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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127370
GLOCAL EVENTS
e
Dan Ingram (1) mo tored past Mark Wyskiel (98) to score the heat race win over Chuck Springsteen (35) at Cincinnati.
Michael Craig ( 1) led a portion of the main event before crashing. Bader Manneh
( 14) sta yed up to claim the San Diego Ultracross main event win.
led every lap of the eigh t-rider main
event. Estep , Villella , and Sp rin gsteen
followed the cham pion across th e
CN
finis h line.
Results
R NAl..: I. Dan Ingram (Han); 2. Do n nie Estep
{Hon ); 3. Brian Vi llella (H a n): 4. Chuck Springsteen
(H on); 5. Mark wvsklel (Ho n) ; 6. Bead Lo we (K3w);
7. Dou g O ' Boyle (H on ); 8. Ene O'Boyle (Hon).
nNAL SERIES POI NT STANDINGS: J. Dan
Ingram (26); 2. Ch uck Sprin gsteen (25); 3. Brian
Villella (23); 4. Donnie Estep (22); 5. Mary Wyski el
(20); 6. Doug O 'Bo yle (20); 7. Larry Pegram (18);
8. Brad Lo we ( 16); 9. Eric O 'Bo yle (12 ); 10. J ack
Mayer (12).
Mickey Thompson Off·Road
Championship Grand Prix: Round 2
Manneh motors to San
Diego Ultracross win
By Dave Burgess
AMA Invitational Indoor Pro Ice Race
Series: Final round
Ingramcaptures title
on Cincinnati ice
. By Bert Shepard
QNCINNATI. OH. FEB. 17
efending AMA Indoor Ice Race
Champion Dan Ingra m had a
perfect card and captured h is
third-straight champions hip title at
the Miller Lite In vita tion al Indoor Ice
Race Finals, held at the Cincinnati
Garden.
Ingram overca me a fou r-point lead
that Ch uck Spri ngsteen he ld enteri ng
the seco nd a nd final event in this
yea r's abbr evia ted seri es. In gram was
confident before the n ight's raci ng go t
u nderway.
" I need a near-perfect night to win
the cha mpionsh ip," said Ingram. " I've
got a newly rebuilt engine that will
wor k best on hard ice, and we've
fram es
a nd
tire
swi tc hed
combina tio ns. "
In gram go t th e ball roll ing · by
scori ng victo ries in the first four of th e
five heat races he'd be eligibl e for
points in, with th e fourth coming at
th e expe nse of Springsteen. Doug
O 'Boyle, Bryan Vill ell a and Mark
Wyskiel foll owed Ingram across the
lin e in th e first three heat races.
Springsteen won his first hea t over
J a ck ' Ma yer and h is seco n d over
Villella. Bu t the Michigan rider was
p u t on the pen alty line after two
resta rts in hi s third heat , a nd h e
D
24
couldn 't overco me his competitors and
was forced to settle for third place
beh ind Mark Wyskiel and Donnie
Estep. Spri ngs teen faced In gram in his
fourth heat , but cou ldn 't find hi s way
arou nd the Byron Moll oseau/ Sam
Kutter s/ T sub aki /
In gram /Kold
Shoei /Life time Number P la tes/
Honda of Bloo min gton H ill s-backed
Honda of the defending champ.
Ingram dro pped from the " Peop le's
Choice" match event, op ting to avoid
any chances of losing his cha mpionship hopes.
"T h ings are starting to fall ' into
place," said In gra m. " I don 't want to
take any chances."
Ingram scored his fifth heat race
victory of the nigh t over Estep an d
Mayer, putting the p ressur e on Sp ringsteen, who had one po int- pa ying heat
race left in th e eveni ng 's program.
Ingram competed iri the final heat
race of the eveni ng as a non-poin ts
payi ng participant, as last minute rider
withdrawals left emp ty slots in th e
starting grids. Ingram jumped into the
lead , but a ll eyes were u pon Spri ngsteen, who needed to find hi s way pas t
Eri c O'Boyle to sco re top p oints.
O 'Boyle had other ideas, however, and
Springsteen's cha rge fell short. Springsteen's failure to pass secu red the
cha mpi onshi p for Ingram.
"T hat's racing," said a disappo inted
Springsteen. " We' ll be back next year,
. th ou gh ."
"Thi s is the best engine that I have
had in my eight years of racin g on th e
icel" said Ingram.
Ingram added the icing to the cake
in th e main event. The Jndiana rider
SAN DIEGO, CA, FEB. 23
orrili Yamaha-backed Bader
Manneh motored to th e win in
the crash -fille d Ultracross main
event at Jack Murphy Stadium. Man neh came from a fifth -pl ace start to
systema tica lly pi ck off riders to tak e
hi. first-ever Ultracross main event
s ,
M
W In.
