Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Universal Studios/American Honda’s Nicky Hayden was the fastest of all riders in AMA team testing Tuesday at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca with a lap of 1:26.54 on his Dunlop-race-tire-equipped RC51 Superbike. Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden led all 600cc Supersport riders with a 1:29.7 on his Joey Lombardo-tuned ZX-6R, while Bruce Transportation Group Honda’s Jake Zemke posted the fastest Formula Xtreme lap time on his 2002 CBR954RR with a 1:28.0.

“I was actually surprised to be fastest,” admitted Nicky Hayden, the AMA Superbike points leader. “The day didn’t really go that good. We got on the track late, but I almost got 69 laps in. I always try to end with 69 laps, if I’m close.

“Right at the end of the day, I did some low 1:27s on a tire that had over race-distance on it. I thought I was going to put on a new tire and get into the low 1:26s, but I kind of got frustrated. I tried harder and went slower. This afternoon, I think I rode too hard and was over charging some of the corners. I think tomorrow I need to slow down a little bit and smooth out.”

Nicky Hayden’s fastest lap time and Kurtis Robert’s second-best lap time (1:26.71) were thought by Honda’s crew to have come while chasing HMC Ducati’s Doug Chandler. Chandler finished the day with the third-fastest lap time, 1:26.75 (although the Honda team timed Chandler at a 1:26.4), and the biggest smile of the day.

“It was a better first day than I expected,” revealed Chandler. “I expected to be within one second of the fast guys, not be with them. I still feel rusty. I’m still in good shape. I didn’t change anything in my normal winter-time routine. It’s just these Superbikes are so unique that nothing helps you stay sharp with these things. But I think I will improve with each time I get on the bike and start building up my confidence. This bike is so nice; the way it makes power is really good.”

Chandler also said that having Gary Medley as his Crew Chief was a big plus, adding, “It just makes the transition easier. I mean, having somebody that I’ve worked with before really helps.”

HMC Ducati is planning to issue a press release on Medley joining the HMC crew before the week is out.

Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert made the fourth-fastest lap (1:26.78) of the test on his YZF-R7 while trying to dial in his new Ohlins suspension. Gobert said that he is still less than 100% fit following his Daytona Supersport crash.

Fifth-fastest Superbike rider was Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom with a 1:27.0 on his ZX-7RR. Bostrom spent his day getting an even newer version of Ohlins’ gas-charged forks to work as well as the forks he used to win the 2001 AMA race at Laguna Seca.

Miguel Duhamel spent the first day of his test finding a normal baseline setting for the RC51 that he raced at Daytona and another baseline for the back-up RC51 that he and Roberts will share in 2002. Duhamel recorded the sixth-fastest lap with a 1:27.6 on Dunlop race tires.

Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin turned a 1:27.7 for the seventh-fastest time even though his injured left elbow is slowing his riding. Mladin said that he is having trouble when braking and accelerating out of left-hand corners.

Mladin’s teammate Aaron Yates took his GSX-R750 Superbike out for five laps at the very end of the day with a best of 1:29.2. Jamie Hacking did not ride his Superbike Tuesday at Laguna Seca.

Tommy Hayden led all 600cc lap times despite spending much of his day in the pits. “We did a bunch of carburetor work today,” said Tommy Hayden. “We didn’t get a whole lot of laps in because that takes a lot of time making those changes and switching them in and out. I think we learned a lot off that, and tomorrow we’re going to start working on chassis set-up.”

The second-fastest Supersport rider was Hacking with a 1:29.9 in his first outing with new Crew Chief Tom Houseworth. Hacking’s teammate Yates tied for third-fastest with Bruce Transportation Group’s Jake Zemke at 1:30.0.

Of the five Formula Xtreme riders present at the test Tuesday, only two reported lap times to Roadracingworld.com. Zemke took the fast-lap honors with a 1:28.0 in his first outing on the new 2002 Honda CBR954RR. Zemke was followed closely by Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster’s 1:28.2 on his YZF-R1/R7 hybrid.

Both of the Erion Honda CBR954RRs ridden by Mike Hale and Roger Lee Hayden were sidelined by mechanical problems Tuesday afternoon. Without a CBR954RR to ride, Zemke’s Bruce Group teammate, Alex Gobert, rode a 2001-spec CBR929RR for only a few laps and did not offer a lap time.

Testing resumes Wednesday and is planned to continue through Thursday, but Honda’s Duhamel said that if Wednesday goes well for the Honda men, they may leave after day two of the test.

Tuesday’s best unofficial lap times:

1. Nicky Hayden, Honda RC51, 1:26.54
2. Kurtis Roberts, Honda RC51, 1:26.71
3. Doug Chandler, Ducati 998RS, 1:26.75
4. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R7, 1:26.78
5. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:27.0
6. Miguel Duhamel, Honda RC51, 1:27.6
7. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:27.7
8. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR954RR, 1:28.0
9. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R1/R7, 1:28.2
10. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:29.2
11. Tommy Hayden , Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:29.7
12. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:29.9
13. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:30.0
14. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:30.0
15. Mike Hale, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:30.9
16. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:31.05
17. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:31.06
18. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:31.1
19. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:32.36
20. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:32.64