Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ger pushed Sinith way off line on the pits turn and just failed to catch th e Czech star on j he finish line. That put Karger and Smith into the final round of eliminators, where a place in the firs t three wo uld be enough for an overall top-10 placing and another chomp at the GP carrot next year. And the men who foun d it dangling just ago nizingly ou t of reach in heats 19 and 20 we re NikIas Klingberg an d John Jorgensen, last out the GP door in 1999. Klingberg wa s briefly second to the faststarti ng Sto ne hewer in h ea t 19, but Smith go t u nder the Swede on the back s traight , and Peter Karlsso n was soon on Smith' s back w heel. Smith, th e Harry Houdini of the GP Challenge, had , as usual, thrown off all vestig e of restraint by' the time it got to su ch a d esperate ph ase, and he w as never likely to give up that second spot, short of a nuclear exp losion interrupting the race. Fo r Peter Karlsson , that third wa s mission accomplish ed with minimum appa ren t fuss, althoug h he did end u re an anxious moment a race earlier wh en he lost second spo t to the flying Henka Gusatfsson, wh ose mom entum also too k him pa st lead er Hamill in heat 17, th e only time the Am erican was headed all afternoon. Heat 20 look ed equally d esp erate on paper, but w a s a li tt le less fra n tic in practice. Mark Lorarn, a t long last, hit d aylight fro m th e tap es a fter a n a fternoon w hich his many sup po rters spe nt ba lanced , lik e h is hopes, o n a knifeedge. And beh ind him , Karger go t by And ersen for second , And ersen making sure there wa s no w a y b a ck for Jorgensen at the rear. Karger is a tru e enig ma in GP circles . He never gives you the impression he particularly wants to be there, but when the tapes go up, the racer in him takes ove r, as it d id again in Lonigo. Fif th in th e world he m a y be, the mo st exciting racer on his day he may be, but Loram spent Sunday seemingly determined to find the ha rd est ro ute possible in to next year's series . Ha m ill was clearly overjoyed wi th his achievement in reaching GP 2000, as he s tays on course to have a massive 2001 assault on the title. "I' m on record as saying 2001 will be a massive year for me, and nothing has cha nged there," Hamill said. "But I also get the feelin g I could be a year ahead of schedule. That last Grand Prix in Denmark reall y mad e me feel good, and I felt comfortable abo u t the situ a tion by that stage, and I know I am back on top of my racing. The GP Challenge is hard because it' s vour last cha nce, but I felt happy on th e Lonigo tra ck . I've won th ere before and th is is just great for me." A jubilant Stonehewer co ul d ha ve be en regard ed as the happiest man in th e world on tha t Su nd ay night as he celebrated his success. "I'll be goi ng back to Eng land with a massive han gover," Sto nehewe r said . "I ca n hardl y beli ev e w ha t's happenin g, and I'm havin g to pinch myself to realize th is is a ll happening. It' s a g rea t achi evement, and I have to thank all my team a nd th e people around me who hav e helped me ge t to this stage. It' s CN brilliant for me." GP Challenge Lonlgo, Ital y Results: October 17, 1999 C Ol A (Top 10 q u alify for 2000 c r series); 1. Bill y Ha mill; 2. Mikae l Karlsso n; 3. Ca rl Stonehewerr 4. Bria n Karger; 5. Henrik Custafsson. 6. M.uk Lora m; 7. And y Smit h; 8. Antonm Kasper: 9. mE) Pete r Karlsson /Brien And ersen; 11. John [orgense rr/Niklas Klin gber g; 13. (TIE) Ia cek Go llo h / Jas o n Ly on s; 15. (T IE) Ro bert Dados / Ca ry Ha vel ock ; 17. (T IE) Marian [ irou t / Lee Richardson ; 19. ITIE) Bohu mil Brhc1/Robcrt Sa wina; 21. (TIE) Sta wo mi r Drabik / Ru me Hol ra r 23. (TIE) Ka j Laukkanen /Piotr Protasiewka. OV 7 SAT NOV 6 & SUN IlAI SPORTMOTORCYCLES I~ § el ~ ~ ~ I-#. ~. COMETIC ~ .~ &! .£ . ~(%' ~~ JJlrcmJ1j MOTUl A 'VI=:: ~-.T~E:> . E Z@1'iT?~ ,••••• i<"L~~.ZiI ~ ~ 4~1?-M::::a':'s::;,;;?l~ I mlri!LiED - m~!i ~ "ffOyt~ ~ ~~OTI Fe] DEVOL W3 =-;O ~ ~ p"owerBar ~ '. 0 .: _ $ _ != RAC ING f4;<;tI;t{3W' I· I : Fri Nov 5: Vet Practice 8am-Noon - Overnight Camping I Sat November 6: Gates Open 6am Race 9:15am : Sun November 7: Gates Open 6am Race 9:15am I Sportsman $30/class - Pro $85- Min 6 riders/class: Nov,lnt,Pro,Vet : Classes: 25+ Sat Only), 30+ 35+ 40+ 50+ 60+ Pro (30+) I $5000 Pro Purse (No Membership) Info: 909-880-3090 : GIt:1I nt:n::11 I~ IV'-'ClLt:U JU~L I';IVI LII VI ~Clil Ct:IIIClI Ulna Take Palm/Kendall Offramp West off Interstate 215 Gate Fee $10 Adults· 6-12 $5· Gates Close 10 PM I~~~~ : '~ ~ fliJ)ljJ ~ -,~_. _- ~-----------------------------------------~ ~~T~II th~.." yc>LI r~C31c:1 C31bC>Llt i t i . , f.ffIff:5Jj£EJ:IJ ~~ . en en en ~ M 1i E CD > o z 33

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