From a press release issued by Proforma:
CORONA EXTRA SUZUKI’S JIMMY MOORE FINISHES SIXTH IN AMA SUPERSTOCK AT CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY
Defending AMA Superstock champion Jimmy Moore finished sixth today in the Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock race at California Speedway on his Corona Extra Suzuki GSX-R750. Moore started from the outside of the second row, but was unable to take advantage of a good start when riders ahead of Moore started bouncing off of each other entering turn three.
“I almost ran into the back of (John) Haner, he missed a shift,” said Moore. “I just barely missed him, I lost about four spots right there. I had a good line going into turn three, I was on the inside about three bikes back, and Josh (Hayes) went straight. People running everywhere, parts flying.”
Moore quickly started carving through the pack from ninth place, working up to Vincent Haskovec, who he battled with for several laps until the red flag came out with two laps remaining. “Once things settled down, I got my rhythm and was able to start picking off guys, and I finally got around Vincent and the red flag came out. I was bummed,” said Moore. Moore had actually passed Haskovec for fifth on the lap that the red flag was shown, but the results were based on the last fully completed lap.
Moore’s Corona Extra Suzuki teammate Adam Fergusson finished a close second to race winner Tommy Hayden, pushing Hayden for the entire race. Jordan Szoke was caught in the middle of the first turn melee, losing his gear shift lever and soldiering on for 16th place.
More, from another press release issued by Proforma:
HAS/SHOGUN RACING’S JOHN HANER FINISHES STRONG EIGHTH IN AMA SUPERSTOCK AT CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY
John Haner finished eighth today in the Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock race at California Speedway in Fontana, CA, after qualifying on the front row of the grid. The race started with several riders getting together entering the turn three area, Haner included. John fared better than several others, finishing a strong eighth on his Suzuki GSX-R750.
“The start was pretty good until I got to second gear,” said Haner. “I couldn’t get it to go into second gear. I finally got it into second and went around a couple of people going into turn three. Next thing you know I get hit from behind, got pushed pretty damn close to the edge of the track, but I kept it on.
“I made my way up to sixth place, and I was losing the rear real bad,” said Haner. “There’s an indention in my rear wheel where I got hit. It just kept trying to highside me out of every corner. It was just a game of survival. We finished, got points and we’ll move on to the next round.”
John will also compete in Sunday’s Chevy Trucks Superbike event on his Suzuki GSX-R750.
More, from another press release issued by Proforma:
HAS/SHOGUN RACING’S HEATH SMALL FINISHES 36TH IN AMA SUPERSPORT AT CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY
Heath Small finished in 36th place today in the Pro Honda Oils Supersport event at California Speedway in Fontana, California. Small ran as high as 25th until one of the race leaders collided with Small in the turn three area, causing Heath to crash. Small re-mounted and finished the race in 36th place.
“I got a decent start,” said Small. “The start was a little sketchy going into turn three, a couple of people went down in front of me, but I got through it okay. Then, towards the end of the race, second or third lap from the end, one of the leaders went by, a green bike, went right up underneath me, just barely rubbed me and I tucked the front. I ran over and picked it up, got going again.”
Heath was impressed with the power and handling of his 2003 Yamaha YZF-R6, built by Steve Upchurch of Motion Cycle Sports. “It’s a totally different bike from my other R6,” said Small. “It really pulls off of the corners, and the brakes are really, really good.”
Heath Small and HAS/Shogun Racing teammate John Haner both look forward to the next AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Series event at Infineon Raceway, May 2-4, 2003.
More, from another press release issued by Proforma:
JIMMY MOORE FINISHES TENTH IN AMA FORMULA XTREME DEBUT
Defending AMA Superstock champion Jimmy Moore finished tenth today in his Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme class debut on his Corona Extra Suzuki GSX-R1000. Moore held off Annandale Honda’s Ty Howard for the last half of the 17 lap race.
