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think about it [the title] and I would like to win another championship, but there's still three rounds left and anything can happen," Sorensen sajd. He finished the race with nearly 30 seconds on DiSalvo, with Melneciuc fourth. Ed Sorbo beat Colin Jensen to the line by one bike length. Priority Rac- ing's Simon Turner was seventh after serving a stop and go for jumping the second start. eN Ilace.., lInII..rdllllBrUtio.... Inl••rd, Mia_obi Ilaalb: June 3D, ZODZ llleuad 71 MIlNA 250 GRAND PRIX: I. Rich Oliver (Yom); 2. Chuck Sorensen (Apr); 3. Joson Disalvo (Hon); 4. Perry Melnedue (Yom); 5. Ed Sorbo (Yom); 6. Colin Jensen (Apr); 7. Simon Turner (Yom); 8. Ty David Plz (Yom); 9. John Fronce (Hon); 10. Glen Christionson (Yom); 11. Stephen Bowline (Hon); 12. Brett Donohue (Rot); 13. James Worthington (Apr); 14. Mork Dorgl, (Yom); 15. Dorren Fulce (Yom); 16. Mork Vonderwerf (Yom); 17. Andrew Edwards (Yom); 18. John Wlliloms (Yom); 19. Chris Pyle, (Yom). Tune: 22 mins., 24.991 sees. Di.stance: 13 laps, 39 miles. Average speed: 104.387 mph. Margin or victory: 5.715 sees. MBNA 250 GRAND PRIX C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (Arter 7 of 10 rounds): I. Chuck Sorensen (236/4 wins); 2. Perry Meineciuc (185); 3. Joson Disalvo (177); 4. Simon Turner (166); 5. Ed Sorbo (162) 6. Ty Dovld Plz (144); 7. (TIE) Rich Oliver/Colin Jensen (140/2 Wins); 9. Derren Fulce (121); 10. John Wlliloms (110); 11. John Fronce (93); 12. Fronk Arogokl (85); 13. Chris Pyles (79); 14. Rolond Sonds (71); 15. Stephen Bowline (59); 16. Cory Denton West (58); 17. AL Soloverrio (55); 18. Williom Himmelsbach (46); 19. Thod Hol'mer (44); 20. (TIE) Jomes Worthlngton/Richord Merhor (41). Upcoming Rounds: Round 8 - Monterey, California, July 14 Round 9 - Lexington, Ohio, July 28 AMAlBueJl Pro Thunder Series Round 4: Brainerd International Raceway By HENNY RAY ABRAMS PHOTO BY BRIAN J. NELSON BRAINERD, MN, JUNE 30 ut of the possible 152 Buell Pro Thunder championship points, Advance Motorsports Ducati's Kirk McCarthy has 151. The only blemish on an otherwise perfect record is the point he lost for not leading the most laps at Road America. It was understandable, given that he was given a stop-and-go penalty for jumping the start. McCarthy kept winning today. On a brutally hot and humid afternoon, McCarthy jetted from the pole position to his fourth win in a row, this one on the bumpy and slick Brainerd International Raceway. Hal's Performance's Mike Ciccotto kept him in sight for a little while, then the Australian was gone, winning the 13-lap, 39-miJe race by 10.707 seconds. Ciccotto was second, with Munroe Motors Ducati's Tom Montano third. McCarthy has essentially wrapped up what is likely the last-ever AMA Buell Pro Thunder title. The class is expected to be shuffled off to WERA next year. With only the Laguna Seca round remaining, McCarthy leads Ciccotto 151- 122, a gap of 29 points. Given the thinness of the field - there were 15 riders at Brainerd, with three not finishing - McCarthy will likely clinch the title when he registers in Monterey. McCarthy said he could see Montano and Ciccotto on the start and had to draft by them into the first turn. The whole first lap he could hear Ciccotto's booming Buell in the infield and was expecting an attack. Ciccotto hung tough for the second and third laps, and then there was a little break on the straightaway. "But