Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

But it did the job today. We'll work on our setup a little bit better so I can pick up the pace for next weekend for sure and go from there." Part of the problem was that the track was green, so Wait didn't have a lot of grip. "As soon as you'd accelerate out, the rear would want to lose it a little bit," he said. "All in all I'm happy with the day. I kept gapping everyone lap to lap, so that was good. Like I said, I want to improve my personal lap times for next weekend. All in all, I couldn't ask for a better weekend." Ciccotto was a strong second for the first 14 laps until Wood made the pass. Like Wait, Wood waited until the last minute to make a tire choice. "We were pitted right next to Matt Wait," Wood said. "Pretty much at the exact same time, we both said, 'Alright, it's going to be dry.' We were just watching the clouds. It was obviously dry, but we were trying to be a weather forecaster. We did all right this time." Wood said that Ciccotto and Wait got away early, and it took too long for him to catch up. "I think my fastest laps were at the end of the race when I was getting close to him [Ciccotto]," Wood said. I had a little extra motivation. Mike Ciccotto was flying on the Buell. He had a really good gap on us, and we were just taking it away in little chunks, but it took a long time." Wood said that he didn't want to take undue chances and end up on the ground. "We got third row on the grid, so we just did the best we could, but there was no catching Matt Wait today. He was on the gas." Wood's older brother Eric was running in the top five when he was forced out on the seventh lap with an oil leak. "I think a fitting came loose on one of the oil lines, and it was leaking oil all over me," Eric said of his Kosco Buell/H-D machine. "It was too early in the race to try and ride it out. I was going to cover the track in oil, but then I pulled off." Ciccotto's strong ride on the Buell came to a premature end when he ran out of gas on the final lap. The team had a premonition that fuel consumption would be an issue, so they topped up the gas tank on the start line. Even so, he ran short with the flag in sight and was overtaken by Scott Greenwood as he cruised low on the apron of the tri-oval. '" feel really bad for Mike [Ciccotto]," Greenwood said. "He ran a good race. I'll take it any way I can get it. (Above) Matt Wait (1) leads Mike Ciccotto (13) in their battle for the lead. (RIght) Alex Barrera (141) couldn't hold off Andrew Nelson (126) In their battle for fourth place. Eric Spector (Suz); 20. Martin Milanese (Yam); 21. Gus Holcomb (Suz); 22. Shawn Scott (Kaw): 23. Nicholas Cummings (Hon); 24. Scott Cunningham (Yam); 25. Brent Bennett (Yam); 26. Nate Kern (Suz); 27. Nahun Alvarez (Han); 28. Jason Smith (Kaw); 29. Shawn Robert Hill (Yam); 30. Thomas Aquino (Yam); 31. Damn Klemens (KDw); 32. Paolo Mariano (Suz); 33. Walter Sipp (Suz); 34. Michael Fields (Kaw); 35. Thed Halsmer (Yam); 36. Chris Siglin (Suz); 37. Dirk Sanchez (Kaw); 38. Wilson Lamour (Hon); 39. Jason Curtis (Han): 40. Darrin Mitchell (Suz); 41. Matthew Elliott (Suz); 42. Eric Wood (Bue); 43. Mike Himmelsbach (Suz); 44. Jeffrey Smalls (Suz); 45. Andre Bibeau (Yam); 46. Alejandro Torres (SOl); 47. Thomas German (Hon); 48. Rob Pearson (Suz). Time: 35 min., 24.837 sec, Distance: 18 laps, 64.08 miles Average speed: 108.567 mph Margin of victory: 18.275 seC'. FORMOLA OSA SPTfBK C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After I of 7 rounds): 1. Mzltl Wait (25/1 win); 2. Jeff Wood (20): 3. Scott Greenwood (16); 4. Mike Clccotto (13); 5. Andrew Nelson (11); 6. Alex Barrera (10); 7. Jason Perez (9); 8. Chris Peris (8); 9. Jonathan Gomez-Mtz (7); 10. Scott Harwell (6); 11. Doug Chandler (5); 12. Jack Pfeifer (4); 13. Joseph Ford (3); 14. Des Conboy (2): 15. Michael Hannas (1). It's my first Formula USA podium." Like the others, Greenwood scrambled at the end to change tires and set his suspension. "We were fortunate that we made the right choice on tires, and I'm glad the weather held off," he said. "I didn't want to ride in that monsoon." Fifth went to Racerhouse.com's Andrew Nelson, who passed Alexander Barrera on the penultimate lap, lost it briefly, then barely held on, taking the spot by .069 of a second. eN Dlytonl Internltionll SpeedwIY Dlytonl Beach, Floridl Results: MIlCh Z, ZDD3 (Round 1 of 71 SPTfBK: I. Matt Wall (Su,); (Apr): 2. Jeff Wood (Suz); 3. Scott Greenwood (Suz); 4. Mike Ciccotto (Sue); 5. Andrew Nelson (Hon); 6. Alex Barrera (Suz); 7. Jason Perez (Suz); 8. Chris Peris (Han); 9. Jonelhen Gomez·Mtz (Suz); 10. Scott Harwell (Suz); 11. Doug Chandler (Han): 12. Jack Pfeifer (Suz); 13. Joseph Ford (Yern): 14. Des Conboy (Suz): 15, Michael Hannes (Suz); 16. Antonio Piccioni (Suz); J 7. Dave Ebben (Su,); 1B. Jeff Binford (Yam): 19. Upcoming Rounds: Round 2 - Glenwood, Iowa, May 25 Round 3 - Loudon. New Hampshire, June 15 Formula USA Superbike Series Round 1 : Daytona International Speedway [) MATT WAIT DOES THE .JOB AT DAVTONA machinery - twin-cylinder two-strokes Yamaha's Matt Wait rode his R-6 to Japanese four-cylinders and twin- are allowed - and the only post-race victory in the 18-lap Sportbike race, cylinder Buells restricted to 115 mandate being a weight of 340 winning by 18.275 seconds on a par- brief primer on the class structure horsepower and weighing no less pounds. In short, they're potentially tially wet Daytona International of a Formula USA Championship Series race: than 365 pounds. Superbike is a sup- faster motorcycles. Speedway. Two races later Wait STORY AND PHOTOS BY HENNY RAY ABRAMS DAYTONA BEACH, FL, MAR. 2 A Sportbike is the premier class, the port class with more liberal rules on Earlier in the day, Kneedraggers.com cycle came back and did it again, this time n e _ S • MARCH 12, 2003 23

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