Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMAIChevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Series Round 1 : Daytona Intern ional Speedway 15. Pascal Picotte (1:51.821); 16. Lee Acree (1 :53.095); 17. Mike Smith (1 :53.145); 18. Mike Clccotto (1:54.759); 19. Brian Parriott (1:54.843); 20. Jason Pridmore (1:54.920); 21. Anthony Fania Jr. (1:55.107); 22. Jordan Sloke (1:55.716); 23. Jimmy Moore (1:55.999); 24. Eric Wood (1:56.044); 25. John Ashmead (1 :56.346): 26. Ricky Orlando (1:56.500); 27. Alan Schmi~t (1:56.500); 28. Brian Stokes (1:56.599); 29. Rich Conicelli (1:56.803); 30. Richard Alexander Jr. (1:56.930); 31. Mike Sullivan (1:57.082); 32. Anthony Lupe (1:57.178); 33. Mauro Cereda (1:57.321); 34. Dean Mildal (1:57.397); 35. John Jacobi (1:57.654); 36. Greg Harrison (1:57.734); 37. David Mcintyre (1:57.847); 38. David Duprey (1:58.44); 39. Mark Whitehurst (1:58.678): 40. Mark Whitehurst (1:58.678); 41. James Romero iii (1L58.955); 42. Eric Hau90 (1:59.085); 43. Rick Shaw (1 :59.143); 44. Carlos Macias (1 :59.324); 45. Robert Fisher (1:59.347); 46. Scott Gooch (1:59.375); 47. James Doerfler (1:59.412); 48. Jeffrey Purk (1 :59.421); 49. Brett Ray (1 :59.522); 50. Scotty Van Scoik (1:59.646); 51. Akiharu Shigeno (1:59.718): 52. John Dugan (1:59.788); 53. Peter Moran (1 :59.855); 54. Richie Morris (1 :59.930); 55. Brett Boyd (1 :59.944); 56, Rick Narup (1:59.948); 57. Scott Hermersmann (2:00.015); 58, Mike Walsh (2:00.139); 59, Roger Hendricks (2:00.148); 60. Bostjan Skubic (2:00.254); 61. Thomas Fournier (2:00.410); 62. John Pearson (2:00.600); 63. Greg Fryer (2:01.127); 64. Michael Niksa 2:01.127); 65. John Leng (2:01.191); 66. Paul Schwemmer (2:01.434). DAYTONA 200: 1. Mat Mladin (SUl); 2. Eric Bostrom (Kaw); 3. Kurtis Roberts (Han); 4. Doug Chandler (Kaw); 5. Tommy Hayden (YlIm); 6. Larry Pegram (Due); 7. Mike Smith (H-D); 8. Jimmy Moore (Suz); 9. Mauro Cereda (Suz); 10. Nicky Hayden (Hon); 11. Eric Wood (Suz); 12. John Ashmead (Suz); 13. Anthony Fenia Jr. (Suz); 14. Mike Ciccotto (SUl); 15. John Jacobi (SUl): 16. Ricky Orlando (Suz); 17. Rich Conicelli (Suz); 18. Steve Rapp (Due); 19. Mike Sullivan (Suz); 20. Anthony Lupo (Suz); 21. John Dugan (Sui); 22. Scott Hermersmenn (Suz); 23. David Mcintyre (Suz); 24. Richard Shew (Suz); 25. James Doerfler (Suz); 26. Akiharu Shigeno (Suz); 27. Eric Erling Haugo (Suz); 28. Aian Schmidt (SUl): 29. Peter Moran (SUl); 30. Roger Hendricks (Suz); 31. Rick Narup (Suz); 32. Pascal Picotte (H·D); 33. Robert Fisher (Suz); 34. Greg Fryer (Yam); 35. Brett Ray (Suz); 36. Brett Boyd (Suz); 37. Michael Niksa (Suz); 38. Bostjan Skubic (Apr); 39. Brian Stokes (Suz); 40. Jordan Sloke (H· D); 41. Scott Gooch (SUl); 42, Scotty Van $coik (SUl); 43. Anthony Gobert (Yam); 44. Miguel DuHamel (Hon): 45. David Duprey (Apr); 46. Thomas Fournier (Due); 47. Aaron Slight (Due); 48. Jeffrey Purk (SUl); 49. Mike Walsh (Yam); 50. Paul Schwemmer (Kaw); 51. Carlos Macias (Due); 52. John Long (Suz); 53. Richie Morris (Suz); 54. Aaron Yates (Suz); 55. Jamie Hacking (Suz); 56. Scott Russell (Due); 57. Dean Mizdal (Suz); 58. John Pearson (Suz); 59. Greg Harrison (Suz). Time: nla due to red flags Distance: 57 laps, 200 miles Average speed: n/e due to red flag M.argin of victory: 12.562 sec. AMA saPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 1 of 14 rounds): 1. Mat Mladin (38/1 win); 2. Eric Bostrom (32); 3. Kurtis Roberts (29); 4, Doug Chandler (27); 5. Tommy Hayden (26); 6. Larry Pegram (25); 7. Michael Smith (24); 8. Jimmy Moore (23); 9. Mauro Cereda (22); 10. Nicky Hayden (21); 11. Eric Wood (20); 12. John Ashmead (19); 13. Anthony Fania Jr. (18); 14. Mike Ciccotto (17); 15. John Jacobi (16); 16. Ricky Orlando (15); 17. Rich Coniceili (14); 18. Steve Rapp (13); 19. Mike Sullivan (12); 20. Anthony Lupe (11). Upcoming Rounds Round 2 - Sonoma, California, May 6 Round 3/4 - Brasetton, Georgia, May 19·20 BRIEFLY. •• Believe it or not. Mat Mladin has actually had to change his highly successful riding style in order to make the new·model GSX·R750 work for him, It was something he found dUring pre· season testing, and ifs something he's had to continue to do. "We essentially have continued to do the same thing here." Mladin said. "Ifs just something we have to do to make the new bike work the way it seems to want to work, I had to change the way I ride, Ifs not natural at ail. especiaily braking. I sit a lot closer to the tank, and I don't like it. Hopefully, it wiil become a bit more natural. Ifs hard to lapse from it because we've set the seat up and the handlebars up so that I can·t. I'm forced to sit forward. and