“My tires were really awesome, my rear tire hung in there until about three laps until the end, but it wasn’t unmanageable,” said Moore. “It was a lot of fun to ride, I just don’t know all of the nuances yet. I just need more time on it.”
Jimmy’s Corona Extra Suzuki teammate Adam Fergusson finished eighth after running as high as third, citing brake problems as the cause.
More, from another press release issued by Proforma:
DISMAL DAY FOR CONNELL AT FONTANA
Craig Connell had a forgettable day today at California Speedway in Fontana, California. Connell finished 16th in the Pro Honda Oils Supersport event on his Annandale Honda CBR600RR with a set-up that was not to his liking. Craig’s day got worse when his CBR954RR developed a mechanical problem on the first lap of the Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme event, causing him to fall uninjured.
“I just have not found a comfortable set-up on that motorcycle to make it do what I need to do,” said Connell about the CBR600RR. “My tires were good, I had a little bit of front-end chatter, but they were good. We just need a little bit more horsepower and some more set-up work.”
The Annandale Honda team is analyzing the cause of the mechanical problem on Connell’s CBR954RR.
More, from a press release issued by Corona Extra Suzuki:
FERGUSSON NETS SECOND IN SUPERSTOCK AT CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY, FONTANA AMA ROUND
Corona Extra Suzuki’s Adam Fergusson rode his Suzuki GSXR 750 to second place at the AMA National event at California Speedway, Fontana this weekend. Jimmy Moore finished sixth and Jordan Szoke sixteenth. In other results, Fergusson finished eighth and Moore tenth in the Formula Extreme event. Jordan Szoke finished eighth in the second of the two Superbike events.
In SuperStock qualifying, Fergusson got second, a tenth of a second behind pole, Moore eighth and Szoke sixteenth. In the race, all the Corona Extra Suzuki riders got good starts with Fergusson a solid second and Moore and Szoke up in the front group. A first lap crash melee delayed Moore and put Szoke to the back of the field and gremlins bit Fergusson – which only became clear on the podium! Fergusson was not able to stay with leader Hayden but pulled out a full straightaway lead over third place by the finish. Moore carved through the pack from ninth place, working up to fifth before a red flag came out. He was credited with sixth his position on the last fully completed lap. When Fergusson pulled into the podium the problem became very clear – he had ridden the entire race without a shift lever, having knocked it off on a curb in the first lap. Adams boot had a hole all the way through to his foot where he had been changing gear with the broken stub! Fergusson, with typical Ozzie understatement said; “It might have slowed me down a bit – but it was a good race and Tommy (Hayden) rode really well. Next time we should have something for him!”
In the First Superbike event of the weekend’s doubleheader, Szoke had a tire problem, due, he thought, to choosing too soft a compound. He pitted for a change and went back out in last place, working up to 30th by the finish. In the second event, he rode a solid race ending eighth, just behind Antony Gobert on the Factory Ducati. Considering the 2003 GSXR 1000 he rode had never turned a wheel until Thursday, Szoke and the Team were very pleased with the result.
The Corona Extra Suzuki 2003 GSXR 1000 Formula Extreme bikes were also brand new for the weekend. Fergusson qualified third on the grid with Moore 15th in his debut FX race. After a good start, Fergusson settled into third soon getting second but then started to drop back from the leaders and down through the field. Another gremlin seemed to have bitten! He finished eighth with it turned out a front brake problem – the lever sometimes coming back to the bar! Moore rode a consistent race finishing in a creditable tenth place in this his first time aboard the Formula Extreme machine.
Corona Extra Suzuki is proud to be partnering with Corona Extra, Suzuki, EBSCO Media, MTS, Parts Unlimited, Dunlop, Yoshimura R&D, Joe Rocket, Sidi Boots, MotionPro, Braking, Silkolene Lubricants, Suzuki Genuine Accessories, STR Motorsports, Lindeman Engineering, Bickle, FastDates.com, Ohlins, SBS, Yoyodyne, Hotbodies Racing, Zero Gravity, Regina Chain, Race Girl, GP Tech, RB Components, Spiegler, Box R, Stahlwille Tools.
