Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Homestead-Miami Speedway: Grant Lopez (59) leads Mauro Cereda (8), David Mcintyre (behind Cereda), John Dalton (228) and Chris Ulrich (behind Dalton) in the first tum on lap one of the Unlimited Grand Prix race in Homestead, Florida. CCS Florida Region Ho estead·Miami Speedway Lopez Sets Track Record By liSA THEOBALD HOMESTEAD, FL, FEB. 11 rant Lopez used Team Valvoline's brand-new GSX-RI000 to win the Unlimited Grand Prix race and set a new track record at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Before the race, Lopez had boasted that he would break the record he had set back on December II, 1999. In fact, his lap time of 1:26.62 was a fraction of a second fast enough to beat the record he had previously set at a 1:27 flat. "I was pretty confident," Lopez said after the race. "This bike is new to us, but it's a Suzuki and ... this thing's fast." Lopez also claimed victory on his GSX-R750 during the Heavyweight Superbike race. Mauro Cereda had led the first lap of the Unlimited Grand Prix race on his GSX-R750 after nabbing the holeshot, but Lopez was close behind and he moved in to pass at the exit of tum one and claim the lead on the second lap. Shane Prieto was hot on Lopez's tail, and he maneuvered his GSXR750 past Cereda in tum one during the next lap. However, at the halfway mark, everyone was outpowered by Lopez's monster machine. The top five were pretty evenly spaced out, with a distance of about 25 bike lengths between each of them. Lopez set his record time during the final lap to take the checkered flag without challenge. He was followed by Prieto, Cereda, Marco Martinez, Ben Spies, Manny Manusuthakis, Chris Ulrich and Mike Ciccotto. G Lopez, who is sponsored by Team Valvoline Emgo Suzuki, won the Heavyweight Superbike race after taking the lead from holeshot winner Rick Narup on the second lap. Spies was close behind in a challenge for second place with Cereda. About halfway through the race, the event turned into a three-rider battle for the win, with Cereda edging ahead of Spies and into second place. The last half of the race saw no position swapping between the top three. Martinez, David Mcintyre and Ulrich crossed the start/finish line in order behind them. Although Lopez won the big race of the day, he was not the event's biggest winner. There was a tie for most first-place Expert wins between Custom Glass/Prieto Racing/Sharkskinz/Vortex/Silkolene's Prieto and Team Valvoline Emgo Suzuki's John Hopkins, with three victories each. Prieto won the GTO, Unlimited Supersport and Heavyweight Supersport races, and finished second in the GTU, Middleweight Supersport, Middleweight Superbike and Unlimited Grand Prix events. Hopkins won the Middleweight Supersport, Middleweight Superbike and Middleweight Grand Prix races, and he also finished third in the GTO. The GTO was led by the weekend's holeshot king, Rick Narup, for the first lap. Manusuthakis, Cereda and Prieto followed, but Prieto was determined to win the fITst race of the day and he maneuvered his way up front. Behind him, Spies and Hopkins quickly worked their way up from the back of the pack and set their sights on the leader. However, the challengers were unable to catch Florida's favorite local rider, who outran everybody all the way to the finish. Prieto took early leads again in the Unlimited Supersport and Heavyweight Supersport races and ran away with wins in each event. Prieto also led the first half of the Middleweight Supersport and Middleweight Superbike races, but Hopkins passed the leader in the second half of each event and Prieto was unable to regain his lead. Jeremy Haiduk was the top Amateur racer of the weekend, with a grand total of four victories. He won the GTO, Unlimited Supersport, Heavyweight Supersport and Heavyweight Superbike races. Haiduk was challenged by Darren Luck and Frank Potucek throughout the day, but he was able to outrun his competition to claim victory in each event. eN AM a/L S/SPT; 1. Jeremy