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/127535
~ M OTOCROSS 16th CMC/Valvoline Golden State Nationals South: Round 5 e J eff Wilioh (216) and Jason Partridge (727) battled in the com bined 80cc race. Dennis Dahlin II (170) led Mike Metzger (130) and David Evilsizer (702) in the 250cc In term ediate class. Dahlin toppe d the 125, 250 and 500cc Intermediate classes. Larry Brooks (4)an d Mike H ealey (I H) topped the 250and 125ccPro classes, respectively. H y B o scash in at Bar n eale , ro k o aOaks By Donn Maeda RAMONA, CA, JAN. 2 ike Healey and Larry Brooks were th e big winners at round fiv e of th e CMC/Valvoline Go lden State Nationals South, held on the j ump-laden course at Barona Oaks Raceway. Healey, aboard a Pro Circu it/Rentha llAgip/No Fear/ Scott-backed Team Bieffe Suzuki, swept both mo tos in the 125cc Pro class to score $3000 in Suzuki contin gency, while Brooks piloted his Noleen/Sinisalo/Shoei/ Sidi/Acerbis/lOO%-backed Yamaha to the overall win in the 250cc Pro class via 1-3 finishes to score the $3000 awarded by Yamaha. Over 300 riders showed up to compete o n the track th at included numerous sets of double jumps, a triple jump, and a long set of stadium whoops. Chris Young powered off th e line in th e o peni n g l25cc Pro moto and led Donald Upton, Mich ele Monti and Richard Saxton th rough tum o ne. Healey was mired at the start and began th e race in ninth p lace. Saxton M 14 was the first to make a move, as he snuck under Upton in a fast switchback. A few turns later, Saxton zapped Young and assumed the lead. Meanwhile, Healey sliced throu gh the pa ck and soon worked his way into fourth. Upto n stuffed his way past Young o n lap three, as did Healey on the following lap . On lap five, Healey began to pressure Upton, and sailed past over the triple jump. " I felt really good, bu t my arms started to pum p up, " said Upton. "That made it hard to go as fast as I wanted." On ce past Upton, Healey p ulled a longside Sax ton in the whoops and bou nced into the lead. . Once o ut front, H ealey cruised to an unco ntes ted win . Upton j um ped past Saxton o n lap eight, but bobbled in the wh oo ps on the white flag lap and fell victim to a last lap charge by 1I10nti , who passed Saxton a few tu rns earlier. 111ont i greeted the checkered flag second, just ahead of Upton and Saxton . : " My ha nds are hammered," sa id Heal ey, who contes ted th e prev io us day's Adelanto Grand Pri x. " I have quarter-sized bl isters o n both hands fro m racing yesterday." Heal ey's bli sters didn 't seem to affect him in mot o two.. tho ug h, as he gated fift h beh ind Saxton, Upton, Young and Ray Cru mb and quickl y bega n to wo rk towa rds the front. By lap two, Healey had forced his way into third, just beh ind Crumb and leader Saxton. Healey slammed past Crumb in a fast switchback a nd se t h is sig hts o n Saxton. Saxton managed to han g onto th e lead for two more laps, befor e Healey rai led past in a fast sweep er. Healey scored the rno to and overa ll wins, wh ile Cr u mb, Bill y J oe Mercier and Upton crossed th e finish lin e a few seconds back, in that order. Upton 's 3-4 edged Mo nti 's 2-5 for seco nd overa ll. "This is the best I've don e in a big race since I've turned Pro," said a happy Upton. " I felt really smoot h today." Young grabbed the holeshot in the ope n in g 250cc Pro rnoto, ahead of Brooks, Healey and Crumb. Brooks and Heal ey quickl y worked past Young and began to pull awa y from the field , while Crumb worked on You ng . Healey and Brooks exchanged the lead five times throughout the rnoto, but it was Brooks who greeted the checkered flag first. Healey fol lowed on ly in ch es behind, whi le Crumb finished a distant third. " I came out here mainly to practice, 1 didn ' t really expect to win ," said Broo ks, who only two months earlier broke his left sho u lder. ''I'm jus t making sure that 1 have the speed to race the San Diego supercross." " I would pass him, then my hands would hurt. .. It was stu pi d," said Healey as he bandaged h is bl oodied hands. Healey grabbed the holesho t at the start of the second moto, but was docked a lap for jumping the gate.