ill don't like it. ifs too bad. Physically. ifs actually easier. What it limits me from doing Is what I used to do. and thaf s stop' ping deep but not haVing the bike back in. You see the guys back· ing the bike in a bit. and you never see- me doing it. The reason why is when I brake. I push my backside to the back and use my arms a lot more than a lot of the other guys do. Now I have to brake similar to what somebody like [Aaronl Yatesy brakes. I don't particularly like it. but Ifs the only way I can get the front of the bike planted. They obviously didn't build this bike for me . they built it for everybody else... Following the Daytona 200. Nicky Hayden will undergo surgery on his wrist· but at Daytona he simply had to suck'it up. And he did an admirabie job of doing just that. "I don't see it being a problem." Hayden said after qualifying third... Maybe after 200 miles I might change my mind. but right now ifs been sore a little bit last night. It hurts a little bit on the track. but I know all these guys are riding with pain. Ifs nothing that's slowing me down at aU, so it's not an excuse. " Valvoline Emgo Suzuki"s .John Hopkins broke his rlght collar· bone when he ran Into. the back of Miguel DuHamel after the red flag in the 600cc Supersport final. 'I felt a little nudge. and I didn't know if it was someone coming up to play with me or whatever, " DuHamel said of the incident. "Then I looked back and saw him on the ground. and I thought. ·Oh. no." Somebody told me that he was looking backwards going into the chicane. so I don't know if he was a gear high and just drifted into me or what. Ifs very unfortunate that he got hurt. but how old Is he? like 16 or 17... he'll heal in about three or four hours. Ifs unfortunate because he was running really well." According to his crew. Hopkins will be ready for round two of the series at Sears Point on May 6. Mat Mladin may be the hero of the moment in the AMAIChevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Series. but that hasn't kept him from setting himself up for the day that the checkered flag falls on his racing career. To that end, Mladln is currently in the process of get· ting a couple of business ventures up and running in his native Australia. the first being Mat Mladin Imports. "It's just a new com- 10 MARCH 21,2001 • eye I • n • _ IAbove left) Pascal Picotte (21) and Mike Smith (911) ran together for a while. Picotte suffered a blown motor while running seventh, with his spot being Inherited by his teammate at the finish. IAbove right) Anthony Gobert (16) had his nonnal bad Daytona luck. Here he leads Nicky Hayden (69) and Jamie Hacking (92) early in the race. (Right) Daytona misery for Mr. Daytona. Scott Russell suffered a broken leg and arm In a startllne incident In the 200. pany that I've started, to import performance parts into Australia." Mladin said. "We've already got Yoshimura. and we're currently talking to a couple other big names. I have the home page of the web site [matmladinimports.coml up, and the whole business should be fully up and running by April.·· Mladin is also getting set to open a Suzuki dealership in Narellan. Australia, which is just southwest of Sydney. "These are just some things that I've started up for in the future when I decide to get out of racing," Mladin said. dler went down. injuring his lower back in the crash. On Sunday morning. Chandler was a bit more optimistic of his chances. though he did say the main focus was simply to finish the race. An interested first·time spe.ctator at Daytona was AII·Japan Superbike Series racer Tamaki Serizawa. who rides a factory Kawasaki in the series and was hanging out in the Kawasaki garage of Eric Bostrom and Doug Chandler. TraHic posed its normal problem for the fast guys during the Although he was hobbling around the pits after injuring his foot in a 600cc practice crash, Aaron Yates didn't leI that stop him from taking his tum at the front of the 600cc Supersport final on numerous occasions. In the end. the Georgian finished eighth· the last man in the lead pack· less than a second behind winner Miguel DuHamel. "I went into one around the outside of a couple of guys." Yates said of a hectic final lap. "And I got a neutral. I was looking out there In the grass. and I went right out to the edge, Everybody got by, and I finally got it turned, I made It right back up. but when everybody was in a straight line I couldn't run up on anybody. The draft is what this place is all about. .. Hidden under a new paint job. Kevin Erion is sitting on a gold mine. Needing a new trailer for the 2001 season. the