WMRC Round Two of the 2002 BC Road Race Series
by Lorne Vogt
Click here to go to round two photo pages
Weather could have been a factor for round two of the 2002 BC Road Race series, but the rain stayed away from Mission Raceway Park. All competitors enjoyed a dry racetrack for the morning practice sessions.
ROUND 2 QUALIFYING
The qualifying heats provided much racing entertainment :
- #50 John Parker found new speed on his CR500 and handily won the Lightweight Superbike qualifier.
- A crash in the first corner of the first lap of Open Supersport brought grief to #74 Mike Sullivan and two other riders. #3 Mark Kruger avoided the excitement by grabbing the holeshot and winning the qualifier, just ahead of #2 Steve Dick.
- The large Novice field qualified in two clean sprint races with no crashes.
- The vintage class, under the direction of SOTP, ran a seven-lap qualifier.
- The large 600 Supersport field qualified with a split start. Attrition arrived early as #92 Japhy Goldman dropped his bike in turn two, and two other riders fell between turns five and six - and that was just the first lap. #555 Brent Luebkert lost it in the back section, then #107 Justin Kemp did too, in the second lap. Steve Dick took the holeshot, avoided the excitement, and secured pole.
- There was more crashing between turns five and six in the Supersport Twins qualifier, which was won by #318 Rick Earle, who had lots of fun but was disqualified, leaving pole in the 650 class to #887 Misti Hurst.
- The Open Superbike qualifier taught the competitors how not to creep on the start. #5 Scott Borthwick started with a big wheelie but #2 Steve Dick took the holeshot. Crashers in the first lap and last lap kept things interesting and Steve Dick got his second pole position of the day.
ROUND 2 LUNCH BREAK
Round 2 began with a fast and furious morning, and the finals hadn't even started yet. The lunch break entertainment began with a Super Motard exhibition race and finished with a talented display by the Freestyle Motorcycle Stunt Team from Victoria, whose wheelies and stoppies and burnouts (some while sitting on the gas tank, sometimes backwards) drew loud cheers from the spectators.
The lunch break also saw the pesky cloud cover burn off, which provided clear skies for the rest of the day's racing.
ROUND 2 RACES
The afternoon kicked off with Lightweight Superbike. #50 John Parker took the holeshot and walked away, providing a rerun of the morning's qualifying race. #61 Laurence Owen took a solid second place on his RS125, with #78 Randy Laurie on the last podium spot, proving that RZ350's aren't obsolete just yet.
The Novice class provided a clean, exciting race - unlike round one's crashfest. #67 Jeremy Leduc took his R6 to the win, ahead of #518 Ross Bryant's GSX-R750 and #169 Richard Maurice on another R6.
John Parker took the lead in the Middleweight Superbike race, but drifted back to finish fourth. #887 Misti Hurst crashed unhurt in turn nine, and #90 Tim Cochlin didn't finish the race either, on his homebuilt 500. SV650's filled the podium, with #286 Ken Botham taking the win, with #529 Brian Stiedle in second place and #611 Daryl Wichern in third.
#77 Mick Hart got a stunning holeshot in the Vintage race on his four-cylinder Honda. Hart earned an easy win, ahead of #240 Tom Mellor on a 750 Triumph and #131 Jeff Pearce on his Yamaha TR3. A long break after the Vintage race was provided by an ambulance that remained on the track for a lengthy time. Everyone appreciates the expertise of the ambulance crew and their careful and thorough work.
#2 Steve Dick got into turn one first in the 600 Supersport race. #9 Dave Klassen, riding the orange 600F4 for Imperial, worked his way up to third place, but a lowside in turn one prevented Klassen from finishing the race. Dick won the race ahead of #3 Mark Kruger's ZX6R and third-place finisher Mike Sullivan on a GSX-R600.
#887 Misti Hurst led the 650 Supersport Twins race for two laps, but #286 Ken Botham took the lead on the third lap and won the race, only to be disqualified. Hurst was credited with the win, ahead of #611 Daryl Wichern and #529 Brian Stiedle. In the Open Twins class, #99 Andy Bishop on an RC51 finished first, ahead of Rande Hillard-Martin on a Buell X1 with a Harley motor.
In Open Sportbike, #3 Mark Kruger uncharacteristically threw it away on the first lap. #2 Steve Dick got sideways in turn nine but saved it with a wheelie. Dick's lead continued to grow and Steve won his third race of the day on the Pacific Yamaha R6. #74 Mike Sullivan finished second, ahead of #5 Scott Borthwick.
Could anybody stop Steve Dick's domination at Mission Raceway?
Check out the results from round three to find out!
Click here to read report on round three
Click here to go to the round two photo pages
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