still running. At this point, 1 just wanted to get back into it and salvage as many points as 1 could. 1 didn't let the tires warm up enough and because the track is so short and tight, it takes longer for heat to cycle through the rubber." EMGO Valvoline Suzuki's Joshua Hayes finished second, with Michael Fitzpatrick third. 126 HORSEPOWER By Aaro!) Mintz Photo by John Weiland FOUNTAIN, CO, MAY 17 MGO Valvoline Suzuki's Grant. Lopez earned king-of-the-mountain honors by winning both legs of the Formula USA series at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Lopez set the stage for his successful Sunday by taking pole position with a lap of 57.1 seconds, but his race wins on the 1.3-mile race track didn't come without a fight. Newly recruited Michael Bames put the Dutchman Racing Yamaha at the front in both races and led the field at a blistering 57-second pace, making life difficult for Lopez all afternoon. "The track is tight and there is no place to really pass," Lopez said. "1 found the only way to stick it to him was on the brakes. 1 found that] was really able to drive it in .cIeeper in turn four and through the esses." The Dutchman steroid-driven YZF1000 clearly had more straightaway speed, but the heavier bike paid the price by burning through tires ·faster than Lopez's lighter Suzuki. "1 trie? too hard to build my leads and heated the tires too fast, and it caught up to me in both races," Barnes said. "Grant still ran great today." As Lopez and Bames went after each other like medieval gladiators, EMGO Valvoline Suzuki's Tray Batey kept the leaders in sigh t, but he was never able to get close enough to mount a challe:pge and had to settle fo.r third in both legs. E RACE ONE 8 By noon the temperatures were reaching the low 80s and Barnes burned everyone at the sta.rt of the race by dusting the field at the drop of the green flag. By lap two, Barnes was pulling away. Suddenly, Health Systems Kawasaki-backed Michael Fitzpatrick hit the chicane at the end of the front straight and went flying towa.rd the concrete wall while his bike cartwheeled to a halt. The crash completely destroyed Htzpatrick's bike, ripping the front end from the frame. Fortunately, Fitzpatrick walked away and made the restart of the race on his inferior Kawasaki 600. Again, no one could bea t Barnes' reaction time off the line as he took his second holeshot of the day. This time, though, Lopez got a better start than before and was within striking distance of Bames by lap three. "] played it cool at first and let my tires get up to temperature," Lopez said. "] could see] was making up ground through the chicane." As Lopez followed Barnes around, Batey was doing all he could to stay with his teammate. "] just tried to stay with Grant (Lopez)," Batey said.' "] figured it was my tum to learn something." Early in the race, the leaders stretched out a comfortable gap on the rest of the field, but a second pocket of racers was creating its own thunderstorm: Eric Wood, Dan Turner and Rick Kirk found themselves going back and forth. However, it was Wood who was the rabbit and he ran just out of the others' grasp. Wood ran in fourth for the entire race after getting a poor start. Even though these three were putting on a terrific battle, the crowd was focused on Lopez, who was quickly closing in on Barnes. On lap seven, Lopez started to apply serious pressure, and entering tum four both racers were side by side. Barnes went wide and slowed to regain his line. Meanwhile, Lopez tried to stick it up inside but gassed it too hard and lost his drive. Neither could capitalize upon the other's mistake. On lap eight it was a different story. Lopez knew right where he could get Barnes and he stuck it to him again in tum four. This time Lopez's late-braking maneuver stuck and he took over first place. "1 tried to check out early and ended up salvaging a second place," Baines said. "Basically, 1 overcooked the tire too early." Barnes slippea to second and found himself being challenged again, but this time the challenge came from Batey. The veteran followed Barnes closelY bu t could never make up the ground he would lose down the front straightaway. When the checkered £lag fell, Lopez had built a comfortable lead, with Barnes and Batey behind him. Out of contention for third but comfortably in fourth place was Wood. Rick Kirk made severa] attempts to pass Wood but could never make any of then:'- stick. RACE TWO The second race started out just like the first one, with Barnes taking the holeshot. This time around, Barnes was all business and he stayed out in front for most of the race. However, this time Lopez had a helping hand. Lapped traffic plagued Barnes' ability to get through the chicane and while this was going 011, Lopez was barreling down on Bames. On lap 15, Barnes tried to squeeze past a lapped rider enteripg the chicane and was forced to avoid a collision by going around the outside. This opened the door for Lopez, who tucked in right behind Barnes. Once Lopez got on Barnes' tail, he was able to exploit the weight disparity and passed Barnes 'on the brakes