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/127175
JoJo Keller (43), winner Bob Ha nna h (6 4) and Jason Buttle (79) battled in the 250cc Pro class. Brian McElroy (23 7) topped the 125cc Pro class. He's chased by Kirk Thomas (5 6 3 ) and Jim Chester (B11). Florida Winter AMA Motocross Series: Round 3 Hannah rolls at Dade City By Mike and Anne Adair DADE_CITY, FL , JAN. 14 & 15 . " I guess,those kids must have played arou n d too much .this week," said a smiling Bob H annah after sweeping both 250cc Pro motos in th e third round of the Flori da Winter AMA Motocross Series. h at Dade i tv Race- I way , thrilled a record crowd in both motos b me thodicall r u n n in g down a nd passing the " kids" , Mik e LaRocco, Keith Bow en and Mike Pascarella. Brian McElroy topped th e 125cc Pro class with a WKR I Action Sport Cagi va and Fred - Andrews' sup po rt Honda ea rne d his second 500cc Pro class overall of the series. McElroy exp lai ned, " It has been a real financial struggle to go raci ng thi s year. My dad has backed me all the way and th e $1000 .Gear Racewear contingency award today will help o ut." ' A 550 rider turn out and th e third strai gh t event with warm , su nny Florida weather provided an idea l day for both racers and fans. Pro mo ter Randy Yoho, wh o hosts a year round Saturday night racing program at the speedway com mented, "This is a record weekend for attendance. At our Friday warm-up race , jo]o Keller topped the 250cc Pro class and had the fans on their feet," Maj or manufacturers were represente d at Dade Cit y by Jim Danforth, Suzuki; J ose Gonzalles, Kawasaki; Steve Carter, H o n da and G reg Quador, .Yarnaha. Du n lo p 's Lee McCullough and Gear Racewear 's John Ayers contin ued to support the series wi th track sid e . a ssisra n ce, spo nsorshi p and rider contingency p rograms. The openi ng 125cc moto featured th e fam iliar sigh t o f LaRocco 's Yamaha at the po int ahead of Brian . McElroy, Brian Ca rro ll, J ohn Kitsch, Steve Childress a n d J ay Mann . LaRocco stro lled to a decisive win, h oldin g o n to a 10-seco n d lead. McElro y, wh o held th e second pl ace spot , said, "I'm getting in shape a little more every week. It felt good ou t there today." TUF Racing 's Kitsch , wh o rode near th e fro nt for two laps, elabora ted, " My engine seized out there. I let it cool off and tried it again, but th e motor was way down on power and I had to park it." ' McElroy bli tzed th e second moto, opeing a quick lead on La Rocco, Mik e Brown, Mann and Kitsch, and he 'n ever gave h is competitors any slack for a convincing win. McElroy said, " We are sti ll racing an 'SS mod el Cagiva, but Woody Kyle is doing a great job making it fast. He has stayed up a lot of nights in his shop working on the cylinder and has not charged me a dirrie." T eam Yam aha' s LaRocco maintained hi s series lead with a strong second pl ace. Prior to the first 250cc rnoto, Mik e Pascarell a unplugged ' th e " ra p" so u n ds from hi s Walkm an and stra pped on hi s helmet. Pascarella 's T UFI N o leenl Ara i/Sm i th- ba cked Su zuki blitzed th e start and held a stra igh taway lead at the end of lap o ne a hea d of Kell er , Bowen , La Rocco, Hannah and J ohn Dowd. Bowen and Hannah moved by Keller and La Rocco, then pursued a mot ivat ed Pa scarella. On lap 14 H annah closed on Bow en , pi cking him off to tak e th e second spo t. Bowen said, " I made a mi stake a nd wore a polyester jersey in th e first moto. I'm roas ting in thi s heat, bUL it's no excuse, Hannah was just going faster today." Hannah choked Pascarella's lead down and fin all y took a q uicker inside line down the fro nt straight to take th e lead on the next lap . Pascarella said lat er, " Bowen caught me near th e end. Those guys have too mu ch experience on me." Hannah said, " H e (Pascarella) had good speed and was faster than me early in th e race." Keller held fourth until his chain fail ed with two laps to go . . LaRocco, who struggled to hold third, exp lained shaking his head, " I' ve been sick all week. Flying back to school in Michigan and 16 degree weather ma y have so mething to do with it. " Moto two featured Keller 's purple Bettencourt jersey at the head of the pa ck with Bowen, La Rocco, Mark Crozier and H annah in the hunt. Keller said in th e pits, " My friend John Bettencourt was killed in a car wreck this year. He loved this sport. John designed these jerseys and I am wearing th em in hi s memory. " Keller roosted 'th e track for three laps until Bowen 's Smith/Bell/M. • RobertITU F-spo nsored Suzuki shot by for the lead. Bowen controlled the tempo for eight laps, wh ile Hannah worked by Keller and methodically reeled in the leader. H annah 's defici t dropped from 10 seconds to three in two rotations. As he and Bow en caught two lappers dow n the straigh t, H annah dodged inside and moved by for the win. A 'weakened La Rocco responded to his pi t's sign, "get Keller" to earn thi rd overall. . Arch rivals JeH Frisz and Fred Andrews resumed their ba ttle in th e 500cc class . In the first mo to, Frisz's