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/126609
Sparks moved to within a bikelength of Hart by the end of the third lap. Sparks diced with Hart till he was able 10 get by on the seventh lap with a small lead. "I had the power to stay with him (Spa rks), but I got tired. Ijust need to get into better shape," Hart said later. Sparks rod e on to take an 11second win over Hart, Hoy, Coe and Evenson. In the second moto Sparks rode a flawl ess race. as he wen t unchallenged fro m wire to wire for a perfect I-I da y. Han finished with a no ther second. Ho y-third. Evertson fourth, and Coe DNF. N Q) m r- - ... Q. ~ en ~ w Z ~ ~ CLASS 31 Despite trouble. Trecey Dickson wes eble to lend e fifth ove,.11 25Dcc . Curtis Sperks (4311elKls Merty Hen to e perfect score 1-1 in the 200s. Micheel Cae (BOlend Rod Shedenhelm (4611eed the 250. et Speedway 117. Sparks, Coe ·draw first victory in Baja Cross series By Myron Hemley CH ULA VISTA. CA, FEB. 21 10 Curtis Sparks took top honors in Class 30 (0-200cc) with Michael Coe topping Class 31 (250cc) as the Baja Cross Series opener, sponsored by the Mighty 690 and Budweiser at Speedway 117,opened before a crowd of 3,600. The Baja Cross will be a seven-event series, with racing run similar to motocross, each class racing in two 15 minute rnotos. Un like motocross, if there is a tie , the first moto takes precedence. CLASS 30 Marty Hart blasted his 3-B Lightning Yamaha in to the first turn to start the day's even ts. Curtis Sparks was second off the line, Tim Hoy third, Sam Coe fourth a nd Brad Evertson ro unded out the top and only five riders in th e class. Hart held o n to first with a three to four-second lead over T eam Honda 's Sparks. In Class 31 Michael Coe took the lead over Mik e Chester. Ken Harayda, Tracey Dickson, Steve Wright, Rod Shedenhelm and Duce Stewart. Shedenhelm moved into fifth when Wright broke the axle on his 3-B Lightning Yamaha going over the roughest part of the track. The broken axle ended Wright's day, but you can count on him co ming back strong in the rest of the series. Shedenhelm moved into fourth on the eighth lap after dicing with Dickson on the new Husqvarna 250CR. Shedenhelm co n tin ued 10 move through the pack and into third by passing Harayda in the big sweeper on lap nine. Coe held onto his lead going wire to wire for the win. Chester finished a close second but never close enough to challenge Coe for the lead. Shedenhelm was the thrill of the crowd finish ing third. with Harayda fourth , Dickson fifth and Steward sixth. Ch ester took the lead in the second moto in one of the most exciting races of th e day followed by Dickson. Coe, Shedenhelm, Harayda and Stewart. Coe moved into second. passing Dickson on the inside of turn two. Dickson dropped one more position 10 Shedenhelm on lap three. Shedenhelm then went from third to first when he passed Coe in tum one and th en stuck his wheel into the inside of Chester, forcing him out of the next turn and into third. Shedenhelm, Coe, Chester and Dickson opened a big lead over the rest of the field as they diced for first. Coe moved into the lead on the seventh lap. only to be repassed by Shedenhelm two laps later. Halfway through the next lap, Chester and Dickson new off a jump and into a hard right-hander. Hallway into the tum. Chester missed a shift, and Dickson centerpunched him. sending them both to the ground They quickly remounted and Chester was off just ahead of Harayda in founh. Dickson wasn'tas lucky, as he was unable to get the Husky into neutral and restarted before dropping to sixth behind Stewart. Shedenhelm took the win by only a bikelength over Coe while Harayda finished third after passing Chester with one lap remaining. Stewart took fifth, and Dickson finished in sixth. Dickson proved that the Husky will easily be competitive with the 250Rs when all the rough edges are filed orr. When the racing was over, Dickson commented that the Husky handled perfectly, but the engine was a little old and geared too high, making it sluggish off the line and out the turns. The top end was very impressive, though. In' Results ClASS 30 : 1. Curt i. Sparts tHon); 2. MlIrty Hart (Yamt 3. TIm Hoy tHon); 4. Brad Evartson tHonl; 5. Sam Coe tHon). CLASS 31 : 1. M ichael Coe tHon); 2. Rod Sh_nhelm tHonl; 3. M ika Chesler tHont 4 . Ken Hartlyda tHon); 5. Tracey Dickson (Hon).