Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128348
Formula USA Series - Formula Sportbike No one can match Steve Rapp, even with some mistakes By HENNY RAy teve Rapp made an unexcitin race g exci ti ng . It was his ow n faul t . T he Valvo line EMGO Suzuk i rider owned the field in the Formul a Sportbike race at Hom estead-Miami Speed way. Rapp took the lead on the second of 18 laps and was cruising to ce rtain victo ry when he overshot one com er, then the next. But such was his lead that he was able to hang on for victory. " I just kept pushing hard," Rapp said of his ever-expanding lead. "I didn't reallyneed to , but I just kept pushing and pushing and lost the front [late on the penultimate lap], and that kind of threw me off. And then my concentration was all messed up." Rapp overshot turn one on the fi nal lap, made a U-turn and kept his lead. The rest of the race was flawless. The race to watch was behind him. Arclight Racing's Scott Harwell and Robe rt Jensen were hard at it. Harwell held the early advantage and kept it until the 12th lap, when Jensen carne by at the end of the infield stra ightaway. There were never mo re than a few bikelengths between them. Harwell pressed to the end, but it was Jensen taking second. "I was going to sit and wait on it on the S ABRAMS last lap and I left a little bit too much room open in six, and he got underneath me, and after that it was done," Harwell said. Harwell had wrap ped up the Fonnula Sportbike title at th e previous round. Jensen's seco nd gave him second for the series. "I was in front of Brian Sto kes: I needed to at least be in front of him to get second in the championship," Jensen said. "I was riding around with Scott for a while, then I decided to pass him - run a few laps. Then he passed me back on the last lap. It was the white flag; he was in the lead and I just outbroke him in tum five and put down the fastest lap that I did the whole race. My lap timer showe d a 25.98, the rest of the race just hanging on doing 26s, 27s, cruising around, having fun." T he prem ie r Sport bike race followed, and Jense n was thinking ahead . "Just trying to co nserve energy," the North Dakot an said. "I need to win the [Sportbike] race to win the championship, so I was just out ther e riding aro und with Scott [Harwell] and having a good race. I'm hoping to pull a no t he r wi n off in the last r ace o f th e day an d w in an o t he r c hampionsh ip." The re another fight just be hind with Michael Niksa in front of Florid ian Marco Mart inez. Mart inez moved to fourt h in the final third of th e race and pulled away. eN (Above) Steve Rapp dominated the Formula Sportbike final, running off the track and still winning the race. HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA RESULTS OcrOBER 24, : 2004 (ROUND 8) FORMULA SPORTBIKE: I. Steve Rapp (Suz); 3. Roben [e nsen (Suz); 3. Scott HMWel (Suz); 4. I Marco Martin ez (SUI); S. Michael N iksa (Suz); 6. Kevin Gordon (Suz): 7. Carles Eduardo Macias (Due); B. Joe Ri eiro (Suz); 9. Brian Stokes b (Suz); 10. Ryan Goroon (Suz); I I. Julio Fuentes Millan (Due). FORMULA SPORTBIKE C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 8 of 8 rounds): I. Scott Harw e ll (14 1); 2. Robert Jensen ( 117); 3. Brian Stokes (100); 4. Joe Ribeiro (77); 5. Kevin Goroon (69); 6. Steve Rapp (52); 7. Scott Gree nwood (48); 8. Matt MaJtere r (4 1); 9. Chris Ulrich (36); 10. (TIE) Mar co Martin e zJJoh n McGarity (29); 12. E Wood (26); 13. David ric Ebben (26); 14. Shawn Conrad (25); 15. John Farrell (22); 16. B lak Young (20) ; 17. Dave Rosno ( 16); 18. (TIE) Tom e Ill"""""'dd;e Bingl= (14); 20. (TIE) Scott ea.pent.,/Dam Tullier (13). Robert Jensen (52) held off Scott Harwell (hidden) for second place. Formula USA Series - Superbike VEe Haskovec wins, but Jensen is crowned By HENNY RAy be rt Jensen didn't have to win the Superb ike race to win the title. With a 24-point lead over Arclight Racing's Jeff Wood , he nly needed a point to clinch it. With only IS entries and a point for a ISth-place finish, he was assured the title. Jensen didn't have to win, but he rode like he wanted to win, even if he knew early on it was n't likely. Fourth fastest in qualifying, he chased Arclight Racing's . Wood for the first four laps before taking the lead of what was then a four-rider pack , with Championsonline.com's Rj ABRAMS Michael Barnes and Valvoline EMGO Suzuki's Vincent Haskovec in the mix. Haskovec had qualified on pole, half a second faster than Barnes and over a second faster than Jensen. But his kit transmission was balky at the start, and he gated badly. On ce up to speed, though, there was no stopping him. Haskovec took over the lead on the seventh of 18 laps. Jensen went with him. "Vincent [Haskovec] was cutting some pretty good laps; it worked out in my favor that he come by and I was able to hoo k up with him for a little wh ile and draft him," Al\A1\AJ Vincent Haskovec (3) beat Robert Jensen (52) to win the Superbike class at Homestead. rl lrll:nll:\AlC: rnm CYCLE NEWS . NOVFMBER 3 20 04 13