Superbike Showdown At Road Atlanta

There’s nothing like a little rain to make you appreciate dry weather when it comes to riding motorcycles, and the beginning of our trip to Road Atlanta reminded us how true this statement is. After watching the weather forecast for several days prior to our trip, it became apparent that the forecasters weren’t sure what was going to happen. The chance of rain changed daily, and the only thing that was for sure was my desire to ride to the races if at all possible.

Things started out nice enough with sunny skies and warm temperatures, but once we hit Hendersonville, NC, the heavens opened up and a deluge of rain appeared. It became so heavy that we had to stop at the first opportunity, which just happened to be a highway patrol weigh station. The officer in charge was nice enough to let us wait out the storm inside the station, where we learned many interesting facts. For instance, did you know that an eighteen wheeler is allowed to weigh 80,000 pounds? After dripping water on Officer Jones’s floor for about twenty minutes we continued on and promptly rode right back into the same thunderstorm. At one point lightning struck so close that I visibly saw Lesley flinch as the thunder crashed. (She said she hadn’t been cursing me until that point) After repeating the above scenario one more time (except we traded the weigh station for a McDonald’s), we eventually rode out of the rain at Travelers Rest, SC, where we stopped, and I threw my socks away and dumped the standing water out of my boots. With somewhat dryer feet and better looking skies in front of us, we slightly exceeded the speed limit until we got to Buford, GA—the oasis in the middle of the desert, as Lesley calls it and our choice for “the” place to stay when visiting Road Atlanta. Only twenty minutes from the track, it has much to offer in the way of restaurants, accommodations, and shopping, which are quite possibly the three most important things you need after having traveled with your wife (who happens to be a really good sport) through heavy rain on the bikes.

Saturday morning dawned with gray skies and foggy conditions, but the local weather forecast gave us hope for a dry day of racing action. Arriving at the track at about 11:30, we checked out the paddock area for a bit before making our way to the turn 10 area and the new terrace seating that Road Atlanta built prior to last year’s races. If you have never been to RA and are contemplating a trip to the races, turn 10 is a very exciting place from which to watch. The racers fly down the hill with the throttle wide open at speeds exceeding 170 mph before braking so hard that their rear tires sometimes lift off of the ground. They then have to make a 90 degree left turn followed by a 90 degree right turn and then accelerate up the hill at 100 mph before cresting the top blind at the Suzuki Bridge.

Motorcycle racing is exciting stuff to watch live and in person, and Saturday’s action didn’t disappoint. The first race of the afternoon saw Aaron Yates win race one of the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship after inheriting the lead when Matt Mladin suffered a blown tire at 175 mph on the approach to the above mentioned turn 10. This was a truly scary event and proved to me that Mladin is one of the very best riders in the world to have brought his Suzuki safely to a stop after this catastrophic tire failure. The GSXR 1000 of Yates was too strong for the rest of the field, and he crossed the line well ahead of second place finisher Eric Bostrom.

After practice for some of Sunday’s events, the final race on Saturday (and the weekend’s most exciting race) was the Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock race. After leading the whole race, Attack Suzuki’s Joshua Kurt Hayes was passed only yards before the finish line by Hooters Suzuki rider Vincent Haskovec, who won the first AMA national event of his career. The crowd loved it, and Haskovec was clearly ecstatic as he was interviewed following the race. His thick, but very racer-like Eastern European accent couldn’t mask his enthusiasm as he thanked his sponsors and the crowd for their support. Josh Hayes finished second and Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School instructor and local racer Opie Caylor finished third.

The weather on Sunday was strange to say the least. We awoke to fog and mist that hung around for most of the morning, and the temperature never got above the low sixties, but come race time the track was drying and the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Race began on time. Although declared a “wet” race because of the still damp track, it was quickly apparent that rain tires weren’t the right choice as the front runners quickly pulled away from the rest of the field. After a red flag stopped the race and gave everyone a chance to re-think his tire choice, rising Suzuki star Ben Spies was able to retake the lead and hold off second place finisher Damon Buckmaster for the win. This was the first ever win for the eighteen year old in 600 supersport , AMA Pro Racings most competitive class.

The MBNA 250 Grand Prix race wasn’t much of a race as Rich Oliver won easily over second place finisher Colin Jensen. Oliver’s main competition, Chuck Sorensen didn’t compete after breaking his collarbone in a practice crash,which left the door open for Oliver to dominate the race. His margin of victory was well over a minute, or about three quarters of a lap of Road Atlanta’s 2.54 mile course.

The second race of the Superbike double header again saw Mat Mladin race to the front of the field, apparently forgetting all about the disaster that nearly befell him the day before. He took the lead on the seventh lap and never looked back. Mladin was declared the winner after a red flag stopped the race on the 22nd lap and Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom finished second.

The final race of the weekend was the Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Extreme. Early race leader Ben Spies crashed out giving the lead to Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster. Buckmaster then suffered a mechanical problem which turned the lead over to his teammate Jamie Hacking. Just when it looked like American Honda’s Jake Zemke was going to challenge for the lead, a crash involving three riders red flagged the race bringing it to an end with first place going to Hacking and second to Zemke.

What a great weekend of racing. The atmosphere of the track combined with the constant parade of bikes just enhances the race track experience, something that you just can’t get from watching on TV. Another thing you can’t experience on TV is the speed at which these guys race, neck and neck, turn after turn. It all adds up to a unique motorcycle experience that is worth the trip. Speaking of the trip, our ride home was fairly uneventful. It was a bit chilly and overcast, but it was rain free, a welcome change from the ride down. Once we got to Hendersonville (scene of the big thunder storm on Friday), the skies began to clear, the temperature got warmer, and by the time we arrived home, the sun was shining, and it was 80 degrees (woo hoo!). I can’t wait until next year!

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