SUPERBIKES: Saturday Notes from the MBNA Superbike Tour, Lexington Ohio
18 July 1999
LEXINGTON, Ohio--It was a family affair in Saturday's American
Motorcyclist Association (AMA) racing action at Mid-Ohio Sports Car
Course, with a pair of racing brothers--Tommy and Nicky Hayden--taking
top honors in two races leading up to Sunday's MBNA Superbike Tour
event.
It was Nicky Hayden, of Owensboro, Ky., who powered his Honda through
the field to take the checkered flag in the Sunoco Formula Xtreme Series
race by a healthy margin. "I didn't think the pace was going to be that
fast at all, but we raced faster, I think, than we qualified," he said
after the win. "I'm racing in four classes this weekend, and I didn't
want to race that fast, but it worked out good."
Second-place finisher Kurtis Roberts, also riding a Honda, dropped back
from a first-turn lead, while Suzuki-mounted Steve Grigg held off the
rest of the field to take his first-ever podium finish in the class.
In the Lockhart-Phillips USA 750 SuperSport class, it was Nicky's older
brother, Tommy, who overcame some early-race contact with Suzuki's Tom
Kipp to battle into the top spot--giving the Hayden name a second
victory in two races.
"We talked about trying to win all the races we were in this weekend,
and this is a great start,'' Tommy Hayden said. "Maybe in the races
tomorrow, we'll have a bit more luck."
The second-place finisher in the 750 class was Suzuki-mounted Jake
Zempke, while veteran racer and Suzuki pilot Kipp battled back from an
off-track excursion after contacting Hayden to finish third.
AMA racing continues Sunday at the Lexington-based track,
with Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport action, and the premier MBNA
Superbike race on tap. In the Superbike class, Ducati's Ben Bostrom is
on the pole after setting a lap record. July 17, 1999 Mid-Ohio SCC
Rider Press Conference
SUPERBIKE QUALIFYING
Ben Bostrom put his Vance & Hines Ducati on the pole for Sunday's MBNA
Superbike Series race, topping a strong front row that all qualified
under the lap record for Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. In taking the pole
with a time of 1:27401, Bostrom takes his second Interstate Batteries
Pole Award of the season. Muzzy Kawasaki's Doug Chandler was
second-fastest, with a time of 1:27.488, while Ducati's Anthony
Gobert--riding for the first time on the challenging Mid-Ohio track, was
third-fastest, with a time of 1:27.875. Rounding out the front row was
Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin.
QUOTES FROM THE FRONT ROW
Ben Bostrom (Pole, 1:27.401)
Most of the track is really quick. Once in a while you run into traffic
and you have to get by them. I feel fortunate that the bike is running
so well right now. The bike is better, and every year tire development
gets better. All the riders are getting better, I mean its Go-Show's
(Anthony Gobert's) first time here, and he beats the track record.. It's
pretty impressive. The riders are upping it, every year the riders get
quicker. I think we broke the track record by quite a bit. It's hard
work the whole time especially when you've got guys pushing you...so its
going to be a great race.
Doug Chandler (1:27.488)
"When you have a weekend or two weekends (off) it's OK, but when you're
off for a month without doing any testing or riding it's hard to get up
to speed the first day. Where everyone else is acclimated to the race
track."
(After a slow start to the season, are you feeling more comfortable?)
"Yeah, the biggest thing is getting speed out of the bike. We couldn't
get any speed out of the bike at the beginning of the year and all we
could work on was the chassis, and I think we have one of the better
working bikes on the track right now. They finally got some stuff for
the motor (referring to a new head for the engine), and the thing is
making some good numbers on the dyno--and it shows on the race track
that I can run with those guys. As long as you've got a bike that can
run with them, then it's up to you. When they leave you on the
straights it gets kind of frustrating.
Anthony Gobert (1:27.702)
(On running Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the first time) I've been
struggling, really, just trying to get a good setup. The bike's running
really good. We've just been doing a few fine-tuning things trying to
get the bike right. At least judging by the lap times it shows we are
right there. (For tomorrow, we're) just trying to work on the rear
shocks and get the right balance, put a little more weight on the front
end and make it turn a little better.
