Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Left) Steve Rapp (82) inherited fifth place when Pascal Picotte (21) was forced out with a mechanical failure on his Harley-Davidson VR1000 late in the race. (Above) Jason Pridmore (43) held off Rich Oliver (97) to finish sixth. Oliver was seventh with Matt Wait (23) ending up eighth. appeared as though he was there to stay. The Australian quickly put his head down and pulled away. Then trouble struck, and just as quickly he was coasting into the pits on lap six, his Ducali misfiring badly. "I thought I was going to clear out," Gobert said. "The bike was awesome, really quick. It started misfiring, so I . slowed down, but they still didn't catch me much. Then it did it again and I thought it might lock up or something midcorner. Then it nearly stopped. It's really frustrating because I felt good and was doing it easy. I was really comfortable out there. I had so much feel from the race setup." With the fastest man on the race track suddenly out of the picture, Bostrom and DuHamel took over at the front, with Mladin, Hacking and Pegram closing the gap behind them. By this point, Pegram had already turned the fastest lap of the race - a 1:21.211 - as he charged through from his third-row start. On the ninth lap, Pegram jetted past Mladin but couldn't make the pass stick, instead sliding back to behind Hacking and into fifth place. He was fighting an overheating problem with the Ducati, and it wasn't until the 14th lap that he tried again - this time with more success. Hacking, too, managed to get around the Australian and his Suzuki. "After about seven, eight laps, my bike was running really hot and was DuHamel had the back wheel of his Honda in the air after realizing that Hacking and the rest had slowed earlier than normal. With nowhere to go, he plowed into the back of Hacking, locking his front brake in the process, and eventually cartwheeling his way into the desert on the outside of tum three. "I just want to set the record straight that I knew that Mat (Mladin) was behind me and that he'd pretty much shot his tires trying to catch up to us," DuHamel explained later. '1 was happy in the posi lion I was and there was no pressure to win this race. The temperature was hotter and the bike was behaving differently, so I was trying to adjust to that. Everything was okay and under control. I caught up to those guys and they caught up to some slow riders in turn three - the crucial point where everybody passes, because if you don't get past, you're stuck behind those guys for a couple of comers. I got up to Jamie (Hacking) and he just stood up and started braking 20 yards before where we usually brake. I guess the guys in front were taking it easy, trying to maneuver, trying to get themselves in a better position, or whatever. They caught me completely off guard. I just caught up to them coming out of two. I tried to weave and miss Jamie but my front-brake lever hit his rear tailpiece and by then I was already trying to stop. It hit it and locked up the front wheel. I thought I was going down and I went over the bars almost. I climbed back onto the bike, got back onto the brakes, but by then I was already pretty much into the corner. There wasn't much more to do other than avoid Ben (Bostrom). I was about to T-bone Ben and take him down too, and I didn't want to do that. I missed Ben, which was my last duty on the bike, and then I tried to stop it and [ knew pretty much [ was going to get off, so I let it go when I got out there. It's just unfortunate because the bike is destroyed and it's a lot of work for the guys because there are three races in a row. All the guys are taking it well. I can't believe it. My leg's not healed, I didn't have any pressure, I didn't wan t to win this thing more than anything else - I just wanted to be there. Mat was behind me, Ben was just one or two positions in front, Gobert was out,. I'm thinking, 'This is great, [ don't even need to be up here this much: The bike was working good even though it was all greasy. I didn't think I was going to finish better than where I was. I just tried to do the best I could and for' something freaky to happen like that... I've been one of the slowest guys going into three all weekend - for me to hit them, they really braked early and it really threw me off." The incident balked Hacking, but he was lucky to escape without crashing. "Going into three, there was about 10 million lappers and we all broke really early," Hacking explained. "I sat up and Like the first yearoof World Superbike. I was on the ragged edge horrific crash 'they'd seen on television. Rapp said: "That's not what I want to be known for. the whole time, tJYing to staY with the leaders while leaming the race tracks and not having a lot of experience. Now i look forward to qualifying. It was only this moming that I was driving out to the Jamie Hacking had a big crash on the exit of tum one on Fritrack, .. rionnally I drive out and think, 'I wonder if I'm going to end day aft,er hitting oil. "I was lucky I didn"t get hurt: he said. "I was After qualifying on Saturday. Anthony Gobert was· all smiles up in hospital today.' That was the fine line that I had to do. Now, I full. lock coming out of tum one and managed to thrOw it down on and full of praise for his Ducati. Tbe Australian now compares the was coming out and looking forward to it. That's still why I do my the low side. It just slid all the way to tum two and I was right 9!lS'to a 500cc Grand Prix bike. 