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RACE WATCH
Polen best at Brainerd
Can anyone beat Doug Polen and his Fast By Ferracci Ducati 888? If the U.S. round of the Diesel Jeans Superbike World Championship at Brainerd, Minnesota, was any indication, race organizers may as well give Polen the number-one plate right now.
Following a boycott of the Canadian round at Mosport Park due to safety concerns, the riders of the World Superbike circus arrived in the Land of 1000 Lakes to test their skills against one of the world’s lastest circuits. Brainerd International Raceway features a 1-mile-long front straightaway that funnels riders directly into Turn One—a fearsome. almost flat-out. high-banked right-ha nder.
It was there that one of the top contenders was eliminated during practice. Brit Terry Rymer had the rear tire of his Loctite Yamaha OWO1 deflate at the corner’s exit, and he slid off into the grass at 160 mph, fortunately only straining his shoulder ligaments. Also a nonstarter was defending champion Raymond Roche, who crashed his factory Ducati during qualifying and broke the big toe on his left foot.
For once. Polen didn't earn pole position. Instead, that honor went to Ducati-riding Belgian Stephane Mertens, who employed special Pirelli qualifying tires to set the lastest timed lap.
Regardless, Polen led all but the first few turns of leg one on route to the win. Muzzy Kawasaki rider Scott Russell gave chase, but he was forced to settle for second place, some distance ahead of third-placed Mertens. Two-time world champ Fred Merkel put his leam Rumi Honda R( 30 into sixth place to claim his first points this season.
Leg two was stopped twice due to accidents—too bad. because at first it appeared that Mertens was ready to challenge Polen and Russell. But while the two Americans used the downtime to change their Dunlop tires. Mertens had no more Pirellis to fit. In the end. Polen again ran away and hid, while Russell held off Australian Kawasaki rider Rob Phi 1lis to claim second. Mertens was fifth at the finish, but since the race was run in three parts, it was scored on aggregate time, and Mertens wound up third. Merkel finished fourth, again scoring points, and claiming his best finish thus far this season.
Both of Honda's representatives in the U.S.—Commonwealth and Two Brothers Racing—opted to sit out the World Superbike race at Bra merci, and t h e Va n c e & H i n e s squad packed up after leg one. their Yamaha OWOls hopelessly uncompetitive fitted with the stock carburetors required by World Superbike rules.
Parker wins 40th, ties Springsteen
T’hree-time Grand National Champion Scott Parker moved a step closer to becoming the all-time Camel Pro Series win leader with a victory at the Louisville Half-Mile.
The win was Parker’s 40th, tying the record held by another threetime champion. Parker's close friend and long-time teammate Jay Springsteen. The Springer is winding down his career, and has not won a race since 1985. So, should Parker win number 4 1 —and it's likely that he will —the record will be his and his alone.
Parker's win at Louisville and second place—behind a revitalized Ricky Graham —in the previous round at the Springfield Mile narrowed his Harley teammate Chris Carr’s lead in the series standings to just two points. With 10 races remaining in the I 6-raee series, anything can happen. And probably will.
Bayle wraps up Supercross title
Frenchman Jean-Michel Bayle. 22, added a Camel Supercross title to his 125 and 250ce World Motocross C hampionships with a second-place finish behind Team Kawasaki's Jeff Ward in Oklahoma ( ity. Oklahoma. With a huge points lead and just three rounds remaining in the 1 8race series. Team Honda’s Bayle only needed to finish 19th in Oklahoma City, but he was feeling good
and riding well, so what the heck? Perhaps the $ 100,000 check he earned from Camel had something to do with it?
Ward led the race almost from the beginning, but the fastest rider on the track was Team Yamaha's Damon Bradshaw. The 18-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, got his front wheel stuck in the starting gate, and bv the time he got going, was dead-last. Nevertheless, Bradshaw carved his way through the pack to eventually finish third. ®
