Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMAIChevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship Rounds 9/10: Road America sure. I knew if it was after halfway, him, and the last lap I just kind of let just a couple of laps after halfway, I stressing the tire, not burning it up. Bostrom ended up turning in his him go," Pegram said. best lap time on the 11 th go-around, after which American Honda's Miguel should go in and change tires or DuHamel became the fastest rider something, because the guys were on the track once a dry line began to DuHamel took over as the fastest ready. man on the track. DuHamel was the I actually made a couple of signals to let them know I was going in eighth place, he turned the quick- lone rider to gamble with a cut slick, to come in and decided not to do it." hoping the track would dry sooner. It He never did and was able to hold took a while for the tire to come in, off Pegram, who slowed on the final lap to take third, eight seconds back. but when it did, Bostrom noticed. "I still was just nervous the whole When the race began, Pegram form. On the 12th lap, when he was est lap, moving up to seventh on the next lap, still at some distance to Higbee, who was about to get passed by Ben Bostrom. On the final lap, DuHamel jumped from seventh to race that Miguel [DuHamel) was thought he had the right tires, which fourth, too far back to make a run at going to come and take it away from he did, as long as it was wet. When the podium and wishing the race was us," Bostrom said. But he couldn't, and didn't, and the track started to dry, he had to a few laps longer. hunt for the wet patches to cool the DuHamel's fast-lap title didn't last Bostrom won by miles, his second in tires, but with the long Road America a row. front straight, and speeds topping out long. Once Mladin got up to speed, he was the fastest rider on the track Gobert held second until the sixth lap, when he dropped to sixth, then finally out of the race on the 11th lap, around 180 mph in the dry, it probably wasn't all that effective. Still, he'd made it into second from the 13th to the 16th laps, ending with the race's best lap of 2:25.235 on the final tour. eN his tire choice the culprit. place by the seventh lap and wasn't "We had a plan for the other tire [a harder rain tire, his crew chief Vic sure who was ahead of him. "I thought I was in the lead, Eric Road America Elkhart lake, Wisconsin Results: June 7, 8, 2003 [Rounds 9/1 OJ Fasola said]," Gobert explained. "The [Bostrom] was so far ahead," Pegram new one is harder, more durable. We said. "I got such a bad start and then ran the other one for 11 laps on Fri- I seen P2, and day with no dramas, in the wet." Pegram took second from Prid- did I pass?' I started thinking, 'Who I thought, "I never passed more on the seventh lap, then Yates Eric; he must be gone." As the track dried out, Pegram's was past on the eighth, and by tire began to suffer, and Yates came Pegram and into second entering turn by. one on the 1 Oth lap. "I looked back and started to get a "And he likes sliding it around, so he looked like he was having a good gap on some folks, just trying to be smart," Yates said. "And then the time, so I thought, 'Well, if I just stay close to him and get on him, for a privateer team, that's pretty darn track started drying too much. Towards the end there, I wasn't really good,' so I just tried to stay close to Yamaha's Aaron Gobert broke two bones in his left wrist. his left Ihumb, and suffered bleeding on the brain in a crash early in the wet Formula Xtreme practice on Friday afternoon. Gobert was on slicks on his first flying lap, coming out of the quick. right-hand Canada Comer when rain just began to fall. He ran on the outside of the comer and onto the paint, the Graves Motorsports Yamaha R1 snapping to the side. throwing him into the air. "The next thing he knew there were people all around him." Yamaha's