Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Last to First for Salminen A fter 10-time World Enduro Champion Juha Salminen won the previous round of the Suzuki Grand National Cross Country Series by grabbing the holeshot and pulling away, the top contenders were just wishing Salminen would get a bad start at the Suzuki Loretta Lynn's GNCC. But be careful what you wish for. Salminen didn't just get a bad start He crashed in the first turn and got up in dead last. But by the end of the very first 13-mile lap, he had charged all the way from last to first to take the lead, one of the most phenomenal feats ever seen at a GNCC. Then he pulled away to another huge win. "I don't know how I did it - maybe I was just pissed because of the crash." Salminen said. "I was just finding good lines. I feel like I'm getting faster and more comfortable, and now I can win with a good or bad start. I had to push so hard to catch up on the first lap. I got a little tired. Third went to the ever-charging GNCC veteran Steve Hatch, his first podium of the season for the FMF{Throttlehead.com/Kawasaki Team Green squad. "I'm fired up," Hatch said. "I had a pictureperfect start, and it helps so much. These guys are smooth and fast and don't make mistakes. We're all doing our homework and raising our level. The first lap we were fighting it out and it was a free-for-all - guys were endoing and crashing everywhere. I knew it was one of those deals where if you picked the wrong line, you were going over the bars. I tried to be smart." Besides Salminen's last-to-first sprint, the story of the day revolved arou nd Am Pro Yamaha's Amateur racer, Charlie Mullins, who "I feel like I'm getting faster and more comfortable, and now I can win with a good or bad start." - Juha Salminen I am not a robot." It might seem that way. Salminen has answered every test thrown his way and has now sent the GNCC elite scrambling for ways to up their game and match him. FMF Suzuki's young Australian threat Glenn Kearney is stepping up the highest, as he put in another phenomenal ride to net second. "It's all coming together quickly for me," said Kearney, who has improved greatly in the tight trails and soft dirt of the Eastern U.S. GNCC tracks. "I was waiting to find some of the hard-pack stuff, but it never seemed to come. But I've been working with a lot of people on getting better in the softer stuff, and everything they say I listen to. I want this so bad. That's the biggest thing I've got: determination. I'm not going to give up, I never have, and I never wilL These races are hard. It's three hours, and that's a long time for things to go wrong. You need to keep charging and pushing." threatened to make the overall podium. Mullins ended up forth overall, just 34 seconds off of the podium. "I got the holeshot in my class and starting picking off Pros," the young Ohio rider said. "I hooked up with [Shane] Watts, and he got away from me, but I heard I was in fifth overall, and I just Juha Salminen crashed in the first turn and got up lost· tried to stay steady. Today was the first time I felt but that didn't stop him from winning the GNCC round at people cheering me on, and it felt pretty good." LoreHa Lynn's. Mullins actually topped his Pro teammate, Barry Hawk, who ran up front early but had a Kawasaki Team Green's Chuck Woodford was running up few big crashes knock him back to fifth. Shane Watts rode front early, but he suffered a hard crash that led to sternum well for a spell, but he ran out of gas and lost time, ultimateinjuries and knocked him out of the race. Am Pro Yamaha's ly fighting back to sixth. Jason Raines also dropped out of the race when he lost his Kawasaki Team Green's Pro rookie PA. Allen took sevrear brakes. Both riders compete in the AMA National Hare enth, Justin Williamson rode a great race for eighth, ninth Scramble Series, and since the Loretta Lynn's event counts went to Stephen Edmondson, and Fun Mart KTM's Nathan for points there as well, it's a big blow for both. Kanney took 10th overail. MotoGP: What Size? Any decision on the future size of MotoGP machines will now have to wait until after the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello on June S, after the Grand Prix commission failed to reach agreement on this vital question at a special meeting at Shanghai in China. At the start of last season, the manufacturers' association (MSMA) announced that capaCity would drop from 990cc to 900cc for 2007, but HRC in particular has been pushing for a further cut to 800cc. A quick decision is needed if this is to be implemented in 2007, but it has so far not been forthcoming. GP Commission secretary Paul Butler confirmed there had been no final decision at the Saturday meeting, adding that all proceedings were confidential. But he did admit the issue had again been discussed. Asked if he could say when a decision might be expected, he replied: "Not with any great accuracy. Our next meeting will be at Mugello, and perhaps we will announce a decision then." Butler explained that there was no formal time limit on the lead-up time required for changes in technical regulations. "The Japanese manufacturers, some years ago, agreed a three-year period among themselves, but it is not a written rule," he said. "But this is a major decision, and it does not want to be delayed." The all-powerful GP Commission is comprised of Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta as chairman, and representatives of the FIM. the MSMA and IRTA. Michael Scott 8 MAY 11,2005 • CYCLE NEWS Delepine Wins World Supermoto Opener Belgian veteran Husqvarna rider Gerald Delepine won the opening round of the World Supermoto Championship, held in Castelletto, Italy, on May I. Impressing many by beating favorite Thierry van den Bosch of the strong KTM team, Delepine earned the second S I Supermoto GP overall victory of his career. Delepine grabbed the holeshot in the first heat and led the entire race; the second was a different story, though. Delepine got another holeshot, but van den Bosch passed him to take the win. "My first race was quiet perfect, and I really enjoyed the track," Delepine said. "But the second heat was not as good - I had some troubles with the grip. My rear wheel was sliding too much. We have to understand the reason, because I had the same settings and chose the same tires. I closed all the doors to keep my second place behind Thierry. It's not the best way to win a GP, but for the first time in my life, I'm leading a World Championship, and that's great." Fourth in the opening race after a crash mid race, van den Bosch finished second overall, followed by Ivan Lazzarini, who couldn't find a place to pass Delepine in the second race. The S I overall saw Delepine in first, followed by van den Bosch and Lazzarini in second and third, respectively. Eddy Seel had a perfect weekend in the S2 class, ending his winless drought. "That's good to win," Seel said. "I haven't had a GP win for more than 14 months now. The first race was perfect for me. Igrabbed the holeshot and then led the race without any trouble. The second heat was not so easy, but I enjoyed the battle." Seel's teammate, Davide Gozzini, was second after a brilliant race. Third on the podium was surprising Italian Massimo Beltrami. Third in the first race, Beltrami crashed while leading the second moto, but he still got his first-ever overall podium in Supermoto. Geoff Meyer

• Cover