Next race: Infineon Raceway Sonoma, California May 2nd – 4th.
More, from a press release issued by Mat Mladin’s publicist:
MLADIN VICTORIOUS IN OPENING AMERICAN SUPERBIKE RACE AT CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY
Fontana, California, USA (Saturday, 5 April) – Australian Mat Mladin has won the first of two American AMA Superbike Championship races scheduled for this weekend at the California Speedway in Fontana, on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
Mladin was dominant throughout the 28-lap race, taking the race lead on lap two of the event before stretching his lead to a considerable 14.965-second advantage over his Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Aaron Yates by the completion of the race.
The race win gave Mladin a career total of 15 AMA Superbike race wins, placing him fifth overall on the all time race winners listing for the championship.
“It was nice to get another race win,” said Mladin. “I pushed hard for most of the race to build the gap and with five laps to go I eased the pace to ensure the win.
“The Yoshimura Suzuki team has worked extremely hard over the off-season with the new Suzuki GSX-R1000 that we are using this year, so it was great to have scored the win so early in the season. It’s nice to know that all of our work is paying off. The Showa suspension technicians have worked equally as hard to get the suspension right with the new bike and that is an area in particular that we have made some very good progress with. The whole package with the bike is looking very good at the moment, but we still have a lot of work to do this year.”
Earlier in the day, Mladin secured pole position for the round, eclipsing the existing Superbike lap record for the 3.70km / 2.30 mile, Californian circuit.
His record breaking time of 1:25.123 set during Friday afternoon’s opening session was good enough to keep him at the top of the time sheets, edging out teammate Yates (1:25.556), fellow Australian Anthony Gobert (1:25.970) and Kurtis Roberts (1:26.045) who completed the front row of the grid.
“Qualifying went well for us, as I was able to set my best time on a race tyre that had already done eight laps”, added Mladin. “That time allowed us to concentrate on getting a good race set up during the second qualifying session, which paid off for us in the race.”
The California Speedway round of the championship continues tomorrow with the second of the double header AMA Superbike races being held.
More, from another press release issued by Mat Mladin’s publicist:
2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship
Rounds 2 & 3 – California Speedway, Fontana, California, USA
Rd 3 Race Report
MLADIN TAKES CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH DOUBLE SUPERBIKE VICTORY AT CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY
Fontana, California, USA (Sunday, 6 April) – Mat Mladin celebrated a return to race winning form, but taking his second race win of the weekend at the Double Header round of the 2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship being held at the California Speedway in Fontana, California.
Mladin and his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 were the dominant force throughout the weekend, with the Australian claiming the additional championship point for setting the fastest time in qualifying, before taking the opening 28-lap Superbike race on Saturday afternoon, followed by today’s victory.
With three rounds of the championship now completed, Mladin has moved to the top of the points table with a total of 99, seven clear of American Honda’s Miguel DuHamel who finished today’s race in third place.
Mladin’s victory today was made all the more sweeter as he was forced to come from behind after being judged to have jumped the race start by race officials. The penalty saw him 11.5 seconds adrift of race leader, teammate Aaron Yates when the penalty was imposed on lap five. His charge to the front saw him lapping at a second a lap faster than the leaders, but his momentum was stopped on lap 12 when the race was red flagged due to oil on the circuit as a result of a crash by Yates.
From the restart Mladin was again on the charge with his blistering pace being highlighted with a sensational lap of 1:25.400 on lap fifteen, well over half a second faster than the next fastest time of the race. At the end of 28-laps Mladin crossed the line 6.373 seconds clear of Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom. Erion Honda rider Kurtis Roberts was third on the track, but was penalised 10 seconds for missing a chicane which dropped him back to fifth behind DuHamel and Yates.