Tom Halverson said. He lay motionless on the track for some time before being transported to nearby Valley View Hospital for treatment. X-rays showed four broken bones. including the one in his thumb, and that surgery would be necessary. The wrist was set in a hard plaster cast. and he was transported by ambulance to Milwaukee to see an orthopedic surgeon. Gobert returned to Sheboygan by taxi on Saturday afternoon. He was scheduled to have Dr. Arthur Ting operate on his wrist on Monday evening. Gobert's younger brother, Alex, also crashed later in the day, unhurt. He'd been having electrical problems on his Erion Honda CBR-600RR when it cut out on him on the final lap of practice, highsiding him. Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin and Kawasaki's Eric Bostrom each earned $4000 for winning a Superbike race. and American Honda's Miguel DuHamel took home $3000 for finishing runner-up on Saturday, with Yoshimura Suzuki's Aaron Yates earning the same on Sunday. Speedvision founder and former ESPN CEO Roger Werner and former Pro Thunder Champion Jeff Nash were elected to the AMA Pro Racing Board at its meeting in Lake George, New York, last Wednesday, according to Pro Racing Board CEO P.J. Harvey. They were informed on Thursday. "He's going to be a real asset for us." Harvey said of Werner. "We had a number of candidates. Roger [Werner] will be most beneficial for our board." The pair join former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz, Dunlop's Mike Buckiey, Honda's Ray Blank, Hachette-Filipacchi's Paul Dean. and Cary Agajanian on the board. Yoshimura Suzuki's Aaron Yates was leading the AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship when he sneaked over to the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex Supermoto track at Road America for some practice on Thursday. Things went well on Thursday, less so on Friday, a collision with a fellow Georgian jeopardizing his road race duties. -Got to messing around with Mike Smith out there," Yates said. "I don't know what the hell he did. It was like he never let off the gas, but he plowed right into me in that last little tum. I was stopped, turning around. and he just I"&%ing whaled me. I hit my head pretty hard on the ground. banged up my elbow and all. I don't know what to say." Yates was out of the first race with clutch problems almost before it started. "I got a pretty good start, and as I was fully letting clutch on out. letting it engage, I just felt like the rpm was getting a little low, the bike was kind of bogging. so I just bumped the clutch, and it just wenl up in smoke, I guess; it just fried it." he said. "From then on it was just nothing. I didn't think I was going to be able to make it to tum one, it was slipping so bad. I just barely made il back to the pits... The second race ended with Yates in second place, but celebrating a little too early. Exiting the new "bend." just past the Carousel, Yates was showboating, sliding his rear tire. when his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R 1000 found traction and spit him off. then cartwheeled down the track lit· tering parts along Ihe way. With Yates having crashed on Friday. the team was already short on parts. After realizing he had tire to spare, Yates said he "was leaVing some really nice black marks, so I just started doing that. And I knew that turn down there was really slippery. Coming over there. I e n Ben Bostrom (2: 16.924): 6. Miguel DuHamel (2:16.951); 7. Joson Prod more (2:17.152); 8. Anthony Gobert (2: 18.258); 9. Larry Pegrllm (2;18.916); 10. Michael Barnes (2:19.201); II. Shawn Higbee (2:19.360); 12. Geoff May (2:20.699); 13. Steve Repp (2:20.792); 14. Mike Cjccot~o 12:20.889); i5. Josh Hayes (2:21.343); 16. Ople taylor (2:21.717); 17. Jimmy Moore (2:22.367); 18. Jordan Szoke (2:22.945): 19. Vincent Haskovec 12;23.130); 20. Jeremx Toye (2,23.162); 21. Chris Ulrich (2;23.814); 22. Scott Jensen (2:23.979); 23. John Jacobi \2:24.365); 24. John Haner (2:24.770); 25. Mike Sut ivan 52:24.984); 26. Matthew Furtek 12,25.395); 27. J.. Roellin (2:25.432); 28. Brian Stokes 12;25.542); 29. Dean Mildal (2;25.780); 30. Jacob Holden (2:26.001); 31. Jeff Purk (2:26.045); (231.996); 44. Brett Ray (2;32.019); 45. James Bonner (2:32.041); 46. Matt Drucker (2:33.882). RACE ONE: I. Mlll Mladin (Suz); 2. Miguel DuHamel (Hon): 3. Kurtis Robert (Hon): 4. Ben Bostrom (Hon); 5. Anthony Gobert (Duc); 6. Jason Pridmore (Suz): 7. Shawn Higbee (Suz); 8. Jordan Szoke (Suz); 9. Mike Ciccotto \SU2); 10. Geoff May Suz): 11. Larry Pegram (Duc); 2. Vincent Haskovec Suz); 13. Eric Bostrom (Kaw); 14. Jimmy Moore Suz); 15. Jeremy Toye (Suz); 16. John Jacobi Suz); 17. Scott Jensen (Suz); lB. Mike Sullivan Suz); 19. Brian Stokes (Suz); 20. J.J. Roetlin (Suz); 21. Dean Mizdlll (Suz); 22. John Haner (Yam); 23. Kevin Lehman (Yam); 24. Monte Nichols (Suz); 25. Tom Wertman (Suz); 26. Douglas Duane (Suz); 27. Jeffrey Purk (Suz); 28. Roger Hendricks Ssuz~; 29. Eric Erling Haugo (Suz); 30. Brian BoXd Suz; 31. Kevin Hanson (Suz); 32. Jason Knupp (Suz ; 3 . Jeff Bostrom (Suz); 34. Steve Rapp (Suz); 35. Michael Barnes (Suz); 36. Josh Hayes (Suz); 37. Aaron Yates (Suz). time: 36 min., 21.570 sec. Distance: 16 laps, 64 miles Average speed: 105.612 mph M.argin of victory: 0.280 sec. RACE TWO: l. Eric Bostrom (Kaw); 2. Aaron Yates (Suz); 3. Lerry Pegram (Duc): 4. Miguel DuHamel (Hon); 5. Ben Bostrom (Han); 6. Jason Pridmore (SUl); 7. Shawn Higbee (Kaw); 8. Michael Barnes (Suz); 9. Kurtis Roberts (Han); 10. Mat Milidin SUl); 11. DeZln Mizdal (Suz); 12. Tom Wertman Suz); "13. Geoff May (SUl); 14. Scott Jensen (SUl ; \ 5. Jeremy Toye (Suz); 16. Monte Nichols (Suz); Jeff Bostrom (SUl); 18. Jason Knupp (Suz); 19. Roger Hendricks (SUl); 20. J.J. Roetlin (Suz); 21. John Haner (Yam); 22. Mike Sullivan (SUl); 23. Jacob Holden (SUl); 24. Douglas Duane (Suz); 25. Kevin Lehman (Yam); 26. Anthony Gobert (Duc); 27. Jeffrey Purk (Suz); 28. Mike Ciccotto (Suz); 29. Jordan Szoke (Suz); 30. John Jacobi (Suz); 31. Brian Boyd (Suz); 32. Eric Erling Haugo (SUl). Time: 41 min., 40.910 sec. Distance: 16 laps, 64 miles Average speed: 92.1 mph M.argin of victory: 32.623 sec. 1~. CHEVY TRUCKS U.S. SUPERBIKE C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 10 of 18 rounds): 1. Eric Bostrom (294/2 wins); 2. Mat Mladin (293/6); 3. Aaron Yates (276/1): 4. Ben Bostrom (274); 5. Kurtis Roberts (272); 6. Miguel DuHamel (246.1): 7. Lerry Pegram (211): 8. Shawn Higbee (207); 9. Jason Pridmore (200); 10. Vincent Haskovec (159); 11. Michael Barnes (141); 12. Jordan Szoke (139): 13. Geoff May (133); 14. Anthony Gobert (131); 15. Mike Ciccotto (115); 16. Scott Jensen (110); 17. Jeremy Toye (e7); 18. (TIE) Andrew Deatherage/ John Dugan (82): 20. Steve Crevier (81). 32. Douglas Duane (2:26.323); 33. Jeff Bostrom (2:26.474); 34. Tom Wertman (2:27.237); 35. Kevin Lehman (2;27.271); 36. Monte Nichols (2:28.247); 37. Kevin Hanson (2:28.465); 38. Roger Hendricks (2:28.778); 39. Brian Boyd (2:28.908); 40. Jason Knupp (2,28.920): 41. Eric Eriing Hau90 (2:30.012); Upcoming Rounds: Round 11 - Brainerd, Minnesota, June 29 Round 12 - Monterey, CalifOrnia, July 13 think it geared a little tall; it got it spinning. I was just kind of messing around. trying to make a squiggly ess mark. and the thing spit me off. I really feel bad because I know it tore up a bunch of stuff - it just created a lot of work for my guys. We definitely could have done without that." BRIEFLY••• 22 JUNE 1 8, 2003' e y e I SUPERBIKE QUALIFYING: I. Mal Mladin (2: 15. 159); 2. A'Hon Yates (2:15.710); 3. Kurtis Roberts (2:15.825); 4. Eric Bostrom (2:16.030); 5. 