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/127244
Ron Turner (5) aced the Vet Pro class w ith a pair of moto wins. M ichael Preston (0) was the runner-up with 3 -2 moto scores. Je,ff Matiasevich (20) topped Phil Lawrence (91 ) in the 250cc Pro class. wh ile Ed~ie Hicks (3 ) won t he Open Pro class. GFI California Winter Series South: Round 1 Matiasevichmops Up at Perris By Nate Rauba Photos by Ken Faught and Rauba PERRIS, CA, DEC. 31 Jeff Matiasevich said his employer, Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA, didn't really wan t him to race the opening round of G FI Racing's California Winter Series at Perris ยท8 R a cew a y. But Ma tia sevi ch di dn' t want to sit around for the long New Year's weekend, raced anyway and came away -w i th the 250cc Pro class win. Kawasa ki Team Green member Jeremy McGrath didn't win a mota but gave the green tea m another overall win in the l25cc Pro class with 2-2 finishes. First-mota winner Bader Manneh crashed out the second mota, handing P hi l Lawrence the win. His fifth in round one was good for second overall. Eddie Hicks edged out Gordon Ward for the Open Pro class win. Both riders ended in a tie after the two motos, but Hicks' tie-breaking victory in round two pushed him over the top. , Ma tiasevich almost turned away from the event after' he arrived at Perris and found a long line to get 'in th e front gate. He couldn' t get in since the pits were already filled with nearly 700 entrants and overflowing onto the dirt road and fields surrounding the facili ty, but fortunately Matiasevich's father had arrived earlier and saved him a spot. Since there were so ma ny ri ders, racing was sp lit between two differen t tracks. Beginner and Novice class riders u sed Perris' regular track, whi le th e P ro and Intermediate classes raced on a course specially built by track owner Goat Breker. In the first 250cc Pro class mota, Matiasevich ju mped out to a lead he would never give up. Lawrence file d behind in second, but fell on the second lap of the IO-lap mota which allowed Don Patton, Hicks and Mike Young to get by. As Matiasevich pulled away, Pa tton settled into second while H icks and 'Yo ung disputed thi rd . After , severa l laps of close combat, Young go t by Hicks and went af ter Patton. Young passed him wi th two la ps remaining, and Lawrence also got by on the final circuit to claim third. Mu lti -time National MX Champion Broc Glover, who was sorting o u t a Pia Circuit -backed Honda, rounded ou t the top five. ' ,,>,n' Matiasev ich grabbed the holeshot a t the start of the second mota and, once again, he was gone. J on Ornter held second for the first lap before fading back, then Greg Zitterkopf was the runner-up until he dropped out on the fo urth lap. Tha t left Patton and Lawrence to fight for the