“In the end I think it made it a bit easier having the red flag, but I was catching them fairly quickly before that anyway,” said Mladin after celebrating his 16th career AMA Superbike win. “The second half of the race went well. I was edging away from Eric (Bostrom) by 0.3 and 0.4 of a second and put my head down to try and break him and that’s when I reeled off the 25.4 and really got going.
“We’ve got some more testing coming up and there are areas for improvement that we want to look at after this weekend. If we can make those improvements, it’s just going to make the bike better again.
“Since I’ve ever had a points lead I’ve never given it up. I’ve won three championships with a points lead, so that’s what I expect to do this time.”
The AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship heads to the new Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California on May 2 – 4. for another Double Header round of the Superbike Championship.
AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship, Round 3 Race Result / 28 laps
1. Mat Mladin (Team Yoshimura Suzuki)
2. Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki) +6.373 seconds
3. Miguel DuHamel (American Honda) +11.100
4. Aaron Yates (Team Yoshimura Suzuki) +11.183
5. Kurtis Roberts (Erion Honda) +18.558
6. Ben Bostrom (American Honda) +35.900
7. Anthony Gobert (Ducati Austin) +54.073
8. Jordan Szoke (Corona Extra Suzuki) +54.209
9. Shawn Higbee (KWS Suzuki) +64.530
10. Andrew Deathridge (Suzuki) +74.874
AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship (points after 3 of 18 rounds)
1. M Mladin 99
2. M DuHamel 92
3. B Bostrom 87
4. A Yates 86
5. E Bostrom 85
6. K Roberts 81
7. S Higbee 64
8. A Deathridge 60
9. V Haskovec 55
10. L Pegram 51.
More, from a press release issued by Dream Team Ducati:
Dream Team Racing DUCATI’s Larry Pegram came in 7th place today after timing problems originally had him in 6th. Pegram ran a consistent race after realizing his tire choice proved to be a little too hard for todays conditions.
“We intend to build on what we learned today to improve our placing for tomorrow. The tire we chose for Saturdays race wasn’t perfect so for Sunday we will make a change,” said Larry. Race 2 of the Fontana Doubleheader Weekend will be Sunday afternoon.
More, from a press release issued by Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki:
Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich had a tough time in the AMA Superstock race at Fontana Saturday afternoon.
He was rammed by another rider in the third turn on the first lap, barely escaped crashing, and ran way, way off the track. By the time he regained the pavement, he was 37th, dead last.
Ulrich charged back up through the field, moving from 37th to 19th before the 17-lap race was red-flagged with two laps to go when his teammate, Matt Furtek crashed due to a steering damper failure, his bike spinning on its side down the track.
Ulrich’s lap times were comparable to those turned during the race by the top five riders.
“This guy just came flying in there on the inside and plowed into me and about four other guys. One guy crashed and three of us ran off the track. I had the worst angle of attack to get back on the track and couldn’t even see anybody when I first got going again. I just told myself to calm down, put my head down, and started chasing after them.
“Hey, we got some points and we’ll just have to go to the next race,” said a frustrated Ulrich.
More, from a another press release issued by Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki:
Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Steve Rapp qualified his 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000 4th-fastest for Sunday’s Formula Xtreme race at California Speedway in Fontana, California.
The new bike had never been on a racetrack before practice started on Thursday.
Rapp was 2nd fastest early in the session but ended qualifying with a fastest lap of 1:27.09 to fill out the front row.
His teammate, Chris Ulrich, is still feeling the effects of breaking a rib at Daytona three weeks ago and qualified 15th at 1:30.502 on his 2002 Suzuki GSX-R1000.
The race will be held Sunday afternoon.
From another press release issued by Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki:
Rapp 7th In Formula Xtreme At Fontana
Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Steve Rapp finished 7th in the debut of the team’s 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000, in Sunday’s AMA Formula Xtreme race at California Speedway.
Available tire choice had much to do with the finishing order; Rapp’s choices came down to a tire that would for sure last the 17-lap distance in ambient conditions at race time, or a tire that was 1.5-seconds a lap faster and might or might not last the distance. Rapp went with the sure thing, running as high as 5th before finishing 7th.