42. David Duprey (231.468); 43. Eric Dooyema e vv s Chris Weidl, Yates' crew chief, now has a little over a week to rebuild the machinery in time for Yosh's three·day test at Virginia International Raceway from June 17-1 g. American Honda's Miguel DuHamel said the collarbone he broke on the final lap of the Pro Honda Oils Supersport race at Infineon Raceway a month earlier was nearly healed. -The collarbone's to the point where it's not really an issue anymore as long as I don't lift my arm over my head," he said after finishing second in Saturday's Superbike race. "Everything's good. I'm just happy to be back in shape." He wenl on 10 say that" the best position for me is a riding position. The bone and everything is gO percent, and my strength is probably 80 percent. and that's good enough to go out there and race. There's no excuse there. The reason I was leading is that I was feeling that strong. I really thought I was going to make it tough on those guys. Get going and put my head down and do a good job. and I did a good job· I just didn't do a great job." Dunlop continues to give the AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship with the same attention as World Superbike. with new World Superbike spec tires at Road America and more planned for Brainerd International Raceway. along with another visit from senior personnel. "Brainerd has a whole set of unique conditions," Duniop's U.S. road race manager Jim Allen said. "We're bringing in tires to address that." The tires were being developed so quickly that he wasn't sure what they'd be bringing. except that there would be at least three rear tires. "The front tires haven't changed that much, - he said, adding that the fronts were a spec that had been in use since lasl year. "Aaron ['(ates) would like a stiffer casing. more support in the front." Allen said Dunlop had been bringing World Superbike-spec tires since the second round of the championship at California Speedway. Mike Takeuchi, the senior race tire manager at Dunlop's Kobe. Japan factory. will be working with the teams at Brainerd. Brian Livengood has likely raced his last motorcycle race, according to Millennium Technologies/Kaufmann Trailers/KWS Motorsports team owner Kevin Hunt. Livengood. who crashed al Road Atlanta, had surgery May 30 to fuse the TA through T-9 vertebrae in his neck and back. "With six fused vertebrae, it'll be questionable whether he can return to racing," Hunt said. mentioning the increased chance of paralysis. "Obviously, it's going to be his decision." Livengood had a highspeed rear tire failure in Superbike qualifying at Road Atlanta, the Georgian hitting the hay baies on the outside of the top speed kink on the backstraight. He was air·lifted to the hospital. where his condition had to stabilize before doctors could operate. He remains in Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, three weeks after the Road Atlanta crash. "He's hungry, alert and anxious to get out of the hospital," Hunt said. "He's hoping to get out next week." On the same day Livengood was operated on, the Friday of qualifying at Pikes Peak International Raceway, Hunt had another emergency to attend to. A day earlier his father had suffered an aortic aneurysm while visiting friends near where he grew up in New Mexico. - Normally when that happens, you're dead within 12 hours, - Hunt said. Able to call friends, the senior Hunt made it to University Hospital in Albuquerque, where he remains in the intensive care unit. "We think he's going to be alright." Hunt said. "He's very. very fortunate." Of more immediate concern was the top speed of the Millennium Technologies/Kaufmann Trailers/KWS Motorsports' Suzuki GSX·R1000 of Shawn Higbee. Hunt said the team was down about six or seven mph on the front-runners, Erion Honda's Kurtis Roberts and Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin. The factory bikes were hitting the radar gun at the end of the front straightaway at about 180-181 mph, with the Higbee machine topping out at 174. "I think we'll have a little bit more top speed," Hunt said prior to Sunday's second Superbike race.

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