Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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AMAILockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series Round 6: Brainerd International Raceway lake's Place By HENNY RAY ABRAMS PHOTO BY BRIAN J. NELSON BRAINERD, MN, JUNE 28 ake Zemke hadn't won a Formula , Xtreme race in nearly a year, but to the Erion Honda rider, "It seems like it's been five years." That all changed late on a stormy looking afternoon at Brainerd International Raceway. With less than two laps to go, Zemke passed Yamaha's Damon Buckmaster and sped to victory in record time in the LockhartPhillips USA Formula Xtreme race, the sixth round of the championship. "Being on the podium every week, that was good maybe last year," Zemke said after holding off Buckmaster by 1.095 seconds. "This year I want to win races." Zemke completed the 13-lap, 39mile race in 21 minutes, 8.940 seconds at an average speed of 110.5 mph. The previous mark, set by Kurtis Roberts in 2001, was 109.107 mph. Zemke had to be patient to win this one. Buckmaster and Yoshimura Suzuki's Ben Spies had gotten the jump on the field, Buckmaster taking control by the end of the first lap and controlling the pace throughout, but never by a comfortable margin. "I knew someone was there," Buckmaster said. "I saw Ben's [Spies] board being held out exactly the same time as mine, and then you go a little farther, and you see Jake's [Zemke]. I saw Jamie's [Hacking]. I figured everyone was there." Halfway into the race Buckmaster started having tire problems, and he was hoping the others were as well. Unfortunately for him, they weren't. "When I just shut the throttle down to enter a turn, the thing would come back around on me like a bit too much and get out of line right in the middle of the corner," he said. "And just accelerating off the corner." The leaders were in traffic on the 1Oth lap, getting deeper into the field with each successive corner. At that point Buckmaster was in front of Zemke, who'd drafted past Spies on the ninth lap going into turn one, with Yamaha's Jamie Hacking back in fourth and struggling with a faulty clutch. "I felt like I was in a false neutral," Hacking said. "I'd pick the throttle up, and the thing would go back. I dropped off those guys a pretty good bit. Once I figured out how to ride the thing, I started reeling them back in, and that's when they got to traffic." Hacking took Spies in turn four on BO ~ GA ,I......, ING Presents __{ 13REA.T ~B.' Las Vegas Motor Speedway X PER lEN C E E ROAD COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS AMATEUR MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS ZOO~ September ZO, ZI, PRO' U5e:e: a :lSOe:e: Prae:tie:e Fri Sept 19 Qualifying Sat Sept ZO came up on a trio of lappers in the infield. Zemke got through the first two cleanly, Buckmaster and Hacking, now a close third, didn't, with Hacking having to check up to avoid hitting his teammate. "Ridiculous," Buckmaster said. "I don't want to risk it with those lapped guys. You're going 20 mph faster sometimes. It's really hard to judge." Hacking had to judge his distance to Buckmaster when they hit traffic. "Damon [Buckmaster! got up under those guys and just kind of stopped a little sooner than I thought and had to run around the outside," Hacking said. "I felt like I could've passed him no problem. He's leading the championship, so no point me September 17-21, 2003 JHlilililiJlI€JK~=dl!JBJ=->'r.V.=:::1 PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS September 19, ZO, the 11 th lap. "He got in there and looked back and panicked and ran wide," Hacking said. "He was dropping back pretty good. I don't know what happened to him." Then it was Zemke's turn to attack, going after Buckmaster in traffic through the ultrafast turn-one, right-hand bend. "Going down the front straightaway the thing was just a bullet," Zemke said. "It was the fastest thing I've been on by far." Zemke saw Buckmaster's move inside a lapper go awry and pounced. "I think it bogged his motor down, because it seemed like his bike stopped when you had to keep it laid over that far," Zemke said. "That just allowed me get up beside him." Buckmaster never got another chance. On the final lap the leaders ZOO~ 'ieptember 19, ZO, ZI, ZOO~ Pro a Amateur Classes Test a Tune Fri Sept 19 Qualifying Sat Sept ZO Amateur Classes Practie:e a Qualifying Sat Sept ZO Fmals Sun Sept ZI Call (70Z) f>S1-IO~O For more information FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS SPEEDWAY BIKES CHAMPIONSHIPS September 19, ZO, DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS ZOO~ September 19, ZO, ZI, Pro fI Amateur Classes Call (70Z) bSl-l0~O For more $ '7,5'0 p••. 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