'We've made a iot of prqgress times early in the session. I· want to get it over and done with and behind it." Hacking end~d up qualifying only seventh. but the main with the machine." Gobert. said. "The guys have been working hopefully walk away from it. We do put a lot on th.e line to do that reason for that was his lack of track time with a qualifying tire on really hard back at the shop and they've come up with some more one lap, I do., anyway. I'm just really happy with myseif becaase . Saturday aftemoon_ "I didn't get to go out on a Q today because horsepower. .I owe a lot to them because Ben' (Bostroml is secI'm composed. I'm just trying to enjoy it. I don't want to get to the something. was wrong in t~e sbock unit." Hacking said. though he ond as well. It's a qu'ick race track and our bikes are quick. To me, anticipated he would be there come race time. "Everyone will'be it's a nice change. When I rode the Kawasaki. it was always a bit . end of my career and think that I was stressed the whole time. I'm trying to kick back more and really absorb it. " together until the end and then it'li be a drag race .. and thai underPowered and I'd al""ays watch the Ducatis 90 by on the Ducati is pretty fast. " straights. Now it's finally good to blast by the other guys." Gobert While Willow Spnngs may lack in several areas. the riders seem said the team has (o~nd more horsepower since even the last to like the high speeds and the overall safety of the circuit. With raCe at Phoenix. Fast By Fermcci's Ducati's Matt Wait was another who s"ffered all the superbikes being improved over last year, lap times a high-speed crash at Willow Springs but managed to walk away. dropped accordingly. Though nO one got into the 1: 18 range in Gobert says he feels the pressure of trying to exceed in AMA racAccording to Wait. the thr9ttle .stuck wide open on his Ducati as qualifying, Ben Bostrom said it was entirely possible to do so. Ing in the hopes of moving on, but he's having fun nonetheless. he entered tum two. ending Wait's Saturday afternoon qualifying All the top men needed. he said. were a lol of qualifying tires and session prematurely. - Last year I had a lot of pressure on me, but this year,l've got 20 an empty race track. "You can do an 18 out here and it is so times more pressure on me: Gobert said. "If things don't go scary," Bostrom said. -Just throw a couple of qualifiers at Mai Nicky Hayden wasn't only debuting his Erion Racing Honda right this year. I run the chance of getting stuck in America. I enjoy (Mladin), Goey or myself and let us alone,.and we could do full it over I)ere, but I. want to be World. Champion and I can't be RC45 Superbike at Willow Springs, he was ~Iso s,hewing off a new 18s.lt's pretty gnarly. It's fun. It's so greasy, you can hi' outthere. hairdo. Cropped closely to his head and dyed wilh black spots, World Champion doing the American races. I can't crash and get on full race tires, just cruising and still sliding the thing. You just injured because that could ruin everything, I've got to try and be there was some question as io what tbe style was called, When smart; But I feel heaps more'comfortable with the. bike. The.collaraccelerate in the comer and iet the thing hang out. You spin' it all asked 'about his hair and ,whether it was. cheetah or leopard, Haythe.way through eight - it's gnarly." den, replied. "Leopard - no more of that cheetah talk." To which bone is stronger .now, but I still have a plate in the~e. I haC!. a prob; lem for about 10 m0nths with· a broken collarbone. so it'took me a , . , some wise-Crackin,g joum<\list replied, ".That was the oid tea,m, " ' Yoshimura Suzuki's Steve 'Rapp is fully recovered'from his hor· long time tei buila. my confidence up to really hang the 'bike out sideways' and not worry 'about a high·side, My.confidence is up, I rific crash at Phoenix International Raceway. Despite' hitting the According to AMA Pro Racing's Ron Barrick, Valvoline EMGO ' feel really good on the bike and"1 feel a lot of support from Teny wall and tumbling' the iength of the front straight; Rapp only sufSuzu~i's Grant Lopez-was disqualified from the AMA Superbike (Varice) and the guy~. We're really working as a .good team. I fered minor damage 'to his hand, "My hand was smashed and it' race ai Phoenix Intem~tional Raceway prior to .the· ~vent. Lopez used to always think that it was all the rider, but it is th.e team. I'm swelled up like five sizes, b~t nothjng was broken:" Rapp said., was' caught trying to ride his Formula Xtreme bike in Superbike. having the' best time of my career beca~se it'~ ali coming 'prettY "When.l was watching ~ on TV, I was like, 'How. did I not gel qualifying on Saturday in Phoenix' and was not only prevented .easy to me. Generally: in th'e past, I've been on the ragged edQe. hurt?'" When someone mentioned that it may have .been the most from taking pail in t~e race. but he and his crew c~ief were !ioed: . . , Brieflv..• - 18 starting to cut out," Pegram explained later. "[ started pulling out and not drafting the guys because then it would run a little cooler. That made it harder to· pass them, but I was in between trying to keep it cool and trying to pass. One lap not behind them and it would cool down, one lap behind them and it would start to get hot and cut out. I was thinking more about the motor and the heat of the motor than about the race. Then I just said, 'Just go: I couldn't stay behind them and try to keep it cool. I slowly got by them and I got to third. Mat (Mladin) is probably the hardest guy on the track to pass because he just goes so deep into the corners. We got into another shoving match in turn two and I came out on top." By the 20th of 25 laps, it had come down to a four-rider battle for the win, with three of those riders having never. won an AMA Superbike National Bostrom, Hacking and Pegram. DuHamel, meanwhile, was perched behind them, ready for the attack. [t was in turn three on the 21st lap that the defining moment of the race materialized. With the leaders approaching hea vy traffic into the banked left-hander, Bostrom went inside and Pegram went outside - with Pegram taking the lead 'for the first time with a better exit and run up the hill. Behind them, all hell had broken loose, and they didn't even know it. On the a pproach to turn three,

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