Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Road Race (Left) Chuck Sorensen came back from a heat-race calamity to win the 250cc Grand Prix class in Phoenix. (Above) Nicky Hayden (69) leads Mark Miller (24) and eventual race winner Kurtis Roberts (80) early in the Formula Xtreme race. Phoenix International Raceway Goodyear, Arizona Results: March 20, 1999 (Round 2 of 13) 750 SUl'ERSPORT fINAL: 1. Tom Kipp (Suz): 2. Richard Alexander Jr. (502); 3. Tommy Hayden (Yam); 4. Jimmy Moore (Suz); 5. Mike Occotto (Suz); 6. Vincent Haskovec (Suz): 7. James Randolph (Suz): 8. Josh. Hayes (Suz): 9. John Haner (Suz): 10. Todd Harrington (Kaw): 11. Moria DuHamel (Suz): 12. Jamie Bowman (Suz): 13. Shane Clarke (Suz); 14. Brian Parriott (Hon); 15. John Jacobi (Suz): 16. Anlhony Doran (Suz): 17. Robb Martin (Suz): 18. Jason Parker (Suz): 19. Karl Lowry Jr. (Suz): 20. Chris Greve (Suz); 21. Daniel Fischer (Suz): 22 Erik Schnackenberg (Suz); 23. Dale Love (Suz); 24. James Romer III (Suz); 25. Jake Zemke (Suz); 26. Joseph Castillo (Suz); 27. Matt Cusumano (Suz); 28. DennIS Burke (Suz); 29. Jared Kapoor (Hon); 30. Neal Hazelett (Suz): 31. Stuart Stratton (Yam); 32 Roman Fria, (Suz); 33. Joseph Gill (5.,.); 34. David Duprey (5uz). Time none due to red flag Disbnce: 16laps; 24 miles Avu,;age sp«d: none, due to red flag Margin of victory: 3.348 sec. LOCKHART PHILLIPS 7SOc( SUl'ERSPORT SERIES (After 2 of 13 .roundsh 1. Tom Kipp (66/1 win); 2 Josh. Hayes (60/1): 3. Jimmy Moore (59): 4. R;chard Alexander Jr. (58); S. Tommy Hayden (SO): 6. James Randolph (47): 7. Jamie Bowman (44); 8. Vincent Haskovec (44); 9. Mario DuHamel (40); 10. Todd Harrington (39); 11. John Haner (36): 12. John Jacobi (32): 13. (TIE) G.. nt lopeZ/Jake Zemke (28); 15. Mike Ciccotto (26); 16. Brian Gibbs (24); 17. Daniel Fischer (22): 18. Shane Clarke (18): 19. mEl Brian Parriott/Gabriel Henning (l7). Upcoming Rounds: Round 3 . Rosamond, Califomia, April 17 Round 4 - Sonoma, Califomia, April 24 Mazda 250cc Grand Prix series Round 2:Phoenix International Raceway Sorensen back to front By Henny Ray Abrams GOODYEAR, AZ, MAR 21 ne of these days, Chuck Sorensen is going to have a nice, peaceful race weekend, one not filled with mechanical difficulties and heat-race calamities. One where he can start from somewhere other than the back row, and one where he doesn't have to slice his way through ·the entire field. This wouldn't be that weekend. The World Sports Imports' rider suffered an electrical problem which caused a heat-race seizure. That put him at the back of the grid, on the ninth row. It didn't much matter. By the 10th of 25 laps, Sorensen had passed Tech Star Industries' AI Salaverria and had his Yamaha TZ250 in the lead. His lead grew to over four seconds before SaJaverria began to eat into it; then disaster struck the Aprilia rider. The top base gasket failed, shooting water on the rear tire and causing him to crash on the 20th lap. That put Terranova Painting's Geep Terranova in second, but about 6.5 seconds behind Sorensen. Sorensen stretched the lead to 10.573 seconds at the end of the 25-lap, 37.5- O M s::. ... ~ ~ 14 mile race, which he completed in 26 minutes, 51.484 seconds, at an average speed of 84.333 mph. Terranova finished second, with Team Race Against Cancer For Kids' Joseph Cubbage - like the first two, on a Yamaha TZ250 - third. '1t was really kind of tense before the race because I was on the last row," said Sorensen, after winning the Mazd a 250cc Grand Prix, "and I was a little concerned about, not lapped traffic, but traffic beforehand. I haven't always been the best starter, but I've been working on that lately, and this time I got a really good start