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Wait passed Christopher Ranking for fourth on the 15th of 18 laps. Ranking ended up fifth. Neither Eric Wood nor Gagliardo would finish the second race, the pair going out a lap apart, with Wood partly to blame for Gagliardo's exit. The pair was running together, Gagliardo just in front and trying to pull away when he highsided out of turn three. "I heard that Buell crashing away behind me," he said. "I put my head down and tried for some good laps, messed up a little bit in three, tried accelerating out and the tire just wouldn't hold it. It spit me off." Wood knew he was rattling the first year expert and thought, "If I hound him long enough, maybe he'll make a mistake. And he highsided going up the hill, right in front of me. I absolutely broke as hard as I could to avoid running over him. I had to flick it right as hard as I could as soon as I went on the brakes; I missed his foot by inches. He was turned around facing me." A lap and a half later his Buell pitched a chain. CN New Hampshire International Speedway loudon, New Hampshire Results: June 15, 2003 (Round 31 RACE ONE: 1. Jerf Wood (Hon): 2. Scott Greenwood (Suz): 3. Des Conboy (Suz); 4. Carlo Gagliardo (Yam): 5. Eric Wood (Bue); 6. Nate Wait (Kaw); 7. Joseph Arico (Hon); 8. Christopher Rankin (Suz); 9. Michael Niksa (Suz); 10. Mike Himmelsbach (Suz); 11. Jason Scott Smith (Kaw); 12. Michael Martire (Kaw); 13. Gus Holcomb (Hon): 14. Rob Pearson (Kaw); 15. Michael Fields (Yam): 16. Peter Douvris (Hon); 17. Michael Paris (Yam); 18. Nick Cummings (Hon); 19. Adam Andrusia (Suz); 20. Peter Kimball; 2 I. David Dalzell (Yam); 22. Orlando Gonzalez (Hon); 23. J.T. Williams (Suz): 24. Robert Renaud (Suz); 25. John Scheehser (Hon); 26. Jim Lester (Hon); 27. Mike Ciccolto (Bue); 28. David Cormier (Kaw); 29. Andrew Nelson (Hon); 30. Scott Harwell (Suz); 31. Brian Kent; 32. Dave Stanton (Suz). Time: N/A due to red flag. Distance: 18 laps. 28.8 miles Average speed: N/A due to red flag. Margin of victory: 0.381 sec. RACE TWO: 1. Scott Greenwood (Suz): 2. Jeff Wood (Hon): 3. Des Conboy (Kaw); 4. Nate Wait (Kaw); 5. Christopher Rankin (Suz): 6. Mike Himmelsbach (Suz): 7. Joseph Arico (Han): 8. Michael Niksa (Suz); 9. Jason Scott Smith (Kaw); 10. Mike Ciccotto (Bue); I I. Michael Fields (Yam): 12. Dave Stanton (Suz); 13. Michael Martire (Kaw): 14. Rob Pearson (Kaw): 15. Gus Holcomb (Kaw); 16. Peter Douvris (Hon); l7. Nick Cummings (Han); 18. Michael Paris (Yam); 19. Peter Kimball; 20. David Dalzell (Yam); 21. Orlando Gonzalez (Hon); 22. Dan Stanley (Suz): 23. John Scheehser (Han); 24. Robert Renaud (Suz): 25. Eric Wood (Bue); 26. Carol Gagliardo (Yam); 27. Adam Andrusia (Suz). Time: 22 min. Distance: 18 laps. 28.8 miles Average speed: 78.545 mph Margin of victory: 6.667 sec. SPORTBIKE C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 7 rounds): I. Jeff Wood (77): 2. Scott Greenwood (7 I): 3. Mall Wait (46): 4. Des Conboy (44): 5. Robert Jensen (26); 6. Nate Wait (23): 7. (TIE) Scott Harwell/David Stanton (20): 9. Christopher Rankin (19): 10. Joseph Arico (18): I I. (TIE) Mike Himmelsbach/Eric Wood (16); 13. Michael Niksa (15); 14. Jason Scott Smith (14); 15. (TIE) Andrew Nelson/Carlo Gagliardo (13); 17. Alexander Barrera (II); 18. Jason Perez (10): 19. Chris Peris (9): 20. (TIE) Jonathan Gomez/Scott Stevens/Rob Pearson (8). Upcoming Rounds: Round 4 - Danville, Virginia, June 29 Round 5 - Topeka, Kansas, August 10 Formula USA Superbike Series Round 3: New Hampshire International Speedway STORY AND PHOTOS BY HENNY RAY ABRAMS LOUDON,NH,JUNEI5 cott Greenwood capped off a very successful day with a runaway S win aboard his Bettencourt Cycles/ Argo Cycles' Suzuki GSX-R600 in the Formula USA Superbike race, the last of eight races on a day that seemed to go on forever at New Hampshire International Speedway. Part of the problem was the red flags. They were numerous and sometimes prolonged, which made endurance a bigger part of the equation for the riders, crews and fans. Because of the Loudon layout, with its numerous tight corners and limited run-off, crashed bikes often end up on the racing line, which brings the race to a halt. The tight corners also