Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
Scott Greenwood won the Sportbike race and Championship and Matt Wait won the Superbike race and Championship in the 2003 Formula USA season finale, Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.
In the 18-lap Sportbike final, Greenwood took a flag-to-flag, runaway victory on his Dunlop-equipped Argo Cycles/Bettencourts’ Yamaha YZF-R6. The win combined with problems for Wait resulted in Greenwood winning the season Championship by one point.
A rule violation during Sunday morning’s Sportbike qualifying session led to Wait starting from the back of the grid for the final round. Starting from the 44th grid spot, Wait ran down the four-rider pack contesting second, just before he crashed out of the race. Wait later said he had worn out his front tire during the charge, and lowsided in turn six.
Bettencourts/Argo Cycles’ Jeff Wood finished second in the Sportbike race ahead of Lee Acree, Chris Peris and pole sitter Steve Rapp. Second was enough for Wood to win the Formula USA Team Owner’s Championship, which pays a large cash bonus. The F-USA Sportbike Championship pays no bonus to the winner.
Kneedraggers.com’s Wait bounced back from his crash to take a strong victory over Greenwood in the nine-lap Superbike final. Triad Powersports’ Acree took his second podium finish with third after racing with Arclight Suzuki’s Scott Harwell, Wood and Peris for all nine laps.
Harwell held a seven-point lead in the Superbike point standings coming into Daytona, but Wait’s win combined with Harwell’s fourth was enough for Wait to win the Sportbike Championship.
In other action, Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Steve Rapp convincingly won the Expert Unlimited Grand Prix race on a GSX-R1000 built to 2004 AMA Superstock specifications and fitted with Michelin DOT-labeled tires. Marco Martinez finished second after battling with Dave Stanton and Robert Jensen for most of the nine laps.
Woodcraft/Barden Bearings’ Eric Wood clinched the Expert Unlimited Grand Prix Championship earlier in the season and did not race in the class at Daytona.
Prieto Racing’s Michael Barnes dominated the attrition-filled Thunderbike final on a 1992 Honda CBR600F2 running on 17-inch Pirelli slicks. Hal’s Performance Buell’s Dan Bilansky finished alone in second, while defending Thunderbike Champion Jeff Johnson ended his reign with a third.
Kosco Buell’s Dave Estok encountered troubles with his Buell Firebolt on the warm-up lap and missed the Thunderbike race, but he had clinched the season Championship at the penultimate round of the series. Richie Morris, Mike Ciccotto, Bryan Bemisderfer and Darren James also DNF the Thunderbike final.
After winning several CCS sprint races earlier in the weekend, Jorge Rodriguez ended his first Race of Champions by winning the Formula USA Amateur Unlimited Grand Prix race on a Suzuki GSX-R1000 equipped with 16.5-inch wheels and Michelin slicks.
Hector Jimenez did not race in the final round of the Amateur Unlimited Grand Prix at Daytona due to an injury sustained in a crash earlier in the weekend, but he had clinched the Championship prior to coming to Florida.
More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:
Greenwood Captures Formula USA Sportbike Race, Season Championship
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Oct. 19, 2003) — Scott Greenwood, a native of Dunbarton, N.H., accomplished both of his missions on Sunday during Fall Cycle Scene at Daytona International Speedway – capturing the 18-lap Formula USA Sportbike race and the season championship.
Greenwood, who was third in the championship standings trailing leader Jeff Wood, put on a dominating performance by taking the hole shot on the start and leading every lap of the race.
While Greenwood checked out, the rest of the field battled each other for positions and were unable to mount any serious challenge for the leader.
Greenwood’s victory also earned him the season championship by one point over Jeff Wood.
“Once I got the hole shot, I just tried my hardest to put my head down and put in the fastest lap times and apparently those guys just got to racing,” Greenwood said. “While they were racing, I was cruising with an open track being able to do what I want to do, which was go out there and ride my line and ride my race and put in the lap times that I know I can do.”
Wood finished second in the race and second in the championship standings. Lee Acree settle for third.
“Scott was in a hurry,” Wood said. “He had someplace to be.”
“It was a good race — for second,” Acree said.
Matt Wait, who was second in the championship chase, started in the back of the field and worked his way quickly to the front before suffering a mechanical problem that cut his day short.
“It definitely had the climatic buildup as far as three riders four points apart in the last race,” Greenwood said. “That’s how it’s suppose to be. All three of us had a great shot.”
A recap of other Sunday events:
· On a last-minute deal on a borrowed Honda, Michael Barnes, of Boca Raton, Fla., dominated the Thunderbike race by taking the lead from the start and never relinquishing it.
“We just came out here to have a good time and we really accomplished that,” said Barnes, who by Lap 6 had developed a 16-second lead.
Rounding out the podium was runner-up Daniel Bilansky and Jeffrey Johnson, who edged Ray Bowman for third place at the start/finish line.
· Pole sitter Steve Rapp won his fourth race of the week – the Expert Unlimited Grand Prix. During the race, Rapp turned laps quicker than his record qualifying time.
“That was pretty much what I thought we could do,” Rapp said.
Marco Martinez took second place after being engaged in a three-way battle for most of the race. David Stanton settled for third while Robert Jensen came home in fourth.
· In the Amateur Unlimited Grand Prix, pole winner Jorge Rodriguez found his way to the front and led for the first half of the race but was never able to pull away from Michael Shallcross.
Shallcross was able to take over the lead when Rodriguez slowed for a local caution, but Rodriguez regained the lead on the last lap when Shallcross crashed.
“This weekend was my first time ever racing three consecutive days,” Rodriguez said. “I just went out there trying to make it.”
Rodriguez was followed by David Loikits in second and Brian Shaw in third. Hector Jimenez, who had clinched the Amateur Unlimited Grand Prix Championship before the start of the race, finished 20th.
· Matt Wait earned both the win and the season championship in the Formula USA Superbike.
“Today was quite a hectic day,” said Wait. “I had a lot going on, some good, some bad. I’m glad I ended the day on a good note, for sure. The team’s worked really hard and I have as well. So it feels good to get at least one championship out of the deal. We’re going for three (championships) and came out with one– that’s better than none. Everyone’s been very helpful this year and it’s been a learning year for me in a lot of different ways.”
Scott Greenwood took second place while Lee Acree edged Scott Harwell for third.
Motorcycle racing will return to the “World Center of Racing” on Feb. 26-March 6 with Daytona 200 Week, which includes the inaugural nighttime running of the Daytona Supercross By Honda on Friday, March 5 and the Daytona 200 By Arai motorcycle classic on Saturday, March 6.
Tickets are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling the Speedway ticket office at (386) 253-7223.
Sunday’s results
Thunderbike: 1. Michael Barnes, Honda 600; 2. Daniel Bilansky, Buell 984; 3. Jeffrey Johnson.
Expert Unlimited Grand Prix: 1. Steve Rapp, Suzuki 1000; 2. Marco Martinez, Suzuki 1000; 3. David Stanton, Suzuki 600.
Formula USA Sportbike: 1. Scott Greenwood, Yamaha 600; 2. Jeff Wood, Yamaha 600; 3. Lee Acree, Yamaha 600.
Amateur Unlimited Grand Prix: 1. Jorge Rodriguez, Suzuki 750; 2. David Loikits,
Suzuki 1000; 3. Brian Shaw, Suzuki 1000.
Formula USA Superbike: 1. Matt Wait; 2. Scott Greenwood, Yamaha 600; 3. Lee Acree, Yamaha 600.