entering tum four - and from there he never surrendered the lead. "1 anticipa ted Barnes would get the lead again," Lopez said. "Keith Perry told me not to push too hard and go for the points. Tray showed me a wheel early in the race and ] stepped it up and put my head down until] caught Barnes again. The SBS brakes are so good that 1 could carry it in much deeper than Barnes, and this was my advantage today." From the start, Batey was on his 'own mission, but just when it looked like he might give Lopez a run, he tucked the front in tum four and the bike slid to the .edge of the track. Lifting the bike up with his leg; Batey was able to get the motorcycle back up on the front tire. Batey then rode off into the grass but didn't lose any position when he reentered the track. Further back, Dan Turner finished fourth in. front of Kirk, Wood and Ricky Orlando. Orlando got a much better grid position in the second race and used it to his advantage by shadowing Turner around and taking fifth place at the checkered. Wood finished fourth in the first race but suffered from a poor start and could only work his way back to sixth place in the second leg. 103 HORSEPOWER Vesrah Racing's Mark Junge may have to be called Superman after he overcame a second-lap crash in the Formula USA 103-hp class to still take the victory. The race got off to a rambunctious start, with BAM Performance Racing's Vincent Haskovec and Junge both throwing their bikes down in low-side crashes on the second lap. However, Junge quickly got pack on his bike !IDd The Formula USA class may be the premier class, but this Sunday son;te of the most intense action was in the 126-hp class, a race that was stopped twice by red flags. The first red flag came when Junge low-sided in the very fast tum one. The second red flag came on the last lap, when EMGO Valvoline Suzuki's Hayes and Fast by Ferracci's Steve Grigg crashed in separate inCldents, littering the track with debris. Capitalizing on the red £lags and avoiding all of the crashes was veteran Rick Kirk, who dusted the field at the .restart and lead from beginning to end. t Zlock Racing's Wood took the earJ¥ lead, only to be quickly gobbled up by Lopez. Lopez quickly picked up where he left off in the Formula USA race and built a sizable lead. Then on the third lap he low-sided in turn' five. With Lopez out, local MRRA club rider Shane Clark inherited the lead. However, hot on Clark's tail was Junge, who was looking to repeat his victory from the 103-l,tp class. Junge quickly got by the less expe') rienced Clark. . Late in the race, Junge crashed, bringing out a red flag while GorqE£ workers cleaned up the mess. On the restart, Kirk bolted away from the test of the field on his Kawasaki ZX-iR, with Clark temporarily on his tail. Grigg wasted no time getting to the front as he dived under Wood. Fritz Kling also quickly got by Wood. Kirk checked out and Grigg held second, with Kling using his experience to slide under Clark. As the race progressed, Grigg, KJil\g, Hayes, Wood and Lopez shuffled positions, but Hayes crashed on the final lap, bringing out the red flag. With the red flag being displayed for the Haye's incident, Grigg hit the chicane and was also thrown down. Unfortunately, the impact of the crash turned Grigg's Ducati into a fireball. Kirk was the undisputed leader' and took the victory. Grigg was second because Hayes crashed before Grigg and brought out the red £lag. Kling was third, with Wood fourth. fX Pikes Peak International Raceway Fountain, Colorado Results: May 17, 1998 (Round 2) J . RACE ONE: 1. Grant Lopez (Suz); 2. Mich'tel Bam.es (Y~m); 3. Tray Batey (Suz); 4. Eric Wood (Kaw); 5. RIck KIrk (Kaw); 6. Dan Turner (Yam); 7. Keith Pinkstaff (Kaw); 8. Ricky Orlando (Kaw); 9. JoS'h Graham (Yam); 10. Aaron Turner (Suz); 11. Hritz. Kling (Kaw)j 12. Josh Hayes (Su,z); 13. Vincent Haskovec (Kaw); 14. Bryan Bemisderfer (Yam); 15. Michael Fitzpatrick (Ko.w); 16. Russell Strobridge (Kaw); 17'. Jf!ff Ahner.(Suz); l,8.lv.Iatin Sims (Yam); 19. Devin Battley (Yam); 20. DaVld KIeffer (Buell); 21. Steve Grigg (Due). RACE TWO: 1. Grant Lopez (Suz); 2. Micha~l Barnes (Yam); 3. Troy Batey (Suz); 4. Dan Turner (Yarn); 5. Ricky Orlando (Kaw); 6. Eric Wood (Kaw); '7. Keith Pinkstaff (Kaw); 8. Josh Graham (Yam); 9. Aaron Turner (SuZ)i 10. Vincent Haskovec (Kaw); 11. Bryan Bemisderfer (Yam); 12. Michael Fitzpatrick (Kaw); 13. Steve. Gri.gg (Due); 14. Russell Strobridge (Kaw)'; 15. Ma.rtm Sims (Yam); 16. jeH Ahner (Suz); 17. David Battley (Yam); 18. Fritz Kling (Kaw)i 19. David Kiefer (Sue); 20. Rick Kirk (Kaw); 21. josh Hayes (Suz). ~03 HP: Mar~ junge (Suz); 2. Joshua Hayes (502); 3. Michael FItzpatrick (Kaw); 4. Justin Savage (5uz); ;>. Bryan Bemisderfer (Yam); 6. Ty pjz (5uz); 7. Gabriel Covarrubias (Suz); 8. Daniel Sedelmeier (Han); 9. Dpna.ld Medina (Han); 10. Terry Kraus (Han). . 126.HP: 1. Rick Kirk (Suz); 2. Steve Grigg (Due); 3. Fntz Klmg (Kaw); 4. Eric Wood (Kaw)i 5. Mark Jllnge (Suz); 6. Shane Clark (Suz); 7. Michae.l Fitzpatrick (Kaw); 8. justin Savage (Suz); 9. Brad McJ

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