"T h is feels great," said Manneh.
''I' m leaving tomo rrow . morning for
Ita ly to prepare for th e 250cc MX
World Championship."
The main event provided some of
the most exciting race action as fan s
saw five diff erent rid ers excha nge the
lead throughout the course of the race.
The Ul tracross track combined th e
course used for th e off-roa d trucks and
buggies with special sections j ust for
the m o torcycl es tha t had several
su percross-style obstacles.
La rry Brooks stormed pa st early
leaders Brian Ro th and Phil Lawrence
to take the lead in the opening laps
of heat on e. With Brooks comfortably
out in front, Tommy Clowers and
Chad Ped erson battled their way into
secon d and third. With that, the '
positions were set with th e only pass
coming late in the race when Roth
stuffed his way back into -third over
Pederson.
When the green flag flew for heat
tw o , defending Ultracross champ
Michael Craig rocketed into th e lead
with Lowell Thomson and Jim Holley o n his tail. While H olley pressu red Thomson, Kyle Lewis snuck up
and passed Holley for third. Craig
stay ed out front while Thomson,
Lewis and Holley were no more than
a bike length apart. On the last.lap,
Holley stuffed Lewis hard for third
but Lewi s paid th e favor back on the
la st turn to th e fini sh and regained
the position. Craig took th e win over
T hom son ,Lewi s, Holley and Manneh.
The stage was set for the ma in event
as 20 riders lined up two abreast with
the heat race winners lined up in the
back. When the green flag flew, polesitter Darren H oeft took th e lead,
foll owed by Terry Fowl er and Lawrence. As th e pack sorted itself out ,
riders q uickly began crashi ng. Thomson th rew it away in the whoops while
running fourth, and Lawrence attempted to pass Fowl er and crashed. While
all th is was happening, Cra ig was on
th e move from the back of the pack
as he passed riders in groups of three.
Following on Craig's coattails' was
Holley, who was watching Craig's
lines for a way around.
On lap four Craig stuffed Hoeft for
the lead. Once out in front Craig began
to stretch out to a comfortable lead,
and looked like he might have the race
in the bag when he crashed entering
..
a tight turn. ' "
"The track got real slick, and my
front end just didn 't stick ," said Craig.
While Craig remounted in fifth,
Holley star ted pressuring Hoeft for
first. Hoeft was riding well but was
no match for H oll ey, as he flew past
over a big double. The next rider to
challenge Hoeft was Manneh, who had
been runnin g fourth and was slowl y
closi ng in on the leaders.
On lap seven Manneh motored past
H oeft and set out after H oll ey. Craig's
hopes of chargi ng back to the front
were dash ed when Brooks crashed in
th e wh oo ps and took him and Tommy
Clowers ou t in the process. .
Out front, H olley an d Manneh
bega n dicing for the lead . Manneh
made hi s move on lap eight and rai led
around H oll ey for first. At the checkered flag it was Manneh with the 'win
follow ed by H olley a n d . a hardcharging Pederson, who nipped Hoeft
for thi rd.
. " I was real lucky I stayed up, the
track was super slick," said Manneh.
"This gives me th e confidence I need
to help me win th e 250cc World
Championship for Yamaha.
CN
Resu lts
230 HEAT I: I. La rry Brooks (K3w); 2. T ommy
Clo wers (K3w); 3. Brian Roth (K3w); 4. O1ad
Pederson (Ya m ): 5. Ru ss Wageman (Suz); 6. Phil
Lawrence (K3w); 7. T erry Fowl er (Suz); 8. Ryan
Carlisle (K3w); 9. Ray Crumb (K3w); 10. Ty son
Vohla nd (K3w ); I I. Tiger Garcia {Honk 12. lames
Me reta (Ho n); 13. Ed Verhe lsi (K3w); 14. Andy
Northrup (Suz); 15. Rich T ruchjos ki (KTM); 16.
Orris Ra dzinski (K3w); 17. Pete Andrassy (Vam ); 18.
Ignacio Ri vera J r. (Ho n ).
230 REA T 2: I. Mik e Craig (K3w); 2. Lowell
Thom son (Va m ); 3. Kyle Lewis (Vam); 1. J im Holl ey
(Va m ); 5. Bader Manneh (Vam); 6. Andy Crider
(ka w); 7. Darrin H odt (Suz); 8. Ran dy Mood y (H on);
9. Duane Benn er (Vam); 10. Step hen Mitch ell (Vam );
I I. Scott Takacs (Hon); 12. Bryan Nee (Suz); U .
David Krock (K3w); 14. Robert Naber (Suz); 15. Mike
Ulrich (H o n); 116. Dan Fresh (Vam ); 17. Jc:ffrey
Nelson (K3w); 18. J