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Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Round 5: Pikes Peak International Raceway Rain early in the day had scrambled the program. Instead of running for 28 laps before the Superbikes, it ran for 20 laps as the last race of the day, ending in the twilight around 7:00 p.m. Once under way, the race was quickly red-flagged, then greenlighted at 6:41 p.m. Hayden got the jump and led briefly before Attack Suzuki's Josh Hayes and Fergusson came by. Before long there was a five-rider pack, Hayes leading Fergusson, Hayden, DiSalvo, Meiring and class champion Jimmy Moore. Fergusson took the lead for the first time on the seventh lap with the three smaller bikes swapping spots, Meiring up to fourth now after studying the pack. "I just wanted to keep the group in sight," he said. "The last time I tried to break away, it definitely didn't work my way. But I just wanted to try to study everybody and learn some things, and I learned a lot. Made me carry a lot of speed. I really had to carry a lot of speed to run with the guys. Jason (DiSalvo) was really fast through one and two." At the 10-lap, halfway mark Fergusson looked like he might make a break, then Hayes went with him, and the pair gapped the 600 trio, though not for long. The pack closed right back up. DiSalvo, Meiring and Hayden made up in the infield what they lost on he banking. The lead swapped between Hayes and Fergusson twice on laps 14 and 15 with Meiring now up to third and closing, first passing Hayes at the end of the back straight on the 17th lap, then going around the outside of Fergusson entering the infield in heavy traffic on the 18th lap. "I went around Crusty (Fergusson), and I saw him yesterday on the brakes, and J was like, I just got to hang with him on the brakes," Meiring said, adding he was trying to "surprise him going around the outside and maybe close the door a little bit. I'm sorry if I closed it too tight. I trust him." Fergusson said he wasn't getting out of turn two very well, so he tried a tight line in turn three. "I went in what I thought was pretty deep, and Tony (Meiring) come around me. I sort of eased off the brakes, just thought he wasn't going to have it that easy, but he tipped it just a little bit over the top of me, and even then I wasn't going to give it up. He got in pretty close. There was all of maybe all of about a quarter millimeter between us." From then on Meiring was able to hold off Fergusson on the long runs and outrun him in the infield. Part of the credit for his success went to his tire choice, Meiring said. Dunlop's Les Washbon assured Meiring that the harder DOT would work for race distance, even though it was moving around a little. "I guess that's probably why I was capable of running consistent at the end because I ran the hard compound," he said. Tires were also crucial to Fergusson's run. "I was sliding a little bit too much towards the end and didn't have enough drive off the corners, and around here that's really what you need, a good drive coming off of two. You need a good drive come off the start finish straight," he said. DiSalvo didn't have any teammates in this one. He'd have to earn it on his own. "This one I was back there in fourth and fifth for a while, and I took some notes and found the places to pass," DiSalvo said. "Then I started just to work my way up. Tony (Meiring) got by me, kind of gave me a littIe inspiration to maybe ride a little bit more ruthless." DiSalvo was just 0.463 seconds behind the winner, with Hayes less than half a second back in fourth. Then came Kawasaki's Tommy Hayden, at a gap of two seconds, and Moore, less than a second behind him. Hayden took over the championship lead from Hooters Suzuki's Vincent Haskovec, eighth today, by a single point, 144 to 143, with Fergusson third at 142. eN Pikes Peak Intemational Raceway Fountain, Colorado Results: June 1, 2003 [Round 51 GENUINE SOZ(JK! ACCESSORIES SOPERSTOCK; 1. Tony Meiring (Kaw); 2. Adam Fergusson (SU2); 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam); 4. Josh Hayes (Suz); 5. Tommy Hayden (Kaw); 6. Jimmy Moore (Suz); 7. Steve Rapp (Suz); 8. Vincent Haskovec (Suz); 9. Jordan Szoke (Suz): 10. John Haner (Suz); 11. Jacob Holden (Suz): 12. Chris Caylor (Suz); 13. Mike Ciccotto (Suz): 14. Chris Peris (Han); 15. Chris Ulrich (SU2)' 16. Brian Stokes (SU2)' 17. J.J. Roetlln (Su,), 18. Jason Peters (Suz); 19. Kevin Pate (Suz); 20. Mickey Lane (Suz): 21. Tom Wertman (Suz); 22. Jeremy Chisum (Suz); 23. Martin Sims (Suz); 24. David Bell (Suz): 25. Jason Chisum (Suz): 26. Eric Erling Haugo (Suz); 27. Chris Lowe (Suz); 28. Nathan Hester (Suz); 29. Hawk Mazzotta (Suz); 30. Michael Applehans (Suz); 31. Michael Kosta (Suz); 32. Mark Simon (Suz); 33. Christopher Ancien (Suz). TIme: 18 min., 50.23 sec. Distance: 20 laps, 26.3 miles Average speed: 83.77 mph M.argin of victory: 0.273 sec. AMAIMBNA 250cc Grand Prix Series: Round 5: Pikes Peak International Raceway Uliver I)()es ()ikes BY PAUL CARRUTHERS PHOTO BY HENNY RAY ABRAMS FOUNTAIN, CO, JUNE! eam Oliver Yamaha's Rich Oliver won for a fourth straight time at Pikes Peak International Raceway, the king of the 250cc class again showing his superiority over the field. It was also Oliver's fifth overall victory T 18 JUNE 1 1. 2003' cue • ... at Pikes and his fifth straight victory to open the 2003 season. As is the norm, Oliver stormed away from the field on the opening lap and led by two seconds after that first lap. From there he just settled into a comfortable pace and pulled clear, eventually winning by 8.4 seconds. Again, Oliver's best competition n e vv s came into Pikes injured and left even more so. The injury victim was Chuck Sorensen. The Stargel Aprilia rider came to Pikes with pins in his hand after his accident at Road Atlanta. He then surprised everyone with his speed before crashing again on Friday morning. This time he was left with a chipped bone in his foot that left it swollen and uncomfortable. In Team Kawasaki's Tony Meiring used his smaller, lighter, quicker Kawasaki ZX-6R to his advantage at Pikes Peak, taking the Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock win. It was Meiring's first career AMA professional road race win. GEN(JINE S(JZ(JKI ACCESSORIES S(JPERSTOCK C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 5 of 11 rounds); 1. Tommy Hayden (144/2 wins); 2. Vincent Haskovec (143/1 wins); 3. Adam Fergusson (142); 4. Tony Meirin9 (129/1), 5. Josh Hayes (128), 6. Jason DiSalvo (121); 7. Jimmy Moore (115); 8. Chris Caylor (112), 9. John Haner (98), 10. Mike Ciccotto (95); 11. Chris Ulrich (81); 12. Jordan S20ke (76); 13. Brian Stokes (59), 14. Mat Furtek (56), 15. Eric Wood (54), 16. Lee Acree (52), 17. (TIE) Steve Rapp/J.J. Roetlin (51), 19. (TIE) Jacob Holden/Rich Conicelli (43). Upcoming Rounds: Round 6 - Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, June 8 Round 7 - Brainerd, Minnesota, June 29 fact, he had to borrow a size-! 0 boot for that foot, sticking to his normal 8.5 on the other. Even with the injuries, Sorensen was second best on the day. His effort impressed even Oliver. "I was so impressed with Chuck's efforts with a banged-up body," Oliver said. "I know what it takes to get out there when you're in that condition. Chuck really showed how strong and tough he is. He presses us all week with his practice times. Simon [Turner], too. My hat is off to both of these guys. They really push me hard. In my favor today, the factory dyno guys really helped us. We had a midrange power problem that really hurts us at a track like this. They