Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
Brothers Eric and Jeff Wood and Des Conboy took wins in Saturday’s LRRS/CCS support races at the 81st Loudon Classic/Formula USA event at New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS), in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Woodcraft/Penguin Racing School’s Eric Wood won both the Heavyweight Supersport and Unlimited Supersport races on his brand new 2004-model Suzuki GSX-R750, earning $4000 in Suzuki money in the process.
The only rider able to get away clean at the start of the 10-lap Unlimited race, Eric Wood quickly built up a lead (which grew to a maximum of six seconds at one point) with low-1:12 lap times and cruised home to a comfortable win.
Scott Greenwood, Brian Stokes and Scott Harwell tangled in turn two on the opening lap. Harwell was pushed wide in the incident, ran head-on into the tires in front of the NASCAR Turn Two speedway wall and crashed. Harwell was uninjured and able to continue.
Both on GSX-R750s, Greenwood passed Stokes for second place early but could not catch Eric Wood and had to settle for the runner-up spot. Stokes was third for most of the race but was demoted to fourth by GSX-R1000-mounted Rick Douchette with less than three laps to go.
In the very next race, Plaistow Powersports’ Doucette won the Lightweight Supersport race on a Suzuki SV650 over Russell Masecar and Darren Danilowicz.
Eric Wood came back an hour later to win the Heavyweight Supersport sprint. Greenwood challenged Wood at the start but crashed out in turn nine on the first lap. Greenwood was seen walking away from the incident.
Harwell got a better start in the Heavyweight race, passed Stokes for second on the second lap and held that position to the checkered flag. In his first visit to Loudon, Stokes finished third.
Eric Wood’s younger brother Jeff got a good start in the Middleweight Supersport final and steadily inched away from Greenwood to win on his Bettencourts Suzuki GSX-R600. Three seconds behind Jeff Wood, Greenwood finished second on his Argo Cycles Yamaha, while Des Conboy was able to hold Arclight Suzuki’s Harwell off to take third.
Earlier in the day, Celtic Racing’s Conboy came from behind to win the Middleweight Superbike race on a damp-but-drying track. Riding a Yamaha YZF-R6 on DOT-labeled Pirelli tires, Conboy took the lead on lap nine of 10, after Greenwood burned up his Dunlop rain tires.
Because Yamaha only pays contingency for first place, Greenwood pulled off the track on the final lap, handing second place to Honda-CBR600RR-mounted Gus Holcomb and third to Michael Martire, who rode a Kawasaki ZX-6R.
Saturday Provisional LRRS/CCS Race Results:
Unlimited Supersport: 1. Eric Wood (Suz GSX-R750) 2. Scott Greenwood (Suz GSX-R750) 3. Rick Doucette (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Brian Stokes (Suz GSX-R750) 5. Matt Silva (Suz GSX-R750) 6. Jason Carter (Suz GSX-R1000)
Heavyweight Supersport: 1. Eric Wood (Suz GSX-R750) 2. Scott Harwell (Suz GSX-R750) 3. Brian Stokes (Suz GSX-R750) 4. Matt Silva (Suz GSX-R750) 5. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R750) 6. Craig Recore (Hon CBR600RR)
Middleweight Supersport: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600) 2. Scott Greenwood (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Des Conboy (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Scott Harwell (Suz GSX-R600) 5. Brian Stokes (Suz GSX-R600) 6. Mike Himmelsbach (Yam YZF-R6)
Middleweight Superbike: 1. Des Conboy (Yam YZF-R6) 2. Gus Holcomb (Hon CBR600RR) 3. Michael Martire (Kaw ZX-6R) 4. Ronald Burmester (Suz GSX-R600) 5. John Scheehser (Hon CBR600RR) 6. William Rublee (Yam FZR600)
Lightweight Supersport: 1. Rick Doucette (Suz SV650) 2. Russell Masecar (Suz SV650) 3. Darren Danilowicz (Suz SV650) 4. Peter Kolodziej (Suz SV650) 5. Brian Kent (Suz SV650) 6. John Cadreact (Suz SV650)
SuperTwins: 1. Chris Rockwell (Duc 998) 2. Robert Nigl (Duc 996) 3. Thomas Eckfeldt (Duc 998) 4. Charles Sandoz (Apr RSV1000), crash 5. Russell Masecar (Suz SV1000) 6. William MacMartin (Duc 998)