Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Cycle News 2000 08 16

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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o ut th e re, " said Higbee , who said he was st ill wa ry abou t the s ho ulder he b rok e at La gun a Se ca . "T he y were ridi ng ove r the ir h e a d s an d pu shin g m e off the tra ck. " He finis hed th e first le g in 1Oth, but was running the sa me tim es a s th e le ade rs at the e nd . Th at ga ve him co nfide nce for t he se cond leg tha t he used to run a n early fourth. "I got in t h e draft of t hat le a d g ro up a nd that re ally pulle d us a long a nd I was able to ride a little b it better o n the infield a nd th e bik e was wo rk ing goo d a n d m y ad re n a li ne w a s sta rting to wear away a nd my s hould er wa s startin g t o hu rt m o re wit h e a c h re -start," Higb ee sa id . Th e first re -s tart was ne eded after Valvo line EMGO Suzu ki's Ben S p ie s blew his m otor right in front of Mike Su ll iv an at th e e n d o f t h e b a ck stra ight. "I c o uld n' t see a thing ," Su llivan s a id of th e se ve nth -la p incide nt. After a ve ry len gthy clean up, the field wa s a way ag a in for a six-l a p s pr int , getti ng as fa r a s t urn fo ur before a nother crash brought a ha lt to the ra cin g . F in ally , th e y we re a b le to get a sta rt and a clea n six la ps a nd it wa s Hopk in s in fro nt o f Lop e z, wh ich is how it would re m a in until th e 10th la p when Lopez a nd Acr ee both d rov e by Ho pkins into turn o ne . Suddenly it was a thr e e -ride r ra ce and there were less than thre e la ps to go a nd Hop kins a nd Lop ez we re a t a s lig h t di s ad v anta g e . Be ca u s e th e tea m didn 't br ing th eir sem i rig to the ra ce , th ey had to pack econom ic a lly a n d o n ly ha d two re a r t ires fo r th e ra ces , wh ich m e an t t h e y c o uld n 't c ha nge during the lon g de lay s . O n th e 11th la p it wa s still Ac ree o ut fro nt with the d raft into turn one cha ngi ng e ve rything . Hopkins wa s to t he le a d , w it h Lo p e z s ec ond and Ac ree t h ird . And tha t' s ho w the y 'd finish , thoug h it might have been d iffe re nt if Lop ez had kn own how many laps we re le ft. "I never did see a wh ite fla g," Lopez sa id . "I s t ill t h o ug h t I h ad another lap and I was thinkin g if I c ould get h im o n the brake s at th e e nd do wn there on th e last lap, 1 was fa irly confide nt I co uld hold h im off a ll th e wa y ar ound. It was th e c hec ke red fla g . I d on 't know if it wo u ld ha v e wo rke d out a ny way ." Th ough he'd finis h e d "s e cond , Lopez saw the big picture . (A b o ve) M ichael Bames fin ished the day w ith a fifth and a fourth i n the two ra ces. (A bove) Lee Acree (84) l ead s J immy M o o re (8 6) in tum nine during t he first race. Acree ended up f o u rth w ith Moore t hird, but Acree fi n i s hed third in the second race with Moore fifth. (Left) Ba mes (34) leads Z lock Racing teammate M ike Sullivan (1) and T imothy Bemisderfer (14 1 in t he first race. (Below) Hopkins (211 a nd Lopez (5 ) lead Acree (84) and Sullivan (1) e arly in t he second l eg. "I am the poi nts leader , been wa nt ing to hang o n t o th a t , " h e sai d . "O b vio us ly , I d idn 't want to throw it d own , but I was st ill rid ing pretty h ard . It ' s n ot li k e I w a s n' t t a k in g c ha nc es ." "T h a t la s t o n e , I did t ry to le ad e ver y la p in ca se th ey did th row a red flag because 1didn't want to be ca ught o ut if the re wa s a re d fla g a nd th e y called the ra ce ," Hopkins said. "I jus t wan ted to stay in front. 