Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMAIChevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Series Round 8: Pikes Peak International Raceway with Oliver winning by 2.805 seconds. He completed the 29-lap, 38.135-mile race in 27 minutes, 41.811 seconds, at an average speed of 82.612 mph. By comparison, Oliver averaged 83.392 in winning the 2000 race. "I really didn't ride my best this weekend, to tell you the truth, but I felt like I was getting back to myoid rhythm, and that was the most important thing, to get some confidence and stay on top of the motorcycle for once," he said. "Not do anything on the track or crash into anybody or hurt myself any worse than I'd been hurt." Second place was Turner's best fini~h of the year, a natural progression from fourth at Sears Point and second at Road Atlanta. "I've always been a bit off these boys and it's great now to get a jump up to that," Turner said in his thick Irish accent. "That's what I've sort of been aiming to do the whole time. Hopefully, we can keep it up." Turner said the heat got to both him and his Yamaha TZ-250, specifically the tires. "It felt so loose, because, off throttle turning in, I thought, 'Jeez, it must be destroyed.' So I started to try to save it. Then, when I came in and looked at it, it was good. Dunlop's doing their job." Team Stargel Aprilia's Chuck Sorensen was a lonely third, 8.83 seconds behind Oliver, but well placed for the championship. After five of 10 rounds, Sorensen has a 34-point lead, 166-132, over Team Oliver Yamaha's Perry Melneciuc, fifth today, with Cruise America's Jason Disalvo, fourth here, third at 119. "I was trying to hold on to these guys," Sorensen said. "These guys were running a fairly hot pace. It was probably high 56s, maybe mid 56s here and there. That's what it felt like, anyway. And I was just trying to hold on. "The setup here is really important. I'm working with a new motorcycle this year. I found that sometimes it needs different settings from track to track, more so than myoid Yamaha. And you have to switch it or it won't work. It was a real good learning experience this weekend and we learned more about jetting an Aprilia in high elevations." Disalvo ran at the back of the lead three before dropping off and finishing 27 seconds back. The only other rider 1:11 on the lead lap was Melneciuc. get greasy. I knew that was a good pace unless somebody came up and passed us, and nobody was. I think everybody was thinking the same thing in the beginning. Then Shawn's [Higbee] bike started to sputter. I almost collected him. I almost rearended him." That was on the seventh lap, and Estok took over the lead from Hal's Performance rider Mike Ciccotto, with McCarthy third. Estok continued to lead, McCarthy moving into second on the 15th lap and pressing his case. He'd take over the lead soon after and hold Estok at bay to the end, completing the 29-1ap, 38.135-mile race in 28 minutes, 15.850 seconds, at an average speed of 80.954 mph. Ciccotto finished third. Estok admitted he could have gone faster, but he and McCarthy trilded mistakes, and McCarthy was always in front. "He was pulling a little bit out on me, but basically I stayed about the same distance apart until the last lap," Estok said. "I knew I didn't have anything for him, so I just wanted to bring it home." McCarthy ran out of gas on the cooldown lap and had to push the Ducati for a minute or two before getting some help. "I was cooking out there - I'm sweating like crazy now," he said after his second win in two tries. "Yeah, it was hard work," McCarthy said.' "Got to th~ front and then I thought I'd just try to get a gap, and it went to like 0.5 [of a second], then one [second], and then back to 0.7, and I thought he [Estok] was right there. And we were getting lapped traffic and made a few mistakes. "As long as you got a gap, you can maintain, it's not so bad, unless they've got anything left at the end," he continued. "You always try to keep a little bit for the last lap just in case. I felt pretty good with three to go, I thought, 'I'll just try to spin it up a bit a couple of times in a couple of corners,' and it didn't' get any worse. I thought it would go the distance, no problem." McCarthy's went the distance, Higbee's didn't. Neither did the Buell of Tripp Nobles, which started to tie up on the 14th lap, bringing Nobles' day to an end. Munroe Motors' Tom Montano, the defending class champion, also had his motor stop in a very inopportune place. Montano was running in