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in 2001. Ciccotto was back on the orange and white Suzukis in Saturday's Expert Heavyweight Supersport bike, quickly into the lead though with little comfort. Ciccotto took Scott Greenwood and Steve Rapp with him, the top three splitting from the pack and swapping spots among themselves like trading cards. Rapp was in the lead on the second lap, then it was Ciccotto, then Rapp again on the fourth, driving out of the West Horseshoe at the point. Greenwood appeared to be just off the pace but was simply being patient. Into the chicane for the final time, it was Rapp in front of Ciccotto and Greenwood, close enough that they would stick together for the run to the flag fanning out three wide at the stripe. The photo finish went to Ciccotto, inches in front of Rapp, who was just ahead of Greenwood. "I think I did it," Ciccotto said before the result was announced. "Steve [Rapp J had a shagged rear tire and that's how I got him out of the chicane." "I thought I won," Rapp said. "The last lap, I braked early into the chicane. I thought with the new chance I might be able to lead out of it. It was just a CCS race, so I might as well try to see if I could win. As soon as he passed me, he slowed up again, so I thought I could beat him." Rapp's revenge would come a few races later in Saturday's Expert Heavyweight Superbike race. Ciccotto and Rapp went away at the start with Rapp into the lead by the chicane. Out of the chicane it was Ciccotto leading, Rapp taking it back on the second lap and holding it well through the third when Ciccotto lost the front end and crashed entering turn six. Soon Vincent Haskovec closed up on Rapp and made a run at him that would come up short. His second was safe, with Ashmead third. "We're doing laps and testing," Rapp said. "The bike's running really strong." The same could be said for Jerry Wood's machinery. Jerry said he'd been coming to Daytona for 30 years and wanted to mark the occasion with a win. The first was when he rode a Yamaha TZ-250 to a clean win Jeff Wood leads Scott Greenwood in the Expert Middleweight Supersport at Daytona. Greenwood won the race after Wood crashed out on the second lap of the restart. Wood won the Acropovic Expert GTU race. its spanking new creation in a CCS race wasn't the first impression it wanted to give. Regardless, DuHamel wasn't missed, though the announcer never caught on that he wouldn't be showing up on the grid. Steve Rapp did. The Californian made a proper first impression on the Valvoline EMGO Suzuki, winning the Expert Heavyweight Superbike race and finishing a photo-finish second to Hooters' Suzuki's Mike Ciccotto in the Expert Heavyweight Supersport in the closest finish all weekend. Scott Greenwood was a shadow third on his Suzuki. Floridian Michael Barnes made the smooth transition from the Hooters' Suzuki GSX-R750 to one backed by Prieto Racing. The Florida veteran was at the front when Friday's 30minute Expert GTO race was redflagged to an end on the seventh lap. Team Embry Suzuki's Brian Stokes was second after his teammate Geoff May crashed in the chicane, bringing the race to a halt. After some pre-race drama, Barnes had an easier time in Saturday's five-lap Expert Unlimited Supersport race. He missed the warm-up lap, and the first lap of the race was his first dry lap at Daytona all weekend. Fellow Floridian John Ashmead was second on the Peter Brady Racing Suzuki GSX-R750, with Geoff May third. A veteran who's been coming to Daytona for 30 years took a pair of wins on two distinctly different motorcycles. Penguin Road Racing School's Jerry Wood rode a Yamaha TZ250 to an 18-second victory in Saturday's Expert Lightweight GP. Later in the day he was aboard his Ducati 570 Supermono, and the winning didn't come as easily. Wood was outridden by vastly younger riders in the infield but was able to use the overwhelming power of the Ducati to power by out of turn six and onto the banking. So it went for the duration, Wood's edging away from Cyco Cycles Derek Keyes and 2wf.com's Alex Ferreira for the win. Jeff Wood, Jerry's younger son, held off Darren Luck in Saturday's rain-sodden 3D-minute Acropovic GTU Expert race. Eric Wood, Jeff's older brother, took a third in the red flag-shortened wet Expert GTO race. The Amateurs had a pair of threerace winners, Brian Shaw and William Meyers. Shaw, who credited his uncle, veteran Rick Shaw, for his success, won the 3D-minute Amateur GTO and two five-lap sprints, Amateur Heavyweight Supersport and Amateur Unlimited Supers port. He was dicing with Meyers early in the Amateur Heavyweight Superbike race when he crashed in the dogleg. Meyers had the same winning pattern, first taking the 3D-minute Acropovic Amateur GTU then the five-lap Amateur Middleweight Supersport and Amateur Heavyweight Superbike races. Prieto Racing's Michael Mills (Suzuki SV-650) won a pair of five lap sprints on Saturday, the Amateur Lightweight Superbike and Amateur Lightweight Grand Prix events. Both times Jesse Nunn finished second. EXPERT Friday's Expert GTO race was billed a preview for Sunday's Unlimited Grand Prix. Let's hope not. The racing, while it lasted, was close, but the end came prematurely for the race and a number of riders. Kosco H-D/Buell's Eric Wood had his Buell Lightning out to an early lead with a number of Suzukis and a Ducati giving chase. Michael Barnes was aboard one of those Suzukis, the Prieto Racing Suzuki GSX-R 1000. Barnes had moved past Team Embry Suzuki's Geoff May just past the halfway point. May was readying for a late-race draft-slingshot when he highsided out of the chicane and crashed, taking Darren Luck with him. The race had to be stopped, and scoring was reverted to the previous lap. Because May caused the crash, he was dropped to 17th, the final rider on the lead lap, with Barnes getting the win ahead of Luck and Team Embry's Brian Stokes. "I was waiting for [Michael Barnes] to use his tires up, then I was going to take advantage, but the chicane got the best of me today," May said. Once Saturday's Expert Unlimited Supersport race got going, Barnes was in control, even though he missed the warm-up lap. Following his move to the lead on the second lap, Barnes was able to inch away, leaving John Ashmead and Dave Ebben to fight over second for several laps, with Hooters Suzuki's Vincent Haskovec joining the leaders for the final two laps. Barnes would win with Ashmead holding off Haskovec for third ahead of Ebben. Having not tested in the dry all weekend, Barnes said the suspension on his big Suzuki was too soft. "We'll have to stiffen it up this weekend," Barnes said. Ashemead was also learning his second-placed machine. "That was the first time I got out on this bike this week," the 1989 Daytona 200 winner said. Mike Ciccotto was back with Hooters Suzuki, the team he last rode for Amateur Brian Shaw leads the Amateur Heavyweight Supersport race, one of Shaw's three wins. eye I e n e "" S • MARCH 12,2003 27