WIKLE THIRD IN DAYTONA OPENER FOR TEAM ROADRACINGWORLD.COM SUZUKI
Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki kicked off the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing season at Daytona international Speedway with a strong opening round, claiming a podium result and putting in several gritty rides during a sometimes-trying week.
Chris Ulrich found himself fighting an uphill battle early in the opening round of the new AMA Pro American Superbike era, battling limited track time and struggling to find grip as he set up his GSX-R1000.
The Californian qualified on the fourth row, posting the 14th fastest time at 1:41.147. He got a terrific launch off the line from there, quickly working his way past a number of premier-class competitors. However, his race got a whole lot tougher when he ran wide while still working the opening lap, dropping all the way to the back of the field.
Ulrich spent the remainder of the 15-lap race dicing up through the pack, ultimately reclaiming his starting position, finishing 14th at the checkered flag.
"I'd say the whole weekend was hectic," Ulrich said. "Not too much track time and this is the big class now so it's a big adjustment. We searched for grip all week. The first practice started perfect -- we were in the top ten but in the second practice we tried some stuff to find some more grip and it didn't work and we got caught out. In qualifying we had issues with the radiator when we came in for the tire, so that was bad luck. I wasn't that confident going into the race.
"I got a good start and went by (Ben) Bostrom and the other guys right off the bat. I went into Turn 3 looking for my hole and I was maybe just a little bit wide and the back came around and it swapped a couple times. Once I got it collected back together, there was no way I was going to make the turn without crashing. I went straight and came back on and was dead last. I worked up from 33rd to 14th, which isn't a bad day, but going from 14th to tenth would have been better. We stayed the same from qualifying to race, but we're a little bit disappointed.
"It's Daytona and Daytona is weird. Some guys left here without any points and we got some. We'll roll on to Fontana. We've got two races there and plenty of time to make up ground."
17-year-old Russell Wikle proved to be one of the stars in the debut of the new AMA Pro SuperSport class, a new category designed to groom the stars of the future. The Alabama native took full advantage of his front row qualifying position (3rd, 1:44.738) and fought for the win throughout the race on his Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R600. After leading nine of the race's 12 laps, Wikle ended up third at the flag, just 0.002 off of second.
"I was sitting pretty fat and happy in third," Wikle explained of his final-lap strategy. "I thought I was going to be able to draft by both of them with ease. But coming out of the chicane I kind of timed it a bit wrong I think. I was right alongside Joey and we went side-by-side around the whole banking and I couldn't quite get in his draft. Just about got second -- 0.002 of second is pretty close!"
Ulrich said, "Russell did a fantastic job. He led all the good laps except the last one. He never ceases to amaze me. He's very mature considering the time he's spent in this paddock. First round he's already got a podium and we're looking for big things from him."
Wikle and Santiago Villa rounded out the week by handing the team a pair of top-20 results in the 72-rider deep Daytona 200, contested Friday night under the lights.
Wilke edged the vastly more experienced Miguel DuHamel in the run to the checkered flag by a mere 0.094 seconds to claim 14th position in his first-ever attempt at the 200-miler. Meanwhile, Villa raced up from his 41st-place starting position to cross the stripe in 19th in the end.
Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki will next head to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA for the second round of the AMA Pro Road Racing Championships on March 20-22.
Chris Ulrich found himself fighting an uphill battle early in the opening round of the new AMA Pro American Superbike era, battling limited track time and struggling to find grip as he set up his GSX-R1000.
The Californian qualified on the fourth row, posting the 14th fastest time at 1:41.147. He got a terrific launch off the line from there, quickly working his way past a number of premier-class competitors. However, his race got a whole lot tougher when he ran wide while still working the opening lap, dropping all the way to the back of the field.
Ulrich spent the remainder of the 15-lap race dicing up through the pack, ultimately reclaiming his starting position, finishing 14th at the checkered flag.
"I'd say the whole weekend was hectic," Ulrich said. "Not too much track time and this is the big class now so it's a big adjustment. We searched for grip all week. The first practice started perfect -- we were in the top ten but in the second practice we tried some stuff to find some more grip and it didn't work and we got caught out. In qualifying we had issues with the radiator when we came in for the tire, so that was bad luck. I wasn't that confident going into the race.
"I got a good start and went by (Ben) Bostrom and the other guys right off the bat. I went into Turn 3 looking for my hole and I was maybe just a little bit wide and the back came around and it swapped a couple times. Once I got it collected back together, there was no way I was going to make the turn without crashing. I went straight and came back on and was dead last. I worked up from 33rd to 14th, which isn't a bad day, but going from 14th to tenth would have been better. We stayed the same from qualifying to race, but we're a little bit disappointed.
"It's Daytona and Daytona is weird. Some guys left here without any points and we got some. We'll roll on to Fontana. We've got two races there and plenty of time to make up ground."
17-year-old Russell Wikle proved to be one of the stars in the debut of the new AMA Pro SuperSport class, a new category designed to groom the stars of the future. The Alabama native took full advantage of his front row qualifying position (3rd, 1:44.738) and fought for the win throughout the race on his Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R600. After leading nine of the race's 12 laps, Wikle ended up third at the flag, just 0.002 off of second.
"I was sitting pretty fat and happy in third," Wikle explained of his final-lap strategy. "I thought I was going to be able to draft by both of them with ease. But coming out of the chicane I kind of timed it a bit wrong I think. I was right alongside Joey and we went side-by-side around the whole banking and I couldn't quite get in his draft. Just about got second -- 0.002 of second is pretty close!"
Ulrich said, "Russell did a fantastic job. He led all the good laps except the last one. He never ceases to amaze me. He's very mature considering the time he's spent in this paddock. First round he's already got a podium and we're looking for big things from him."
Wikle and Santiago Villa rounded out the week by handing the team a pair of top-20 results in the 72-rider deep Daytona 200, contested Friday night under the lights.
Wilke edged the vastly more experienced Miguel DuHamel in the run to the checkered flag by a mere 0.094 seconds to claim 14th position in his first-ever attempt at the 200-miler. Meanwhile, Villa raced up from his 41st-place starting position to cross the stripe in 19th in the end.
Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki will next head to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA for the second round of the AMA Pro Road Racing Championships on March 20-22.
Labels: AMA SuperSport, Daytona Sportbike, Russell Wikle, Santiago Villa, Team Roadracingworld.com
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