Erion Racing team owner talked to a representative of Featherlite. one of the companies that builds trailers for a variety of uses, among them as transporters for NASCAR teams. Erion wanted to buy an older trailer, but the financing didn't come together in time. so he had to wait. By the time he was able to make the deal. the only trailer left was the most expensive one on the lot. Erion bought the rig in December, but inclement weather prevented the factory from sending it out from its shop in Iowa until the middle of February. The truck arrived painted in Erion Racing colors. The previous paint job reflected the man who owned it. Dale Earnhardt. Had Erion kept the original paint job. the trailer would be worth 81 million. Erion thought. '"I would sell it to an interested party that wants a Dale Earnhardt collectible trailer." Erion said. adding that he was going to look into who owned the rights for the logos which were previously on the truck so that he might be able to restore it to its original paint scheme. "It still says Mr. Goodwrench on the roof." Erion said that the trailer didn't belong to Eamhardt. but to his team. Richard Childress Racing, Childress had been instrumental in growing Featherlite's business in NASCAR and updated his trailer every year, Because it had belonged to Earnhardt. they could sell the trailer for morelhan-the original cost, Erion said. Doug Chandler started the Daytona 200 with back pain after injuring himself in a crash on his 600cc Supersport bike on Wednesday moming. The injury forced Chandler to withdraw from the 600cc Supersport final and kept his Superbike track time to a minimum. Chandler's shunt came on his first lap out of the pits in the chicane when he hit the paint striping. "I came up on a guy in the chicane. but dropped back because it was my out lap." Chandler said. "I couldn't see through to where the paint was." Chan· s Daytona 200. though this year may have been worse than past years, according to the riders. "The lapped traffic seemed slower than before." race-winner Mat Mladin said. "So slow that if s real· Iy unpredictable. I felt all the guys were a lot slower than the year before. I think a lot of the guys who are on the racetrack are not experienced enough to be racing in a Pro Championship like AMA Superbike. especially at Daytona, Ifs crazy. It's a place where you come up on .em more than anyplace else. Guys doing 2:05s shouldn't be racing guys who are doing 1:50s. Ifs simple. I know it seems harsh. but that's the reality of it to me." Fifty-nine riders started this year's race, with the slowest qualifier lapping at 2:01.424· 13 seconds slower than Mladin's pole.position time. Pascal Picotte rode hard in the Daytona 200, and it appeared as though he was going to be paid back with a sixth-place finish. Then the factory Harley-Davidson VR 1000 blew up just six laps from the end. "It wasn't so bad." Picotte said. "I mean. a lot of people weren't there. It made my job a lot easier. We were still like three seconds off the pace. We're not going so good. actual· Iy. But that was our goal. just to hang in there and S\", what we could do at the end as far as result. I couldn't do anything to those guyso On the §econd restart I pulled· not the holeshot. but I had a great start; I was-like third. Before I got into the chicane, four or five people went by me, and then a few more after on the second straight. I just looked back. and after that Mike [Smith] was behind me. It just let go. probably a rod or something. It all went in the belly pan. I think. The sad thing is it broke just going in the kink, so you can't do much. I picked it up and tried to stop it in the grass. so it was kind of a scary moment for a little while. It sucked. I would have stayed sixth. even iI we're not really in the hunt for sixth position. Sixth is great for us." What was an Aprilia V-twin doing in the Superbike field? Since when were they legal for AMA competition? The answer was that it wasn't one .of the better Aprilias. which is why it was homologated. "It was all wrapped up on Tuesday." AMA Road Race Manager Ron Barrick said. "We got all the paperwork we needed to homologate the machine, It's darned lucky for that guy. because he came all the way from Slovenia." That guy was Bost· jan Skubic. a Siovenian who finished 38th in the Superbike race. Skubic was on the readily available Aprilia Mille R, not the more desirable and rarer SP model. which hasn't been homologated. COnly 15 of the 150 models made were imported into the U.S.: 50 are necessary for homologation.>

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