Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128162
NHRA PowerAde Drag Racing Series Round 6: National Trail Raceway straight-up legit, and we're ready to race her whenever she's ready. "This is the sixth race of the year for the bikes, and it's come to a point where we can't give up any more ground to her or no one will catch her: Hines said. "There's still plenty of time, eight more races, but you can't really even think about championships just yet. We need to race as hard as we can and try to go more rounds than her at every race." Later, Hines seemed to soften his stance somewhat. The following day, he downplayed the incident as a typical racer rivalry. "We're definitely creating some excitement in the class now that we're starting up the rivalry machine STORY AND PHOTOS BY KEVIN McKENNA COLUMBUS, OH, JUNE 13·16 ust when it looked like Angelle Savoie was going to run away with the 2002 NHRA PowerAde Pro Stock Bike Championship, Matco Tools rider Craig Treble closed the gap to just 36 points after winning his third race of the season at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. Treble, who opened the season with a pair of wins in Gainesville and Houston, beat Team 23s Antron Brown in the final. Treble ran a 7.21 in the final, but didn't need it as Brown left the starting line too soon and left a red light glowing on the Christmas Tree. With Treble holding a significant performance advantage, it was no surprise that Brown gambled on the starting line. "I knew we had him [AntronJ cov· ered by a few 100ths: Treble said. "I knew where they were at, and they knew where I was. We needed this win badly. Angelle is running tough this year; she's winning rounds and scor· ing points. We're just going to keep plugging away and see what happens. I've given away a couple of races lateIy. It was nice to get one back." Treble did not have the fastest bike in Columbus, that honor went to J 62 JULY 1 0, 2002' cue I e (Above) Mateo Tools rider Craig Treble (far lane) won for the third time this year and closed the gap to Angelle Savoie in the points standings with a final-round victory over Team 23 rider Antron Brown (near lane), who redlighted In the final. (RightJ WIth his win in Columbus, Treble has now compiled a 17-3 win-loss record in elimination rounds this season. Prior to 2002, he had won just once, scoring at the 1999 Brainerd event. Vance & Hines/Eagle One rider Matt Hines, but he was the most consis· tent, with a 7.22 in qualifying that was good for the fourth spot in the 16-bike field, and three-straight 7.21 s during eliminations. However, Treble's fourth-career victory was nearly overshadowed by the controversy that swirled around National Trail Raceway over the weekend. To no one's surprise, the primary combatants were reigning champ Savoie and former champion Hines, whose off-track antics often overshadow their memorable on· track battles. Following his track-record 7.17 run on Saturday, Hines went to the media center for the obligatory postqualifying press conference. That's where he dropped the bomb, openly accusing CVEC Suzuki rider Savoie and her Star Racing team of cheating. n e _ s "We weren't running as quick as her in Chicago, and now we're running faster than her, so either I've done a lot better or she's done a lot worse: Hines said. "I think it's more like she's done a lot worse and they need to pick up their act. If it's all about cheating, then that's what it is. I know we're again," Hines said. "We can't all be friends out here." Whether or not he meant what he said, the damage had been done, and it didn't help matters when Hines' comments appeared on the front pages of the Sunday editions of the local newspapers.