The American Motorcyclist Association
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Posted September 23, 2007   Email this articleEmail   Print this articlePrint

More talent out of Texas: 2007 AMA Road Race Horizon Award winner Zac Chapman

Zac ChapmanBy Lance Oliver

Many years, the choice for the AMA Road Race Horizon Award is obvious. 2007 was not one of those years.

Seth Starnes made his mark by beating everyone on the 1,000cc bikes except AMA Superbike Championship privateer Ben Thompson and 2006 Horizon Award winner Cory Burleson. Impressive performances were also turned in by some of the youngest riders at the Grand Championships, such as 14-year-old Tyler Odom and 12-year-olds Hayden Gillim and Ryan Matter.

But two riders stood above the talented crowd and provided the weekend's best entertainment as they dueled one-on-one for AMA number one plates. Teammates representing the CMRA, Zac Chapman (above), 18, of Weatherford, Texas, and Dane Westby, 20, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, finished race after race far ahead of the field, but less than a second apart from each other.

Race reports

See who won what at the 2007 AMA Road Race Grand Championships:

In the end, the AMA officials chose to give the award to Chapman by the narrowest of margins. It was Chapman's straight-up wins against Westby in the 600cc classes (the ones most closely resembling the next step for these aspiring riders, the AMA Supersport class) that barely tipped the balance. After all, the Horizon Award is meant to honor the rider who not only performs best at the Grand Championships, but also shows the most promise for making the leap into the pro ranks.

Everyone needs a mentor

Zac Chapman owes his start in roadracing, as well as some of the speed he's acquired since, to veteran racer Ty Howard, who's also from Chapman's hometown of Weatherford, Texas.

It was Howard who encouraged Fred Chapman and his son, Zac, to come out to some of the local CMRA races. Once they did, they quickly caught the bug, and both father and son were soon roadracing.

More recently, as Zac has showed his potential, Howard has served as both a mentor and a target.

"He's been working with me a lot," Chapman said of Howard. "I'm getting closer and closer to his tail section. He's my white rabbit I've been chasing all year."

Chapman did that by stepping up his game when it counted most. Chapman and Westby battle regularly back home in CMRA competition, but now there were national championships and the Horizon Award on the line.

"We've both been really hot this weekend," Westby said at one point Sunday afternoon. "He's stepped up the pace, really."

Chapman had the same impression.

"This is the fastest I've ever ridden," Chapman said, after accepting the Horizon Award trophy. "Now I know how fast I can go."

All weekend long, the two fought for position, sometimes touching fairings, never, it seemed, more than a few bike-lengths apart except when bad luck put one or the other out of a race. Race after race, the two riders at the front were Westby, with his controlled riding style, and Chapman, always appearing to hang further off the bike than anyone, and now and then resembling another Horizon Award winner from Texas, Ben Spies (only minus the unique elbow action of the 2006 and 2007 AMA Superbike champ).

Dustin Doucet
Dustin Doucet wins Top Novice Award

Dustin Doucet just got on a racebike for the first time about a year ago. When this man lines up for a Novice class race, he has a legitimate claim to be there.

Dustin DoucetBut he sure doesn't ride like a Novice.

Doucet went three-for-three in his Saturday races, but his competitors found a way to win on Sunday: watch him coast into the pits with a blown engine. Since nobody else beat him, Doucet earned the Top Novice Award.

The Club Challenge proved to be too much challenge from the CMRA riders from Texas and Oklahoma for the rest of the field to handle. With Horizon Award winner Zac Chapman, his top rival Dane Westby, and Dustin Dominguez finishing consistently on the podium all weekend long, the other clubs had no shot at the title.

Chapman took the advantage on Saturday with a win in 750cc Superbike, while Westby finished fourth on a 600cc Yamaha R6. Chapman won a race-long duel with Westby in 600 Superbike, too, but Westby came out on top when the riders switched to Suzuki SV650s for Lightweight Twin Superbike.

Things got more complicated on Sunday, especially in the 12-lap Pro-Am Supersport 600 race. Chapman was leading, with Westby on his tail as they approached the halfway point. Trying to get a good drive onto the front straight, Westby let his front wheel just fall off the pavement and the bike threw him to the ground. He walked away, but the race was stopped because Westby's bike was lying in the track.

Under the rules in place at the Grand Championships, Westby was allowed to switch to his backup bike and make the restart from his original position on the front row, so he and Chapman resumed the battle as if nothing had happened. But Chapman was able to keep his GSX-R600 in front, crossing the finish line just 0.075 seconds ahead of Westby.

The drama wasn't over.

The next expected showdown, in 750 Superstock, ended just after the start when Chapman's clutch failed. Westby finished second behind 2006 Horizon Award winner Cory Burleson.

Chapman's troubles continued in 600 Superstock when he lost the front end and lowsided while leading on the first lap, handing Westby a relatively easy win. Unlike Westby, Chapman didn't get the lucky break of a red flag and a chance to restart.

Zac Chapman and Dane WestbyBack on the 650cc twins for Lightweight Twins Superstock, the two battled one last time, but once again Westby proved a fraction of a second quicker on the twins and took the win.

The decision could have gone either way.

"I've wanted the Horizon Award so bad, ever since we decided we were coming to this event," said Chapman.

Now it's his, suitable for the mantle. And you only have to remember that other young Horizon Award winner from Texas to get an idea of how far it could take him.

 © 2007, American Motorcyclist Association