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Formula USA Expert Unlimited Grand Prix Round 3: New Hampshire International Speedway STORY AND PHOTO BY HENNY RAY ABRAMS LOUDON,NH,JUNE15 ric Wood's 10-second lead disappeared when the Unlimited GP Expert race was red-flagged on the 10th of 15 laps. Now it would be a five lap winner-take-all sprint. The betting money was still on Wood. The Barden Precision Bearings/ Bettencourt Cycle's rider needed a few turns and some gentle persuasion to move into the lead, but once there, he pulled out a comfortable gap and brought his Suzuki GSX-R750 home more than two seconds in front of Naults Honda/Ducati's Eric Gulbransen. Racerhouse.com's Andrew Nelson was third on his Honda CBR-600RR, the smallest bike on the podium. "My wife and kids are here today," Eric Wood said. "I love having them here. It's fun winning in front of the family, bringing it home at the Loudon National." Wood said that after losing his big lead, he was hoping the second segment would go smoothly. "Luckily, everything went fine," he said. "Our bike was set up really good. It made for an easy ride. It's a testament to the bike and the sponsors." E The only bump on the road to success was provided by Nelson. The young Canadian got the holeshot and tried to keep Wood behind him, but Wood was having none of it. "I was trying to be polite, 'Okay let's not bang or everything,' and he kept coming back, coming back," Wood said. ''I'm like, 'All right fine.' After he came back, I said, 'All right I'm just going to put that away.' Got him out of 10. 'All right Andrew, enough of this.' Let's get on with this and put my head down, and we pulled him a little more than a second that lap and again that next lap, and once I had two seconds, I said, 'Okay, let's just back off and slow down.'" There had been a three-way fight for second headed by Gulbransen in the first segment. In the second he moved into second on the second lap and held off Nelson, who was making the most of the handling advantage of his little Honda. "They had faster bikes, made me work harder, go faster," Nelson said. "Come the Sportbike race up next, it's going to be a lot of fun when the bikes are closer to my power." "I'm 37 years old, and I finally got Formula USA Thunderbike Series Round 3: New Hampshire International Speedway u ders Ho e STORY AND PHOTO BY HENNY RAY ABRAMS LOUDON,NH,JUNE15 T he Thunderbike race lasted a little over two corners of New Hampshire International Speedway before the first red flag of the day was thrown. It was a bad omen, not only for the injured riders, but for the pattern it would set. There would be more red flags and more injuries. 42 JUNE 25. 2003' cue I EO David Estok (101 holds off the advances of Bryan Bemisderfer (981 early in the Thunderbike Series final. ftevvs here," Gulbransen said. "It's more fun than I've ever had before." Plaistow PowerSports' Rick Doucette, the Suzuki SV-650Rmounted rider who'd been with the chasing threesome in the first segment, finished the race in fourth, but further back, and with Parkway Cycle's Michael Niksa (Suz) in pursuit. The win moved Wood into a fourway tie for the championship points lead, though only one of the other three was racing today. With 26 points, Wood shares the lead with Michael Barnes, Robert Jensen and Alexander Barrera. Barrera caused today's red flag when he crashed coming onto the front straight, his Suzuki coming to rest near the racing line, then leaking fluids down the banking. eN Eric Wood showed his local knowledge of NHIS by winnIng the Expert Unlimited G...nd Prill on his Suzuki. N_ Il1o......1,.. Interutl..... SJu...., Lndes, N_ Il1o.....1,.. llesaltx: June 15, 2lIlI3 lllasad 31 ONLI!'IJTED GP EXPERT: J. Eric wood (Su,); 2. Eric Gulbrasen (Duc); 3. Andrew Nelson (Hon); 4. Rick Doucette (Suz); 5. Michael Niksa (Suz); 6. Christopher Rankin (Suz); 7. Chris Rockwell (Duc); 8. Timothy Stanton (Yam); 9. Arthur Wagner Jr. (Suz); 10. Aaron Whitney (Yam); 11. Jeffrey Leonard yam); 12. Jim Bonner (Yam); 13. Brian Mitchell Yam); 14. David Peloquin (Suz); 15. Tom Bibeau Suz); 16. Alexander Barrera (Suz); 17. Todd Widli Yam). ONLIMITED GP EXPERT C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 7 rounds): I. (TIE) Michael Barnes/Robert Jensen/Alexander Barrerll/Eric Wood (26); 5. (TIE) Brian Stokes/Eric Gulbransen/Shawn Conrad (20): 8. (TIE) Geoff May/Andrew Nelson/Kevin Gordon (J6); 11. Arthur Wagner (15); 12. Rick Doucette (13):. J 3. (TIE) Michael Niksa/John McGarity/Matt Maltherer (II); 16. (TIE) Darren Luck/Christopher Rankin/Rich Deeming (10); 19. (TIE) Mike Ciccotto/Chris Rockwell/Brian Baker (9). ! Upcoming Rounds: Round 4 - Danville, Virginia. June 29 Round 5 - Topeka, Kansas, August 10