Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Above) Eric Bostrom (32) raced with Steve Rapp (82) and Scott Russell (4) early in the race before finishing an eventual eighth. (Right, from left to right) Chandler, Mladin and Picotte celebrate in the winner's circle. and I knew he couldn't hang in there. I was just hoping I could get by him and not get hung up with him and race him. I think he pretty much let me by because he knew he was, going backwards. I tried to keep my head down and keep my laps consistent, because I didn't want to get tangled up with anyone else. I wanted to see what we could do , towards the end. I really didn't think I could do anything with this guy (Mladin). He was doing really good lap times, and I was more concerned with my tire after looking at Aaron's. Our bikes are the same. I was just hoping that mine wouldn't go that way, too. I just started riding it fairly conservative." By this time, Oliver and Crevier were out of the race, with Crevier running into the back of the factory Yamaha. After 15 laps, the running order read: Mladin, Chandler, Yates, Picotte, DuHamel, Gobert, Hacking, Rapp, Eric Bostrom, Wait, Pegram and Russell. Ben Bostrom was still off the leaderboard, . but he was lapping in the low 40s. He would soon get to Russell and finish in what would eventually be 11th place. As the race started to run out of laps, focus shifted to Picotte's charge. The French Canadian now had Yates in his sights, and on the 20th lap he stuffed his way under the Kawasaki- in turn seven. Yates, frantically trying to find traction on the exit, was frustrated as he kicked his ZX7, knowing that a rostrum position was now out of the question. "It was a great race for me," Picotte said. "First of all, I had a little break because Ben (Bostrom) couldn't make the start and Jamie (Hacking) also, and something was wrong wit? Anthony's bike, or whatever. So that gave me a little break, and I want to be honest with those guys, that they all deserved to be there al~o. We've been working hard, and I think we deserved it. It wasn't reallya horsepower race track this weekend. It seems like the VRI000 seems to be able to rail a corner pretty good. "It was kind of a banzai move," Picotte said of his pass on Yates. "I caught up to him and I was able to see that his tire was going away pretty bad; he was sliding all over the place. It was kind of tough for me to really pass him. I slowed down a little bit to try and bring my temperature a little cooler on my tire, because I was starting to get greasy also. I thought maybe I could get a little better grip by cooling 'off the tire and go by him and leave him instead of just battling with him. Aaron is a tough competitor and he outbrake me every time. I just kinda slowed there and tried to be as smooth as I can and try to conserve my rear tire, especially, and try to get a good drive out of the Carousel. I was right behind him, but Aaron is so good on the brakes, I had to let off the brake, and I was actually turning, and just went under him. Sorry, Aaron, but I had to do that. If not, I could never have finished third. I didn't want to hit him, but I wanted to pass. It was kind of a block-pass, a motocross move almost. I didn't hit him and he didn't crash, so... He did the same thing to me before when I was riding Supersport on the last lap. I gave his money back, I think." Yates wasn't overly upset with the pass. He was just discouraged with the outcome. "I ran the wrong tire," Yates said, though his was identical to Mladin's and Chandler's. "I ran the 555, what Doug (Chandler) had. I was thinking about the 501 and how well I usually do with it, but then 1 changed right before the race to the 555. It was really spin- ning, and I thought it might be going low, but it stayed the same. I tried to turn under him (Picotte), but it just spun up and went sideways." Yates managed to hold