Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Left) Chuck Sorenson (90) won the 250cc Grand Prix class over defending series champion Roland Sands (1). Randy Renfrow ran third before SUffering a mechanical failure. (Above) Nicky Hayden won the Formula Xtreme class rather easily. Road Atlanta Braselton, Georgia Results: June 5, 1999 (Round 6 of 13) 750« SlJPERSPORT FIN,u, I. Tom Kipp (Suz); 2. Grant Lopez (Suz); 3. Jake Zemke (Suz); 4. Jimmy Moore (Suz); 5. Roger Lee Hayden (Suz); 6. Mario DuHamel (Suz); 7. Michael Ba.rnes (suz); 8. Richard Alexander Jr. (Suz); 9. Tommy Hayden (Yam); 10. DOlman Buckmaster (Suz); 11. Joseph Prussiano (Suz); 12. David Rose (Suz); 13. James Randolph (suz); 14. John Jacobi (SU2:); 15. Keith Wilson (Suz); 16. John Haner (Suz); 17. Chris C'ylor (Suz); 18. joseph Gill (Suz); J9. Eric Wood '(5uz); 20. Brian Parriott (Hon); 21. Richard PaceU .. (Suz); 22. Gabriel Henning (SU2:); 23. Andy Dcal'hcragc (Suz); 24. Brian Stokes (502); 25. Jamie Lane (SU2); 26. Chod Simons (SU2); 27. Per Hogdohl (SU2); 28. Kurt Marmor (Suz); 29. Jess Roeder (Yam); 30. Rich Conicelli (Suz); 31. Byron Barbour (Suz); 32. Mark Edwards (Suz); 33. Francois &'lrbe (Yam); 34. Shannon Sil va (SU2); 3S. I.ee Agree (Suz). Time: 22 min., 21.045 sec. Distance: 37,8 miles Average speed: 102.278 mph Margin of victory: 0.196 sec. AMA 750« SUPERSPORT C'SHIP POINT STANDI-l GS (After 6 of 13 rounds): 1. Tom Kipp (214/5 wins); 2. Jimmy Moore (173); 3. Tommy Hayden (158); 4. Richard Alexander Jr. (136); 5. Mario DuHamel (35); 6. jake Zemke (134); 7. joshua Ihyes (U6/1); 8. Jamie Bowman (15); 9. Grant Lopez (114); 10. James Randolph (113); 11. Brian Parriott (98); U. Vincent Haskovec (79); 13. John Jacobi (76); 14. (TIE) Gobricl Henning!Joseph Gill (60). Upcoming Rounds Round 6 - Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, June 12 Round 7 • Loudon, New Hampshire, June 19 AMAlMazda 250CC Grand Prix I Chuckie's I fourth III ~ lit Q en !!? cD 0; § .., 14 By Henny Ray Abrams BRASELTON, GA, JUNE 6 W . i t h the West Coast swing complete, the field for the Maida 250cc Grand Prix was missing some of the star performers of the past three races. Not that it would've matteredo World Sports Imports' Chuck Sorensen did what he does regardless of who else is on the track - he won. And he won big, again, but it wasn't flag to flag. Randy Renfrow made sure of that. The Virginia veteran, Renfrow, hadn't raced since Daytona, preferring to ease into retirement gradually. He showed up at Road Atlanta with his number two on the front of a Performance Machines Yamaha, stabled next to the one ridden by defending class champion Roland Sands. When the flag fell for the IS-lap, 37..8mile race, Renfrow flew to the front, but only for a lap. The first try at starting the race had been red-flagged on the first lap, which seemed like something of a gift, since So.rensen's start wasn't great. The launch for the restart was worse. He bogged the motor and had to stuff a few • riders to get to the front. That was what allowed Renfrow to get out front. After holding the point for one lap, Sorensen took over and every lap to the end belonged to the San Jose, California, resident. He edged away at first, then pulled away quickly, holding about 4.5 seconds after five laps and more than eight seconds at the halfway point in the race. When the checkered flag fell, Sorensen had a 12.560-second lead, completing the race in 22 minutes, 29.880 seconds at an average speed of 101.609 mph. "We're trying to keep the races consistent and l'd like to keep on winning races," Sorensen said. "We're going to try to keep our focus on the championship. That's the most important to us. I've been doing this for several years and l'd like to have that, so we're going to keep our heads on tha t." As to why he did so well on a hot day at Road Atlanta, Sorensen said that it wa one of his favorite tracks. "I've been coming here for quite a few years," he said. "It's very flowing, and if you can get a really good rhythm at this place - lots of blind comers and places where the bike wheelies and breaks the rear loose, third gear coming down the hill- it's a lot of