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/127370
~ M OTOCROSS GFI WinterMX Series North-South Showdown: Fiual rouud e , Erik Kehoe (33) was the winner in the 250cc Pro class. but Mike Chamberlain (265) clinched the series title. Bryan Curtis (84) and Robert Sh eldon dive under Rob Engel (5) at th e start of a 25-29 In terme diate class moto. Kehoe, Lamson level Perris By Tony Alessi PERRIS, CA, FEB. 24 hile Erik Kehoe and Steve Lamson were busy winning the 125 and 250cc Pro classes at the fin al round of the GFI Winter MX Series at Perris Raceway, Mike Chamberlain concentra ted on scoring co nsistent W 16 finishes to wrap up the two Pro class tit les. Kehoe and Lamson swapped mot o wins in the 125cc Pro class with Peak Antifreeze/Pro Circuit Honda-backed Lamson coming up with the decisive second- rno to win . AXO /Pro Circuitbacked Kehoe swep t both mo tos in th e 250cc Pro , class as Lamson crashed while battling with Kehoe in th e ,second moto. ' Chamberlain took home the class titl es, however. with 3-4 moto finishes in th e I25cc cla ss and a pair of fourths in the 250cc division. " I got a lot of seconds and thirds. I knew cons istency was , the key for win ning this series." said Yamal ube/ Pro Circui t/Shoei-backed Ch amberlain from Garden Grove. Ca lifornia. The event concl uded the two-month long GFI series. The series was split bet ween northern and sou thern California. and after five rounds in each region th e riders came together for two "s ho wdo wn " rounds. In each class, the tap five riders from the resp ectiv regions Came into the showdown with 25 bonus po ints. sixth through 10th received 20 points and any rid er wh com pet ed in a minimum of three races in th e series carried 15 points to th showdo wn . Riders th en rec ei ve points based on their mota finish in the sho wdown . , As the pack rounded th e fir st tur a t th e start of th e first 250cc Pro mota Keh oe em erged in front with Cham berlain, Ray Crumb. Lamson an Phi l Lawrence clos e behind. Kehoe Chamberlain and Lamson estab lish e . th e early pa ce while Crumb dr oppe back. At the halfway flag Lamson shot b Chamberlain a n d a d uel betwee Keh oe and Lam son ensued. Wh il Kehoe and Lamson battled. Lawrenc sq uea ked by Ch amberlain for third and closed on th e leaders . When th chec kered flag was waved . Kehoe he l o n for th e win with Lamson an La wrence fini shing second and third. Kehoe bolted to the early lead in th seco nd mota. Lamson moved to secon and chased Kehoe with a vengenc while Greg Zitterkopf, Lawrence an Juan Bena videz rounded out the to five. Kehoe and Lamson quickly lef the pa ck. enga ging in a bitter battl for the lead. Lamson tried several time to get a wheel inside. but each tim he was threatened. Kehoe went a littl faster. On the fifth lap Lamson tried to pas Kehoe down a fast straight bu t los control and crashed wi ldly to th ground. Lamson was in no conditio to continue and was walked off th tra ck by his mechanic. Kehoewent 0 to score the mota and overall victory Lawrence closed on Kehoe late in th race but settled for second, beatin Zitterkopf, Chamberlain and Crumb. Kehoe dashed to th e first l25cc Pr mota win without much of a Iigh from Lamson. who finished second Ch amberlain rode alone in third mos of th e moto while Crumb worked fro o ut of midpack to fin ish a fourth i front of fellow northern California Shawn Wooten . In th e second mota. Lamson turn u p the wick and opened a six-seco n margin o n Kehoe. Though Keh oe di whi ttle away at Lamson. he neve gained enoug h ground to mount serious cha llenge . La mso n wen t o n t score the win, Kehoe finished secon follo wed by La wren ce. But as in th 250cc Pro class . it was Ch amberlai earn ing the class cha m p ions h ip wit a solid third overa ll. J ay Biery scored both mo ta victorie in the Old Timer Interm edia te class but it was Ron Tuzinski wh o walk e away th e big winner. Tuzinski Iinishe second for the da y, but hi s regimenta rid in g earned him th e state cham p ion sh ip . Adding to the thrill of a well earn ed iitl e was the surprise of bein drawn as th e winner of a $2750 Pr Trac trail er. Tuzinski is also in th hunt for the ]T Racing's gr and priz of a bike of his choice, jean-Miche Bayle riding lessons and a yea r' sup ply of gear. Bryan Curtis captured wins in bot th e 500cc Intermediate and 25-2 Intermediate cla sses with a shockin display of riding. Curtis took his big-bore Honda t a . p ai r of easy win s in the 25-2 Intermediate clas s. Robert Sheldo finished second overall and brough hi s cont ingency pay to over $5000 Io the series thanks to a special doubl