Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Mike Smith, John Haner, Tray Batey and Bradley Champion won Suzuki Cup qualifying heat races Saturday at Road Atlanta.

The GSX-R600 heat race featured a six-rider drafting war for the lead involving Marietta Motorsports’ Smith, John Jacobi, Robert Jensen, Vincent Haskovec, Jeff Tigert and Brian Stokes. Smith came from the fourth row of the grid to take the checkered flag a fraction of a second ahead of Haskovec, Factory Pro’s Tigert, Stokes, Jensen and Jacobi. Shan Ball, Danny Eslick from row 12, Chris “Opie” Caylor from row 15 and Scott Harwell rounded out the top 10.

SGI’s Haskovec will start Sunday’s 10-lap GSX-R600 final from pole position, because he was the highest-finishing regional points leader.

Smith, Haskovec, Batey, Haner and Stokes battled flag-to-flag in the GSX-R750 heat. Haner and Batey diced for the lead early in the six-lap sprint allowing Smith to catch up from the seventh row of the grid. Smith took the lead on the white-flag lap with four pursuers in his draft. On the final lap Haskovec caught a double draft down the back straightaway and passed Batey and Haner for second. Going for the trifecta, Haskovec tried to outbrake Smith at the end of the back straight but ran wide into the chicane. Smith got away cleanly to take the win while Batey, Haskovec and Haner exited the chicane three-wide. Haner nearly highsided coming up the hill leaving 42-year-old Batey and Haskovec to decide second. Haskovec held the inside line and was able to beat Batey through the final corner and to the checkered flag by a wheel. Batey took third ahead of Haner, Stokes, Jensen, Harwell, Caylor, Shawn Conrad and Scott Carpenter.

After the race, Haskovec’s GSX-R750 went over the 135.0-horsepower limit. Haskovec will start from the back of the grid. Haner will start Sunday’s 10-lap GSX-R750 final from pole position based on being the highest-finishing regional points leader.

Roadracingworld.com’s Haner got his moment in the sun when he ran Smith down from behind to take the GSX-R1000 heat race win. Smith held on for a close second with Haskovec third; Mark Junge was fourth with Geoff May, Caylor, Jensen, Harwell, Fritz Kling and Carpenter filling the top 10 slots.

By virtue of being the highest-finishing regional point leader, Junge will start the 10-lap GSX-R1000 Cup final from pole position.

Early in the afternoon race program Vesrah Suzuki’s Batey, the defending TL1000R Suzuki Cup Champion, ran away with the TL1000R heat race win. Lapping as fast as 1:30.2, Batey won by 11 seconds over Shawn Stinnett, Scott Brown, Fred Farzanegan, Tim Brewer, Russell Masecar and Doug Glass in the seven-entry TL1000R class.

Batey will start Sunday’s 10-lap TL1000R Cup Final from pole position.

The battle for the Suzuki SV650 qualifier win whittled down to five riders by lap four of six with Chris Normand, John Linder, Greg Harrison, David Yaakov and Champion in the lead group. MB Motorsports/Richmond Suzuki’s Champion tooek the lead on lap four of six and went on to win by 0.94-second. Yaakov took second while Harrison snuck under Linder in the final corner for third. Normand finished fifth with Brian Suffridge, Stinnett, Kyle Ray, Bernie Huntt and Bradley Duncan not far behind.

Champion will start from pole position for Sunday’s 10-lap SV650 Cup Final.