and I think I was in the top 10 in the second corner. I rode behind AI (Salaverria) and kind of watched him a bit and saw I was gaining on him by maybe a quarter- or baHecond a lap. Then I thought I'd wait there for a bit and I watched my board for the traffic behind us to make sure nobody was coming behind us. After I started to see lapped traffic come up, I thought l'd use that to my advantage and I made my move on AI. And then I put down a couple, probably four, five hard laps. And at that point I just started watching my board, started watched for the flag. Hopefully we'll see more." The win, the fifth of Sorensen's career, vaulted the San Jose resident to the top of the points leaderboard after the second of 13 races. Sorensen leads Fabweld's Greg Esser, seventh today, 66 to 56. Derek King, fourth today on the Performance Cycles Honda, is third with 55. Being on the back row was hardly a deterrent to Sorensen. He blitzed his . way through the 31-rider field, moving into sixth on the second lap. He was up to second on the third lap and clo ing quickly on Salaverria. He first passed him out. of the turn-nine bus-stop corner, but Salaverria got it back, only to lose it for good on the 10th lap. While Sorensen pulled away, Salaverria recovered and made a run at him, only to crash when his engine pumped. water onto the rear tire on the 20th lap. "The water went everywhere, even on the rear wheel," Sal.averria said. "I just went into turn five and almost lost it. Then I almost lost it again." The spill came in turn seven, a gradual right-hand bend. The Aprilia had blown a base gasket in the moming, but the team thought they had the problem fixed. The bigger problem was that the bike had just been delivered from Daytona and they'd had little time to work on it. Sorensen soared and was untouchable. The race would be for second, but not really. Terranova was firmly entrenched and took the podium spot with ease. His only regret was that he had decided not to go to the opening round in Daytona for financial reasons. "I pretty much knew where I stood out here," Terranova said. "l knew I'd have to deal with Chuck (Sorensen). Like always, he goes so fast, and Al (Salaverria) and all these guys - I mean, I don't pick it up in practice so it's hard to tell if I'm going to be there, but usually it happens when the race comes and I'm pretty lonely. Once Chuck got by me, I figured maybe I could follow him. Maybe, but it didn't work out. And AI I was able to get back with him, and that worked out pretty good, and then he fell. And I was hoping I didn't drop off the pace to get caught." Cubbage settled into his spot behind Terranova on the fifth lap and held it. At the end, Derek King made a run at him, coming up less than a second short. "Tltis is my first podium finish at an AMA ational," Cubbage said. '1t feels wonderful to be here. "After Al (Salaverria) was gone I started thinking cautious - 'Be cautious, tires are slick, they're sliding, AI's already down,'" Cubbage continued. The plan became one of survival, hoping to get through the race of attrition on a track he said was "known to be dangerous." Cubbage lapped one rider twice, a rider who slowed him down and hurt his drive to the front. "I had to make up the room in the end in turn six, the infield, on the brakes, a little corner speed, just real smooth on the throttle exiting and it worked out for me," Cubbage said. King was by himself for most of the race. He had pulled away from a five-, then four-rider fight over fifth place, and took a secure fourth. Fifth went to Jeffrey Vos, the Yamaha rider emerging from the quartet to pull away from the group that included Broward Motorsport's