Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Salminen Sums It Up "The season-finale Klotz lronman GNCC I contains a mix of all of the terrain a Suzuki Grand National Cross Country rider will face. So it's only fltllng that the dominant series' champion won the race, held at Crawfordsville, Indiana, on October 23. And that's what KTM's Juha Salminen did, holding nearly a one-minute lead all the way to the finish. "It was a great track," said Salminen, the IQ-time World Enduro Champion. "I like all the tracks here, but this was fun. I had a good race early, but I was able to hold the gap. This year has been great. I had a lot of fun here, and the fans were very nice." Barry Hawk battled through a torrid fight for the runner-up spot to take second, outdueling Mike Lafferty, Glenn Kearney, Paul Edmondson, and his teammate Charlie Mullins. "I had just a little arm pump early on, not too much, but just enough to where I couldn't charge really hard," said Hawk. "It took, like, three laps to get it out, and I knew Juha was getting away. I know you can't give him that kind of time." Mullins took third, the third podium in the last four rounds for the 19-year-old rookie Pro. w "This is better than I could have ever imagined." said Mullins. "Everything has worked out great for me, winning the 250 A Championship and then getting three podiums in four races. I got a good start today, but then I don't know what was wrong; I was just making so many mistakes, I thought I wasn't even going to finish in the top 10! Then I finally started flOWing." Mullins climbed into second for a moment before getting his 'YZ2S0 slUck in a ravine, allOWing a pack to get past him. England's Paul "Fast Eddy" Edmondson was in that pack. After leaving the GNCCs in 200 I, Edmondson made a solid return, running with Salminen early and then holding on to fourth. Fifth went to Kearney on the FMF Suzuki, which was enough to clinch third In the final GNCC standings. Salminen ends up with nine wins In 13 races, one of the most dominant seasons ever. "I will try to do the same thing next year," said the friendly Finn on the podium. "If I was going to start to party, I would have started doing that seven years ago. This is my work. But now it's back to the manhunt. I know it will be tough next year." Roberts Out At Suzuki § .'" Kenny Roberts Jr. / ..... As he did all year, Juha Salminen dominated the ONCC season finale. FMF Suzuki's Rodney Smith, the 2004 GNCC Champion, got the holeshot and ran with Salminen early, but he bent his shift lever in a rut. "I passed him in the woods, but then I stalled it," said Smith. "I was just charging. trying to catch up and see him again, and I just got to that point. I wanted to ride with Key Perfect At Daytona Ed Key was perfect during the weekend's Fall Cycle Scene events at Daytona International Speedway, October 22-23, a ~ him. But I hit a rut and bent the shifter. I think I got a little bit overanxious there. But I felt good, really good." Smith will be back in 2006, as will Hawk, a healthy Jason Raines, and Mullins, who has signed a contract with Yamaha. The season kicks off in Florida in March. Jason Weigandt lap Formula Sportbike final kicked off the afternoon schedule, with Jesse Janisch taking the holeshot aboard his Suzuki 750. After leading early in the race, Janisch sur- o the Wisconsinite winning all seven races he '" ~ lL .....~,. because I thought it was such a ridiculous goal that I never even set it for myself. Unbelievable." Key says he first started visiting DIS in 1976 and earned his first victory at the track that year. During his career, Key says he has never experienced such a magical weekend and credited the difference to his equipment. "We usually have an engine problem or tract renewed for next year, after seven years "I could easily sit here and talk for hours about all the great times I've had with Suzuki. and one World Championship with the team. They've always been honest, and have given The announcement. confirming longstanding rumors, was made on Saturday at Australian GP a week prior. Roberts will not complete his last GP sea- me their best. I'm eternally grateful for what Suzuki has done for me," read the statement. Roberts won the 2000 World Championship but has struggled for results ever since, as both the two-stroke sOOcc machine and the new 990cc MotoGP fourstroke introduced in 2002 fell further and fur- son with Suzuki, also missing the final round at Valencia in two weeks. Roberts fractured a ther behind the competition. His best moment was se<:ond place in the rain at this bone in his left wrist and (it later transpired) also his left index finger when he crashed at well over ISO mph during practice for the Australian GP. The team relayed an anodyne statement year's British GP. His place at Valencia will be taken by team Kenny Roberts Jr. will not have his Suzuki con- the Turkish Grand Prix, in the rider's absence - the 2000 World Champion was at home, recuperating from injuries sustained in the from the rider, whose racing future is uncertain. 8 hung through it and came out on top," said Wood. "I just about broke everything [on the opening lap]. I had to hang on to that one. After that, I just put my head down two down here at Daytona," Key said. "It's just brutal on motors. We got lucky. The motors held together all weekend, and I figured out the new infield pretty quickly and got up to speed quickly. We just got the brakes. Everything went my way." In Key's final event of the weekend the Thunderbike final - he was caught in the middle of a fierce five-bike battle for the victory and didn't know the lap count. Wood capped off his day with a second victory in the sportbike event when he held off a hard-charging Michael Barnes. The 12-lap Superbike final featured a thrilling three-rider battle among Barnes, Wood and Canadian teenager Chris Peris. Peris took the lead from Barnes on the "It was such an intense battle, I never last lap entering turn one and tried to saw the halfway flags," said Key, who edged Matt Carr by .036 of a second. "I break away from Barnes and Wood. Barnes made a hard charge at Peris at the start/finish line, but Peris held on for the victory by . 140 of a second. "I had a lot fun," Peris said. "It was good riding with Barney [Barnes]. I wasn't wasn't counting laps. I was pretty tester and former teammate Nobu Aoki. His [focused] on competing in the race. I place in the team remains open, though it appears it will go to Chris Vermeulen. Michael Scott never saw the white flag. I didn't know we were coming to the checkered." NOVEMBER 2, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS horseshoe after his Suzuki suffered a In other Formula USA action, the 12- and tried to ride smooth." sure who was going to get it."

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