Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Lockhart-Phillips USA Unlimited Superbike Final Round: Daytona Interhational Speedway ities, the terrorism and stuff going on, come off my bike yet, so we'll give it it really makes you appreciate being another year." able to come down here and do this. Lopez was just over a second back Racing here at Daytona Speedway in sixth. He said he thought he had when other parts of the world aren't the race well in hand before the rain as fortunate, it makes you really started. On the last lap, he slowed proud to be an American." considerably, not wanting to take any unnecessary risks. In the first leg, he Wood ended up about a second proved he had the package to win. back in fourth and just .055 of a sec- "The Michelins had the edge," he ond in front of Acree. "I could ride around those guys. I didn't have to worry about my tires." said. "Lee [Acree] got sideways really bad and kind of blocked Grant Josh Hayes 121) and Grant Lopez Ii) battled for victory in the first leg. Hayes crashed, Lopez won. Carr suffered arm pump in the sec- [Lopez] a little bit," Wood said. Wood said he modulated his drive ond half of the race and was more "and got a better drive than those two spooked than most when the rain and that allowed me to pass both of came. "I felt like, I know they had a those two before the line. I guess the I point that I made on Acree gave the championship on the line, so championship to Higbee." stand maybe letting it go to the end, under- but the very last lap of the race was Acree wasn't making any excuses. I "I gave it everything I had," Acree said. "I gave my best shot to where I knew I was going home to my little the most tentative lap girl." he said. the rain had come down on the back ever raced in my entire life around any racetrack," he said. "Prior to the white the flag stretch going into the chicane in the Was knowing that he'd won the I Sportbike title earlier in the day worst possible place it could. And enough to satisfy him? got into a big swapper coming out of the chicane and I had slowed down. I "Under those circumstances, no, 1 still because it didn't even cross my mind. didn't think it'd be as it was and Had I thought about it, yeah, proba- broke it loose. I come around and bly would have. 1 did win a champi- saw the white flag, onship here today. At least I got one maybe they'll re-think this and we'll of them that my team deserved. I guess the I said, well, get a red all the way around, but they "84" wasn't quite ready to eN didn't." BRIEFLY••• How many horsepower is a tire worth? Too many, at least to Millennium Technologies Shawn Higbee. who was disqualified after seWng pole position for the Lockhart-Phillips Unlimited Superbike race. Higbee's Suzuki GSX-R1000 tested well under the horsepower limit on the run-up to qualifying. But when it was tested after he set fast time, it was illegal. measuring 145.3 horsepower. The difference7 In qualifying he'd used a softer compound Dunlop 501 tire. whereas earl;er he'd used the harder Daytona race tire. Higbee said he knew that we;ght changes i'\ the tire could make a difference in the tire. but said. "We didn't realize different compounds would affect the horsepower as well as the weight." The dynamometer varies about .3 horsepower, H;gbee said. some of it depending on the operator. The heavier the operator sitting on the bike. the h;gher the number, which is why each machine is essentially assigned an operator for the weekend. "The more grip you get into the drum, the higher number you get." Higbee sa;d. After the machine fa;led the horsepower test, the team fitted a harder Daytona tire and it was legal. Then they put the 501 back on and it tested at 144.8. The moral of the story is that. in order to be certain of a positive test. it's essential that a hard t;re be f;tted at the end of the session, after which the dyno test will be done. The end result was that Higbee was put to the back of the field. 31 st place. on the eighth row, and Joshua Hayes. ;n h;s first ride since re·joining the Valvoline EMGO Suzuki team. was on the pole. "We thought we had the field covered:' Higbee said. ''1'11 put my head down and charge through the field and come back strong for the second race." Hayes and Arclight Suzuki's Lee Acree actually turned identical times. 1:53.198. but Hayes was given the pole because his second fastest lap was .041 of a second faster. (Suz); 7. Brian Parriott (Suz); 8. Chris Carr (Apr); 9. Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida Results: October 19, 2001 [Round 61 RACE ONE: 1. Grant Lopez (5uz): 2. Eric Wood (5uz): 3. Lee Acree (5uz): 4. Br;an Parriott (5uz): 5. Chris Carr (Apr); 6. Michael Himmelsbach (Apr); 7. Michael Barnes (Suz); 8. Charles Chouinard (Suz); 9. Tray Batey (Suz); 10. Chris Ulrich (Suz); 11. Marco Martinez (Suz); 12. Roland Williams (Suz); 13. Michael Fitzpatrick (Suz); 14. Mark Ledesma (Apr); 15. Michael Ciccotto (Suz): ]6. John Bowman (Suz); 17. Jeffrey Pruk (5uz): 18. Robert Presby (Kaw): 19. Ray Bowman (Suz); 20. Peter Friedman (Suz); 21. Dale Dandrea (Suz); 22. Michael Hanley (502); 23. John Parlier (Han); 24. Nelson Suarez (Duc); 25. Joshua Hayes (Suz); 26. Kevin Pate (Yam); 27. Byron Barbour (Suz): 28. David McEnery (Han); 29. Shawn Higbee (Suz); 30. Carlos Macias (Duc). Time: 22 mins., 55.000 secs. Distance: 12 laps, 42.72 miles. Average speed: 111.849 mph. Margin of victory: 11.102 sec. RACE TWO: 1. Michael Barnes (SOl); 2. Shawn Higbee (Suz); 3. MichZlel Ciccotto (Suz); 4. Eric Wo~d (Suz); 5. Lee Acree (Suz); 6. GrZlnt Lopez a more local series with contingency money posted in local clubs." Aprilia USA General Manager Tom McDonald said in a press release issued at Daytona. "Aprilia's reputation has been built on racing, and we still want local racers to have contingencies available closer to home. and perhaps ;nvolve their local Aprilia dealerships in racing programs." The series will end with a national championship round at the end of the season and the purse and appearance money of the final event will be $20.000. Part of the de-emphasis has to do with emiss;ons. Only 20 Aprilia RSV-250's will be brought into the U.S. next year, though the f;rm will strengthen their support for the M;lIe 1000. "We will introduce contingencies for the growing number of Aprilia Mille racers at the same time.' McDonald said. The final contingency payouts for both the RS-250 and Mille have not yet been determined. Rumors abounded in the pits at Daytona, one of which involved the inaugural event at California Speedway In Fontana. California. Speculation ;s that the race will be held the first weekend in April in a doubleheader format. but with a twist. The Sunday race will feature pit stops. Michael Himmelsbach (Apr); 10. Michael Fitzpatrick (SU2); 11. Marco Martinez (Suz); 12. Johno Bowman (Suz); 13. Jeffrey Purk (Suz); 14. Pete Friedman (Suz); 15. Ray Bowman (Suz); 16. Michael Hanley (Suz); 17. Dale Dandrea (SUI); 18. Carlos Macias (Duc); 19. John Portier (Han); 20. Roland Williams (5uz): 21. Robert Presby (Kaw): 22. Dav;d McEnery (Hon); 23. Tray Batey (Apr): 24. Mark Ledesma (Apr): 25. Chr;s Ulr;ch (5uz): 26. John Ashmead (Suz); 27. Darian Polach (SU2). Time: 23 mins., 11.325 sec. Distance: 12 laps, 42.72 miles. Margin of victory: 0.703 sec. LOCKHART-PHILLIPS USA UNLIMITED S

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