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Road Race Rounds 6 &7: Road Atlanta AMAIMBNA SUPERBIKE NA TIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP By Paul Carruthers Photos by Henny Ray Abrams BRASELTO ,GA, JUNE 5-6 ith Miguel DuHamel and Anthony Gobert plitting wins and second-place finishes in last year's doubleheader weekend at Road Atlanta, there was some doubt in people's minds as to who actually was the "Big Kahuna" on the weekend. This year there was never any doubt. Anthony Gobert is inarguably the 1999 "Big Kahuna." Gobert and his Vance & Hines Ducati were impeccable over two days of racing during the Dunlop Big Kahuna Nationals at the picturesque Road Atlanta. The Australian came from behind to win on Saturday and he was never headed in winning on Sunday. Self-proclaimed "fat" and "a bit out of shape," Gobert showed up well-rested from a recent trip to Hawaii and carrying a few more pounds. But once he managed to get his leathers zipped up, there was simply no stopping him. In Saturday's final, Gobert trailed championship leader Mal Mladin early, took over the lead, then slipped all the way back to third, some two seconds behind his race-leading teammate Ben Bostrom. Then, with just seven laps to go, Gobert decided to give it one last go. He reeled in and passed Yamaha's Jamie Hacking for second place on the 22nd lap, then set his sights on Bostrom, quickly erasing a one-second advantage. Beginning the final lap, Gobert sneaked through on the mside on the entrance to tum one and he. was never headed again as Bostrom's plans for attack in the turns 10-11 chicane didn't materialize because a lapped rider thwarted hi efforts. On Sunday, Gobert tried a different approach. He led each and every lap of the restarted National, eventually pulling away to a 3.614-second victory over Bostrom, who in turn had plenty of. brea thing room over third-place man Mladin. Although neither race provided the drama that last year's Big Kahuna Nationals did, Saturday's event was by far the superior of the two. Sunday's event, however, was the one that will likely be remembered - and not necessarily in a favorable way. The race was marred by two on-track incidents. The first came early in the race when Gabriel Henning and Joseph Retcher crashed in tum lOa t the end of the first lap. By the time the leaders approached on the second lap, an ambulance was headed down the back straight and was right on the racing line on the entrance to tum 10. What followed was an ugly scene, with Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin very nearly running into the back of the ambulance as he had no choice but to shoot through a gap between the ambulance and the retaining wall on the outside of tum 10 - either that or risk taking out five or so of his comrades. Despite panic on everyone's part, the rest of the field made it through the corner unscathed, with Mladin stalled in the gravel on the outside of the corner. Still amazed that the race wasn't red-flagged, Mladin was aided by spectators who jumped the fence to help get him out of his prediCament. The Australian then restarted the race in last place, his chantpionship lead all but evaporating before his eyes as his main two rivals, Gobert and Bostrom, held the top two spots. With Mladin trying to at least get some quality points and moving up through the field, he was justifiably aided by a red flag - though it had noth- W . ยง! ui 6 Mat Mladln (66) lad the first portion of Saturday's first Superblke National at Road Atlanta before giving way 10 evenlual race winner Anthony Gobert (95). Both rounds were witnessed by huge crowds at the Georgian facility.