Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

year's race in his memory bank and he made good use of the lesson leamed: He knew not to lead out of the chicane on the final lap - so he didn't. Kawasaki's Doug Chandler did. He didn't have much of a choice really. As the lead group hit the back straight on the final lap, DuHamel and Roberts started their cat-andmouse game of "I'm not leading, you lead." Chandler saw it coming, and knew this would be his only chance of victory - so he shot past the Honda duo on the backstraight and tried his luck at leading into and out of the chicane. It worked - partially - as only Roberts could draft past prior to the finish line and it gave Chandler second place in what will be his only 600cc Supers port race of the season. "Given that situation as the guy in the back you have to do something," Chandler said. "If I would have hesitated, one of the guys behind me would have done it. I just went for it. We were coming up on a guy [a lapped rider) so I was going to try and use him as best I could, try to get a tow off him - but I don't think I beat that guy to the line. He beat me." DuHamel - the most successful of all 600cc Supersport racers with five victories at Daytona - was a close third, very nearly drafting past Chandler at the finish line. He'd performed well, considering he'd missed a lot of practice with an extremely sore neck. "I thought the last lap was the checkered flag lap," DuHamel. "It doesn't matter anyway. I rode really hard and I'm really happy. I'm really happy with my guys - they really did a great job. The bike was really working terrific in the infield. I wish I had a little more top-end on the banking, but my com padre here on the Honda was doing a really good job. Kurtis [Roberts) rode great and I couldn't help thinking, 'It's Roberts and DuHamel again.' It was great to be with a great bunch of guys like this it makes racing a lot of fun. I'm very pleased. It's third place, but it's hard racing and a podium at Daytona is something that I relish." Behind DuHamel came a close pack, including Yamaha's Tommy. Hayden, Kawasaki's Eric Bostrom, Yoshimura Suzuki's Jason Pridmore and Hudson Valley MC's Richard Alexander Jr. Esportbike.com's Steve Crevier. Valvoline EMGO Suzuki's John Hopkins and Group's Jake Zemke filled the top 10. THE RACE TO THE FINISH In last year's 600cc Supersport final at Daytona, Roberts led into and out of the chicane on the final lap and watched helplessly as DuHamel drafted past at the finish line to steal the victory. This year, Roberts wasn't going to give it up that way. He knew not to lead out of the chicane. "I wasn't going to lead out of the chicane this year and lose by a wheel like I did last year," Roberts said. "I points. We started out here 10th last year so ... With what I had this moming, I would have taken fourth right came across the first time and I didn't see the then. The team never gave up and we kept trying stuff. We'll figure it out for Sears Point and we'll be alright there." checkered flag, so I parked it in the infield and let Miguel go by. I didn't want to lead. I figured Miguel was going to shut off [on the backstraight). so I just followed Doug [Chandler] because I didn't want to be in third. I figured I could win from second. There was a lapper in front of Doug and I kinda went through there Bostrom managed to finish fifth, and even spent some time at the front of the lead pack - apparently getting back to the form that put him in the spotlight just two years ago. Kudos should also go to Pridmore, the top finishing Suzuki GSX-R600 rider. Pridmore, despite lacking in acceleration on to the banking, managed to ride hard enough through the infield to stay in the draft of the leaders. He ended up an inspired sixth. slow so I could get a run on him. I used that lapper a little bit to help and went by Doug. It worked this year, but it didn't work last year." Chandler isn't stupid. He knew that his Kawasaki didn't just find a bunch of horsepower on a single lap. He knew Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida Results: March 10, 2000 600« SOPERSPORT FINAL: I. Kurt;s Roberts (Hon); 2. Doug Chandler (Kaw); 3. Miguel DuHamel (Hon): 4. Tommy Hayden (Yam): 5. Eric Bostrom (Kaw); 6. Jason Pridmore (Suz): 7. Richard Alexander Jr. (Vern): 8. Steve Crevier (Hon); 9. John Hopkins (Suz); 10. Jake Zemke (Hon); 11. Mark Miller (Yam); 12. Thorvald Saeby (Yam); 13. Brian Parriott (Hon); 14. Joseph Prussiano (Yam); 15. Owen Weichel (Hon): 16. Roger Lee Hayden (Suz); 17. Aaron Yales (Suz); 18. Jeff Williams (Kew); 19. Nelson Pe:rez (Han); 20. Allan Je:ffrie:s (Suz): 21. Chris Caylor (Suz); 22. Bryce Gross (Yam): 23. Keith Marquez (Yam): 24. Mike: Sullivan (Yam): 25. Jon Cornwell (Hon): 26. Byron Barbour (Suz): 27. Nick Daniels (Yam): 28. Arthur Diaz (Yam): 29. Mark McCormick (Yam): 30. Ryan Banks (Yam); 31. Juan Lima (Yam); 32. David McPherson (Yam): 33. Michael Berti (Yam): 34. Justin Blake (Han): 35. Daniel Luna (Yam): 36. Brian Keppen (Yam); 37. Todd Troxell (Suz); 38. Holger Roecke (Suz): 39. Kevin Lacombe (Hon): 40. Damon Buckmaster (Suz): 41. Shane Gonyea (Kaw): 42. Dan Rios (Yam): 43. Jimm Groshong (Hon): 44. Steven Luxem (Yam): 45. Shawn Potter (Yam). Time: ofa due to re:d nag Distance: 18 laps. 62 miles Aveage speed: nfa due to red flag Margin of victory: 0.335 sec. MIA/PRO HONDA OILS 600cc SOPERSPORT C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 1 of ?? rounds): I. Kurtis Roberts (37/1 win): 2. Doug Chandler (32): 3. Miguel DuHamel (29): 4. Tommy Hayden (27); 5. Eric Bostrom (26); 6. Jllson Pridmore (25); 