Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-'---_ _ A_m_ate_ur---'Tri~le Crown Series: Round 2 MOTOCROSS e ~ Robert Hayes (3C) leads the pack during Sunday's dry Vintage class moto . Neese storms to Gatorback wins (Above) Rain created a sloppy track , bu t it was the threat of lightning that forced the event to be cu t sho rt. (Below) Riders watched videotapes after the event was cancelled. By Mike and Anne Adair GAINESVILLE, FL, MAR. 3 awasaki T eam Gr een 's J im Neese rolled to moto wins in both the 125 and 250cc Expert classes in the storm-shortened program at Gatorback Cycle Par k. More than 500 riders had pr acticed and were poised to do battle on the highly-regarded Gat orb ack course. The WorldSpons·promoted , AMAsanctioned event attracted several industry sponsors in addition to a healthy contingency program. . Heavy ra ins after practice slowed the pace of the event but the track was still rideable and raci ng was competitive. However, it was the lightning that crea ted ha voc wi th the race program and forced the cancellation of the even t before the first set of motos were complete. "T here were extreme storm warnings in the area a nd we didn 't want any ri ders hurt," referee Dave Aubrey said. " When the storm moved closer, we temporarily closed the track. The lightning persisted and we had to call the race after a partial first rnoto, It 's been a long time since these extreme circumstances caused a halt to the racing here at Gatorback." The 125cc Expert moto opened with Ezra Lusk ahead of Neese, J ason Ri vas, Brian Smith and Michael McDonald. Lusk said, "Jim passed me, and since the track was slippery, I decided to follow him, be cautious, and wait for the second moto. It just didn't work out sin ce they called the race." Chris Young moved up well on a challenging track to finish third behind Neese and Lusk. Neese switched to his Scot tiAnswer/ Cunningham Cycle-backed KX250 and led flag-to-flag in the 250cc Expert moto. Canadian Bill Walin finished a strong .second ahead of Young and McDonald. " I com peted in the Florida Winter AMA Series, but it took five races to get back in the condition of these American ri ders," Walin said. K Young said, " My clutch n ut was loo se and I had to be conservativ e to salvage third." In the85cc (7· l l ) ba ttle, Team Green/ Barr's Competition tea mmates Ricky Car michae l and Robbie H or ton raced for the win with the nod going to the latter. Street an d Trial of Martin ezbacked Horton said, " Ricky had a good holeshot, I closed up on him a nd he fell. 1 built a big lead before he could get back into the race." Carmichael was ab le [ 0 sa lvage second ahead of Derrick Bentley. Robbie's bro ther, Richi e, who topped the 85cc (12-13) class, said, " I was lucky to break away early. 1 rode my race, wa tched the slick spots, but no one came after me." Circuit· Ka wa sak ilPJ · II P r o su p ported Greg Rand roosted the 85cc (14. 15) field after leading from the drop of the gate. Jason Syber t, who charged back from .a slow start to second said, " My twi n sister Kim , was the hardest to pass. She ended up third." Suzuki-backed Lusk ruled the 125cc Youth class as he had during the Winter Olympics and Winter AMA Series. The Oeorgia-based rider top ped Greg Rand in Rand 's first l25cc appeara nce. Indian a ' s Mi ke Roth led Da vey Coombs and Kevin Clayton to a win in the Plus 25 class. Roth said, "I wanted to be con servative enough to win Honda's contingency. 1have a wife and house paymen ts now." Roth's ri de ended in suspense, . however, as hi s gri p came off with a lap to go. One of the h ighlig h ts of the weekend's amateur races was the Vintage class, wh ich wa s ru n with the National MX on Sunday. There were beautifull yrestored CZs, Yarnahas, Bultacos, CanAms, Rokons, Suzukis, BSAs, Maicos, Huskys, Hondas, Monarchs , Kawasa kis, Rickmans, Pentons and an Indian on the gate for the first mota. John Huegal , o f Los Angeles, Ca l ifo rnia, had th e mos t unusual mo u nt, a 1955 Indian dirt racer, bu ilt by Ro ya l Enfield. " I ac tua ll y bough t o ne o f these new in 1966 a nd competed o n it ," H uegal said, " I h a ve had the curre nt b ik e about 12 yea r s ." Huege l revea led h is strategy when he added, " J'm going to try n o t to fall off ." K.C. Wood of Ba rn ey's Yama ha bu ilt h is firs t vin tage bike t his season. Wood , who was a former compe ti tive amate ur m o to cr osser , sai d , " I jus t got to ri de my ' 74 Ya maha YZ250 for the first tim e this m or n i ng in practice. I h o pe that it stays toge ther. " I n bo th Vintage m o to s R ob ert H a yes'too k hi s 125cc H onda Elsinore by several r iders to th e fro nt of the pack and made it sti ck. H ayes' effort earned th e l25cc Spor tsma n class trop hy, whi le P ete Noneman ro de a ' 73 CZ to vic tory in th e 250cc Sports. eN man Expert class. Richie Horton rode unchallenged to the 85cc (12-13) class win. Results 125 A: J. J im Ne ese ( Ka w ): 2. Ezra L u sk (Su z); 3. Ch ri s Yo u n g (S u z): 4. Jason Fo wler (Ka w) : 5. M ichael McD onald (Su z). 250 A: I. J im Neese ( Ka w): 2. Bill Wallin (Su z); 3. Ch ri s Yo ung (Su z); 4. Mic hae l McDo na ld (Su z); 5. Bryan Smith (Yam ). . 60: 1. AUllus t Laur,ber g (Ka w ); 2. Ma tt W alk er (Kaw ); 3. Mllch Ba i ey ( Ka w ); 4. G reg L o ndon (Kaw); 5. Jessie Ball ar {Ka w ). 85 7· t1 : I. Rob bie H ort on (Kaw); 2. Ricky Carm ichael (Ka w ); 3. Derrick Be ntley (Ka w ); 4. Ada m Clem en t (Ka w ); 5. Ada m Ra k e (Yam ). 85 12· U : I. R ic h ie Harlan (Ka w); 2. Sco tt P inson (SUI ); 3 . C harles Dunaw a y (Ka w ); 4. Josh Keit h (Suz); 5. Mack Perr y (Kaw ). 85 14·1 5: 1. G reg Rand (Ka w): 2. Jason Sy be r t (H a n) ; 3. Kim Sy ber t (Han) ; 4. Steve Lo veday (Ha n ); 5. Da n n y H a yn es ( Ka w}. VTH: I. Ezr a Lu sk (S u z); 2. Greg R a n d (Ka w): 3. Keith Tro cco li (Ka w); 4. J o sh La t ina (Kaw}; 5. Jos h Bam ma y (H a n). PLUS 25: I. Mike Ro th (H a n) ; 2. Davey Coombs (S UI); 3. Kevin Clay ton (S UI) ; 4. Ki p Big el ow (S UI) : 5. .,ell Stei nroc k (Ho n). PL US 35: 1. Skip Stewart (Kaw ): 2. Art h ur Swift (Ka w); 3. Woody Strick la nd (Su z): 4. J ohn H arrima n (Kaw); 5. Terry H oatl a nd (Han). 250 C: 1. Joel H ennin g (Suz); 2. R ick Spe nce (Ya m) : 3. Robert R a dunz (SUl ); 4. G eo rge O sburn . (Suz); 5. Mike Abplana lp (Yam ). . 35

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