Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

with the wider tire, particularly on the sweeping turns. The Supermoto Lites riders experimented with the wider tire at Elkhan Lake, with mixed feelings- But the quicker riders were tending to favor the wider tire. At Elkhan Lake, Dunlop had a limited supply of a new 170 Supermoto rears and feared that they could run out of rhe tire before the next shipment arrived, some- time berween the Shawano and Utah rounds. As the Supermoto Lites motorcy- cles were viewed as the ones least likely to benefit from the 170 tire, Dunlop bro- kered a gentleman's agreement among the Supermoto Lites teams to not use the tire until it was widely available. Currie used the special Dunlop 170 rear tire in rhe race in apparent violation of the handshake agreement. ''l'm not very happy [with the Yamaha teaml.'' said Anderson about the affair. "Before the race Dunlop, Yamaha, and everyone had agreed to run a specifi< rear tire. They ended up usinS a tire that we agreed not to use in the race. Dunlop asked us all to agree with each other on basically a handshake to run a specific tire. We all shook on it." Yamaha's Keith Mccarty said it was an honest mistake due to a mechanic mounting ttre wrong wheel - a mistake as common as one putting a shoe on the wron8 foot. Currie chose to claim ignorance. ''l lust ride the bike-" ''l don't know if they feel they need to cheat to win," added Anderson. "Obviously, they went back on their \Mord. It feels Sreat to beat some cheaters." Anderson leads the Supermoto Lites Championship on 50 poinrs with Currie and Thiebault tied on 42. sUP€RMOTO UNLIMIT€D The big and boomy Supermoto Unlimireds were a handful on the tight and Nvisty circuit located inside of the Road America road racing course. West Bend, Wisconsin, rider and points leader Carlson gave his family and friends much to cheer about by takine the holeshot and leading the first five laps of the lSJap race. But on the sixth l+ Carlson's front tire slipped while taking a turn in the dirt. "l had a pretty good start," he said later. "l lost the front end up in the dirt and rode like a dork." Husqvarna's David Baffeleuf inherited the lead with Dymond movinS up to sec- ond. Carlson was in third and not far ahead of bar-bangers Leonardo Bagnis, Justin Ross, Aprilia-mounted DarTl Atkins. and GaD/ Trachy. Carlson fell again on lap nine with a simple spinout in the last corner before staG/finish. Bagnis took over third, but Carlson caught up and went around with- in a lap. Bagnis left the race soon there- after, and from that point to the end the riders held positions. "l didn't like the track in the moming, but I like it more in the evening!" said Baffeleuf through an interpreter. "lt is a good track for me!'' 'After Ben [Carlson] fell that iust left David [Baffeleuf] up front," said second- place finisher Dymond, "l did catch him and I had a few chances to get by him, but it was iust hard to make those chances work out for me. I thought maybe a lap- per would help me get by David. But it was nice to be on the podium. That was good, especially since I didn't score points in the previous race. Now at least lm in the points." Third place points were enough to keep Carlson on top of the points tally at 45. "l rode tight. I was trying too hard and I lost it- I was putting too much pressure on mysell lt is my home track and all that. I thought I could come back and pass those guys. But after falling ftvice I was iust hanging on for third. I'm disap- pointed, but lstill have the points lead and that is what matters." Fifth-place linisher Gary Ti?chy is sec- ond on points at 38. Justin Ross and Daryl Atkins are tied on 33 after finishing fourth and sixth, respectively. (ll RoaD AMEnrca ELKHART LAKE, l/lrrscoNsrN REsuusi JUNE 3, 2006 (RouND 2) (Yffi)r 19. stdE Many (KIM); 20. Mlchelle Disalvo (Hon)i 2l.le$e G&rse (Suz)r 22. Jimry Skeeers (Hus). Tim€: 19 min , 27.94 s& il.rgin of Vi.tory: 5.4 r 3 se AITIA SUPERMOTO CHAHPIONSHIP POINIS srANDlNcS (Aft.r 4 ol I I rco.ds): I . Jefl ward (9 I /2 wi6); 2. DouS Henry (7612 wnri l. Kun Nr(oll (71): 4. Mark Burkharr (68): 5. Troy HeiJos, (59): 6. (TlE) Chnstopher Fillmore (56)/Mcq Drmond (56): 8. Jurs€n Kunrel (54); 9. Josh Chisum (a7)i I 0. D.v d Baffeleur (a5)r ll Travis l'1arks (15): I2. |1aE Bunon (12): 13. TEvk Erlis (26): 14. r.1ark AErd (2s)i ls. HEnry wil6 (22); 16. Steve Drew(20)ilT.VincentGuisande(lt); lB. Ga./ T.a

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