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/127367
oroeROSS Florida Winter AMA Motocross Series: Final round ~ .M e John Dowd (35) led Dou g Henry (31) in th e 125cc Pro class. Dowd fin ished second overall , 'earn ing th e series class titl e. Budd y Little (far righ t) held th e microphone as Jerry West presented th e Freddi e Ephrem Cup to series winner Dowd (far left) and Barry Carsten. Dowd, Carsten.wrap up titles at Gatorback By Mike and Anne Adair GAINESVILLE, FL, FEB 2·3 o h n Dowd and Barry Carsten wrapped up their respective' Pro series championships in the final round o f the Florida Winter AMA Motocross Series at Gatorback Cycle Park. Dowd, who had not pr eviously won an overall, swep t both 250cc Pro motos J to end the series convincingly. The Parkway Cycle /Pro Circuit/Scotti An sw er/Dunlop /Bo yeson / An co ba cked-rider said: "I should have played it safe and ridden conservatively, but Honda offered $3000 for first overall and I thought that som eon e should win it. " Dowd 's paycheck, in cludin g a dou ble WoridSports' purse a t the fin a le, totall ed $7000. Montgom ervill e Cycle / Ma lco mb Sm ith/ DG/ Arai/Pro Spec/ Scott /Custom T X-supponed Barry Carsten, who won his first 125cc Series Cha mpionship, said : " I have come close several times and even led go ing int o the final even t last year, but I never q u ite kept it together. I needed th is title for myself an d Suzu ki. I rode eno ugh to beat Anthon y Paggio, but didn' t push for th e overa ll." Mik e Bro wn swe p t both 125cc mo tos, a nd ended th e series third behind Carsten and Paggio, Five - hundred and twenty riders contested the final event in the 21st year of the AMA·sanctioned, WorldSportspromoted series. WorldSports 's Jerry West presented the Freddie Ephrem Memorial Trophy to Dowd and Carsten. " O u r ma n ufac tu rers, H onda , Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yam ah a have a ll sup po rted this series with an increased cont ingency program," West said. "Together with purse and trop hies the grand tota l is over $500,000. We ap precia te th eir sup port and your support as rid ers and fam ili es in . mak in g th is series a success." . At th e a wa rds p ro gr am, series winners collected giant trophies and merchandise from the sponsors, Scott USA, Barrs Compet ition , Dunlop, Pow er-Mi st, TX-IO, PJ-I , Wiseco , Boyeson , Vital wear, Gear Racewear, Renthal, Chariot Trailers and Kal-Gard. In th e first 125cc Pro rnoto, championship runner-up Anthony Paggio roosted out of turn one ahead of Brown, Timmy Ferry , Doug Henry I'lnd Ezra Lusk. Dowd, Carsten and Carl Vaillancourt fought through traffic on their way to the front. " I saw Paggio out in the lead and it scared me. " Carsten said later. "I was desperate to cu t down the riders between us." Brown's Honda blasted by Paggio and took the lead for the eventual win . Doug Henry and Brian Swink moved into the two an d three po sitions and it loo ked like Swink would cha llenge for the moto win . But on lap six Swin k pushed hi s bike off the tra ck. He exp lai ned later: " It seized. This is my practice bike and it doesn 't get the attention th at my supercross bike gets. " Dowd moved into third when Henry slowed due to bad ly pumped-up arms. -" Doug (He nry) was riding really well," Dowd said. " I tried everything to pass him and finally just got lucky. Brown was too far ahead, his bike is totally Pro Circuit and he rides it fast." After the moto Brown said: " I was alarmed on th e last laps, as four lappers tried to race with me and I was afraid that I would go down." MOIO tw o saw Brown fighting ' Paggio for the ear ly lead and then running away to take the win. Smoothriding Ezra Lu sk moved h is Suzuki into second on lap two, but Dowd was on th e gas and pa sed Lu sk to lock up second a lap lat er. Jim Cycle Sales/ Smi th/ Shoei / Pro Circui t/Dunl op / A nswe r / Wor k s Connection -su pported Brown said: " It was abo ut tim e that I did someth ing in the series. T he first th ree races were a disaster for me." . Cars ten ma tch-raced with Anthony Paggio and earned fourth overall to validate hi s cha mpionship. " Mike (Brown) was fast today," Carsten said. He go t away clean in bot h motos." In 250cc Pro action, Vince DeVan e roc keted off th e gate wi th Dowd , Vai lla ncourt, Brian McElroy, Kenny Kizzar and J ustin Jackson in range. Dowd's Brian Berry-p rep ped Honda pi cked off DeVane in th e pit , fought off a DeVane countera ttack on the double and went on to lead every lap of th e moto. ' " I didn' t practice this week and did n o t feel co m fo rt ab le ' o u t th er e, " DeVan e said. "After Dowd passed me I kep t an eye ou t behind me. Ross Pederson was movin g up fast." Th ird p lace went to mul ti-time Canadia n Champion Pederson . " It has taken me a month to get in sha pe," Pederson said. " I would really like to start this series next week." After holdin g down th ird pla ce early in the race, McElroy was stra nded in th e pits, the victim or a failed master link. Mo to two was' a carbo n copy or'the first with DeVan e getting the holeshot and Dowd in pursuit, but DeVan e led for six laps before th e New Eng land rider mad e h is vocal fans happy with the lead an d event ua l win . " I go t a second good start in a row a nd said, 'Whoa, th is can 't be me,' " Dowd said. " My Honda wor ked great. It is stock except for a pipe and Rad val ve." McElroy, Pederson and Vaill anco urt had a regal battle for th ird , before McElro y DNF aga in . Ped er son guarded third whil e Earl May moved in to fini sh fourth ahea d of Michael Treadw ell. Ezra Lusk passed Paggi o on the double and then led every lap of 125cc Expert competition for an impressive overall win , but the title was settled in a duel between Paggio and Timmy Ferry. "T h is is the fifth time that I have' come down to a final series race in contention and have never won," Ferry said . The Kawasaki/Barrs/ AXO /Dunlop/Pro Pad/Scott/P3-backed rider changed his luck by taking fifth overall to Paggio's second, leaving points to spare. Canadian Brad Lockhart, in his first ride in the Expert class, scored well, finishing third overall. . Paggio's triumph came in the 250cc Expert contest, as the Kawasaki!