VOL. 50 ISSUE 22 JUNE 4, 2013
P53
Steve Rapp
(5) leads Ben
Carlson (45)
and the rest of
the Harley pack
into turn one at
Road America.
Michael Barnes (left) and Carlson
(right) flank race winner Rapp in the
victory celebration.
WINS ON HIS DAY OFF
a lot of classes, but with this it
worked out."
Typical of the close XR1200
racing there were three leaders
on the first lap. Daytona winner
O'Hara led it into turn one and
then Carlson made a late-braking
move to hold the point temporarily before Rapp made his move
to the front. At the end of lap
one there was a five-bike breakaway with Rapp leading Carlson,
O'Hara, Wyman and Barnes.
But then Rapp began to gradually move away. His lead went to
.880 of a second on the second
lap and then all the way to 2.3
seconds on lap three. He'd broken free and rode a clean race to
the finish.
O'Hara lifted his hand signifying his bike had broken on lap
five, ending his day. Earlier Eric
Stump's bike had transmission
problems and didn't make it off
the start.
The battle for second was a
draft-fest with Carlson taking it
over Barnes and Wyman, in spite
of being the biggest rider of the
group.
"I knew it was at least going to be me and Barney at the
end there," Carlson said. "That
last lap I was behind him and I
thought if I could keep up with
him in [turns] 12, 13 and 14 I
would be okay. I had to give him
three or four bikelengths just so I
could get a run on him. That was
the only way I could get by him…
that was the plan of attack and I
just hoped I wouldn't get drafted
from behind."
It marked the third-career
XR1200 win for Rapp and his first
this season.
"In this series you don't get
away like that very often," Rapp
said. "So when that comes along
I'll take it. It's great to get the win
here for Suburban Harley-Davidson."
CN
Harley Final
1. Steve Rapp
2. Ben Carlson
3. Michael Barnes
4. Travis Wyman
5. Ricky Parker
6. Darren James
7. Barrett Long
8. Paul James
9. Josh Chisum
10. Brice Cooper