Quenni King, who finished sixth; Esser, who finished seventh; and Kids: Don't Smoke!'s Chris Ulrich, who had run as high as fifth but ended the race eighth. _ Phoenix International Raceway Goodyear, Arizona Results: March 21, 1999 (Round 2 of 13) 2SOcc GRAND PRIX FLNAL: 1. Chuck Sorensen (Yam): 2. Geep Terranova (Yam): 3. Joe Cubbage (Yam); 4. Derek King (Han); 5. Jeffrey Vas (Yam); 6. Quenni King (Yam): 7. Greg Esser (Hon); 8. Chris Ulrich (Yiltn); 9. Ed Sorbo (Yam); 10. Rolando Quintero (Han); 11. Larry Roberts (yam): U. Keller King (Yam); 13. Colin Jensen (Apr); 14. Bruce Lind (Yam); 15. John France (Hon); 16. Duncan Griffiths (Yam); 17. William Whelan (Yam); 18. Gary Georges (Yam): 19. Kory Gill (Yam): 20. Richard Denman (Han); 21. Gnvin Seekamp (Yam); 22. Andrew Edwards (Yam); 23. Mark Sweeney (Yam); 24.. Mark DiPietro (Yam); 25. Tom Christia.n (Han); 26. Kevin McCrea (Yam); 27. John Burgoyne (Han); 28. AI Salavcrria (Apr); 29. Saman Perera (Han); 30. Ralph Staropoli (Han); 31. Adam Neal (Yam). Time: 26 min., 51.484 Sf!c. Distance: 25 laps; 37.s miles Average speed: 84.333 mph Mougin of victory: 10573 sec. MAZDA 250" GRAND PRIX C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 2 of 13 rounds): 1. Chuck Sorensen (66/1 win); 2 Greg Esser (56); 3. Derek King (54): 4. (TIE) Quenni King/Jeffrey Vas (SO); 6. Rolando Quintero (41); 7. Ed Sorbo (38); 8. John McGuinness (37/1): 9. John France (34); 10. Gcep Terranova (32): 11. Joe Cubbage (29): 12. Colin Cilbert (26): 13. (TIE) Cavin Lee/Chris Ulrich (23): 15. Neil Richardson (22); 16. (TIE) Jeffrey Leggitt/William Whelan (21): 18. Lnrry Roberts (20); 19. (TIE) Keller King/Eric Ste'phens/Mark Sweeney (19). Upcoming Rounds: Round 3 - Rosamond, Califomia, April 18 Round 4 - Sonoma, Califomia, April 25 Sunoco Race Fuels Formula Xtreme series Round 1: Phoenix International Raceway All screwed up By Henny Ray Abrams GOODYEAR, AZ, MAR 20 e Sunoco Race Fuels Formula Xtreme race was a microcosm of the entire disastrous weekend. There was a missed call by the AMA, there was a horrific race-ending crash into an unprotected barrier, and the order of finish was undecided until the next day. When it was finally decided, the winner was Erion Racing's Kurtis Roberts, who was in second when leader Valvoline EMGO Suzuki's Grant Lopez, tu<;ked the front end and crashed hard into an unprotected concrete barrier on the outside of the left-hand turn five when his throttle stuck open, causing the red-flag race stoppage. He was transported via helicopter to St. Joseph's hospital with a closed head injury and an open fracture to his left pinky. He was scheduled to be released the following day. Roberts felt Lopez shouldn't have been in the lead at that point. On the fifth lap, Lopez appeared to pass race leader Roberts under a waving yellow flag entering turn nine. But according to AMA road race manager Ron Barrick, Lopez made the pass prior to the flagman, which made the pass legal. "If you read our rule book, he did the pass correctly," Barrick said, adding that you can't pass on a w,!ving yellow, "between the point of the flag and where the incident is. I saw that on video my elf, frame by frame." Roberts thought the move was unsafe because the machine of Clint Brotz was still on the track. Bu t the machine was beyond the flagman at that point. (Lopez was not the only rider who passed under the waving yellow in that corner.) . "Lopez should have been out of it, and I expected that he was," Roberts aid. "He passed me into the waving yellow - really blatantly, and very dangerous. There was a motorcycle in the middle of the race track. So if they TI

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