Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Round 2: California Speedwa Undaunted, the Australian continued to pursue Hayden. "I did the best I could to chase 750s definitely have more power up on top," Caylor said. "I think we even handled a little bit better than they down Tommy, but I made a few mistakes," Fergusson said. "I've got a little bit of a hole in my boot, and my foot is a little sore at the moment. Most of the time it really wasn't that much of a problem. Sometimes I wouldn't stick a gear properly, and I'd hit a false neutral, which would put me wide into the corners. I was just trying to do the best I can. Tommy was running a really fast pace. We might've had something for him, but then again, maybe we wouldn't have. I would have liked to have gotten a bit better start, but it's one of those cases of would've, could've should've. At the end of the day, the fact of the matter is that it didn't happen. I'm still really happy. Obviously to get on the box is good for our sponsors." With Fergusson clear of Meiring, the young Californian fell into perhaps the best battle on the track as he fought it out with Caylor for the final podium spot, the two dropping about four seconds behind Fergusson as they traded the third spot back and forth. Caylor powered past Meiring out of the fast chicane in the infield for third on lap eight, but Meiring retook the spot going into turn 12 at the end of the infield straightaway. The two traded a few more times before Caylor said that he elected to hang back and bide his time. "The Kawasakis are fast, but our comfortable. I was a little bit tight the first three or four laps. Then I got' into a rhythm and got into the mid-28s and just tried to step it up a little bit. I definitely wanted to get a gap before we got to the lappers so that I didn't have to go through them quite as crazy as if we were having a battle. It worked out well. I worked to get a lead, and then I just tried to hold it once it got to be about five seconds or so." Polesitter Hayden's Kawasaki stablemate, Tony Meiring, pulled the holeshot by sweeping around Hayden, Corona Extra Suzuki's Adam Fergusson and EMGO Taiwan Suzuki's Chris "Opie" Caylor from his position on the outside of the front row when the green light flashed. Meiring held the lead for only the first two turns before Hayden shot past him on the short chute leading to the fast chicane in the infield. '" kind of got through the chicane a little better and got a good run on him going into 12," Hayden said. "I heard someone back there for a while after that. We weren't setting the blistering pace that I wanted to." That someone was Fergusson, who did his best to stay with Hayden and appeared to be doing just that while the race was only a few laps old. Unfortunately, Fergusson suffered from a few faux pas, not the least of which was the loss of his shifter's toe piece when he smacked it on a curb during the opening lap. did. 1 got a great start off the line, and then Meiring came back to me. I had a couple slides, so I just tried to take it easy. We were right there, and I was just kind of sizing him up. We went back and forth a couple times, and I thought that I'd just let the Suzuki take me past him in the draft at the line, but then the red flag came out, and fourth is what I got. We just needed the race to go the full distance." Meiring felt that he still had an advantage on Caylor, regardless. I just couldn't hang with Tommy, and then Adam got by me, but me and Chris had a good race," Meiring said. "It was a lot of fun, because he's a really clean rider. He was really fast through the new chicane that they opened up. I wanted to get him into lapped traffic so that 1 could make some moves, and then maybe the lapped traffic guys would make mistakes and hold him up a bit." That may have been the plan, but Meiring's final pass on Caylor came in the open. "I was a little bit better on the brakes going into four, so then 1 decided it was better to get him right now," Meiring said." Hooters Suzuki's Vincent Haskovec and Corona Extra Suzuki's Jimmy Moore, the latter the defending class champ, battled over the fifth spot, with Haskovec getting the nod at the stripe. "I guess he [Moore] just couldn't do anything with