Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/100352
Gene Romero's West Coast F lat Track Series By MIKE K IBBY PHOTOS BY BOB STURGEON Keeping it all in the family at Watsonville he popul ar Watsonville Speedway played host to ro und th ree of Gene Romero's West Coast Flat Track Series, with a lo ng, smooth, blue-grooved Tourist Trophy track that produced exce llent racing action. The Spencer family fou nd it much to their liking as they posted wins in all three premier classes. Rodney Spencer Jr. won his second K&N Filters O pen Pro A main event in as many tries, with dad Rod Spencer halting defending Vintage class champion Rick Hocking's win streak in the Open Vintage A main event. Cousin and nephew Bradley Spencer Jr., came home first in the Top Gun 450 A main to complete the Spencer sweep. The Tuff Plates Open Pro fast time numberplate award went to former WCFTS A main winner Jethro Halbert, w ith Rod Spencer fastest 'in the Saddlemen Open Vintage class. Opening Ceremonies then concluded w ith a moment of silence , as the flat track community mourned the loss of former AMA GNC competitor Ted Taylor. The 36year-old Taylor of Arbuckle, California, died on May IB as the result of injuries susta ined in a practice session accident T 42 one week before . Taylor had just recently started racing again, and he was the winner of the last wcm Top Gun 450 A main event , at Tulare. The Open Pro heat races saw the Halbert brothers, Jethro and Sam, Danny Casey, and defending wcm Open Pro Champion Kevin Bricker all posting wins. Rod Spencer and Hocking won the Open Vintage heats, with Bradley Spencer Jr. and Brandon Bergen first in the Top Gun 450 qualifiers. Hocking was fastest off the line and led Rod Spencer and brother Brad Spencer into the first turn at the start of the Saddlemen Open Vintage A main event. Rod Spencer showed Hocking a wheel through the infield, but Hocking held on to the lead. Two laps later, Rod Spencer got Hocking over the jump and set out for the w in. Brad Spencer closed up on Hocking but came up short to finish third , Matt Rohr was fourt h, w ith Dom DeMario finishing fifth . "You know I had a good battle with Rickand my brother there," Rod Spencer said. "I just kind of worked on Rick and finally set him up and got by him. You know Rick's always tough , though. I'd like to thank Robert Boten, Rod Lake Racing, Eric at Shift Gear, and Hlebo Bros. JUNE 16,2004 ��� C YCLE N EWS Suspension." The Top Gun 450 A main even t saw Bradley Spencer Jr. get the holes hot with A.J. Kirkpatrick and Bergen close behind him. The top three began to stretch it out as t he laps wound down. Not even a ro lling restart wou ld shake things up, and Bradley Spencer Jr. took the checkered flag w ith Kirkpatrick sec ond and Bergen t hird. Tom Hamalainen was fourth, and Jermaine Bacosa rounded out the top five. "I just got a good start and tried checking out , and then that red 40th Anniversary