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/127285
Mike Chamberlain went into tum one a little too hot and endoed off the track in front of Cooper and former Australian National MX Champion Eddie Warren. Michael Craig (43) is interviewed by announcer Larry Maiers in between motos. Craig was the big money winner, laking home $12,600 after two nights of racing. Tommy Clowers ra n second and third. Quarter final action in the 250cc found more tight and rough action unfolding. Craig took heat one, while Dubach scorched the second heal with a fast ride. Davis was th e victor of heat three over a closing Hughes with the fourth and final heat going to Matson after Smith and J pnes chased him all the way home. The 125cc quarter finals also would send the top four to th e semi s and Smith, putting himself on the winning end once more over Neal and Tallon Voh land in the first quarter final. T he seco n d quart er fina l found Ch ris Young, T ho mpson and Lance Smai l in an intense battle all race long fini sh in g one, two , three. Hondamo unted La mson then scored the win in q uarter fi na l number th ree over Ga ddis and Clowers. The fourth and a las t q ua rter final w s Warren 's all the way, with Ra y Cru mb and G rayson Hart second and thi rd. T he semis were the next order of business in line and the 250s were up first. Cooper again styled to yet an other win wi th Craig, McGrath and Brooks all following h im home for th e next three spo ts in th e main. Semi number two found Matson taking th e win , while Gaddis led Dubach and Smith to the line for second. The '125cc semis saw Kehoe, again, showing his form of old, taking a big win over Dubach, Gaddis and Tallon Vohland to land themselves in the main and Cooper continued his steamroller of the 125cc class leading Warren, Craig and Chris Young to the finish line for first through fourth in the 125cc semi number two. The final two spots in each class fell to Kehoe and Thompson in the 250s and then Smith and Crumb in the 125s. The final 125cc main event was destined to be a Cooper affair after he dominated the previous night's race and Saturday 'S heats. Kehoe and Lamson .took the early' lead with Cooper close behind. Cooper moved quickly to the second spot beh ind Kehoe and then stalked him for five laps, stuffing him big tim e on lap seven to take the lead and then cruised onto his second win in as many evenings in the 125cc class. Kehoe settled for second spot with Lamson third. Craig was fourth , Gaddis fifth and Tallon Vohland ended up sixth. One of the richest races of the year found 10 riders lining up for what would be a tense few minutes, as they Like Craig, Cooper took home a big chunk of the $50,000 purse. After winning three of the four feature races, Cooper left Sacramento $9500 richer. The fir st few laps found a swapfest going on in th e spo ts behind Kehoe , Cooper was running sixth in the 10 man field for a couple of laps befor e starting his charge. As Kehoe led the way on lap five, Cooper and Brooks traded positions a number of times before Cooper finally made his way past. Then McGrath and Dubach went down together, leaving Cooper clear sailing to Keh oe, wh o was in the lead and running away. It took Coo per till lap II to mak e his way to Kehoe's rear tire but once he did it was all bu siness, as Cooper pushed past and was on hi s way to win nu mber two. Cooper too k the win with Kehoe succu mbing to Dub ach's pressure on th e second-tolast lap and Dubach taking second. Keh oe finished third, wh ile Craig, Bro oks and McG rat h led a Kawasak i freig h t train across for fou rth throug h six th. Auss ie Melton was seven th . Coo per's so-ca lled weekend vaca tio n had netted him .