me," the Czech-born Haskovec said. "I got very slow drives, but my bike is very fast on the top end. He couldn't draft me on the straightaways - I realized this in the first few laps. He just go by me once, and' repass him again, and they stop the race." eN Call1ol1lia st-dway ~ , c.JiIoI1Iia Results: April 5, ZDlI3 UIGund Z lit 11 J SUPERSTOCK: 1. Tommy Hayden (KewlISllki); 2. Adam Fergusson (Suz); 3. Tony Meiring (Kaw); 4. Chris Caylor (Suz); 5. Vincent Hoskovec (Suz); 6. Jimmy Moore (Suz); 7. Jemie Stlluffer (Yam); 8. John Haner (Suz); 9. Jeson DISalvo (Yem); 10. Josh HlIyes (Suz); 11. Matt Wait (Yam); 12. Jeremy Toye (Su,); 13. John Dugon (Suz); 14. Chris Peris (Hon); 15. Rich Conicelli (Su,); 16. Jordon S'oke (Suz); 17, Alan Schmidt (Suz); 18. Jason Perez (Suz); 19. Chris Ulrich (Suz); 20. Mickey LlIne (Suz); 21. Scott Simpson (Suz): 22. J.J. Roetlin (Suz); 23, Eric HlIugo (Suz); 24. Tom WertmDn (Suz); 25. Mike Ciccotto (Su,); 26. Jeff Bostrom (Su,); 27. Chod Rollond (Suz); 28. DDnny Eslick (Suz); 29. Brian MusselmDn (Su,); 30. Matt Furtek (Su,); 31. Dovld Bell (Su,); 32. Jeremy Chisum (Suz); 33. Seen AlexDnder (Kow): 34. Mark Simon (Su,); 35, Chris Siglin (Su,); 36. Brian Stokes (Suz); 37. Jecob Holden (Suz); 38. Nethan Hester (Suz); 39. Clint McBain (Suz); 40. Thod Hoismer (Vom); 4 I. Hawk Mazzota (Suz); 42. Andre..... Nelson (Hon); 43. Ty HO.....Drd (Hon); 44. Creig Connell (Hon). Time: None. due to red neg Distance: 14 leps; 32.2 miles Margin of victory: 3.604 sec. Average speed: N/A IIJV, 5(JPERSTOCK SERIES POINTS STANDINQS (After 2 of I J rounds): I. Tommy Hayden (74/2 .....ins); 2. Adam Ferguson (56); 3. (T1E) Tony f'¥\eiring (52)/Vincent He.kovec (52); 5. Jason DiSolvo (44); 6. (TIE) Chris Coy lor (41 )/Jimmy Moore (41 )/Josh Heyes (41): 9. John Honer (34); 10. (TIE) Lee Acree (32)/Jordan Szoke (32); 12. (TIE) Mike Ciccotto (31)/Chris Ulrich (31): 14. (TIE) Eric Wood (29)/Rich Conicelli (29); 16. Steve Repp (27); 17. Jamie Stlluffer (24); 18. Matt Furtek (22); 19. Mlltl Woit (20); 20. Jeremy Toye (19). Upcoming Rounds: Round 3 - Sonoma, California, May 3 Round 4 - Braselton, Georgia, May 16 AMAlMNBA 250cc Grand Prix Series pense in this one. Oliver streaked Round 3: California Speedway away, and Sorensen did likewise, ending up over 40 seconds ahead of Priority Racing's Simon Turner. "I tried to hang with Chuck at the start," Turner said. "But I just couldn't. It was a little lonely out show off in front of the people who have helped you for years. Chuck [Sorensen] and Simon [Turnerl both ride so hard. Simon is probably the fastest guy around the corners in probably any class in the AMA. Chuckie has a great package, and he rides the wheels off it. I enjoy it because it pushes me really hard. I have some talented guys to race, and today was just a day where we felt really strong and ready. Last year we weren't so good here because I was hurt. I'm all healed up and feel better. I just tried to do good laps and get a lead. For us it worked out well today." Bv PAOL CARROTHERS PHOTO BV BRIAN J. NELSON FONTANA,CA,APR.6 'UT ith dominating victories in the ,., first two races, it appears as though Rich Oliver is well on his way to a fifth AMA 250cc Grand Prix Championship. The all-time King of AMA 250cc GP racing was simply untouchable at California Speedway as he stormed to a 14.459-second win over defending series champion Chuck Sorensen. For Oliver it was win number 62 of his career in the 250cc Grand Prix class, and they only seem to be getting easier. "It was a gorgeous day to race," Oliver said. "It's always nice to race in Southern California in front of all the manufacturers. You see a lot of people from your particular brand that come out, and you can kind of 28 APRIL 16, 2003' cue I Rich Oliver (97) did what he does best at Califomla Speedway. wlnnin9 the MBNA 250cc GP event by over 14 seconds. Oliver now has 62 career wins in the class. .. neVlls While Sorensen and his Stargel there with no one to race with. I was Aprilia were able to keep Oliver and his Team Oliver Yamaha in sight for a few laps, there was very little sus- just riding around and around and around. It was kinda hard to keep concentrating. I want to be up there,

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