His teammate, Chris Ulrich, making his Formula Xtreme debut on a 2002 GSX-R1000, gambled on the softer tire, which chunked during the race.
“It will only get better,” said Rapp of the new bike, which hadn’t been on a racetrack before Thursday practice.
Rapp had planned to also compete in the Superbike class at Fontana, but after an unexpected aftermarket engine component failure in practice, the team decided to concentrate on the Formula Xtreme class.
More, from a press release issued by American Honda:
HONDA RACING INFORMATION
AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS TWO AND THREE/AMA 600cc SUPERSPORT SERIES ROUND TWO/AMA FORMULA XTREME ROUND ONE
SATURDAY/SUNDAY APRIL 5-6 2003 FONTANA, CALIFORNIA, USA
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 65 degrees
Attendance: 20,000
Mladin Perfect At California Speedway
American Honda’s Ben Bostrom and Miguel DuHamel were able to score a pair of third-place finishes during the doubleheader weekend of AMA Superbike racing at California Speedway in Fontana, California, but they were no match for Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin, the Australian winning both events to take over the points lead in the AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship after three rounds.
On Saturday, Bostrom finished third behind the two Yoshimura Suzukis, ridden by Mladin and his teammate Aaron Yates, after inheriting the spot when his younger brother, Eric, was penalized 10 seconds for cutting the track in the turn one-two chicane. The two brothers had raged a bitter battle that went the duration, though Ben was given the spot when the AMA handed down the penalty to Eric and his factory Kawasaki.
The story, however, was Mladin. The Australian dominated the entire race, beating Yates by over 14 seconds after 28 laps of the 21-turn, 2.3-mile racetrack.
DuHamel – the winner of the Daytona 2000, the opening round of the series – ended up fifth, six seconds ahead of Erion Honda’s Kurtis Roberts. Roberts would have fared better, but his rear tire had spun on its rim during the race, causing a bad vibration that he thought was a chunking rear tire.
Seventh place went to the Dream Team Racing Ducati of Larry Pegram, the Ohioan comfortably ahead of Attack Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore. Multi-time Canadian Superbike Champion Steve Crevier was ninth and privateer Suzuki rider Shawn Higbee rounded out the top 10.
Austin Ducati’s Anthony Gobert pulled out of the race early after bending his rear wheel.
Mladin’s win was his first of the year and it put him in a tie atop the championship point standings with DuHamel, both holding the top spot with 63 points.
Mladin’s run to victory in the second of the two Superbike races was a bit more hectic and a red flag aided him in scoring the victory. The man who suffered the most from the race stoppage was Roberts, who was leading Eric Bostrom at the time and seemed to be in a good position to score the first AMA Superbike victory of his career – especially since Mladin trailed by nearly eight seconds after undergoing a stop-and-go penalty for jumping the start. But it wasn’t to be.
Pegram crashed his Ducati and the race was stopped, giving everyone the opportunity to restart on equal footing. The AMA doesn’t score races on aggregate time, so the bikes were gridded in the running order and restarted, with Roberts losing all his advantage on Mladin. On the restart, it was Eric Bostrom rocketing into the lead with Roberts second. The son of three-time World Champion Kenny Roberts’ problems began almost immediately when a vicious tank-slapper knocked his brake pads loose and he couldn’t stop for the corner at the end of the backstraight. He ran straight, rejoined the race and held on to finish third on the track. He would later be docked 10 seconds for missing the corner, and that would drop him from third to fifth.
Mladin, meanwhile, closed in on Eric Bostrom, passed him five laps into the restarted race and pulled away to a 6.373-second victory.
DuHamel moved around Yates on the run to the checkered flag to finish third, despite almost crashing with just two laps to go. Yates would finish fourth, clear of the penalized Roberts with Ben Bostrom struggling to sixth place with a motorcycle that wasn’t setup up correctly. Bostrom and his crew had gambled on bettering his setup from Saturday, and it backfired.
