Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Suzuki Cup World GualifierlWERA National Challenge Series Round 6: Grattan Raceway Park Eddie Robinson discovered that it was fun to slide his Yamaha in the corners. During the eighth lap, Robinson took his M&M Racing/THP R6 from fourth to first and took the victory. "I began to slide it in the corners, n Robinson said. "It was crazy! It was like riding on the ice. I used my f1attracking skills to take me to the front. n Junge wasted no time charging to the lead in the rain-soaked 600cc Superstock Expert final, building up an eight-second lead by the fifth lap. Second was being contested by John Jacobi, Kling, Bradley Champion and Bemisderfer. Kling held second on his became pretty good here. n Scott Trautmann had this track dialed on his Ma Racing/Dunlop Honda 125, with full rains, in the 125cc Grand Prix final. Larry Cohee tried to keep him honest on his TCR/Silkolene Honda 125 but couldn't maintain the pace set by Trautmann. Kevin Gonyou and Alja Hessami failed to keep up with the leaders. Trautmann was the rain master on his GP Honda. The rain stopped, but the. track was still wet as the Lightweight Twins took the green flag. Champion charged to the lead on his e Dec Superstock Novice final. Honda-mounted Paul Medina challenged Suzuki-mounted Doug McCracken for second, as Adam Durham, on the Vesrah/Pirelli Suzuki, waited to make his move. With the battle for second heating up, Lynn, on the Michelin/Blaze Cycle Werks/Suzuki 600, went on to take the win. Adam Durham grabbed second, with McCracken in third. With the sun out and the track drying, tire choice became critical in the 750cc Superstock class. Some of the bikes had DOTs, some had full rains, some had a combination of both, and a few had intermediate rain tires that look like cut-slicks. With the flip of the flag, the field charged into the first corner. Jacobi, on full rains, took the Vesrah/Arai Suzuki to the lead on the first lap but crashed out in turn two as he melted his rain tires. His teammate Tray Batey took over the lead, riding a set of Pirelli intermediate rain tires. On the gas and flat flying, Reuben Frankenfield was catching Batey until he almost highsided out of the last corner. Chuck Bannon held down third, with Scotty Van Scoik, on rains, in fourth. A five-way battle developed for fifth, with dirt-tracker Blake Young, on the Michelin/VP Honda 600RR, at the Full Throttle/Fox Yamaha R6, followed by Bemisderfer, on the Shenandoah Honda/Dunlop 600RR. Champion, on the MotullPirelli Yamaha R6, stayed close as Jacobi, on the Vesrah/Arai Suzuki, waited his turn. Young Nick Cummings, on the TCR Honda 600RR, stayed with this pack of old Pros until his engine lost fire and he coasted off the track. As the rain let up a bit on the seventh lap, Jacobi put the hammer down and moved to second to make this race a one-two Vesrah sweep. '" was a little bit timid the first five laps," Jacobi explained, "but once I got in the groove and got smooth, it Motul/Pirelli Suzuki SV. Novice rider Eddie Kraft moved up to battle for second overall with Expert Chris Normand, as another Novice, Bruce Stanford, moved to fourth overall. With Champion gone and after a seven-lap battle with Normand, Kraft took the win in the class and second overall on the Kart 2 kart.com/BRG Racing.com/Suzuki SV. "Full rains were the way to go," Kraft said after his first National win. "There were still puddles in some of the corners. There was a dry line developing, but rains were the way to go." Lynn took full advantage of the drying conditions to stretch his lead point. With the track drying a bit more, Scott Carpenter, on the RonAyers.com/Pirelli Suzuki, and David Weber, on the XT Racing/OuterExtreme Suzuki, finally motored by the Honda-mounted Young. Van Scoik also melted his rains and slowed his pace. With two laps to go, Frankenfield finally grabbed the lead, and he held on to take his first victory in this class. He had the exact same tire combination as Batey on his Pirelli/Trackside Racers' Supply Suzuki 750. "There were wet spots on the track with a dry line developing," Rueben explained. "You had to take it easy in certain areas. It was really tricky out ray Batey wins first of three aljfiers for Suzuki Worldwide Giii~:lO'" GSX-R Cup Final o w _ 31......rII:~ Itt eads Tim z ~sderter (Clff) and John ~ Jacobi (f) in the rain-soaked eoocc Superstock race at the i:i sixth round of the WERA g g o !'tAIi9-~Series. - s: 'iliiliIIl:'l!!!"';'" By DAN SCHMITT GRATTAN, MI, J

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