Formula USA Sportbike Series
Round 5: Heartland Park
STORY AND PHOTOS BY
HENNY RAY ABRAMS
TOPEKA,KS,AOG.10
"Ithink both of us were better at
being second than first for the
first three-quarters of the race," Scott
Greenwood said of his battle with
Kneedraggers.com's Matt Wait in the
premier Formula USA Sportbike race
at Heartland Park. The pair took turns
leading, first Greenwood, then Wait,
then Greenwood again after Wait ran
off the track, then Wait again, this
time for good on the 23rd of 29 laps.
"Once I got around him for the last
time, I put my head down and did a
little sprint race at the end of the race
and gapped him a little bit, and that's
12 AUGUST 20,2003' e y e I
just what I needed," Wait said after
taking the win on a hot afternoon in
the Midwest.
Hal's Performance's Mike Ciccotto
was a lonely third with Gator Racing's
Nate Wait getting the better of
Kansan Larry Denning in the battle
for fourth. Nate Wait also earned the
$250 holeshot award.
Though he finished second, Greenwood took over Sportbike Championship points lead from Argo
Cycles/Bettencourt's teammate Jeff
Wood. Wood had an early off-track
excursion, then his Honda CBR600RR expired on the third lap.
Greenwood has 102 points, five more
than Wood and 14 up on Wait, with
n e _
s
e
two races remaining, first Summit
Point, then the season finale at Daytona International Speedway.
Wait started from the pole, with
Greenwood, Jeff Wood and Nate Wait
filling out the front row. Nate Wait got
shifting and it would go away, then it
would start back up, and I would ride
it hard, and it would go away."
the holeshot, but Greenwood was
and ran off the track in turn five.
soon into first, Matt Wait going with
him and Ciccotto settling into third, a
spot he'd hold to the end, despite a
"I was geared tall on the transmission to let it flow through there, but
there was no engine braking, and it's
misfire that developed halfway into
the 29-lap race.
"The bike started popping a little
bit in the middle," Ciccotto said. '"
don't know if it was the shifter or
also bumpy, and I didn't want to be on
the front brakes so much leaned over,
so I kind of just went over the curb,"
Wait said. "So that set me back about
maybe just rich or too lean. It came
and went. I don't know if it was hot or
what. I'd back a little, start short-
Out front Matt Wait and Greenwood swapped the lead, Greenwood
in front after Wait made a mistake
20 bike lengths, and then' had to
catch back up, and when I got back
up, I just sat back behind to catch my
breath a bit. I followed him around a