then, Mike [Ciccotto] must have had it flat through turn one because by the time we got into the infield, I could hear it again," McCarthy said. "About the fourth lap, I looked back and I had a bit of a break. A couple of laps later, I went around and there's this black line around turn one, I thought, 'Maybe someone's had a moment.' And, sure enough, he had." Ending the fifth lap, McCarthy was well clear, 2.624 seconds in front and building on it with every subsequent lap. Ciccotto said that McCarthy's hunch was correct. He had a problem in turn one on the second lap, was fine on the third, and then had a scare on the fourth. "When he opened up a gap, I just had a huge tuck in there," Ciccotto said. "It wasn't worth it. I knew I wasn't going to be able to really beat him to the line." That left Ciccotto to fend off Tilley's H-D/Buell's Tripp Nobles until Nobles machine expired on the eighth lap. "Me and Tripp [Nobles] had a little bit of a race, but I saw his bike smoking as soon as he got around, so I knew he would be out before long," Ciccotto said. "So I put it on cruise control. Montano was back there, I was checking him out, but I kept a good, even gap on him and brought it home." Montano said the race was essen- tially over early on. Going into the slow turn-nine, bus-stop corner, he entered too fast, went over the curb and lost his drive. The next lap, an ambulance on the track rattled him, and on the third lap he hit a bump out of the last turn, had to back off, and lost the draft. "Then the gap was, whatever it was, two or three seconds, and by then I couldn't really make it up," the defending National Champion said. "I raced Dave [Estok] for a while. I got back by him. I wasn't sure if I was going to catch Tripp [Nobles] and Mike [Ciccotto], and then Tripp broke, which is unfortunate." Montano finished 3.5 seconds behind Ciccotto with 26 seconds on Tilley's H-D/Buell's Estok. Heath Small was fifth, another 17 seconds back. McCarthy completed the race in 22 minutes, 40.521 seconds. Because of the heat and track deterioration, it didn't match Craig Connell's record, cue I e Mike Clccotto bies to keep Kirk McCarthy In sight In the Pro Thunder final. but was only five seconds slower, the closest any winner came this weekend to matching the existing record. eN Bralnerdlatemlltlonalllllc_lIJ Brainerd, MlanlSllta Results: JUIII 3D, ZODZ lRouud 41 BUELL PRO THUNDER: 1. Kirk McC.rthy (Due); 2. Mike Ciccotto (Bue); 3. Tom Montl!lno (Duc); 4. Dove Estok (Bue); 5. Heoth Smoll (Due); 6. Josh Bryen (Bue): 7. Clerk Freatm~m (Duc); 8. Chlllrlie Hewett (Duc); 9. JessicllI Zalusky (Duc); 10. Brett Donohue (Yom); 11. Alex Freemon (Suz); 12. Tripp Nobles (Bue). Tune: 22 mins.. 40.521 sees. Distance: 13 Il!Ips. 39 miles. Average speed: 103.196 mph. Margin of victory: 10.707 sec. BUELL PRO THUNDER C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 4 of 5 rounds): 1. Kirk McCorthy (151/4 wins); 2. Mike Ciccotto (122); 3. Tom Montano (102); 4. Josh Bryan (97); 5. Clerk Freatman (87); 6. D8Vid Estok (82); 7. Charlie Hewett (70); 8. Heoth Smoll (68); 9. Jesslco Z4lusky (60); 10. Tripp Nobles (56); 11. Chorles Sipp (44); 12. Tom Hull (40); 13. Tom Chouncey (38); 14. Alex Freemon (37); 15. (TIE) Mlchoel Bomes/Dole Pestes (29); 17. (TIE) Tom Fournier/Shane Turpin (27); 19. (TIE) Ricky Lundgren/Richie Morri' (25). Upcoming Round: Final Round - Monterey, California, July 14 n e _ S • JULY 10, 2002 17