7. Richard Alexander Jr. (24): 8. Steve Crevier (23): 9. John Hopkins (22); 10. Jake Zemke (21): I I. Mark MUler (20); 12. Thorvald Saeby (19); 13. Brian Parriott (18); 14. Joseph Prussiano (17); 15. Owen Weichel (16); 16. Roger Lee Hayden (IS); 17. Aaron Vates (14); 18. Jefr Williams (13); 19. Nelson Perez (12); 20. Allan Jeffries (II): 21. Chris Caylor (10); 22. Bryce Gross (9); 23. Ke;lh Marquez (8); 24. Mike SulUvon (7): 25. Jon Cornwell (6); 26. Byron Barbour (5); 27. Nick Daniels (4): 28. Arthur Diaz (3): 29. Mark McCormick (2); 30. Ryan Banks (I). the Honda guys were Roberts and Chandler celebrated their 1-2 finish. purposely slowing down on the final run down the backstraight. est Hayden brother had struggled all "I wish that was true," Chandler week with the R6, and a pre-race jetsaid when asked if he'd found some ting change only made things worse. extra horsepower on the final lap. Fortunately, he was able to make "Unfortunately, I don't think either of adjustments during the race stoppage these two wanted to lead going into to make him competitive again. He the chicane, so that was my only hung in there to the very end and opportunity to possibly win that thing. managed to get fourth. I just kinda took it, got through the "I don't know if it's not running as chicane as best I could and run to the good or if everybody just really line. I just came up one short. stepped it up," Hayden said. "We just "I think they were rolling out of it a little bit," Chandler added, to which DuHamel joked: "I down-shifted two eN seemed to be a little down on speed. We made a change before the race with jetting, and it wasn't any good at all for the first start. I was able to fix it gears." The one rider in the lead group who knew he didn't have much of a chance of winning the race was back during the red flag. I knew if I could get up in the draft I could at least hang, but I knew it would be hard Yamaha's Tommy Hayden. The old- to win. We got up there and got some THE CRASH The opening round of the AMA 600cc Supersport Series at Daytona was marred by a horrific accident on the East Banking - a chain-reaction crash that involved the lead pack and ended up bringing down four riders. As the string of seven riders at the front of the pack exited the chicane on the 10th lap they encountered slower traffic, with leader Kurtis Roberts and Miguel DuHamel making it by without incident. Behind them, however, all hell broke loose with Jamie Hacking and defending class champion Nicky Hayden colliding with Darian Polach and crashing. Josh Hayes was next to go down as he couldn't avoid the fallen bikes and he plowed straight over one of the crashed motorcycles at speed. joining the crashed riders and bikes at the bottom of the banking. • Although Hayden escaped with just bruises, Polach was transported with possible head and neck injuries, while Hacking suffered an elbow laceration and possible elbow fracture, and Hayes suffered lacerations and a concussion. On Friday night, however, all except Hayes were released with the Erion Honda rider being kept overnight and undergoing surgery on his lacerated arm. It was a frightening incident that had given all those who witnessed it a scare. And no one was completely sure what caused it. "Something fell off the guy's bike, I believe, in front of the guy who caused it - and he just stopped: Roberts said. "I hit it, and it knocked my leg off it hit so hard. He [Polach) actually swerved into me and hit my arm. He just sat up and parked it. I saw him slow down and I knew something was going to happen. When I saw the red flag, I knew Upcoming Rounds: Round 2 - Sonoma, California, May 6 Round 3 - Road Atlanta. June 4 exactly what had caused it. You've got a guy sitting up going on the banking in fourth gear with a train coming behind you - it's going to be a big wreck. I just hope and pray that everyone involved is okay." DuHamel also saw that something bad was coming, though he made it through unscathed. "I think I just missed it, Kurtis and I: DuHamel said. "The guy lost something off his bike, rubber or something, and Kurtis almost went down - in the chicane. His foot came off the peg and everything. When we went up on the banking, these guys were going so slow I wasn't sure which way to go. Kurtis went high, so I went low because I felt that was the safest route. I think what happened was that they were so scared the guy hit the brake or something and Jamie Hacking ran into him." The crash ruined the start of Nicky Hayden's championship defense, and he was naturally upset. Not only had he gone for a high-speed tumble on the banking, but he'd also lost his opportunity to win at Daytona. "I don't even really know what happened: Nicky Hayden said. "There were some lappers up there and all I know is I'm behind (Jamie] Hacking and guys were going each way. It looked like maybe a lapper tried to get out of everybody's way and at the same time maybe Hacking was trying to go underneath him. They just hooked· I just ran right into the back of them and I was down. I just remember skating across the banking on my back seeing the bikes and everything skating towards me. There was fire and smoke, and bikes coming through. I thought for sure that someone was going to run me over. Thank, God, I'm all right and I hope everyone else is all right. This is a big disappointment for me - the first race with the number one plate and my guys have been working so hard. We've been putting out all winter. To start out like that is just a bummer." eye I e n e vv s MARCH 22. 2000 25

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