oTt. to fourth, ahead of the Gobert/DuHamel battle that went to the finish. "The way it started, I felt the rear shock was off, because I had not-sogood traction," DuHamel said. "I tried to hang with those guys, Steve (Crevier) and Rich (Oliver), and then Steve took him out. It was a lonely race. 1 had to take it easy because I thought the tire might chunk and I'd get 12th or something. I'm happy with fifth. I'm disappointed that Gobert caught and passed me. I tried to do the best I could, but I couldn't put up a fight, and Anthony deserved it. I just needed one less lap in Superbike and one more lap in Supersport." (DuHamel fVlished a close second to Nicky Hayden in the 600cc Supersport class, held earlier in the day.) Then came Hacking, feeling as though he'd gone 12 rounds with a heavyweight prizefighter. "I don't really remember the whole thing," Hacking said of the Superbike race. "At one point, early on, I got kicked up out of the seat and I almost pulled in. I knew the guys in front of me had soft tires and I'd put a harder one on. I just took a couple of breaths and chilled out. I reeled them back in and rode 40 to 50 percent." Behind Hacking came Eric Bostrom, having fended off attacks from Rapp and Wait, with Wait ultimately crashing out of the race. "It's getting better," Eric Bostrom said. "It was just another frustrating weekend. I've got a lot more confidence now, but this has never been my great- est race track. It's a bit of a confidence thing right now, but next weekend we'll be back to where we were." CIII Sears Point Raceway Sonoma, California Results: April 25, 1999 (Round 4 of 13) SUPERB IKE QUALIFYING: 1. Ben Bostrom (1:38.581); 2. Aaron Yates 0:39.088); 3. Doug Chandler (1:39.096); 4. Anthony Gobert (1:39.201); 5. Pascal Picotte (1:39.264); 6. Mat Mladin (J:39.664); 7. Jamie Hacking (1:39.766); 8. Jason Pridmore (l :39.885); 9. Steve Rapp (1;40.113); 10. Rich Oliver (1;40.287); 11. Miguel DuHamel (1:40.316); 12. Eric Bostrom (1 :40.585); 13. Steve Crevier 0:40.690); 14. Larry Pegram (1:41.266); IS. Scott Russell (1:41.291); 16. Matt Wail (1:4.1.797); 17. Francis Martin 0:43.887); 18. Tom Kipp 0:44.145); 19. )efl Short (1;44.197); 20. Jame, Randolph (1;44.447); 21. Rod Greaves (1:44.827); 22. Jimmy Moore (1:44.966); 23. jamie Bowman (1:45.105); 24. Jake Zemke (1;45.432); 25. Jeff Wilham, 0;45.530); 26. Steve Grigg (1;46.035); 27. Cory Call (1 :46.249); 28. Mario DuHamel (1 :46.500); 29. John Jacobi 0;46.953); 30. Daniet Fischer 0;47.480); 31. Dean Mizdal (1 :47.627); 32. Erik Schnackenberg 0;47.661); 33. Calvin Rayborn ill 0;48.621). SUPER81KE NATIONAL: 1. Mat Mladin (Suz); 2. Doug Chandler (Kaw); 3. Pascal Picotte (H·D); 4. Aaron Yates (Suz); 5. Anthony Gobert (Due); 6. Miguel DuHamel (Hon); 7. Jamie Hacking (Yam); 8. Eric Bostrom (Han); 9. Steve Rapp (Suz); 10. Larry Pegram (Suz); U. Ben Bostrom (Due); 12. Scott Russen (H-D); 13. James Randolph (Suz); 14. Jeff Short (Suz); 15. Rad Greaves (Suz); 16. Cory Call (Suz); 17. Jeff Williams (Kaw); 18. Mario DuHamel (Suz); 19. Dean Mizdal (Suz); 20. John Jacobi (Suz); 21. Matt Wait (Due); 22. Rich Oliver (Yam); 23. Steve Crevier (Suz); 24. Jason Pridmore (502). . Time: 41 min., 56.926 sec. Distance: 25 laps, 63 miles Average speed: 90.110 mph Margin of victory: 4.189 sec. AMA SUPER8IKE NATIONAL C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 4 of 13 rounds); 1. Mat Mladin (129/1 win); 2. Ben Bostrom (lJO); 3. Larry Pegram (103/1); 4. Doug Chandler (93); 5. Miguel DuHamel (89/1); 6. Aaron Yates (86); 7. Anthony Gobert (85/1); 8. Rich Oliver (84); 9. Jason Pridmore (82); 10. (TIE) Jamie Hacking/Steve Rapp (79); 12. Matt Wait (73); 13. Pascal Picotte (62); 14. James Randolph (54); 15. Mario DuHamel (51); 16. Steve Crevier (49); 17. Eric Bostrom (45); 18. Cory Call (40); 19. Dean Mizdal (38); 20. Rad Greaves (37). Upcoming Rounds: Round 5 - Monterey, California, May 2 Round 