1 didn't wan t to d rop back a couple of po s itions and then let the leader get awa y." Acr ee sa id he was loos ening up in the second race a nd did his be st to stay o ut front. "It be c a m e a re al s ho rt s print ra ce so e ve rybo d y was ju st kind of drop ping t h e h a m m e r, " Ac re e sa id . "I wasn't qu ite th e man toda y.' Acree us e s Pire lli t ire s , whic h is wh a t Barne s used on his Zlock Rac ing Kaw a s ak i o n his way to fo urth in the seco nd leg , le s s th an a s eco n d behind Acr ee . Moore was fifth with a n inc re a s ing ly balky gearbox. "The se cond race 1 think I just kind o f let th e w h o le thing g e t to m e b e cause of t he fa c t t hat I k n ew I couldn 't win a nd I would c rash try ing ," Moor e sa id. "And th at wa s the ot h er issu e , if it b re a k s , is th e rear wheel goi ng to lock a nd throw m e? I k ind o f lo st m y e nt hu siasm for th e s econd le g and I guess a fte r th e la st re -sta rt I sa id I've got to get th is th ing up th er e as far a s 1cou ld ." Hig b e e s e t t le d in t o s ixt h and c ruis ed hom e co m fortab ly in front of S u lliva n , wh o was s t ru gg li n g wi t h tra ction prob lems in the second ra ce , a s he had in the firs t. eN Lop ez (Suz) ; 3 . Lee Ac ree { Suz}; 4 . M ichae l Barn es ( Ka w); 5 . J im my M o or e (Suz); 6 . S haw n Hig bee (S uz); 7 . Mi ke Sullivan ( Kaw); 8. Ty Howard (Kaw) ; 9 . Vince nt Hask ovec (K aw); to . Ma rk J unge ( Kaw) ; 11. Mike Mitc hell (Yam) ; 12. J am es Randolph (Suz); 13 . Brian Parr iott ( Han); 14 . Kenn eth Chase (Yam ) ; 15. Charles Cho uinard (Yam); 16 . Jos eph Prussiano ( Yam); 17. J ohn Dugan (Suz); 18 . Bryan Kova rick ( Yam ); 19 . D erek K ing (S uz) ; 20 . Da ig oro Suzu k i (Suz); 21. J acob Holden (Suz); 22. Jos h Bry an (Suz); 23. Ryan Burk e (Suz): 24. Dennie Burke (Suz); 25 . Greg Bouwens (Hon) : 26 . J ordan Wolsey (Yam) ; 27. A nto ny Porter (K aw ); 28. Mark Russell (Suz); 29 . Scott Ferrell (Suz): 30. Will iam J ourdan (Yam ); 3 1. Brigg s Will oughby (Hon) ; 32 . Robb Ladd (Kaw); 33 . Jo hn Ja co bi (Suz): 34 . Ben Spies (Suz); 35 . Trevor Beckma n (Yam); 36. Ti m Bem isderfer (Yam. Time: N/A due to red flag. Dista nce: 12 laps. 23 .04 mil es. Margin of victory: 0.273 sec. Portland International Raceway Portland, Oregon Results : August 6, 2000 [Round 4 of 61 RACE ONE: 1. J ohn Ho pk ins (Suz ); 2. Gra nt Lopez (Suz) ; 3 . Jimm y Moor e (Suz); 4 . Lee A cree (S uz ); 5 . Micha el Barnes ( Kaw ) ; 6 . M ike Sulli va n ( Kaw); 7. T y Howard ( Kaw) ; 8. Vin c ent Hask o vec (Kaw); 9 . Tim Bem isderfer (Yam) ; to . Shawn Higbee (Suz); 1 1. Kenneth Chase (Yam ) : 12. Ma rk J unge ( Kaw ); 13 . J ohn J aco bi (S uz) ; 14 . Bri an Parriott ( Hon); 15. Ben Sp ies (Sua) : 16 . J am es Rand ol ph (Suz) ; 17 . Charles Cho uina rd ( Yam ); 18 . J ose ph Prussiano ( Yam ); 19. J ohn Dugan (Suz): 20 . Daigo ro Suzuk i (S uz); 2 1. Karl Sche nk ( Yam ); 22 . Trevor Bec km an ( Yam); 23. Br y an Kov aric k ( Yam) ; 24 . Jo sh Bry an (Suz) ; 25 . Ja cob Holden (Suz) : 26 . Rya n Burk e (Suz): 27 . Dennie Burk e (Suz) ; 28 . A ntony Port er (Ka w) ; 29 . Greg Bou wens (Hon) ; 30 . Robb Lad d (K aw); 3 1. Jo rd an Wo lsen (Ya m ) ; 32 . Mark Russell (Suz) ; 33 . WlIIiam J ourdan (Yam) : 34 . Scott Fe rrel l (Suz) ; 35 . M ik e Mit chell (Yam ): 3 6 . Derek Ki n g ( Su z); 3 7 . Da n Wil so n ( Su z); 38 . B rig g s Wil lou ghby ( Han) ; 39 . Sam So lo mo n ( Suz ) ; 40 . Tamer Kek hia (Yam) ; 41. J ohn-Mark Arec higa (Suz): 42. Bry c e Gro ss (Suz); 43. David Coo k (Yam) ; 44. Rob Carpenter (Suz). Time: 13 m in.. 47.796 sec. Distance: 12 lap s, 23. 04 mil es. Margin of victo ry: 0.229 sec. RA CE TWO: I . J oh n Hop k in s (S uz) ; 2. Grant cue I e LOCKHA RT - PHILLIPS USA UNLIM ITED SUPERBIKE C' SHIP (After 4 of 6 round s): 1. Gran' Lopez ( 166/2 wins ): 2. Lee A cree ( 122/2) : 3 . Jo hn Hopk in s ( 12 0 /4); 4. Mike Barn es (62 ) : 5 . Larry Pegram (52) : 6. Ji mmy Moor e (5 1); 7. Shawn Higbee ( 4 4 ) : 9 . Mik e Su ll i v an ( 43) ; 10 . ( T IE) D am on Buckmaster/Joseph Prussiano (42 ); 12. (TIE) Mark Junge rry How ard (36 ); 14. T im Bem isderf er (35) : 15. Vincent Hask o vec (3 4) ; 16 . Mic hael Ci ccotto (3 0 ); 17 . Jamie Bowman (28) ; 18. Sha ne Clark e (19 ); 19 . (T IE) Kenn eth Chase/ Richa rd A lexander (16 ). Upcom ing Rounds: Round 5 - Long Pond, Pennsylvania, August 27 Round 6 - Daytona Beach, Florida, October 22 n e _ S • AU GUST 16. 2000 13 /

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