AMA: Pikes Peak crucial in Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championships
7 August 2000
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The penultimate round of the American Motorcyclist
Association (AMA) Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championships takes place on
August 11-13 at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo. Four riders,
Mat Mladin, Nicky Hayden, Aaron Yates and Eric Bostrom, have a chance of winning
the title. The results at this weekend's race on the tight 1.3-mile Pikes Peak
road course will go a long way in determining the outcome of the championship.
Defending AMA Superbike champion Mat Mladin is control of his own destiny.
The savvy 28-year-old rider from Australia is in top form and his
nimble-handling Suzuki GSXR750 Superbike is well suited for the twisty Pikes
Peak circuit, where Mladin wrapped up last year's title. He rode to a big early
lead then backed off late in the race when Ben Bostrom, Mladin's only
challenger for the title, had tire problems on his Superbike. Mladin's first
Superbike title was assured; he slowed and cruised home fourth. This year Mladin
won't be able to play it so conservatively. The main reason is young Nicky
Hayden.
Hayden, 19, of Owensboro, Ky., has been outstanding in his first full
season riding for the factory Honda Superbike team. Last year Hayden very nearly
won the Superbike final at Pikes Peak in one of his "try-out" rides for Honda.
This Sunday's Superbike national, like last year, has the potential of
being one of the best races of the season. Mladin proved last year that he could
make a break from the field; Hayden should be improved after a full season on
the Honda RC51; Picotte will be keen to give the Harley-Davidson VR1000 its
first AMA Superbike win; and Chandler is a proven winner on the challenging
circuit. Throw in two other former Pikes Peak winners - Miguel Duhamel, the
all-time AMA Superbike win leader, and Kawasaki's Eric Bostrom, who won at PPIR
in his rookie Superbike season ? and you have the ingredients of a classic
showdown.
Kurtis Roberts needs only to finish 14th or better on his Erion Racing
Honda CBR929 at Pikes Peak to wrap up his second eSportbike.com Formula Xtreme
championship. So far this year Roberts is undefeated in the class. He would like
to complete a perfect season with a win at Pikes and the season finale in
Rosamond, Calif., but it's unlikely that he will take too many risks to win this
weekend since the championship is nearly in hand.
Another reason Roberts will probably not push too hard in Saturday's Xtreme
final is that he's in an intense fight with Eric Bostrom for the Pro Honda Oils
600 SuperSport title. The two are tied in points coming into this race and the
top six riders in the series still have at least a mathematical chance to win
the title.
Valvoline EMGO Suzuki teammates Grant Lopez and John Hopkins are locked in
a tight race over the Lockhart Phillips USA 750 SuperSport title. The trio of
Jimmy Moore, Damon Buckmaster and Roger Lee Hayden are all close enough in the
points to take advantage should Lopez or Hopkins falter.
In the MBNA 250 Grand Prix Series Chuck Sorensen must be looking over his
shoulder at his old mentor Rich Oliver. Sorensen, the defending 250GP champ and
former rider for a team owned by Oliver, holds a 15-point lead over his old boss
in the series, but Oliver has been a dominant winner except on the two occasions
when his bike let him down. Sorensen will need to either beat or at least finish
second to Oliver to keep the veteran rider at bay in the series standings.
Jeffery Nash, a New Zealander turned Texan, has a solid 30-point lead in
the Buell Pro Thunder Series. Remarkably the top seven riders still have a
mathematical chance, but realistically they would need for Nash to have some
major problems for any of them to be able to catch up to the Advance Motorsports
Ducati rider.
For tickets to the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship races at
Pikes Peak International Raceway, call (888) 306-7223. Sunday's Chevy Trucks
U.S. Superbike races will be broadcast live on Speedvision, at 4pm EST. Check
local listings, as broadcast times may vary.
Event Network Air Date Time
AMA Pro Honda Oils 600 Supersport Fox Sports Net 08/13/00 9:00p EST
AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Speedvision 08/13/00 4pm ET (Live)
AMA Pro Honda Oils 600 Supersport Speedvision 08/15/00 9:00p EST
AMA eSportbike.com Formula Xtreme Speedvision 08/15/00 8:00p EST
AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Fox Sports Net 08/20/00 12:00p EST