Austin Ducati’s Anthony Gobert, Corona Extra Suzuki’s Jordan Szoke, privateer Shawn Higbee and Varsity Racing’s Andy Deatherage rounded out the top 10 finishers.
The victory was the 16th of Mladin’s AMA Superbike career, a mark that moves him into a tie for fourth on the all-time win list with three-time World Champion Wayne Rainey. The win also gives Mladin the lead in the championship after three rounds. He leads DuHamel, 100-92. Ben Bostrom is third with 87 points.
In 600cc Supersport action from California Speedway, Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking was in a class of his own, beating his teammate Aaron Gobert by 2.61 seconds in the 17-lap race. Third place went to Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden, some two seconds behind Gobert and just .123 of a second ahead of Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies finished fifth.
The first of the Honda CBR600RRs finished sixth in the capable hands of veteran Doug Chandler. The former three-time AMA Superbike National Champion pulled clear from the second pursuing pack to top American Honda’s Miguel DuHamel by 3.419 seconds. Erion Honda’s Roger Lee Hayden, Jake Zemke and Alex Gobert rode their CBR600RRs to ninth, 10th and 11th, respectively.
After two rounds of the Pro Honda Oils 600cc Supersport Series, Hacking leads the championship by 14 points over Aaron Gobert and by 15 points over DuHamel.
Youngster Ben Spies on his Yoshimura Suzuki won the first round of the AMA Formula Xtreme Series at California Speedway over the Erion Honda of Jake Zemke. Australian Marty Craggill finished third on his Bruce Transportation Group Honda CBR954RR.
HONDA TEAM QUOTES
Ben Bostrom, American Honda, 3rd and 6th
Saturday: “There was a lot of struggling,” Bostrom said. “The boys were setting a real fast pace and Mat [Mladin] just kind of took off, so I waved goodbye to him and just set out after Kurtis [Roberts]. My brother and I had a real good race and Aaron [Yates] was always just sitting out there five seconds in front of us. At least we had a rabbit to go out there and chase. In the end it was a pretty fun race. Eric [Bostrom] got by me towards the end there and he should probably be up here in third because I don’t think he made any time through that cone. We’ll take third, but it’s not quite the right way. The racetrack was a lot more fun during the race than I thought it would be. In practice, I was having some trouble getting the flow and I wasn’t really enjoying the racetrack. Then we got out there in the race and it ended up being quite fun. I found a few new spots to pass lappers and stuff like that and I had a pretty good time.”
Bostrom from Sunday: “We went backwards,” Bostrom said. “We were a lot slower than yesterday so that’s kind of a bummer. We just gambled with the bike to try and keep up with Mat [Mladin]. Merlyn [Plumlee] and I talked about a few things and tried it, and it was worse. At the start of the race I was like, ‘Oh, my God, what do we do’? I knew in the first corner. Than it was like thank God for the red flag, but we didn’t have time to change because it was a pretty massive change. We were slow today – holy cow. It’s a bummer, but it happens.”
Miguel DuHamel, American Honda, 5th and 3rd
Saturday: “The race went okay,” DuHamel said. “I thought Ben [Bostrom] was going to have tire problems and I should have stayed with him. He didn’t have any tire problems. Maybe I was thinking a little too much instead of riding harder. Tomorrow I think I just need to get by a couple of these guys. Kurtis had a problem with his tire spinning on the rim, and he was riding good so it was hard to get by him. The Dunlop guys have assured me that the tires will be good for tomorrow, so I will attack a little harder tomorrow. And the bike was a little soft today. I also had the wrong tire at the start of the race and we had to borrow Kurtis’ tire and he uses a different rim width than I do, so it made the bike handle a little different. You put all those things together and it’s not so bad. I think tomorrow will be podium for sure.”