mean limited passing, with a premium on the start_ get by him," Greenwood said of Wood. "Went by one time in three, but there was no way I could stop it without ending up in the tire wall so I ran really wide, so Jeff came back underneath me. I just had to get aggressive to try get by him. He goes so deep into the corners and rides so hard out of them that he's a tough guy to pass." Wood stuck with him for a few laps, but by lap five it was clear that Greenwood was in charge and that Wood had no answer. To the end it was a matter of playing out the race, Greenwood stretching his advantage to over 13 seconds in the 15-lap, 24mile race. "I didn't run it at Daytona," Greenwood said. "I'm clawing my way back changes before that race that weren't the right move." Scott Greenwood (28) holds off Eric Wood in the Superbike final at New Hampshire International Speedway. Third, as he'd been in both Sport- in. Hopefully, I can get into the top bike races, and for the same reason, three by the end of the year. And was Team Celtic Racing's Des Conboy. knows this. In the first Sportbike race, his Bettencourt Cycles/Argo Cycles' teammate Jeff Wood got the holeshot and the win. In the second Sportbike hopefully with some podiums like this weekend we'll gain some points on everybody. " horsepower to ride with these guys," For the time being Kneedraggers.com's Matt Wait leads the Superbike point Conboy said. "Scotty [Greenwood] and Jeff [Wood] are really riding well, standings, after three of seven but we're not far off. We'll be there." race, it was Greenwood in front from the start to the finish. In Superbike, rounds, despite having to sit out this weekend with a broken collarbone. Greenwood didn't get the start; Wood did, only this time Greenwood found his way past Wood. His 51 points are four better than today's runner-up Jeff Wood. Green- tion. wood moved into third with 37, one ahead of Arclight Suzuki's Scott Harwell, another rider who was injured first year expert, said. "Des [Conboy] was in front of me. I had Sight of him. this weekend and unable to compete. But we were pretty much doing equal Second was the best Wood could hope for in this race, he later admitted. dropped off of him. No one was behind me, no one in front of me. Mike Himmelsbach, the Pennsylvanian, like Gagliardo, mostly riding in formation. CN Greenwood, as much as anyone, He'd passed Wood once in turn tpree but couldn't make it stick. The defining pass came in the same corner on the third lap when Wood went too deep on the brakes, Greenwood taking a tighter line and holding the margin as he made the hard right up the hill. "I didn't know when I was going to "We did the best we could with the backup bike this weekend," Wood said. "I tried hard. We did some "We just need a little bit more Fourth went to Carlo Gagliardo, who slotted in behind Conboy and was mostly by himself for the dura"It was a lonely ride," Gagliardo, a lap times until later in the race when I Wasn't ever really going over my head too much." Fifth went to Hooters Suzuki's eye I e New Hampshire International Speedway Loudon, New Hampshire Results: June 15, 2003 (Round 31 SOPER BIKE: 1. Scott Greenwood (Suz): 2. Jeff Wood (Hon): 3. Des Conboy (Suz); 4. CllriO Gagliardo (Yam); 5. Mike Himmelsbach (Suz); 6. Christopher Rankin (Suz); 7. Michael Niksa (Suz); 8. David Stanton (Suz); 9. Jason Smith (Kaw); 10. Michael Fields (Suz); 11. Tom Fournier (Duc); 12. Timothy Stanton (Yam); 13. Adam Vella (Suz); 14. Tom Bibeau (Suz); 15. Daniel Convertino (Kaw); 16. Jim Lester (Hon). SUPERBIKE C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 7 rounds): 1. Matt Wait (51): 2. Jeff wood (47); 3. Scott Greenwood (37); 4. Scott Harwell (36): 5. Des Conboy (31); 6. Robert Jensen (20); 7. Craig Connell (16): 8. Mike Himmelsbach (14): 9. Carlo Gagliardo (13); 10. Andrew Nelson (11): 1 I. (TIE) Doug Chandler/Christopher Rankin (10); 13. (TIE) Vincent Haskovec/Jeffrey Purk/Michael Niksa (9); 16. (TIE) Jason Curtis/Darrin Mitchell/David Stanton (8); 19. (TIE) Lee Acree/Scott Ackerman/Jason Scott Smith/Alexander Barrera (7). Upcoming Rounds: Round 4 - Danville, Virginia, June 29 Round 5 - Topeka, Kansas, August 10 n e _ S • JUNE 25,2003 41