Chevy Truck Superbike Sears Point, Saturday Happenings
7 May 2000
Course characteristics: 12 turn, 2.32 mile road course. Starting line is 16 ft. above sea level. Turn three -- the highest point on the track -- is 174 ft. above sea level. Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship - Qualifying Final qualifying for the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship was canceled due to rain. Friday's provisional Superbike qualifying will hold for Sunday's race. The front row and fastest lap times for Sunday's race follows: 1)Troy Bayliss, Vance & Hines Ducati, 1:33.901. 2)Aaron Yates, Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:34.624. 3)Mat Mladin, Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:34.734. 4)Tommy Hayden, Yamaha, 1:35.199. Aaron Yates was fastest during Saturday morning's practice session, with a time of 1:33.844. "It's a fun track," said Yates. "I like the off camber turns." Polesitter Troy Bayliss, the 1999 British Superbike Champ, also expressed his pleasure with the Sears Point layout. "It's a lot like some of the courses in England. It's a demanding track, but I like it." Mat Mladin expressed a dislike for the newly configured turn 11, believing it to be a bit tight, but was optimistic for his race day performance. "I think we showed we had a good bike this morning (in practice with a time of 1:34.268. We thought the bikes would be OK here from what we learned last year, and fortunately they are. We've (Mladin and Yates) been ordered to take a one-two finish, it doesn't matter in what order," Mladin said, laughing. Tommy Hayden was also optimistic for race day. "Everything works well. We tested here and figured a lot out. We have a little bit of an edge," said Hayden. AMA Buell Pro Thunder - Heat Races Tilley's Buell pilot Shawn Higbee won heat race one with an average lap time of 1:40.270 and average speed of 90.476 mph, and will take the pole for Sunday's Buell Pro Thunder race. Local favorite Tom Montano, of Berkely, Calif., won heat race two on the Munroe Motors Ducati, and will take the number-two spot on the front row. Montano won the 1999 AMA Buell Pro Thunder race at Sears Point. Reigning series champ Shawn Conrad has the number-three spot reserved for the HMC Ducati, and Jeff Nash has the last spot on the front row, earned aboard the Advanced Motorsport Ducati. Lockhart Phillips USA 750 SuperSport - Qualifying Chaparral Mazda Suzuki's Damon Buckmaster has pole for tomorrow's race, earned with a time of 1:36.548 and average speed of 93.964 mph. Valvoline Emgo Suzuki's John Hopkins has the number-two spot, with a time of 1:37.650. Hooters Suzuki's Jamie Bowman is third with a time of 1:37.873, and Brian Parriot and his Parriot Honda have the last spot on the front row with a time of 1:38.114. RAIN RESCHEDULING.... Saturday's Esportbike.com Formula Xtreme and Lockhart Phillips 750 SuperSport races, as well as the qualifying for Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport race and MBNA 250 Grand Prix races, have been rescheduled for Sunday, due to rain. The revised schedule for Sunday's events follows: Sunday, May 7 Registration: Crew, Sponsors & Guests 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Tech Inspection Opens: 7:45 AM Practice (in the following order): 8:00 AM - 8:40 AM 1. Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport 2. MBNA 250 Grand Prix Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport Qualifying, Even #'s (20 Min.) MBNA 250 Grand Prix Heat Race #1 (5 laps) MBNA 250 Grand Prix Heat Race #2 (5 laps) 3. Buell Pro Thunder Practice (approx. 20 min.) 2. Chevy Trucks Superbike Practice (approx. 20 min.) Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport Final (60k - 16 laps) 11:10 AM GPRA 125 Heat Race (5 laps) Lunch Break Nondenominational Chapel Service 12:10 PM FINAL EVENTS (in the following order) 1:00 PM MBNA 250 Grand Prix (60k - 16 laps) Chevy Trucks Superbike (100k - 26 laps) 2:00 PM Buell Pro Thunder (60k - 16 laps) ESportbike.com Formula Xtreme (16 - laps) Lockhart Phillips USA 750 SuperSport (16 laps) GPRA 125 (40k - 10 laps)
