Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

first co uple races, thos e guys ste pped it up, and I stayed ridi ng the same , so they ca ught up w ith m e. I k new when they ste pp ed it up , I was still running right with th em and ru nning on t he podium . I deci ded I was go ing t o ste p up , and w he n I d id , they cou ld n 't han g me , and I was rea l co m fo rt ab le rid ing li k e th at , so that' s pretty m uch wh at hap pen ed . Q IS ther e something tha t t he three California tracks had i n common that enabled you to go faster, or was that just a coincidence? A W e te ste d at Lag una and t est ed at Fontan a twi ce, and I kn ew we had a reall y good shot th er e. A t Sear s Point - I lik ed th at tra ck - we didn 't ge t to te st t here at all , and th e first da y got ra in ed o ut , so we just went out t here and jum ped on the b ike and wo n it. At Laguna we teste d once in th e off season, but I had a sep arated rib th ere. It was a wei g ht t raining acc id en t , and I don't k now how it happen ed , bu t I just go t it binded up or so m et h ing and sep arate d a ri b , so I di dn 't reall y get a good test t he re - we got to rid e aro und , but t hen we went there fo r the race and pu t ev ery th ing together an d wo n . Th en i n O hio, t h at w as m y fi rst w i n o ut of Califo rn ia, and we just k ept it going and won t hr ee in a row . Q Wh Y the decision to go wit h the S upers t ock cl as s i nstead of Superb ikes in ' 0 4 ? A me; in fact I was t he one t hat actu all y broug ht lt was a deci sion th at was comp let ely up to it up. I j ust feel that th e Superbike cla ss is going down in th e next co up le o f ye ar s. You kn ow , if it doesn 't , I ca n always go bac k - I'm st ill sign ed in Plus Ryan Mills, Nick Wey, Brian Grey, Branden Jesse men and many more! '0 5 t o rid e Superb ikes - but it' s m y decision . M at -----------'------------ [Mla din] seems to be t he g uy i n Superb ik e ri gh t Wedne§day. January 14th. 2004 6:00plTJ ta B:OOplTJ now, but that's on ly o ne g uy tha t is reall y , rea ll y fa st, and I t hin k the re will just be more co m pe ti ti on in Superstock - t her e w ill eight o r nin e gu ys th at Schedu/eci To Attend: are going t o be fast. Th e wa y th e ru les kee p going , Team Amsoi//Chaparra//Honda Mike LaRocco, Kevin Win dham, T is Prestan, Chris Gasse/aar, Rya n Mills, Billy Laninavich rav I j ust see Superb ik e go ing down . But, if it co mes Team Honda Racing Ricky Carmichael, Ernesto Fonseca, Nathan Ramsey ba ck as th e p remier cl ass, th en I' ll go back to it. I Team Pro Circuit/Kawasaki Stephane Roncada, Ivan Teeleso, Matt Wa lker j us t feel it 's goi ng t o be bette r fo r m e to le arn in Team Kawasaki/Chevy Trucks James ' Bubba' Stewart, Michea/ Bryne th at class. Team Suzuki Seba stian T ortelli, Nick Wey, Sean Hamblin , Brian Grey, Branden Jessemen Riders are only available for autograp hs between 6pm and Bpm. To ensure a chance of meeting your F avorite rider please arrive early. Q A HOW d o y ou see yourself fitting in to the new Superstock order? I really ca n ' t answe r that bec au se t ha t cla ss hasn 't reall y existed before . T he guys t hat I've ru n ag ainst , I know I can ru n with th em, and I' m co m ing in as the FX cha mpion, and J am ie [H ack inq ] is th e 600 cha m pion , so t here are a coup le of cha mpions that will be in th e class , so I see it as be ing as tough as th e Su perbike class . I think we 'll be o n t he fron t row , and I t hin k we 'll be going for the w in every rac e. D o y o u see t his class becom i n g t he prem ier cla ss? J.;z. Yes , I thi n k it' s better for the ma nufacture rs 1 " bec ause it's the bikes that come off t he sho w - room floor, so it reall y shows w hich bik e is better. Som e of t he b ikes t hat co me off the showroom are rea lly good. It's also going to m ak e for a lo t better racing because th e b ikes are go ing t o be a lot m ore eve n. eN eye I e n e vv s • J AN UARY 7 . 2004 55

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