Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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ish, but he was still very disappointed - with his race. r-----------------------------------------~ Glen Helen Race'W'ay Presents the 18th Annual ."it.,.6J11iO.,lJI/fl,• •"4,/0 v.r MIXOIM1JIP/OlIIAlIIJlJ'JIJJ "The bike misfired coming off the start," Walker said. "Then I began to lose power. I could see the riders getting away in the long straight, yet in the corners, I could get some time back. When I came into the pits at the end of the race, we found the exhaust was cracked."Another name Sal 0" un ow 3 !!t rider who failed to shine was American wild man Mike Metzger. The X-Games Freestyle Champion finished 19th, one place behind Isle of Man hero David Jefferies. Metzger, however, was not too disappointed with his results. "I'm new at this sport," Metzger said. "I've done like three races before this one. I got to race with Jefferies, the Isle of Man Champion, he's /"" one of my hero's and that was pretty cool. I'm just having some fun." The Superbiker race was made up between the Starbiker competitors and several riders who had qualified from two semi-final races. Those semi-finals proved to be a major factor when the field hit tum one in the main event. Up front was Fiorentino; having finished first in the semi, the local favorite knew which tire choice would be best, while riders like Chambon, Everts and Smets all struggled a little in the setup department. "I learned some things in the semi," Fiorentino said. "It's critical to have the bike working in Supermotard racing, and I felt I had a good setting in the tires and suspension." With the skies remaining overcast, the track remained a little tricky and Cham bon and Everts were not about to take chances of crashing out and losing their positions on the track. Smets, on the other hand, was making some passes in midfield. Stet!~ ~!!.~~,~l!.t:: :1' ~ ~ ~ ~teJb~ ,~ : ~ ~ ~aHWV:Si ...a: A'v1:: ~ ~ EO] I ; Fri Nov 1: Vet Practice 8am-Noon $15 - bvernight Camping ; I Sat/Sun Nov 2/3: Gates Open 5:30am Practice 7am Race 8:30am I ; Sportsman $301clas~ - Pro $85 - Min 6 riders/class: Nov,lnt,Pro,Vet : I Classes: 25+ Sat Only); 30+ 35+ 40+ 50+ 60+ 70+ 80+; Pro 30+,40+ I 2000 40+ Pr Purse Sat only -[$5000 30+ Prol PurseSun only I I I I I "I went into the race on 37th place on the grid," Smets said. "I told myself not to do anything stupid after the Starbiker race. I took my time and was just making passes. It worked out great for me." Sure enough, Fiorentino moved away from Chambon quickly and the multiple Superbiker Champion could do nothing to make up the lost ground. "I just could not get close enough to race with him," Chambon said. "I was losing time on him as soon as the first lap, and I tried some different lines and stuff, but nothing worked." The final top-five finishing positions were Fiorentino, Chambon, Delannoy, Trinkler and Poulain - all Supermotard riders. CN nnterim Superbiker Resuhs:~ber13,2QQ2 FINAL: 1. Frederic Fiorentino (KTM); 2. Stephane Chambon (Suz); 3. Eric Delannoy (Husky); 4. Achim Trinkler (Husky); 5. Dominique Poulain (KTM); 6. Stefan Everts (Yam); 7. Thierry Godfroid (Kaw); 8. Michael P8ul (Husky); 9. Warren Steele (Husky); 10. Didier Jadoul (Kaw); 11. Joel Smets (KTM); 12. Oami Mueller (Yam); 13. Fabrice Lecoanet (Hon); 14. Johan Boonen (KTM): 15. Jamo Mori (Yam) Motorcycle news will never be the same! You can access Cycle News Online anytime, day or night, on the World Wide Web at... """""".cyclene'VWs.coln What's at the leading edge of motorcycle news? Cycle News Online! Now you can access instant race results and the latest breaking stories in the world of motorcycling, with Cycle News' home page on the World Wide Web. Updated daily, Cycle News Online provides: II • Comple,~ ~,,~ current happenings in "Daily Wind" • The 2002 Cycle News Motorcycle Buyer's Guide • Current International and National Championship Calendar Listings, and TV Listings • Instantly updated race results. Race Coverage Highlights, Motorcycle Tests, and Interviews • Weekly Reader Polls. Cycle News Classified Ads • Quik Shop LINKS • Cycle News Art Gallery • The latest offerings from Cycle News Video Theater. Real-Time Event Coverage in "Virtual Grandstand" • Online motOl'cycie advertising from the leading companies in the industry cue I e n e _ S • OCTOBER 30, 2002 45