Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Chuck Graves won four of the five WSMC races that he entered Sunday at Willow Springs International Raceway, including the featured Toyota Cup WSMC Unlimited Formula One Grand Prix.

Riding a Yamaha YZF-R6 and a Yamaha YZF-R7/R1 hybrid Superbike, both on Dunlop tires, Graves won in Roadracing World 600cc Superstock, 600cc Modified Production, Open Superbike and the 10-lap Formula One final.

In the Formula One race, Graves led Jeremy Toye, Stoney Landers, Jack Pfeifer, Richard Headley and Kevin Lacombe into the first corner. Graves, Toye and Headley pulled away from the field just before Headley slowed with a blister on the 16.5-inch Dunlop rear slick of his 2002 Ducati 998RS Teststretta.

In winning, Graves led every lap with Toye, riding a Superstock Suzuki GSX-R750 on Dunlop slicks, never more than a few bikelengths behind. Headley held on for third ahead of GSX-R750-mounted Landers, Pfeifer, Lacombe, Vincent Haskovec on a Ducati 748RS, Clinton Whitehouse, Stephen Hewitt and Claudio Szyszkowski.

The only time Graves was beaten during the day came in the Hyper-Club WSMC Formula Two Grand Prix. Graves took the early lead and looked set to runaway with low-1:24 lap times, but Haskovec charged through the field on his new Ducati to catch Graves on lap five of six. Haskovec and Graves went back and forth several times in the final laps, before Haskovec led out of the final corner on the last lap. Graves was in the perfect position for a draft pass to the line but came up inches short. Haskovec won in a line call over Graves with young gun Jason Perez third on a Suzuki GSX-R600, Robbie Dowie fourth on another Suzuki GSX-R600 and Roadracing World Editor John Ulrich fifth on a Yamaha TZ250.

Nicolodi Racing’s Haskovec also won the red-flag-shortened Formula Twins race on his Ducati 748. The Formula Twins race was marred by a bad crash in high-speed turn nine when Formula Twins class leader Headley tried to overtake a 250cc Grand Prix class competitor, Keith Almond, late in the race. (The Formula Twins field started as a second wave behind 250cc Grand Prix and ahead of the 125cc Grand Prix third wave.)

According to Headley, he was trying to pass Almond on the outside of the final corner when TZ250 rider Almond pushed wide, the two made contact and went tumbling off into the run-off area at over 100 mph. Headley was relatively uninjured. According to Race Director Danny Farnsworth, Almond had “somewhat stable” vital signs but was unconscious when he was airlifted to a local hospital.

Other WSMC race winners on the day included Lee’s Cycle’s Jeremy Toye (750cc Modified Production, 750cc Supestock), Dianetics’ Stoney Landers (750cc Superbike), Team Orthopedics’ Jack Pfeifer (Open Modified Production, Open Superstock), Concept 5’s Jason Perez (650cc Superbike) and Frank Aragaki (250cc Grand Prix).