$7000 in one nigh t's acti on and made the new National champ very happy. A no the r wa rm fall day greeted rid ers durin g the afternoon and Cooper was slightly worried, sa yin g , " I' m a marked man, everyone will be gunning for me tonight. It won 't be easy at all ." Heat races on ce again began the long process of getting to the final events. ' Cooper wasted no time in making himself the favorite once again by dusting the first 250cc heai ahead of Craig and Gaddis, while heat two found Australian Andrew , leading Dubach across to take a well-earned win. The third heat found Kawasaki racers Tallon Vohland and Lewis put on an exciting race to take the top two spots ahead of Jones and Davis. Kehoe con tinued to shine taking the measure of Matson and Hughes in the fourth and final 250cc heat and then came righ t back to win the first 125cc heat of the evening over Lewis, Young and Tony Graves. Heat two of the 125cc class was . McGrath's all the way, while Hughes and Chris Neal watched, taking second and third. In the third heat Cooper showed why he was wearing the black and white number on e plate by dusting his competitors. Lamson, Warren and Gaddis were the next three distant finishers. Heat four found Craig taking a welldeserved win. The heat was marred by a first tum crash that retired Ashkenazi for the evening with a possible broken collarbone. Mike Chamberlain and wai ted to find out who would pock et _ e .$10,000 w i n ner' s ch eck , and .th Cooper was, once again, the odds-on favorite to win. The start found Craig jamming into the lead with Kehoe, Dubach, Matson, McGrath and Cooper the next five riders in line. Those six riders stayed basically the same with the excep tion of Cooper who had moved into third by lap four. Cooper's luck ran out though, on lap five, as the Suzuki speedster crashed hard on the start straight, ending his hopes of a $19,000 weekend. Craig, meanwhile, was the class of the field leading all 20 laps and scoring the single biggest payday of his career. Dubach, McGrath and Kehoe provided much of the action after Craig ran away and hid. Dubach took his second consecutive runner-up, while McGrath looked good for third. Kehoe was fourth after dropping back from second, while 'Matson, Brooks and a disappointed Cooper were fifth through seventh. In the winner's circle a jubilant Craig tossed his helmet into the crowd obviously stoked about his accornpIishment, Craig collected some $12,600 for the weekend's work, while Cooper took $9600 home and Dubach pocketed Cl'I $6500. Results FRIDAY t25 FINAL QUAL: I. Ryan Hugh es (Kaw); 2. Steve Lamson (Ho n ); 3. Lan ce Soiail (Suz); 4. Grayson H art (Kaw); 5. Mike Chamberlain (Yam ); 6. Chris Neal (SUI); 7. Eddi e Warren (Kaw); 8. Chris Young (SUI); 9. Dean Matson (Suz); 10. Scott McElroy (Suz). . 125 MAIN: I. Gu y Cooper (SUI); 2. jeremy McGrath (Kaw); 3. Kyle Lewi s (Kaw); 4. Mike Craig (Kaw); 5. Erik Kehoe (H on) ; 6. Steve Lamson (Hon); 7. Ryan Hughes (Kaw); 8. Denny Stephenson (SUI); 9. Rodney Smith (SUI); 10. Tallon Vohland (Kaw). 250 nNAL QUAL: I. Elik Kehoe (Hon); 2. Mike Craig (Kaw); 3. Denn y Stephenson (Suz); 4. Sieve Lamson (Hon); 5. ChriSYoung (Suz); 6. Craig Dad (Yam); 7. Low ell Thompson (Yam ); 8. Eddie Warren (Kaw); 9. Kyle Lewis (Kaw); 10. Rodney Smith (SUI). 250 MAIN: I. Gu y Cooper (Suz); 2. Doug Dubach (Ya m); 3. Erik Kehoe (H on ); 4. Mike Craig (Kaw); 5. Larry Brooks (Kaw); 6. jeremy McGrath (Kaw); 7. Peter Mehon (Yam) ; 8. jim Holley (Yam); 9. Steven Andrews (Yam); 10. Ryan Hughes (Kaw). SATURDAY • 125 nNALQUAL: I. Rodney Smith (Suz); 2. Ray Crumb (Kaw); 3. Chris Neal (SUI ); 4. Lowell Thompson (Ya m); 5. T ommy Clowers (Kaw); 6. Shane Trittler (SUI); 7. Lance Smail (Suz); 8. Larry jackson (Kaw); 9. Gra yson Hart (Kaw); 10. Tony Graves (H on). 125 MAIN: I. Gun Cooper (Suz); 2. Erik Kehoe (Han); 3. Steve Lamson (Hon) ; 4. Mike Cra ig (Kaw); . 5. Jimmy Gaddis (Suz); 6. Tallon Vohl and (Kaw); 7. £ddie Warren (Kaw); 8. Ra y Crumb (Kaw); 9. Chris Young (Suz); 10. Rodney Smith (SUI). 250 FINAL Q UAL: I. Erik Kehoe (Han); 2. Lowell Thompson (Yam ); 3. Mike jnnes (Han); 4. Shawn Wynn e (SUI); 5. Steven Andrew (Yam); 6. Tallon Vohland (Kaw); 7. T y Davis (H a n ); 8. T yson Vohland (SUI); 9. Kyle Lew is (Kaw); 10. Eddie Warren (Kaw). 250 MAIN: I. Mike Craig (Kaw); 2. Dou~ Dubach (Ya m ); 3. j erem y McGrath (Kaw); 4. Erik Kehoe (Ho n) ; 5. Dean Matson (SUI); 6. Larry Brooks (Kaw); 7. G UT Cooper (Suz); 8. j immy Gaddis (Suz); 9. Lowe! Thompson (Yam ); 10. Rodney Smith (Suz).