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/128183
• rider to lead Schnitz across the finish line this season. On the other side of the ladder, a little tornado was stirring things up. Past champ Keith Dennis, riding the Krawiec number two bike, was making rounds, taking out Leonard and Thompson en route to a semifinal bye. In the final against Hunter, Dennis took the holeshot and never looked back, taking his first win since 1999 with a 9.91 to Hunter's 10.01. Mark Underwood finally got the redemption he deserved in the Yamaha Hot Rod Cruiser class. Underwood, riding the Patrick Racing Warrior, has been overshadowed all' season by Rick McWaters on his Terry Reedprepared Harley Davidson. When the blockbuster admission came from Reed that he illegally changed valve angles on the Harley's cylinde.r by the semifinals, win the event and reset Stotz's record to take the plate. Muzzy and Team Kawasaki threw everything they could at it, including a host of blockers led by Ryan Schnitz on the Muzzy turbo ZRX1100. The plan gelled as Schnitz and Gadson took the top two qualifying positions with respective times of 7.68 and 7.69, putting Gadson on the same side of the ladder as Stotz. The pair met in the semifinal where Gadson turned back a Stotz holeshot with a 7.71/190 to make the final against teammate Schnitz, who had taken out the Velocity Racing turbo Hayabusa of Barry Henson in the semis. records of 7.91 seconds and 168 mph. Carroll motored through eliminations untouched to a second straight final round meeting with Del Flores, who took out Ryan Schnitz on the Muzzy bike in the semifinals with a career-best 8.27. Flores, riding the Yoyodyne/Worldwide Bearings Hayabusa, got the holeshot on Carroll in the final but could not hold the green bike off as Carroll cemented his perfect season with a 8.00 to Flores' heads, McWaters withdrew all points from the season, giving Underwood the championship. Bittersweet, Underwood had one thing left to do - win a race. He responded in championship fashion, qualifying in the number one position with the best pass ever for the class, 9.75 at 135 mph, and marched through the field to take out number two qualifier Scott Pitas on the Orient Express Warrior, 10.09 to 10.36. CN Glinesville bcewl' Glinesville, Floridl 8.31. Gadson cruised to the event win his third straight and fourth of the year - with a 7.76, but unable to secure the record, he fell short of the championship. Jim Carroll made history at Gainesville, becoming the first rider in Prostar history to record a perfect season, taking every number one qualifying position and event win this year. Riding the Team Kawasaki ZX-12R of Chip Ellis and Coby Adams in the Suzuki Formula Superbike class, Carroll ended the season in dominant fashion, qualifying on the pole, setting new performance Results: November 9-11 (HeuRd 8 IIf 81 Ryan Schnitz·came into Gainesville much like Carroll, looking for a perfect season in the Zero Gravity 600 SuperSport class. Schnitz was on pace, taking the number one qualifier with a 9.75 on his Team Green ZX6R, followed by Chip Hunter, Keith Thompson and Pat Leonard. It looked like business as usual for Schnitz, who took out the number two man in the points, Eddie Krawiec, in the quarters before facing Hunter in the semi. Then the unthinkable happened. Hunter put a holeshot on Schnitz and kept in front, 9.87 to Schnitz's 9.80, to become the first T/F: I. Ron Webb (MCU) 7.593/207.99; 2. Norbert Kulzera (Yam) 8.754/106.60. FNY/BK: I. Tom Perry (Suz) 6.790{202.97; 2. Tnwis Davis (Kew) 6.889/189.63. PRO 1'100: 1. John Se<:hs (Suz) 6.905/189.59; 2. Steve Droke (Suz) 7.118/161.52. PRO STK: 1. Fred Collis (Suz) 6.905/189.59; 2. Todd Doege (Suz) 8.123/117.35. • F·S/BK: 1. Jim Carroll (Kaw) 8.000/167.13; 2. Del Flores (Suz) 8.310/155.84. STREETBIKE SHOOTOUT: 1. Rickey Godson (Kaw) 7.762/189.27; 2. Ryan Schnltz (Kaw) 8.271/182.18. TOP GAS: I. Kenny Dermanelilln (Suz) 8.263/137.71; 2. Croig Adorns (Suz) 8.310/155.68. S/COMP: I. Mike Coulson (Kaw) 9.047/122.93; 2. Andy Baumbach (Kaw) 39.177/72.66. S/GAS: I. Ronnie Woodoll (Suz) 10.010/NA; 2. Ken Chapman (Kaw) 10.350/NA. 600 S/SPT: 1. Keith Dennis (Kaw) 9.914/135.84; 2. Chip Hunter (Kaw) 10.017/135.21. HOT ROD CRUISER: I. Mark Underwood (Yam) 10.093/124.42; 2. Scott Pitas (Yam) 10.367/129.92. PRO ET: I. Jim Abate (Kow) 10.65/NA; 2. Andy Baumbach (Kew) Broke. STREET ET: I. Cliff Stomper (Kaw) 9.625/NA: 2. Paul Stuart (Kow) 11.014/NA. cue I e n e _ lIS • DECEMBER 4, 2002 9