Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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GM OSS Florida Winter AM! MotOcross Series: Round 2 oroeR e Brian Swink (42) used 1-2 moto finishes to win the 125Cc Pro class over runner-up Ryan Hughes an d Doug Henry, respectively. Barry Carsten (34) pulled the holeshot in a 125cc Pro moto. Carsten finis hed fourth overall via a 3-4 combination. Tichenor, Swink do it in the sand By Mike and Anne Adair COCOA, FL, JAN. 5-6 onnie Tichenor and B.rian Swink survived the deep sand and end less whoops at Diamondback Cycle Park to earn Pro class overall R wins in the second round of the Florida Winter AMA MX Series. Tichenor topped the 250cc class with a 2-2 moto ta lly and Swink the 125cc division by way of a victory in the first rnoto and a runner-up performance in the second moto. After finishing second behind Suzu- ki's Mike LaRocco in the open ing 250cc rnoto, Tuf Racing!Dunlop! Oakl ey!IOO %- sponsored Ti chenor ' battled 1990 Winter AMA 250cc champ John Dowd down to the wire 10 take second behind Yamaha's Damon Bradshaw in the final moto, "Dowd was ahead of me and riding hard. 1 knew that 1had to pass him or settle for third . (overall) in a tiebreaker. 1 jumped by him on the white flag , but he fough t back. 1 have never had to rid e so hard. " Swink, th e 125cc Pro class overall winner, led most of the way en route to the first moto win but had to play catch-up in moto two , finall y reeling in Tallon Vohland, Dou g Henry, .Do u g Dubach and Barry Cars ten before ending up second to moto winner Ryan Hughes. Honda!Pro Circuit!Peak! AXOI. Scot t/Bell-sponsored Swink said, " My wor st problem was visibility. The sarid is sticky and 1 had to make my tearoffs last ." The 524 rider entry list enjoyed having the Brevard County Off Road Park back on the AMA-sanc tioned, WorldSports-promoted circuit. Dia mondback's Winter AMA history goes back to the 70s when young pro Bob Hannah won the series here and started his claim to fame. For 1991 the track was run in reverse, with the starting area moved toward the west tunnel .jump . Warm, sunny Florida weather was understated as SO-plus degree ternperatures challe nged th e rider's conditioning. Multi-time Canadi an National MX Champion Ross Pederson, who returned to action here after a four month injury recuperation , said, " I knew that 1 wasn't in top shape, but the conditions here today made me feel far worse. " "T he 125ccPro first-turn melee sorted out with Mike Brown in front, followed by Swink, Todd DeH oop, Ryan Hughes, Barry Carsten and Do ug Dubach with Tichenor, Doug Henry, Anthony Paggio and Timmy Ferry battling in traffic. Swink changed that aro und by taking over the lead from Brown. Swink said, "Brown mad e a little mistake. 1 took advan tage of it and passed him for the lead. " "Brian was setting too fast a pace, my shoulder was bothering me from an inj ury and 1 had to back off," said Brown, who dropped out of cont en tion. Hughes slowed when the electrode in hi s spark p lug burned up and Dub ach was soon in second spot. Dubach, who flew in to assist his injured Yamah a teammate Jeff Emig . in setting up Emi g's 125cc bik e said, " I made som e good passes in the early laps, but frankl y 1 just go t to Florida and since 1 didn 't know th e '9 1 numbers 1 reall y didn 't know who 1 was racing with for a while." Swink kep t Dubach at bay for the win , with Carsten, H enry and Hughes ro undi ng ou t the top five. Suzuki's T all on Vohl and dropped ou r of con' tent ion , hi s sh ifter stuck hopelessly in third gear. T he second 125cc .Pro moto was a thrill er. Hughes .wicked hi s Team Gr een Kawasaki ' into a quick lead, with Vohland, Carsten, Michael Tredwell , Jason Rinas and DeHoop in the hunt. Vohland wai ted until the tower double to launch his Suzuki past Hughes for the lead, which he hel d unti l he crashed eight laps later. "Were we going fast or what?" Vohland asked H ughes later. "I was riding all outand crashed OUl. " '" Henry mo ved into second behind eventual winner Hughes un til Swink passed him with two laps to go to wrap up th e overall win. Swin k exp lained,