fun. The track probably suits my style. I like fast, sweeping corners." There was a race for second for the first nine laps. Sands and his new teammate Renfrow were going back and forth, Renfrow in front at the start of the race, Sands taking over on the fourth lap, with Renfrow back in second a lap later. And so it went. Sand looked like he was pulling a little ground on Renfrow on the ninth lap and he'd have more on the next one. That's when Renfrow pulled off with mechanical problems. Sands was in second, a spot he was in no danger of losing, and it wasn't a bad finish considering this was only his second race back since his Daytona injuries. It was the first race that he contested both the 250cc Grand Prix and 600cc Supersport classes. "It's been a bit of a trial, coming back," Sands said, noting his fifth place at Daytona in a race run in wet but drying conditions. "This is really the first conditions on slicks. My main goal this weekend was to come out of this thing unsca thed, finish both races and just to do the times that [ know I can do. I just went out there and pretty much rode at my comfortable, comfortable sta te." Sands said he knew he had a race on his hands when Renfrow was running. "I just looked back one lap," he said. '1 thought, 'Man, I'm going to have to ride my ass off to get away from Randy.' He had a strong bike this weekend and he was riding good. And I was trying tp put some time on him, trying to gap him, trying to gap him. Right at the end of the straightaway, he kept coming by me and tried to get me on the brakes. One lap I looked back and he wasn't there anymore. I was pretty sure it would go down to the wire. I was trying to gap him and I'd look back and I'd gap him and he'd be able to catch me. I think it was going to be a race to the end. It was kind of a bummer the way it turned out." Third went to Chris Ulrich on the Kids! Don't Smoke Yamaha in the Californian's best-ever 250cc GP finish. Ulrich circulated alone for the majority of the race. "It was quite a kick," Ulrich said. "Last year I left this place all busted up and [ think I caught the Superbike race between morphine drip after surgery. It's a little better than getting hauled off. I got off to a pretty good start and I tried to chase down Randy (Renfrow) and Roland (Sands), and then I saw Randy dropped ou t and I had a four-second lead on the guy in fourth, so it was like, 'Okay, let's bring it home, we've got the box.' TItis is a good day for me. I hope this isn't my last one. I'm going to really try hard to get on the box at Road America. I think we finally put a race together. We've been there with times all year and now we're there." Derek King on the Performance Cycles Honda took fourth while making a late run, with Quenni King fifth on the Broward Motorsport Yamaha, abouf eight seconds back. Ed Sorbo ended up sixth on his Yamaha, with Team Cycle Depot's Rolando Quintero seventh on a Honda. eRoad Atlanta Braselton, Georgia Results: June 6, 1999 (Round 7 of 12) MAZDA 2.5Ck:c GRAND PRIX: 1. Chuck Sorensen (Yam); 2. Roland Sands (Yam); 3. Chris Ulrich (Yam); 4. Derek King (Hon); 5. Quenni King (Yam); 6. Ed Sorbo (Yam); 7. Rolando Quintero (Hon); 8. Perry Melneciuc (Hon); 9. William Himmelsbach (Yam); 10. Bruce Lind (Yam); 11. Ralph Staropoli (Hon); 12. Thomas Grier (Hon); 13. James Bonner (Yam); 14. John France (Hon); 15. James Worthington (Apr); 16. Richard Merhar (Yam); 17. Keith Floyd (Yam); 18. Murphy Anderson (Yam); 19. Geoffrey Maloney (Yam); 20. Christopher Holske (Yam); 21. Tom ChristIan (Hon); 22. Dan Rios (Yam); 23. Adam Neal (Yam); 24. Randy Renfrow . (Hon); 25. Jeffrey Vos (Yam); 26. L~n Hor (Yam); 27. Greg Esser (Hon); 28. Mntthcw Bettencourt (Yam); 29. Colin Jensen (Apr); 30. David Boosalcs (Hon); 3"1. Andre Castanos (Apr/Hon). Time: 22 min., 29.880 sec. Distance: 15 laps. 37.8 m.iles Average speed: 101.609 mph Maxgin of victory: 12.560 sec. MAZDA 250« GRAND PRIX C'SHIP POI T STANDINGS (After 7 of 12 rounds): 1. Chuck Sorensen (202/4 wins); 2. Quenni King (58); 3. Geep Terranova 026/1); 4. Greg Esser (118); 5. Derek King (117); 6. Chris Ulri

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