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/127211
Jim Ho lley (1) and lowell Thomson (51 ) ran 1-2 early in the ma in, but Thomson fell and Holley was passed on the last lap by Stephenson . Denny Stephenson (5) finished the heat race third behind Gilbert Murray (83) then came back to win the main event. Tallon Vohland led from start to f inish in the seven-lap heat rac e, but was never a factor in the main where he finished 12th. Mickey Thompson Off-Road Championship Gran Prix Series: Round 8 Stephenson captures Denver Ultracross win By Mike Larson DEN VER, CO , SEPT. 16 Kawasaki Team Green 's Denny Stephenson picked up the victory in the Ultracross main event at the Denver round of the Mickey Thompson Off-Road Championship Gran Prix Seri es. Stephenson worked his way up from a midpack start to challenge'.1988 Ul tracross champ Jim Holley for the lead , th en wit h less than one lap to go, leapt past Holley in tra ffic a nd pulled away to th e win. The race , held at th e home of th e National Football League's Bro ncos, in Denver Mile High Stadium, was the eighth race in the 10-ro u nd series and drew 40,314 enthusiastic fans. Kawasa k i / Yo ko / Bie ffe /Sco tt/ Race Tech/ Du n lo p/ R K/ Sprocket Specialists-backed Tallo n Vohland had his Kawasa ki KX250 in the lead before the end of lap one in th e hea t race with G ilbert Mu rra y, Brian Ma n ley, Stacey Coo k and R yan Hughes in tow. On lap two Voh land, who had co me from way back in th e pack off the start, began to pu t a little distance on Murray, who had fello w Kawasaki riders Manley and Stephenson in hot purs uit. Vohland mai n tai ned his lead . through lap th ree, wi th Murray, Manley and Ste p henson staying within stri king distance wh ile battling for second . T he other Vohland bro ther, Tyson, was on a tear as he sliced his way through th e pack to move up to fifth by the close of lap three. On la p four Tyson co nt inued his charge as he snuck by Stephen son to claim the fourth pl ace slot and began to zero in on Manley. At the end of lap four the order was Tallo n, Murra y, Manley, Tyson and Stephenson fill ing o u t the top five. Tyson's banzai charge came to an end on la p five wh en he went do wn har d in the wh oops, bouncin g off the H yd r o ba rriers w hich ma r k the co urse and taki ng Manley do wn with him. Bo th riders called it quits after the crash and didn 't race in the main . With one lap to go in the sevenlap heat, Tallon had a comfortable lead on Murray while Stephenson, Hughes and Cook rounded out the top five. Tallon easi ly took the win with the rest of the top five remaining the same at the finish . Kawasaki-mo un ted J erem y Mid da ugh grabbed the lead off the sta rt at the begi n ni ng of the main event, but hi s lead was short-lived as H olley came storm ing by at the clos e of lap o ne. Yama ha/ Accura te R acing / 0 ' Nea ll PJ I /S cott / Ar a ilBrid g estone-backed Holley co nti n ued to lead Middaugh th rough lap two, w h i le Su zu k i- mo unted L owell Thomson, Corey Cope and Step henson gave ch ase. Holley kept th e first pl ace spot , throu ~h lap th ree, wh ile Kawasaki/ Pro Circuit/Scott/Mfi Ra cing/Dun10p / R KI Silkolene/ Alumil ite Bars- backed Stephen son began to work h is way to the front as he flew by Cope to grab fourth, th en closed in o n Midda ugh , who had lost seco nd to Thomso n. By lap fou r Stephen son had pi cked off Middau gh a nd had moved into th ird. Holley had it on cruise control o u t front as he was main tainin g a sma ll, but safe lead o n Thomson, who had Stephenso n right on his rear fender by the close of la p five. Thomson was doi ng h is best to hol d off the attack of Stephenson , but a mistake on lap six let Stephenson slip by as T homson fell. Tho mson remounted quickl y and was ab le to hold o n to thi rd ahead of Middaugh and Cope. Lap seven saw th e race for th e lead tighten up as Step henso n reeled in H olley and th e two leaders began an intense ba ttle for the lead . Step henso n tu rn ed u p th e p r essure o n H oll ey, but H olley was n 't gi ving in as he was ab le to pull away by a few bi ke len gths as th ey came around to co mplete lap seven. S tephe nso n shado we d H olley th ro ugh out lap eigh t, bu t Holley was able to slam th e door o n an y attempt that Step henson mad e to get by. The leaders ' battle let th em p ut a good-sized cush io n o n Thomson, who was holding a safe th ird ahead of Middaugh . When th e wh ite flag came o u t, Stephenso n was glued to H oll ey's back wh eel, loo kin g for an opening wh ere he could get by. Step henson kept Holley in his sights, then a lapped rider got in front of the leaders in the whoops. Stephenson gassed it and jumped by Holley and the lapper to grab the lead. H o lley tried to stay close, bu t Step h en son kicked in the afte rburners and was able to put some di stance between him self and Holley and led th e ha lf lap to the checkers. Thomson was able to hold on for thir d wh ile Midda ugh and Gilbert closed out the top five spo ts at the checkers. • Results 1. Denny Steph enson (Kaw ); 2. Jim Holl ey (yaml; 3. Lowell Thomson (Suz~ 4. Jeremy M iddaugh (Kaw); 5. Gilbert Murray (Kaw); 6. Corey CopeISuz); 7. Ryan Hughes (Kaw~ B. Troy Rhoten (Hon); 9. Travis Hodges (Kaw ); 1D. Tim Buehli (Yam). POINT stANDINGS: 1. Jim Holley (400); 2, Brian Manley (332); 3. Tallon Vohland (293~ 4. Tyson Vohland (2711; 5. Lowell Thomson (149); 6. Jamia Munson 1112~ 7. Jeremy McGrath (104); B. (TIE) Denny Staphenson/Chris Voung (94~ 10. Terry Fowler (83).