Matt Mladin (1:27.875)
I feel there's some potential because I'm still down on (horsepower
compared to) what these guys are running. I'm reasonably happy with
it, it needs some more horsepower and I need to get off the corners
better.
SUNOCO FORMULA XTREME
Erion Racing's Nicky Hayden powered away from the field to win the
Sunoco Formula Xtreme series over fellow Erion rider Kurtis Roberts.
Rounding out the top three was Steve Grigg, who got on the box in Xtreme
for the first time.
Quotes follow:
Nicky Hayden (First place)
I had the top speed advantage over everybody, even Kurtis. Josh Hayes
rode a fabulous race. He really pushed me a lot harder. I didn't think
the pace was going to be that fast at all, and that was faster, I think,
than we qualified. I've had a long weekend, and I wasn't wanting to race
that fast. I've been riding four classes this weekend, but it worked out
good. I don't know what it was (gearing or engine) maybe a little bit of
both. I think Steve had speed, but my problem has been with grip. I was
up out of the saddle a few times. I made a bad call on the lapper--I
always go to the outside trying to be safe. To a point it helps me, but
this track is physically demanding. I never thought I'd complain about
getting to ride too much, but I guess I am. It has been mentally
draining not so much physically.
Kurtis Roberts (Second place)
I was hoping for the holeshot and to put in some good laps and just see
where we are. Then on the back straight Nicky caught me. I didn't get a
very good drive out of the corner on the back straight. I thought maybe
if I stay with Nicky we'll yank a gap, and then I can cruise a little
bit because I knew I was going to get tired after that. I've been sick
all week, and I didn't feel like crashing because I was tired, so I just
rode around and tried to get a gap and increase it a little and just
keep it there. There are some great teams and motorcycles out there, and
I don't feel I have an advantage there.
Steve Grigg (Third place)
It feels pretty good. It's the first step in winning one of these
things. (What's the key to getting up here?) Just building my
confidence in qualifying. We've been qualifying well, and that's giving
me more confidence in trying to run with these guys a little bit. We've
calmed down in the last few races--we've had some complaints because we
were being a little aggressive--but at the same it seems like they're
appreciating that a little bit.
LOCKHART PHILLIPS 750 SUPERSPORT
After a brief instant of early-race contact put both Yamaha's Tommy
Hayden and Suzuki-mounted Tom Kipp off the track, Hayden came back to
finsih first, while Kipp put in a standout charge to recover from as low
as sixth to take third. In second was Suzuki-mounted Jake Zempke.
Quotes follow:
Tommy Hayden (1st place)
I got off to a decent start, running 4th, but I couldn't do anything. I
was stuck there and started to get anxious. When I got by Jake, I was
able to reel in the leaders. With my bike, I don't have a lot of
opportunity to pass out here. I had a good run on Tom, and I thought the
hole was going to be just a little bit bigger. I just stuck it in there
and it closed up real quick, it wasn't a very smart move on my part that
early in the race. I probably could have followed him and found a little
safer way around. After that, I was just trying to put together some
good laps because Damon was so far ahead of me. Then, when he went down,
Jake wasn't too far ahead, so I just put my head down and was just
barely, barely, barely catching him and was able to pass him and hold
on.
Jake Zemke (2nd place)
Things are working really good right now, but we're kind of struggling
with the setup. I didn't get a lot of time on the 750 yesterday and that
kind of hurt me. Early on I was having a hard time staying with these
guys.
Tom Kipp (3rd place);
The track was really hot, and I had a little softer tire than I
should've, so I was battling that. I wanted to get out early, but Damon
(Buckmaster) spoiled that because he was really running good early on
and I was kinda using up my tire. When I looked back a couple of times
and saw that I hadn't put any distance on these guys (Tommy Hayden and
Jake Zemke) I knew it was going to be a race to the finish--a matter of
who was going to out-ride who to the end. Then Tommy and I got together
and I dropped back to 6th or 7th. He dove inside of me, and that corner
is really easy to get caught up in there. I got bumped off the track,
but I got hold of it. It took me a lap and a half to make sure the bike
was OK. Once I got my mind together again, I knew I could run a pace to
get myself up towards the front, and as it was I was able to pass
Randolph and end up third.