Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Team Hooters Mountain Dew Suzuki’s Larry Pegram took pole for Formula USA Unlimited Superbike with a lap of 2:12.623 Saturday at Road America. Pegram took full advantage of a new 2mm overbore engine in his Mike Velasco-tuned, Pirelli-shod GSX-R750, qualified 0.6-second faster the next fastest rider and shattered John Hopkins’ F-USA lap record of 2:16.135 by over three seconds. In fact, the top eight riders went faster than Hopkins’ record from May of 2000, set on an AMA 750cc Supersport bike in then-17-year-old Hopkins’ first visit to the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin racetrack.

Championship point leader Craig Connell qualified second-fastest with a time of 2:13.228 on his Arclight Suzuki GSX-R750. Pegram’s teammate Michael Barnes and defending Formula USA Unlimited Superbike Champion Shawn Higbee rounded out the front row.

AMA regular Vincent Haskovec, Team Embry’s Goeff May, Blackmans Aprilia’s Michael Himmelsbach and 14K The Movie’s Eric Wood qualified on row two.

Former Synergy Racing Technologies’ rider Matt Wait qualified ninth on a Suzuki he borrowed at the track, one spot better than his replacement on the Synergy team, Frank Trombino. New England Performance’s Scott Greenwood and Shenandoah Honda’s Tim Bemisderfer will join Wait on the third row for Sunday’s race.

Lee Acree’s Arclight Suzuki broke on his second qualifying lap. Acree was disqualified when his GSX-R750 was taken behind pit wall. Acree will start Sunday’s races from a provisional starting spot.

Lockhart-Phillips USA Unlimited Superbike Qualifying Results:

1. Larry Pegram, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:12.623
2. Craig Connell, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:13.228
3. Michael Barnes, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:13.463
4. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:14.415
5. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:14.599
6. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:14.897
7. Michael Himmelsbach, Aprilia RSV1000R, 2:15.818
8. Eric Wood, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:16.081
9. Matt Wait, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:16.603
10. Frank Trombino, Honda CBR954RR, 2:17.730
11. Scott Greenwood, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:18.082
12. Tim Bemisderfer, Honda CBR954RR, 2:18.371
13. Dr. Jeff Purk, DDS, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:18.555
14. Dave Ebben, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:19.722
15. Steve Johnson, Aprilia RSV1000, 2:20.655
16. Jason Smith, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:21.239
17. Jason Knupp, 2:21.735
18. Joe Spina, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:21.981

115% of Fast Time 2:32.516

DNQ. Thomas Grant, 2:37.419

DQ. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:17.997
DQ. Lee Acree, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:34.564

Previous Unlimited Superbike lap record: 2:16.135, John Hopkins, 5/00