6 - Braselton, Georgia, June 6 Yamaha's Jamie Hacking crashed four times over the course of ihe weekend at Sears Point, .the most serious one coming in !,he 600cc Supersport race in tur.n 10. Ironically, Hacking ·had M"t Mladin was happy to be at a 'race 1rack that was more crashed in the exact same spot in 1997. "I, picked the throttle up technical than last ,week's venue, ·Willow Springs In,ternational· .too early and the track goes aw.ay "right there, - Hacking explained' Raceway. He .also.liked the' fact· that passing at Sears Point was 01 his race crash. "I just lost the.lront, and it took 9ft. I'm very ·easier· - especi;llly when it came to .getting by lapped riders. "For-' lucky. It was the same as in .'97 - I made the S.ame mistake." . tunately. at this place. ·there are a lot .01 places to pass," Mladin Hacking-banged his head but .still managed to finish seventh in the said, "'Especially the slower guys. At places. like Willow Springs: S"uperbike National later in the day. the guys·that.are going slow really aren't much slower. When you Hayden did end up getting a little revenge after. crashing .out 01 'get stuck behind' em going into three, essentially, it's lIery 'hard One week after winning his first AMA Superbike Natlona'l, Fast By . · last .y;;er's 600cc' battle with Miguel.DuHamel on' the linal te' get 'em until you come·.back on the back ·straight. You can . Ferracci's Larry Pegram could do rio better than 10th at Sears · lap. This time it. was Hayden Who took· the win on Sunday morn- leise'8 lot 01 time. But here it's pretty.easy to ,get around the Point -' a circuit·he loathes. "I just didn't· ride well - plain and sim. . . pie," Pegram said.·" I had the .equipment, I just didn 'I' use ·it. It''; a ing. "I watched.last year's race again, and it was such a good race' guys." . stiame we·have to.race ,here. a shame that otJf' safety isn't a con· -with· me arid Miguel," Hayden 'said: "I had a little' unfinished'busi~ess. A ,ouple of times during the' race,'1 showed my brother · Doug Chandler has been involved with the-track changes '"em: Next weekend we· go somewhere good and we'll see what '(Tommy Hayden) a'wheel there, but I thought, 'No, we ;von't go . scheduied to be made to Sears Point Raceway in time lor next happens. I've. never done· good here, but that's not an. excuse. I there this year,'" Last year, DuHamel stopped and picked up Hay- · year"s AMA National. He described the changes to the media on started out good, but Ijust wasn't willing to hang'it out that last iit' . 'den alter the crash. Asked jf he would .have returned ihe favor this Sunday afternoon. "The lirst' hall 01 ,the track, from tum !\'Vo t6 tie bit"-' not·here." year if DuHamel had.cras~ed, i;iayden "joked, "Since he's Crippled, turn 's~ven, is going to be .basiCally ~nchanged with justa htlle bit more' runoff, " Chandl'er said. "The 'esses - tum eight will be' elimi- Yamaha's Ric:h Oliver ';"asn't 'tooupset alter.·being kri~cked oui ·1 would - maybe I'd get handicapped parking back here. .. , nated.- and we.are going to have·a straightaway with. a'ieft-to- of the race by St!'ve Cre~ier. "I got.qfl'the line.good:·Oliver said. ihre~-time 500cc Wdrld'Champ'i~n Kenny R"berts was. ori · right. then another straightaWay with a slight Dend. Right now we'll' -We 'made some changes on Saturday e...,nlng .that worked out hand to watch .his son Kurtis race at Sears"Point. opting to stay in . come out where tum 1"0 is and start braking and end up doing a well. I was trying to tag onto Pascal (Picottei. Steve (Crevier).just .California' rather than go'to Japan where his other son: Kenny J.i" , full horseshoe around the end' of the drag strip here. Then, when made a mistake and knocked the. bike out frQm. under'me, I know ended up winning the Japanese SOOcc..Grand Prix' qn April 25. we come back up the front st

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