Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Woody Deatherage made his return to motorcycle road racing during an AMA Sports event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course today.

Deatherage rode his GSX-R1000 Superbike in the 12-lap Solo GTO race, the first race of the day, but retired at about the halfway point when the bike developed a front-end push.

Deatherage broke his back in May, when he hit an unpadded concrete wall at Road Atlanta during an AMA Superbike National.

“I’m trying to convince myself that running today is a bad idea,” Deatherage said before practice. “Maybe I’ll just go out and see how it is.”

The Solo GTO race at Mid-Ohio was won by Steve Rapp, who came from the 15th row of the grid, in the second wave, on a Formula Xtreme GSX-R1000. First-wave starter Chris “Opie” Caylor was second on a Superstock GSX-R750, followed by Doug Duane on a GSX-R1000, John Dugan on a Suzuki GSX-R750, Geoff May on a GSX-R1000 Superbike and 13th-row/second-wave starter Chris Ulrich on a Superstock GSX-R750.

The starter missed Rapp on both the white-flag and the checkered-flag laps, first giving the flags to Caylor in error.

Dugan came from well back on the grid–row 11–to beat Michael Sanchez and Brian Stokes in Superstock Expert (all three on GSX-R750s), then beat Sanchez and Matt Furtek in Heavyweight Superstock Expert (Dugan on a GSX-R1000). In Mediumweight Superbike, Sanchez beat Stokes in a battle to the line, with Furtek third.

The event is being run by WERA officials.

Results from Wednesday’s AMA Road Race Grand Championships at Mid-Ohio, in race chronological order:

Heavyweight Solo Expert:
1. Steve Rapp, Suzuki GSX-R1000
2. Opie Caylor, Suzuki GSX-R750
3. Doug Duane, Suzuki GSX-R1000
4. John Dugan, Suzuki GSX-R750
5. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000
6. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750

Heavyweight Solo Novice:
1. Jeff Agnes, Suzuki GSX-R750
2. Joe Hayes, Yamaha YZF-R6
3. Larry Glaze, Honda
4. Scott Collins, Yamaha YZF-R6
5. Calvin Barnett, Suzuki GSX-R600
6. Bentley Squires, Honda

125cc Grand Prix:
1. Larry Cohee, Honda RS125
2. Glen Pison, Honda RS125
3. John Trautmann, Honda RS125
4. Jonathan Butterman, Honda RS125
5. David Celento, Yamaha TZ125
6. Michael Parrotte, Honda RS125

Clubman Expert:
1. Joseph Ball, Kawasaki
2. Randy Grove, Honda
3. Paul Sicurezza, Kawasaki
4. Shawn Romano

Clubman Novice:
1. Erin Higinbotham, Yamaha
2. Jerry Shirley, Yamaha
3. Wade Parish, Honda
4. Bruce McLaughlin, MuZ
5. Jan Swain, Kawasaki

Lightweight Supersport Expert:
1. Richard Kjar, Aprilia RS250
2. Brian Kjar, Aprilia RS250

Lightweight Supersport Novice:
1. Michael Schafer, Aprilia RS250
2. Chad Hinton, Aprilia RS250
3. Vincent Delorenzo, Aprilia RS250

Mediumweight Solo Expert:
1. Shawn Conrad, Yamaha YZF-R6
2. Eric Spector, Suzuki GSX-R600
3. Logan Young, Suzuki GSX-R600
4. James Kerker, Honda CBR600
5. Blake Young, Honda CBR600
6. Jonas McClusky, Suzuki GSX-R600

Mediumweight Solo Novice:
1. William Stranahan, Yamaha YZF-R6
2. Calvin Barnett, Suzuki GSX-R600
3. Joe Hayes, Yamaha YZF-R6
4. Jeff Agnes, Yamaha YZF-R6
5. Ben Lingel, Honda CBR600
6. Chris Kessler, Suzuki GSX-R600

Lightweight Xtreme Expert
1. Geoff Maloney, Yamaha TZ250
2. John Lord, Suzuki SV650
3. Jeff Caco, Suzuki SV650
4. Jason Temme, Yamaha FZR400
5. Tristan Konneker, Suzuki SV650
6. Bryan Hoelzer, Honda RS250

Lightweight Xtreme Novice
1. Robert Breeden, Suzuki SV650
2. Mark Biletnikoff, Suzuki SV650
3. Jerry Van Horn, Suzuki SV650
4. Scott Beckley, Suzuki SV650
5. Alan Rader, Suzuki SV650
6. Shannon Anderson, Suzuki SV650

Superstock Expert:
1. John Dugan, Suzuki GSX-R750
2. Mike Sanchez, Suzuki GSX-R750
3. Brian Stokes, Suzuki GSX-R750
4. Matt Furtek, Suzuki GSX-R750
5. Mike Scruggs, Suzuki GSX-R750
6. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki GSX-R750

Superstock Novice:
1. Jeff Agnes, Suzuki GSX-R750
2. William Stranahan, Yamaha YZF-R6
3. Chris Kessler, Suzuki GSX-R600
4. Ben Lingel, Honda CBR600
5. Joe Hayes, Yamaha YZF-R6
6. Keith Koeppen, Yamaha YZF-R6

Senior Superbike Expert:
1. Mark Hatten, Duc 996
2. Michael Hausknecht, Duc 853
3. Mike Radke, Yam YZF-R6
4. David Alley, Suz GSX-R750
5. Scott Evans, Yamh YZF-R6
6. Jonathan Butterman, Yam YZF-R6

Senior Superbike Novice:
1. Andrew Cross, Suzuki GSX-R600
2. Christopher Draudt, Honda
3. Robert Mallen, Honda CBR600
4. Jim Jenkins, Suzuki GSX-R750

Lightweight Solo Expert:
1. John Lord, Suzuki SV650
2. Jason Temme, Yamaha FZR400
3. Jeff Caco, Suzuki SV650
4. Tristan Konneker, Suzuki SV650
5. Scott Evans, Suzuki SV650
6. Richard Kjar, Aprilia RS250

Lightweight Solo Novice:
1. Robert Breeden, Suzuki SV650
2. Mark Biletnikoff, Suzuki SV650
3. Andy George, Suzuki SV650
4. Alan Radar, Suzuki SV650
5. Jerry Van Horn, Suzuki SV650
6. Joel Hammond, Suzuki SV650

Heavyweight Superstock Expert
1. John Dugan, Suzuki GSX-R1000
2. Mike Sanchez, Suzuki GSX-R750
3. Matt Furtek, Suzuki GSX-R750
4. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki GSX-R750
5. Eric Spector, Suzuki 1000
6. Tom Wertman, Suzuki GSX-R1000

Heavyweight Superstock Novice
1. Brian Logan, Yamaha YZF-R6
2. Unknown
3. Larry Glaze, Honda
4. David Garrison, Suzuki GSX-R750
5. Christopher Draudt, Honda

Mediumweight Superbike Expert
1. Mike Sanchez, Suzuki GSX-R600
2. Brian Stokes, Suzuki GSX-R600
3. Matt Furtek, Suzuki GSX-R600
4. Logan Young, Suzuki GSX-R600
5. Blake Young, Honda CBR600
6. Eric Spector, Suzuki GSX-R600

Mediumweight Superbike Novice
1. William Stranahan, Yamaha YZF-R6
2. Chris Kessler, Suzuki GSX-R600
3. Keith Koeppen, Yamaha YZF-R6
4. Calvin Barnett, Suzuki GSX-R600
5. Joe Hayes, Yamaha YZF-R6
6. Brian Logan, Yamaha YZF-R6