MCNEWS.COM.AU - The ultimate in motorcycle news Attard wins American Suzuki Cup
November 3rd, 2003
MCNEWS.COM.AU - The ultimate in motorcycle news
 
In his first ever National-level road race competition in the U.S., Australian Ben Attard won the Suzuki Cup 750cc Championship title riding the Corona Extra Suzuki GSX-R750.

The event, held at Road Atlanta, is an invitation only race for the best non-factory contracted Suzuki riders in the country to compete for the Suzuki Cup Championship. Corona Extra Suzuki fielded two up-and-coming riders in this prestigious and career accelerating competition; Mexican National Dirk Sanchez and Australian Ben Attard. According to Team Principal Tim Saunders, "Both these riders are naturally talented and we feel if they are provided the right equipment along with solid team support they will be able to prove their capabilities to become future members of our team."

Sanchez and Attard were provided with two fully race prepped 2003 Corona Extra Suzuki GSX-R750's and team support to do the event. With Sanchez having limited knowledge of the Road Atlanta circuit and Attard never even seeing the facility prior to this event, both riders had a monumental challenge ahead of them.

"The bike is good - especially good considering the minimal amount of track time we have been allowed to get the bike sorted and I think we will be there when it counts." Sanchez stated prior to his heat race. Attard concurred, "My bike is getting better and better. My crew, Darren and Jeremy, and (team suspension specialist) Jim Lindeman have been working hard to get the bike sorted, it's good. My focus obviously is to win on Sunday - put the Corona Suzuki on the top of the box and show the Team my capability."

The two started their heat race from the back of the grid as neither had accumulated sufficient "series points" for a better position. Both riders had only raced just one WERA event prior to this weekend. "We both had one shot to be eligible to be invited here and we barely made the list. That's why we are gridded in the back for the heat race." Attard explained. "When the green flag drops me and Dirk are gonna have to put the hammer down if we want to get descent starting positions for Sundays main event." he continued.

Both riders put in superb efforts and wound up advancing their main event starting positions by several rows, both starting on row five.

In the 750 Suzuki Cup Race, a first lap incident brought out the red flag. After the re-start, both Sanchez and Attard started quickly cutting through slower riders and gaining ground on the leaders. Unfortunately, at the end of lap two, Sanchez applying an overly aggressive tug on the throttle while exiting the turn ten chicane combination, was spat off the bike in a huge 'high side'. Sanchez' crash brought out a second red flag which stopped the race. Sanchez was taken to the medical unit for a check up. Fortunately he suffered no injuries but was unable to make the restart.

The third re-start mirrored the first two for Attard with him exiting turn one in ninth position. By turn ten he was in fifth. Attard and the other top four then began distancing themselves from the rest of the field. Attard spent time watching the leaders to plan his move making it at the halfway and blowing by them on the brakes on the entry to turn nine. Attard stretched out a gap of nearly six bike lengths on second until the last lap when all four pursuers tried the same out braking maneuver Ben had previously used when he stole the lead. The five riders all came together bunched like sardines, with several contacting each other and one tagging Attard from behind. "I didn't think that five bikes could fit in a space as small as that." Attard said post race. But Attard held his lead position and charged through turn eleven and down the hill to the last and one of the nastiest, most intimidating turns in America - the famed Road Atlanta turn 12. With all four competitors still flanking him, Attard used the power of his Corona Extra Suzuki to hold them off to the line.

After the race an exultant Ben said; "There was no way I was going to let those guys past. I said to myself, they can fight for second, third, fourth, or whatever - I'm here in the States to win."

 

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