H.iduk (Suz); 2. Frank Potucek (Suz); 3. Pedro Gonzalez (Yam); 4. Sven Desouzo (Suz); 5. John Riggin. (Hon). EX M/W S/SPT: 1. John Hopkin. (Suz); 2. Shane Prieto (Suz); 3. Marco Martinez (Suz); 4. Manny Manusuthakis (Suz); 5. Steven Patterson (Suz). AM M/W S/SPT: 1. Steve Croft (Y.m); 2. Gabreal Palmer (Yam); 3. Ken Roman (Kaw); 4. Andre Bibeau (Y.m); 5. Merk H.milton (Y.m). EX L/W GP; 1. J.son DiSolvo (Hon); 2. Chuck Sorensen (Yam); 3. Greg Esser (Hon): 4. Juan Jurado (Yam); 5. Leon Cortes (Hon). AM L/W GP: 1. Jorge Aco.t. (Hon); 2. R.lf Hellstrom (Hon); 3. Keith S.nderson (Suz); 4. Erin Moran (Apr); 5. Robert Smith (Hon). M/W SPTSMN; I. Dwight Lewis (Hon); 2. Gregory Lynch (Hon); 3. Bri.n Soiev. (Apr); 4. Ben Motheson (Apr); 5. Erin Mor.n (Apr). EX H/W S/SPT; J. Sh.ne Prieto (Suz); 2. Ben Spies (SOl); 3. Manny Manusuthakis (SOl); 4. Chris Ulrich (Suz); 5. Merco Mortinez (Suz). AM H/W S/SPT; 1. Jeremy H.iduk (Suz); 2. Darren Luck (SOl); 3. Fnmk Potucek (Suz); 4. Phillip Erickson (Yam); 5. David Moscoso (SOl). EX S/TW: 1. Mauro Cerede (Apr); 2. Nelson Perez (Duc); 3. Douglas Gross (Due): 4. Andres Perez (Due); 5. Joe Del.ney (Due). AM S/TW: 1. John Riggin. (Hon); 2. Keith Sanderson (Due); 3. Joseph Bennardl Jr. (SOl); 4. Kevin Lohmann (Due); 5. Thom8s Smith (UlV). EX F·40: 1. Rick Sh.w (Suz); 2. Edw.rd Lis (Suz); 3. Jimmy Shelton (Y.m); 4. John Long (Suz); 5. Francisco Gomez (Yam). A/II F-40: I. D.vid While (Y.m); 2. Robert Enriquez (Kaw); 3. Robert Caro (Suz). EX L/W S/BK; 1. Dwight Lewis (Hon); 2. Keith Galias (Suz); 3. George Reavis (SOl); 4. R. Todd K..... (Suz); 5. Stephen Bolden (Suz). AM L/W S/BK: 1. Alfonso Rodriguez (Suz); 2. Keith Sanderson (Suz); 3. Erin Moran (Apr); 4. Robert. Smith (Hon); 5. Dennis Bonneau (SOl). H/W VINT; 1. Chuck Quenzler III (Y.m); 2. Soki. Vasilopoulos (Yem); 3. Michael Perry (Yam); 4. Willl.m Spinks (Y.m); 5. Scott Turner (Hon). EX /I\/W S/BK: I. John Hopkins (Suz); 2. Shone Prieto (Suz); 3. Marco Martinez (Suz); 4. Michael CiccollO (Suz); 5. D.vid Mdntyre (Suz). AM M/W S/BK: 1. Ken Roman (Kaw); 2. Steve Craft (Yam); 3. Andre Bibeau (Yam); 4. Mark H.milton (Y.m); 5. Justyn Bradley (Y.m). H/W SPTSI'IN: 1. John Long (Due); 2. John COStlJ (Bue); 3. Francisco Gomez (Suz); 4. Gregory Lynch (Hon); 5. Motthew BolSOn (Y.m). EX L/W S/SPT: 1. Keith G.Ii•• (Suz): 2. George Re.vis (Suz); 3. Stephen Bolden (Suz); 4. R. Todd K..... (Suz); 5. John Under (Suz). AM L/W S/SPT; I. Alfonso Rodriguez (Suz); 2. Dennis Bonneau (Suz); 3. Jorge Acosta (Han); 4. Erin /IIoran (Apr); 5. Mich.el Buckmire (Suz). S/SGL: 1. Ju.tin Long (Hon); 2. Pierre Loc.... (Spo); 3. Bill Annens (MI). EX H/W S/BK; I. Gr.nt Lopez (Suz); 2. Meuro Cered. (Suz); 3. Ben Spies (Suz); 4. Merco Mortinez (Suz); 5. D.vid Mcintyre (Suz). A/II H/W S/BK; 1. Jeremy H.iduk (Suz); 2. Darren Luck (Suz); 3. Phillip Erickson (Yam); 4. Andrew Abel (Kaw); 5. Gennan Vacca (Yam). EX /II/W GP; 1. John Hopkin. (Suz); 2. /II.rco Martinez (Suz); 3. Jason DiSalvo (Han); 4. Bryce Lawmaster (Yarn); 5. Kevin Lacombe (Yam). AM M/W ap: 1. Gabreel Palmer (Yam); 2. Justyn Bredley (Yam); 3. Merk Hamilton (Yom); 4. David Verdecchia (Yam); 5. Ken Romen (Kaw). U/L GP: 1. Gr.nt Lopez (Suz); 2. Sh.ne Prieto (Suz); 3. Mauro Cereda (Suz); 4. Marco Martinez (Suz); 5. Ben Spie. (Suz). H_d-Miami Speedway Hom_d, Florin Results: Fell......, 11, 2011 EX GTO: 1. Shane Prieto (Suz); 2. Ben Spies (Suz); 3. John Hopkin. (Suz); 4. Meuro Cered. (Suz); 5. Chris Ulrich (Suz). AM CiTO: 1. Jeremy Haiduk (SUI); 2. Darren Luck (SUI): 3. Frank Potucek (Suz); 4. Devid Verdecchi. (Y.m); 5. Philip Erickson (Y.m). EX GT UGHTS: 1. Keith G.lio. (Suz); 2. R. Todd Keesee (Suz); 3. Dwight Lewis (Hon); 4. George Reavis (Suz); 5. Jonathan Vaillancourt (Hon). AM GT UGHTS; 1. Alfonso Rodriguez (Suz); 2. Jorge Acosta (Honh 3. Dennis Bonneau (Suz); 4. Steve Pennington (H-D); 5. Edw.rd Alv.r.do (Suz). EX GTU: 1. Simon Turner (Yam); 2. Shane Prieto (Suz); 3. Marco Martinez (Suz); 4. Jason DISll!VO (Hon); 5. Monny Monu.uth.kis (Suz). AM GT

• Cover