Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

away early. On the third lap he had over 2.5 seconds and doubled that margin at the end, winning the five lap race by 5.321 seconds. Michael Sanchez was second. Then came David Loikits and Urayoan Torres, 26 seconds behind but within a whisker of each other. "I settled in and worked out that I didn't have to work that hard," Lasky said. Alex Ferreira had a worthy rival in Darren Danilowicz. The Team ProMotion rider made Ferreira work for his wins, beginning with Friday's Amateur GT Lights. "Yesterday and the day before I had problems with my gearing and I couldn't get it right," Ferreira said after his first win of the weekend. "We pushed each other." The fight in the Amateur lightweight Supersport race went to the finish line and beyond, a photo finish with Ferreira jus getting the nod. "It was real close at the end," Ferreira said. "He got a good drive and we were side by side." The pass for the win in the Amateur Lightweight Grand Prix also came on the final lap, and again it was Ferreira coming out on top. "Number 35 [Danilowicz], he's keeping me right there. He's putting on a charge: Ferreira said. Ferreira took the lead from Danilowicz on the final lap of the Amateur Lightweight Superbike race to earn his fourth and final win. Many of the Ferreira's races were run in conjunction with their Expert counterparts with Ed Key running near the front of the Expert field. First came the Expert GT Lights with Key and Brian Surtees swapping back and forth late in the race. Key let Surtees lead into the chance and made the draft-pass for the win. "I was thinking that was exactly where I needed to be," he said. Key said it was earlier that morning that he made the gearing choice. "I think I got it right: he said. Key finished second to John linder in the Expert Lightweight Supersport class, then got his revenge in the Expert Lightweight Superbike, beating Blockworks' Eric Fait, with Linder third. Fait admitted that he was down on power to Key, but that he could catch him in the infield. The pair was at it again in the Thunderbikes final, with a few others thrown in. Fait led the first two laps with Key going from third to first to take over the point late on the second lap. The next lap Tilley's H-D's Tripp Nobles moved into second and began to push, taking the lead into the infield, only to see Key blow past him on the back straight. The scenario would repeat itself again on the final lap, but this time Nobles tried to sucker Key by sitting up well before the chicane. Key wouldn't have it, blowing by once they left the chicane to take his final win of the weekend. Ashmead's two wins came late on Saturday afternoon. 4&6 Racing's (Above) Toomer Levy (114) tums In on Kane Lasky (3291 in the Intemational Horseshoe at start of the Speedscreen Amateur Grand Pri". Lasky ended up third. (Left) Lasky celebrates after winning the Amateur Heavyweight Supersport class on Saturday. Roadracing School's Jeff Wood and his Kawasaki on the final lap. Wood had over two seconds early in the race, but that was before DiSalvo made his move. He became a victim to DiSalvo in the West Horseshoe on the final lap, and then watched as DiSalvo quickly built up a big enough lead that Wood couldn't make use of the draft. He had to settle for second. Third went to Honda-mounted Andrew Nelson. "We're just trying to get as many laps as we can around here," DiSalvo said. "We're just trying to learn this bike inside and out, getting ready for the AMA season." DiSalvo made his way to the front quickly in the Expert Middleweight Grand Prix, taking it from Nelson on the second lap, then losing it briefly. On the fourth lap, DiSalvo was able to hold the lead for the entire lap and, though Nelson made a race of it at the end, he couldn't deny DiSalvo his third victory, this one by a scant .2 of a second. Third went to Danny Eslick in a try-out on the Valvoline EMGO Suzuki. Kane Lasky's first win came in the 30-minute Amateur GTU race on Friday afternoon. Lasky was in front from the start and never challenged. Six laps in, he had over four seconds on the battle for second, which was the one to watch as Lasky sped to the win. "I thought I would go out and take it easy and just ride, see if anybody could put any pressure on me," Lasky said. The win was redemption for his crash in an earlier 30-minute race. "I made a mistake this morning in the first race and felt really bad for my team. I let them down." It was the last thing he'd have to apologize for. Scott Cunningham got in front of Michael Sanchez with two laps to go to take second. Lasky took the lead in Saturday's five lap Amateur Middleweight Superbike race, with Michael Sanchez going with him and taking the lead on the second lap, Lasky taking it back in turn one on the third lap. Sanchez stuck to Lasky for the final two laps, but had nothing for him at the end, and Lasky had his second win. The team wasn't around to enjoy it, rebuilding the GSX-R750 he'd crashed on Friday morning. "We've been working since yesterday afternoon on my 750," Lasky said. 'I didn't even have a pitboard for that race." "He was riding really well and consistent," Sanchez said. "I lost the draft, and that was second place." Suzuki-mounted Alexander Barrera came from the back row to take third from Yamaha-mounted Joseph Ford on the final lap. Roy Yonce was a close fifth. Sanchez got the jump on the field in the Amateur Heavyweight Superbike race, Barrera and Lasky going with him, with a gap to Ralph Fernandez in fourth. Sanchez held the spot until near the end of the second lap when Lasky drafted by out of NASCAR turn four, dropping Sanchez and Barrera into a battle for second. Lasky wasn't so much speeding away as inching away, but it was decisive. By the end, he had 1.63 seconds in hand. Barrera was second with Sanchez alone in third, in front of an equally lonely Fernandez. "This has probably been my most rewarding win of the year," Lasky said before crediting Traxxion Dynamics for his success. "I worked so hard for it." Lasky's final win on Saturday, in the Amateur Heavyweight Supersport race, would be less work, more like a day at the beach. From the start, he was gone, four seconds in front on the second lap on his way to an 8.39 second win. Barrera got in front of Sanchez for second on the third lap, with Fernandez ending up in fourth, the same order of finish as in Lasky's previous win. Two races later Barrera got his first win on the weekend, besting Lasky in the Amateur Middleweight Grand Prix. Sanchez had gotten the early jump with Lasky second until the fourth lap when he took the lead in turn one, Sanchez in front of Barrera and Joseph Ford. The pack shuffled on the fifth lap with Sanchez to the lead from Barrera dn Lasky fourth, Barrera using the high line to draft to the win by .39 of a second. "I don't even know what to say: Barrera said. "It's beautiful. Unbelievable." The same trio went at it again on Sunday morning in the Speedscreen Amateur Grand Prix race, but not for long. Lasky and Kneedraggers.com/ Sportbike Zone's Toomer Levy tried to occupy the same piece of the International Horseshoe, with both running off the track. Lasky made the better recovery, but he was well behind Barrera and Sanchez, who took off. Halfway in and they had over nine seconds on Lasky who was stuck in third. "I'm frustrated. It looked like I had a chance to win," he said. Barrera was able to pull away from Sanchez on the f.ourth lap to secure his second win of the weekend. "I'm really excited about this race: Barrera said after winning on a borrowed, and very strong, Suzuki GSX-R1000. "He seemed to have a lot of ponies on me," Sanchez said, adding that he was riding well. There was also a second in Barrera's weekend take, behind Ralph Fernandez in Friday's Amateur GTO. Soon after, Lasky was back at it in the $1000 National Road Race Series Open Supersport Amateur, putting it cue' II! n II! _ 50 • OCTOBER 30, 2002 27

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