fourth place on the 16th lap when his Ducati 748 tied up coming off the front straight into turn one. "It locked solid," Montano said. "It started to step out and I pulled in the clutch and said 'Thank God.'" Montano said he'd had an off weekend, with another engine failure Pikes Peu Intllmetional Recewey Fauntllin. Colondo Results: June 2, 2002 (Round 5J MBNA 250 GRAND PRIX: I. Richard Oliver (Yam); 2. Simon Turner (Yam): 3. Charles Sorensen (Apr); 4. Jason DislIJvo (Hon); 5. Perry Melnecluc (Yam): 6. Calin Jensen (Apr); 7. Ty David Piz (Yam): 8. Edward Sorbo (Yam); 9. Frank Arasakl (Yam); 10. Derren Fulce (Yam); 11. John Williams (Vern); 12. T. Russell Strobridge (Yam); 13. Andrew ~dwards (Yam); 14. David Botheli (Han); 15. Stephen Bowline (Hon); 16. Glen Christianson (Yllm); 17. John france (Han). Tune: 27 mins., 41.811 sec. Distance: 29 laps, 38.] 35 mJles. Average speed: 82.612 mph. Margin of victory: 2.805 sec. MBNA 250 GRAND PRIX C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (Arter 5 of 10 rounds): 1. Charles Sorensen (166/3 wins); 2. Perry Melnecluc (132): 3. Jeson Diselvo (l19): 4. Simon Turner (115): 5. Edward Sorbo (114); 6. Darren Fulce (105); 7. Ty David Piz (100); 8. Colin Jensen (91); 9. John Williams (78); 10. Roland Sands (71); 11. Richard Oliver (70/1): 12. Frank Arasaki (65); 13. Cory Denton West (58): 14. AI Salavema (55); 15. Chris Pyle. (54); 16. John France (53); 17. Thad Halsmer (44); J . Leon Corte. (37); 19. (TIE) Barrett Long/Richard Denman (31), Upcoming Rounds: Round 6 - Elkhart lake, Wisconsin, June 9 Round 7 - Brainerd, Minnesota, June 30 Buell Pro Thunder; Round 2 STORY AND PHOTO BY HENNY RAY ABRAMS FOUNTAIN, CO, JUNE 2 U irk McCarthy survived a race of ~ attrition in the Buell Pro Thunder class, nearly being claimed as the final victim when he ran out of gas on the cooldown lap after a decisive victory on a swelteringly hot day at Pikes Peak International Raceway. "On the last lap, in turn three, it coughed," the Advanced Motorsports' Ducati-mounted Australian said after his second win in a row in the series. That was about the only hiccup in an otherwise steady day. McCarthy had started from the pole and was always near the front, tagging along at the back. of the fourrider breakaway, in no hurry to rush into the lead. The race was held in 90degree-plus weather, and McCarthy knew that 29 laps around the PPIR bullring would take its toll. He was right. Tilley's H-D's Shawn Higbee led the first seven laps before engine problems dropped him to third, then fourth, then out. As he slowed, he was nearly rammed by teammate David Estok, who went on to finish second, 2.682 seconds behind McCarthy. "We could have gone faster, but I was real happy with that pace because 29 laps is a long race, physically, here and it's so hot," Estok said. "I knew the tires were going to 18 JUNE12,2002' cue I. n e _ s Kirk McCarthy (306) won his second Buell Pro Thunder race of the season and then ran out of fuel on the cooldown lap. earlier in the weekend, and a crash in qualifying. Ciccotto was about nine seconds behind Estok, the last rider on the lead lap. Fourth-placed Shane Turpin was 27 seconds behind the winner on his Vanmar Racing Ducati. Latus Motors' Josh Bryan was fifth. Pikn Peek Intllmetionel Recewey Fauntllln, CaIoradi' llenlts: J.... I, 2002 (Ro.nd 2J BUEU. PRO THUNDER: 1. Kirk McCarthy (Due): 2. DllVid Estok (Sue); 3. Mike Clccotto (Sue); 4. Shane Turpin (Duc); 5. Leo Venege (Hon); 6. Josh Bryan (Sue); 1. Charlie Hewett {Duc}; 8. Tom Hull OUC); 9. Tom Chauncey (Duc); 10. Clark Freabnan Due): 11. Michael Kludt (Bue): 12. Jessica Zalusky Due); 13. Charles Sipp \Bue); 14. Peter Bohlig Suz); 15. Dale Pestes (Due; 16. Heath Smali [Duel; 17. Brizln Destarec (Suz); 18. Tom Montano Duc; 19. Shawn Higbee (Bue); 20. Deborah Venega Due). BUELL PRO THUNDER C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 2 of 5 round.): 1. Kirk McCarthy (76/2 wins); 2. Mike Ciccatto (01); 3. Josh Bryan (50); 4. Charlie Hewett (47); 5. Clark l Freatman (43); 6. (TIE) Tom Hull/Tom Montllno (40); 8. Tom Chauncey (38): 9. David Estok (32); 10. (TIE) Dale Pestes/Michael Barnes (29); 12. Charles Slpp (28); 13. (TIE) Thomas Foumier/Shane Turpin (27): 15. Paul VItale (23): 16. Michael Kludt (21); 17. (TIE) Bryan Bemlsderfer/Jessica Zalusky (20); 19. Albert Charles (19); 20. (TIE) Shawn Higbee/peter BohIiS (18). Upcoming Rounds: Round 3 - Elkhart Lake. Wisconsin. June 9 Round 4 - Brainerd. Minnesota, June 30

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