Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel won the AMA Formula Xtreme race Saturday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, his sixth win in the class during 2004 and the 78th win of his AMA career.
Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke led the start and the first six laps. Duhamel took the lead on lap seven and upped the pace for two laps with Zemke close behind. Zemke then lost the front end of his CBR600RR in the Keyhole section, crashing out of the race on lap nine.
From there, Duhamel cruised home for the win, which combined with Zemke’s DNF puts him in a position where he can clinch the 2004 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship with a second or better finish at the next round at Road Atlanta.
After Zemke’s crash, HMC Milwaukee Ducati’s Doug Chandler inherited second place but an oil leak forced him to pull off track and retire, just after he was passed by American Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore. Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Vincent Haskovec placed third on his GSX-R600.
Provisional AMA Formula Xtreme Race Results;
1. Miguel Duhamel, Honda CBR600RR, 16 laps
2. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R600, -12.387 seconds
3. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R600, -17.905 seconds
4. Larry Pegram, Yamaha YZF-R6, -33.854 seconds
5. Heath Small, Yamaha YZF-R6, -40.172 seconds
6. Ty Howard, Suzuki GSX-R600, -40.467 seconds
7. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR600RR, -51.492 seconds
8. Giovanni Rojas, Yamaha YZF-R6, -54.985 seconds
9. Chris Caylor, Suzuki GSX-R600, -63.831 seconds
10. Jason Farrell, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, -69.242 seconds
11. Ben Walters, Yamaha YZF-R6, -70.874 seconds
12. Perry Melneciuc, Yamaha YZF-R6, -71.237 seconds
13. Jason Mathiason, Yamaha YZF-R6, -80.543 seconds
14. Mike Shreve, Yamaha YZF-R6, -81.317 seconds
15. Nathan Hester, Yamaha YZF-R6, -86.888 second
16. Doug Duane, Suzuki GSX-R600, -91.791 seconds
17. Randy Rega, Yamaha YZF-R6, -1 lap
18. Robert Deily, Suzuki GSX-R600, -1 lap
19. Doug Chandler, Ducati 749R, -4 laps, DNF, mechanical
20. Michael Barnes, Buell XB9R, -5 laps, DNF, mechanical
21. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600RR, -8 laps, DNF, crash
22. Derek Keyes, Yamaha YZF-R6, -12 laps, DNF, crash
23. Blake Young, Suzuki GSX-R600, DNS
Provisional AMA Formula Xtreme Championship Point Standings (after 9 of 11 events):
1. Duhamel, 320 points
2. Zemke, 275 points
3. Alex Gobert, 244 points
4. Haskovec, 217 points
5. Pegram, 189 points
6. Pridmore, 162 points
7. Small, 151 points
8. Hester, 145 points
9. Melneciuc, 135 points
10. Danny Eslick, 123 points
More, from a press releases issued by Proforma:
HEATH SMALL RIDES TO FINE FINISH IN FORMULA XTREME AT MID-OHIO
Heath Small of HAS/Shogun Racing had his best finish of the year today in the Formula Xtreme final at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Heath got a good start and put in consistently fast laps, holding off a late-race charge from friend and fellow Texan Ty Howard.
Saturday’s Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Final – 5th Place
“I got an excellent start,” said Heath. “I ended up breaking away with the lead pack, the first three or four laps. The guys were telling me what kind of gap I had. They were telling me that the gap was opening up, opening up. Once the leaders broke away from me, my tires started going off. Then I started seeing the gap closing. As I was coming onto the back straightaway, I could see Ty (Howard) coming up. I guess he finally got around (Alex) Gobert, and he got behind me. The left side of my tire was pretty good, it was the right side of my tire that I couldn’t get a drive on. He never got around me. I saw the white flag, and I protected the inside as much as I could on the last lap and held Ty off.”
PRIDMORE FINISHES SECOND IN FORMULA XTREME AT MID-OHIO
Jason Pridmore and his STAR Motorcycle School crew had some good luck for a change, with Jason finishing second behind Miguel Duhamel in today’s Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme final at round nine of the Chevrolet Superbike Series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Pridmore was running in fourth place when second place rider Jake Zemke fell unhurt in the Keyhole turn. Just as Jason was catching Doug Chandler ahead of him, Chandler’s bike began to smoke and cornerworkers flagged Chandler off-course due to safety concerns. Jason pulled away from eventual third place finisher Vincent Haskovec, also Suzuki-mounted.
Saturday’s Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Final – 2nd Place
“You know what, it’s just good to finally have some good luck on our side,” said Jason. “We had a third place bike. I got a bad start and Doug (Chandler) was getting away. As soon as I got by the guys I had to get by, I put my head down as hard as I could, because I wanted to finish on the podium so bad for my guys. I was running him down, and catching him and catching him. When I got to him, his bike started smoking. I was bummed, because I really wanted to kind of race Doug all the way to the end. I’m just super-pumped for STAR and the Suzuki team and everybody involved. Its our best result of the year.”