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/126924
Ryan Huffman takes the early lead in the 65cc 7-11 class, ahead of winner Ezra Lusk (47), Matt Shue (20), Steven Olson (23) and Carter Gurnee (35). AMA Amateur/Youth MX National Championships , Simmet, Stephenson, J nigan sweep at Loretta Lynn's By James Derek HURRICANE MILLS, TN, AUG. 12-16 Rick Simmet, Denny Stephenson and Bryan Jernigan each racked up a pair of double class wins at the AMA/Honda Youthl Amateur National Motocross Championships in Hurricane Mills. Simmet, a past minicycle champion made an im nediate impact on the mot .... torcycle world WIth victones In the 125ccB Stock and Modified classes. Stephenson, a relative unknown from the Nebraska plains, dominated every moto he entered in the 125cc Youth classes, whle Jernigan earned two hard-fought Novice division titles. The Loretta Lynn Dude Ranch was celebrating its fifth year as the host of the Youth!Amateur Nationals, and the unanimous opinion was that the 1986 event was the best ever. The 1000 competitors and their families were treated to excellent racing and w~athe~ for most.o~ ~he week, al0!1g With. mghtly actlvlues such as Itve muslC, volleyball, basketb~II, a corneaung contest, and the thud annual Hi-Point Chili Cookoff. Approximately 8000 fans attended each day of the racing. The Dude Ranch course proved to be the perfect stage for the stars of tomorrow to show off their talent as the track remained in excellent condition throughout the week. The 1.5 mile-long circuit remained virtually dust-free despite the summer-long drought that has ravaged the southeast. Several new supercross-style jumps gave everyone tbeopportunlty to display their personal air shows for the factory scouts from Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki, all of whom attended in order to provide assistance to the contestants. Also on hand were such notable past and present champs as Marty Smith, Bob Hannah, Mike Bell, Tony DiStefano and Dick Burleson, as well as all of the industry regulars. Simmet, the latest of the West Coast wonder boys, nabbed his double victories in the hotl y contested I25cc B classes. The AXO-sponsored Honda support rider started slowly with a third and a fourth in day one racing. Ohio's Jon Agin appeared to be the man to beat when he stormed to the win in the first stock class moto, but the second round saw his title hopes dashed with an injured hand. Yamaha-mounted Jeff Mabery was also in contention early, going 4-1 after the first two of three stock motos, but could only muster a fourth in the final heat. Simmet got it together and won the last moto for the title. John Assad went 2-3- to follow Simmet and Mabery in the Stock class, while Jason Langford used a final moto win to move up to second in the Modified division, splitting Simmet and third place Gaylon Dickson on the leaderboard. The Kawasaki-mounted Stephenson was one of the most dominant winners of the week, going 6-6 in 125cc Youth action. In the Stock class, Georgia's Todd Neal stayed close after two rounds with a 4-2 but fell way off the pace in the final heat, allowing Brett Shumate and Keith Johnson to break away from a threeway tie for National numbers two and three. Honda-mounted Shane Siother was another early contender, going 2-2 in the Modified ranks, but like Neal, moto three was his downfall. A crash left the Pennsylvania pilot with a DNF in the final. Neal moved into the overall runner-up spot with Canadian Many Burr third. Jernigan took the 125 and 250cc C classes in the first-ever running of the two divisions. The Georgia Honda rider trailed Indiana's Jon Dawson going into the 125cc final by one point, but Dawson could not overcome a poor start and finished up seventh. Brad Jimison was third overall with a 5-3-4 showing. Jernigan sat in the driver's seat going into Saturday'S 250cc C final with Mark Niederhiser a close second atl-7. Niederhiser won the last moLO, but the second-place final moto finish for J ern igan was good enough for first overall. John Atkins took third. Minnesota's Donny Schmit and Michigan's Jeff Stanton would have joined the double class wif!ners had it not been for some bad luck. Schmit was unstoppable in the 250cc ProAm class, running up a 1-1-1 tally for the title. In each moto the Kawasaki speedster blew into the first corner in the lead and raced away, mounting massive gaps between himself and second place by the end of the 30 minute contests. Schmit also trounced heats two and three of the 125cc ProAm class, but engine trouble in the opener left him without a shot at a second title. Stanton; head of the Michigan Mafia and easily the most popular rider at the Dude Ranch, scored a 250cc A title and appeared to be ready to back it up with the Open A title. After winnin~ the first two