With the debacle of Route 66 behind us, now the AMA Superbike series settles in for the final two races and focuses on the next round at Pikes Peak Raceway outside of Colorado Springs. All eyes are one rider. His name? Larry Pegram.
Yes, Larry Pegram, known affectionately for reasons we're not immediately clear on as “The Worm”. Pegram rides both the Yoshimura TLR1000 Superbike and the GSX-R600 Suzuki Supersport machine. His finishes in AMA competition this season have been lacking, especially for a former pole-setter, race leader and podium stander, but many are looking for Pegram to turn his season and career around with decent finishes at Colorado.
Why? Simple. Pikes Peak International Raceway is a dirt track riders heaven, a counter-clockwise oval with left hand corners a plenty. All former dirt track riders in the series went well there last season when the AMA crowd made their inaugural voyage to that venue, including Ben and Eric Bostrom, the aforementioned Pegram (who led the 600 race and finished second), Chris Carr and others. Both Bostrom brothers were going into turn one with the left foot down ala Springfield.
Pegram desperately needs a decent finish, or better yet a win as his contract with Suzuki ends at the end of this season. Last year was okay for The Worm as he rode with tire-spinnin’ GSX-R750 Superbike, but he has struggled to put a decent performance in this season, honestly on either the Superbike or 600. the TLR program has been plagued by a series of mysterious mechanicals which have scared the beejesus out of Pegram.
Pegram has been waiting for the Colorado round all season so we shall soon see if he has what it takes to win a 600 race. Doing so would raise the likable and very funny Ohio native's stock immeasurably.

ITEM: Of course, Mr. Grand Slam, a.k.a. John Douglas Chandler has done reasonably well at dirt track racing in his day as well (ahem), and he should be healed up from his Laguna Seca/Mid-Ohio crashes by now. So he'll be a threat, along with the Bostroms, to Larr-Bob Pegram’s potential 600 race-win. On the Superbike, Chandler’s got to mount a charge and win a race here at the tail end of the season if he wants to become the series’ first four-time champ.

By the end of business on Sunday in the John Denver state we shall also have conclusive evidence that will tell us whether or not Michelin has done their short-oval homework and has come up with a tire that will hang for more than 23 laps around PPIR. You'll recall that last year Mladin (then on the Ferracci Ducati) could only get something like 22-23 laps out of a Michelin rear before it blew its guts out.
Tom Kipp was testing the Ferracci Ducati at Pocono last weekend and may go back for more track time this weekend when the FUSA crowd takes the place over. Other than that, nobody else has been doing any testing of late, most taking a well-deserved break. And laying the groundwork for 1999 contracts.

ITEM: Silly Season Rumors at this point, and none of this may in the end be factual, have (1) Nicky Hayden riding for Erion Honda next year and on the RC45 team in 2000, and (2) Ben Bostrom leaving the Honda team for places unknown next year and his younger brother Eric taking over for him at the American Honda squad. Everybody and their brother wants to hire Aaron Yates but he is still unsigned for next year, although Suzuki has a gigantic offer on the table to keep him. The two-team Yamaha squad for 1999 seems to have died since Chaparral will most likely run a Suzuki support team next season and not be with Yamaha as most thought. I am not hearing Mike Hale's name much regarding next season, which might mean he has decided to return to Europe.

The Colorado race was one of the best attended in recent memory for a first year event and this year promises to be even better. There are scads of motorcycle enthusiasts in Colorado, and the clubs there are brimming with talented riders. Look for some promising local riders to do well in the 600 Supersport and 750 Supersport classes.

Of course, nothing could top Miguel DuHamel’s quote from last season at Colorado. DuHamel turned an RC45 into an expensive coffee table in practice, but came back to beat Tom Kipp and Doug Chandler in the race. DuHamel’s quote: “America is a great place. Where else could you destroy a $250,000 motorcycle on Friday, and win the race on Sunday?”.

--Dean Adams