Round 1 of AMA Supermoto
By Nicole Capper - May 21, 2007 - St. Louis, Missouri was the venue for 2007’s inaugural round of the AMA Supermoto Series, and the season started off in spectacular fashion in the parking lot of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. Amidst tough blocks and hay bales was a track that consisted of supercross dirt sections and long, sweeping, slippery pavement corners. This venue combined technical and fast, and would serve to test both talent and training. A bit of luck was also called for, as it soon became apparent that the dirty track changed with each passing lap, with shifting debris and deepening ruts. The super-long main straight was lined with eager fans who got to catch a glimpse of their favourite riders as they flew past at speeds nearing 170 kilometers per hour just a few meters away.
Four time South African Supermoto Champion, Brian Capper, made his debut as a fully sponsored team rider this weekend, as he joined the exclusive HMC KTM Factory team. The distinctive orange and black 18 wheeler setup is now home to Capper, who will be joined in the battle for the Unlimited title by Johnny Lewis and Kurt Nicoll. Australian teammate Troy Herfoss has set his sights on the premier class title, which is currently held by the one and only Jeff Ward, who will again be competing for this year’s championship.
The KTM team’s usual dominance was eroded over the course of the day as both John Lewis and Troy Herfoss bit the ground more than once. Other than losing the front end during practice, Capper managed to keep himself off the ground and in the race. This was no small feat considering that only 12 of the 22 unlimited riders managed to cross the finish line. The rest fell victim to rubber marble covered corners, undulating pavement, and mechanical failures. John Lewis was one of the unlucky ten, who had a spectacular crash after running wide and opening up the throttle in the loose debris.
Robert Loire fended off aggressive challenges by HMC KTM’s Johnny Lewis and Brian Capper early in the race. Lewis’ bid ended with a violent, high-speed high-side crash while he was accelerating off turn three on lap eight. Lewis was battered and bruised from the incident, but he managed to walk away from the crash. -
- Speedtv.com
With Lewis out of contention, all of KTM’s hopes fell onto the shoulders of Brian Capper and his 610cc factory machine. Brian started the day feeling very uncomfortable during the first practice session. After adjusting the triple clamps for a better feel and replacing the front brake lever that had caused him arm pump after just a few laps, he went out and improved his lap times by a staggering two seconds in second practice. Still dissatisfied, he changed to shorter gearing and replaced the clutch which had blown during a practice start. The modifications seemed to be just what he needed, and he qualified third in his group, and eighth overall without a clean lap. This placed him on the second row of the grid for the main, starting on the outside.
I want to be really aggressive, but 99% of the time, when you’re over-aggressive, you end up lying on the ground. So I just want to find a happy medium between aggressive and careful. -
Brian Capper
Brian blew past his competitors and into fourth position within a couple of corners. The first few laps saw Capper hunting down teammate John Lewis in a meticulous fashion, but French Husqvarna rider Xavier Bellorphon steam trained the number 13 rider right off the track as he tried to pull a desperate move on the dirt. In the process, he stalled his bike, and left Capper to make his way over the tough blocks and back onto the rear wheel of Lewis. This battle was short lived however, and ended when Lewis dropped the front end as he rounded the last corner onto the main straight. He picked it up and began banging bars with Capper once again, but high-sided a few corners later, ending his hopes of a podium finish. The battle with Lewis had allowed KTM rider Josh Chisum to catch right up to the back of Capper. Brian ran wide out of the first corner, and Chisum grabbed hold of the opportunity, squeezing Brian out of the last podium position. Robert Loire finished second on his Husaberg 650, and last year’s Unlimited Champion, Benny Carlson, took the win on his Aprilia 550.
Brian Capper rode his first race of the 2007 season to a solid 4th position, just .253 seconds from 3rd place. He started from the second row and moved up while others lost pace. The 2007 competition is tough and Brian is in contention for the championship. George Emmons Najar of www.horsepowermarketing.com
Brian was content to have finished the race in one piece and with some valuable championship points in hand, but his fourth place finish only left him wanting more.
I’m hungry now man, I will be up on that podium in the next race, I can tell you that. I want to be right up at the top, but I’m not going to get ahead of myself. You don’t win a championship in one race.
- Brian Capper
Brian returns to Wisconsin this week to put in some solid hours of testing and training, and will be making full use of the great riding facilities that the surrounding areas have to offer. Two of America’s best road racing and supermoto circuits are within 30 miles of the team base, not to mention the surplus of motorcross tracks. Brian’s main focus will be to hone his skills for the supercross-like dirt sections, and to test his 560cc bike which has never been ridden. This bike will serve not only as a back-up bike, but its superior handling makes it a perfect choice for the more technical tracks later in the season.
Listen to Brian’s interviews here.
Catch his action photographs here.
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