Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Vincent Haskovec claimed his second podium finish of the season on Saturday, highlighting a impressive day’s work for the squad at Mid-Ohio. In addition to Haskovec’s result, Steve Rapp also picked up a pair of top ten qualifying positions.
Haskovec put in a measured ride aboard his GSX-R600 in the 60k Formula Xtreme final. While mechanical problems and rider error ruled out a pair of his rivals fighting for podium positions early, the Czech native and his Michelin-shod Suzuki proved up to the task.
Haskovec claimed third place at the end of the 16-lap affair, his second top three in the last three outings.
“In the morning practice the conditions were drastically different from yesterday,” he said. “I’m pretty much the only guy in the field on Michelin tires and that cold weather in the morning just showed me what we needed to address. I qualified on the front row yesterday, but the lap time wasn’t where I wanted it, and I wasn’t sure which direction to go with the bike. In the morning we changed the bike a lot; we decided to throw the dice and see what would happen in the race.”
“I wasn’t sure how far I could push the bike with the new set-up in the race, so it took me a few laps to get used to it,” he continued. “I rode as hard as I could, and I ended up on the podium. I’ll take that anytime, but I would like to see myself fighting for the win.”
On Sunday, Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki will be back on track for the Supersport and Superstock finals. The qualifying sessions that set the grids for those races took place before the FX race on Saturday.
Steve Rapp led the way both times, qualifying his GSX-R600 Supersport bike seventh fastest at 1:30.206 and his GSX-R750 Superstock machine tenth best with a 1:29.757.
Chris Peris will line up directly behind Rapp’s second row grid position in tomorrow’s Supersport final, thanks to his 11th place, third row qualifying performance. The young Canadian posted a best time of 1:31.426 during the session.
In Sunday’s Superstock race, Haskovec will start alongside Rapp on the third row. He qualified in 11th aboard his Michelin-shod GSX-R750 at 1:29.917.