DuHamel from Sunday: “It really went well for us,” DuHamel said. “We qualified so-so and fell down and in 600 we had a qualifying mishap and fell down… the asphalt is nice and smooth here so that was nice. It didn’t hurt to bad. I’m happy about everything, considering we hit the ground. My guys put the bike back together and they did a really good job. I’m happy with third. I kinda got it because Kurtis [Roberts] was penalized 10 seconds. We were having a good race. I was putting in a good charge out there, cutting some good laps and I thought I could catch Kurtis. Then I had a really big scare, actually, I’m still scared… the front end slid really bad and then I backed it off and fight off [Aaron] Yates. I’ve had two podiums in three starts, so I’m happy for my team. The Honda RC51 is working really great and I’ve liked that bike from the first day I tested it. And there are better things to come, for sure.”
Kurtis Roberts, Erion Honda, 6th and 5th
Saturday: “I thought the tire was coming part, like fifth or sixth lap,” Roberts said. “It just started vibrating so bad and moving around a bit. I’ve had enough bad problems here, especially with tire things. I just put it on cruise control and I was just waiting to figure out when I was going to have to pull into the pits. It was vibrating so bad. It just kept getting worse and worse and worse, but it never got bad enough to pull into the pits. That’s about it.”
Roberts from Sunday: “The tank-slapper pushed the pads back and when I went to get on the brakes there was nothing there,” Roberts said. “Mat [Mladin] was on the outside of me and I was just bowling balling those guys. I just pumped the brakes and moved to the far outside trying to get it stopped. I knew I was going to, so I just tried my best to slow it down. I saw the opening there and I made sure I slowed down. I let Aaron [Yates] by and pulled out just in front of Miguel [DuHamel]. I didn’t want to gain any positions or again any ground, but they still felt it was viable to dock me. I didn’t pass anybody – I let them go. If that’s what they want to do, then that’s what they want to do. If that’s the rules, then we’ll play by them and move on.”
More, from a press release issued by 1-888-FASTLAP:
1-888-FASTLAP’S OPIE CAYLOR EARNS 4TH IN 750 SUPERSTOCK AT FONTANA
FONTANA, Calif.- 1-888-FASTLAP rider Opie Caylor earned fourth place in AMA Pro Racing’s Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock race at California Speedway in Fontana, held Saturday, April 5.
Caylor is sponsored by 1-888-FASTLAP, where he assists in managing the racer support programs. His other major sponsors include Team EMGO Taiwan and Pirelli.
After qualifying third on the Superstock grid with a lap time of 1:27.830 on his Suzuki GSX-R750, Caylor ran in third for much of the race. He and Kawasaki factory rider Tony Meiring had a race-long battle for the position, and Meiring was just ahead of Caylor when a red flag ended the race early.
“I had a great time dicing with Tony,” said Caylor. “It felt good to be running at the front of the pack again. I finished 17th at Daytona, and I knew that I could do a lot better. To come here and finish fourth means I’m headed in the right direction.”
Caylor also ran the weekend’s second leg of the Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike race after qualifying 11th. His qualifying time made him one of the top privateers on the starting grid, and he finished 15th in the race.
1-888-FASTLAP’s Brian Stokes had a difficult weekend. He injured his shoulder in a crash on his Team Embry Suzuki GSX-R750 during practice. Stokes started the Superstock race after qualifying 18th but was forced to pull in early due to his injury.
MBNA 250 Grand Prix rider and 1-888-FASTLAP owner Paul Wright had a frustrating weekend at California Speedway. Wright twice had mechanical issues with his Yamaha TZ250, keeping him from participating in the majority of the 250 practice sessions. The lack of track time left him 3/10s of a second short of the qualifying cutoff for the starting grid.
“I’m running on a totally stock motor mow. I’d pass the same guys three or four times a lap in qualifying, but every time they would pass me back on the straights,” explained Wright. “Rich (Oliver) and Chuck (Sorensen) were blazing fast, and I just couldn’t get the bike going well this weekend.”
The 1-888-FASTLAP riders will be returning to California for round three of the Superstock and 250 Grand Prix series, which will be held May 2-4 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.
