AMA/MBNA Superbike Series Preview for Road America Event
2 June 1997
CHANDLER LOOKING FOR SECOND AMA/MBNA SUPERBIKE WIN AT ROAD AMERICA For Immediate Release June 2, 1997 WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Kawasaki Superbike rider Doug Chandler last won an AMA/MBNA Superbike Series race at Elkhart Lake, Wis., back in 1990. The Salinas, Calif., resident went on to win the Superbike title that year. This Sunday, Chandler, a 14-year veteran of the AMA series, will try to earn his second career victory at the classic four-mile Road America circuit. Chandler leads the MBNA Superbike Series coming into this weekend's event by 13 points over arch-rival Miguel Duhamel. Last year's Superbike race at Road America proved to be one of the pivotal moments in the series. Italian Alessandro Gramigni (who is now racing in the World Championship 500cc Grand Prix Series) won the race in the rain on a Ferracci Ducati. More importantly for the series title chase however, was the fact that Chandler finished second and gained valuable points over Duhamel, who struggled to a fifth-place finish after making a bad tire choice just before the start of the race. Both Chandler and Duhamel have had their ups and downs at the scenic Wisconsin circuit. Chandler finished fifth on a Honda in his first Superbike outing at Elkhart Lake in 1987. The next year, his Honda seized while he was running third and he was forced to pull out of the race. In 1989 Chandler sat out of the Superbike final after experiencing a violent crash the day before in the 750cc SuperSport race. In 1990 came his lone victory at the circuit. In '95 Chandler pulled his Harley-Davidson out of the race with engine problems. Duhamel has experienced a similar roller coaster ride at Road America. While Chandler was en route to victory in 1990, Duhamel was a Superbike rookie who qualified on the third row while riding with a broken foot. The pain proved to be too great however, and Duhamel elected to sit out the final. In 1991 Duhamel's Honda blew a motor while he was running second. It wasn't until 1993 that Duhamel completed his first Superbike race at Road America. That year he finished rode a Muzzy Kawasaki to second behind Doug Polen's Ferracci Ducati. In '94 Duhamel was 11th on the Harley VR1000, then came his victory in 1995. This year's race is a toss up. Chandler is slightly favored since he leads the series coming into the race. But Duhamel's Honda is the motorcycle of choice at Road America. Honda Superbikes have won this race six times, twice as many as any other brand. The wild card is former Australian Superbike champ Mat Mladin. Mladin finished fourth at Road America last year on a Suzuki. Now riding for Eraldo Ferracci, whose Ducatis have won at Elkhart three times, could make Mladin tough to beat this weekend. Two other former Road America winners, Doug Polen and Pascal Picotte, could also be factors in the Superbike race. In other racing this weekend, Yamaha's Rich Oliver is in the midst of the longest winning streak in AMA road racing history in the Elf Fuels and Lubricants 250cc Grand Prix Series. Oliver owns a series record five 250GP wins at Road America dating back to 1988. Randy Renfrow is the only other former Road America 250GP winner in the field this weekend. The Pro Honda Oils 600cc SuperSport Series is once again the most hotly contested class in the series. Suzuki's Pascal Picotte leads the series by one point over Duhamel. It was at Road America last year where Todd Harrington shocked everyone by beating the factory riders and winning the 600cc SuperSport final. The win earned him a ride this year on the Muzzy Kawasaki team. Miguel Duhamel's big brother came through with his first AMA national win in April at Laguna Seca in the Teamline 750cc SuperSport final. Duhamel is now considered a serious threat to series leader Jason Pridmore coming into Road America. Young Californian Eric Bostrom is undefeated in the Progressive Insurance Harley-Davidson SuperTwins Series coming into this weekend's event, but that unblemished record could be in jeopardy. Bostrom's previous best finish at Road America was fifth and he will be facing former Road America SuperTwins winners Shawn Higbee and Dave Estok. A new class at Road America this year is the Pirelli Formula Extreme Series. The race should be between Erion Racing Honda teammates Andrew Stroud and Doug Toland. Stroud has won both races so far this season and Toland was second in both. R97057 Contact: Larry Lawrence Fax: (614) 891-7368 Phone: (614) 891-2425 -30-