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/127290
GMOTORCYCLE OLYMPICS AMA Winter National OIymp~ics _ In 250cc C combat, Todd Rion won the Modified class which led to a subsequent class championship. Pro Action Suspension /Honda Motorman-backed Rion said, " I didn 't expect to do well in the Stadium > event." e Motocross Motocross is always the most anticipated specialty at the Winter Olym "? pies, Gatorback 's National-caliber.l circuit is fast and cha llenging. Sevei"3J" changes were made this year, the m st notable being a set of whoops and tI1en doubles in the sweeping turn befo; the announcer's tower . H~H In the 65cc (7-11 ) race, .Robble d Horton erased Kenny Jones' holeshot,) then swept all four motos to p'1!a within one point of Mark Burkhart. Ricky Carmichael added four motoJ to his perfect 85cc record ahead t?f I Robbie Horton. lit Robbie Reynard hooked up his M- ~ Fox /PJ ilCT / Sco tt/Class Act-tuned Kawasaki and scored a sweep in tile J 85cc (12-13) motos to close within oh~ point of leader Greg Rand. Kevin Windham, who dropped to tllirdTI explained, "I missed a shift off the gat and then did a face plant. It just wasn' d my day." . dl?W Jeff Dement had to come. back3 W ,,. catch Kenny Yoho, Matt Maximof anQA Chris Brown to make it four more IIhi the 85cc (14-15) group. Dement elaborated, "I was moving up from an fourth-place start, stuck my footpe~ r in a rut and literally passed a guy i~.. midair without my bike! I'm sure glad the moto was long enough to find my £ bike and retake the win." In a sensational 125cc (12-15) battle, Team Green/Dunlop/Pro Pad/Scottbacked Timmy Ferry upset Ezra Lusk and Chris Brown. Ferry, who was in t Japan on the Yokahama Tire tour and I missed the first two Olympic even~s'A said, "Ezra, Chris and I were real clos in the second Stock moto. I finally had the lead when Chris tried to jam inside t me going down in the pit. I stayed 0!fiJ, the bike for the win, but Ezra got by Chrisfor second." It was shakeup time in the Expert Y divisions. Favored Ryan Hughes stuffed in on the first turn in both 125cc ( classes and Billy Silverole and David l Beckington took the overall wins.W Team Green Kawasaki's Silverole said I after winning the Stock class, "I had ,T a bruised hip, arm and was dizzy from a fall yesterday. I'm glad that Doc I Medsker was here to help me get ove it all ." rI TUF Racing/ScottlS8cD Helmets:.supported Beckington said, " I was top 10 at the start, finally Caught Anth6nYn Paggio for the lead and then had a flat tire. I was lucky to just hang on fo~~ the win." ~l Hughes revenged his earlier demise f with an awesome display of riding tQ. top Kevin Walker in the 250cc Stocky and Modified Expert classes. He;;; explained, "That was no fun being H sponged up twice in the I25cc motos.'~ An upset occurred in 125cc B action " as Massachusetts native J ason Fowler topped Ezra Lusk in both divisions. Fowler said , " Ezra pushed me at th ll end, but I held the lead." ~uH In the 250cc B confrontation, Chris Ridgeway and Brandon Sinith each~,\11 scored an overall class win. Ridgeway-a said, "I love this track . It is fast, rough~ /I and real dirt, not concrete." tl) That evening was highlighted by the' Jl Powermist Hi-Octane Chili Cookoffl... Afier Tip Tipton scored the win in his sixth try, judge Bevo Forti commented,t "If Tip didn 't win this time, we were afraid that he wouldn 't cook the turkeys next year." . 1 Befon: the start of the GP races, a special tribute was paid to the U.S. troops currently stationed in the Mideast. Greg Rand (77) and another rider tangle handlebars in the 85cc (12-13) class. Rand managed to stay upright to wrap up the class championship. Winner Robbie Horton (38), Mark Burkhardt (4) and Nicholas Wey (6N) battle for the lead in the 65cc (7-11) class. Horton locked up the 65cc class championship. 8 sun with a sweep in the 65cc (7-11) finals. The Ohio MotorSports/M8cD Racing-backed rider said, "I had the lead in the Stock final when the sand pit swallowed me up. I had to pass Nicholas Wey back to win it." Robbie Horton took off his helmet and was sick on the gate, but he got back on his .bike and rode gamely for third and l Sth place finishes. Action in the 85cc (12-13) class featured Kevin Windham joining Greg Rand for a win. Kawasaki/Maximal SCD tt / Dun lop / Bell / Ren tha I· sponsored Windham said, "I was lucky in the stock final. Some guy cut across and took out half of the field. I was Iucky to avoid the crash and hold the lead." The 125and 250cc Expert finals were again a Ryan Hughes show, despite hard riding by Tim Hodes, Jason Edwards, Jim Neese and Anthony Paggio. Hughes said, "I had to qualify for the 125cc Expert final in the consi after I blew out a berm and got wrapped in the banners (in the heat race)." Plus 25 and 30 class winner Alan Andreu said. "There was a lot of banging out there for a Senior class. Some guy got caught on me in the +30 start and I dragged him along for a while." In 125cc B Modified class competition, Brad Lockhart edged Chris Ridgeway for the win. Suzuki Country/JT/ Ren tha l-endorsed Ridgeway said, " I came here all the way from California because I love this event. People are so friendly and the different tracks are great. " The 250cc B point race heated up with former Golden Goggle winner Josh Steel giving front-runner Ryan Huffman a hard-earned split. Steel's Henry Gref-wrenched, Barrs/Powermist/Scott/ Johns Cycle Kawasaki topped the Stock final. The Ohio rider said, "Clifford Adoptante went down in a turn. Brandon Smith took out some banners. I stayed inside and it worked for a win." TT winner and eventual 500cc Novice Champion Christian Smith, who is sponsored by Sliders Cafe/ Seminole Honda and MCC (Mom's credit card) commented, "I got stuck in the gate and was dead last. I caught all but that guy on the KTM (Jay Rassa) . He was fast." ;1"