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/127559
eSUPFRCXOSS e AMA Amateur Sup-==.er.=:..:cro=.=ss:.....:::::S-=.=en=ยท.:. . .:R=-=.=o...==un=d-=-l_ _---'-es:. : _ Kyle Parks (20) battled early with Mark Landry (224) before winning the +25 main event (Left to right) Jon Hedden, Robbie Reynard, Randall Harris and Brian Oestrick launch off the line. The amateur course was similar to what the pros ran on just hours later. Robbie Reynard (671) posted wins in the 125cc A and combined 250/5OOcc A divisions. Chase Reed (155) railed a tum while on his way to scoring the 65cc (7-11) class win. Reynard rails to Texas win By Kat Spann HOUSTON, IX, JAN. 16 t 15 years of age, Robbie Reynard is too young to com pete in the Camel Supercross Series, so he did the next-best thing by taking part in and winning both the 125cc A and the combined 250cc/5OOcc A classes at the World Sports-promoted Houston Amateur Supercross, which took place in the Astrodome just hours before the pros ran. Class sizes were limited to allow time to complete the event prior to the A 24 evening's feature race, but a healthy turnout of approximately 250 riders from eight states still made for a full program. Heat races were run in order to establish gate positions for the main events. The amateurs were rerouted around a particularly challenging section of whoops, and the 50cc machines avoided most of the bigger jumps, but otherwise, the amateur track was the same as what the pros ran on. Some of the obstacles included a first-turn step-up double jump, a tabletop jump, a triple jump and a split section of rockers that gave riders a choice of two routes. Competitors who were accustomed to outdoor motocross courses found the track demanding, while those who had contested indoor arenacross and supercross events had an easier time of it. Team Green/ AXO-backed Brad Woolsey holeshot the combined 125cc A and B-class heat race in front of Team Green/Fox-sponsored A-rider Reynard. Reynard easily slipped into the lead over the step-up double in the first tum, and left the B riders to fend for themselves. Brian Oestrick rode for the front position in the B class, with Woolsey hugging the inside line through the turns and Oestrick riding the outside and bursting out of the berms. Jack Brassfield and Mike Boliver followed behind, but Boliver passed Brassfield and Oestrick. Reynard won the heat race overall, and Woolsey held tight to top the B riders. Following Woolsey across the line were Brassfield, Boliver and Oestrick. In the main event, Reynard, Woolsey and Brassfield vied for the front position down the starting straight. Reynard pulled away and left Woolsey and Brassfield to bicker over the second position, when out of nowhere Randall Harris shot by both of'"them in the first set of rockers, and settled into second place. Woolsey came alive and shot by Brassfield in the next sweeper, then set out after Harris. Woolsey doubled a set of jumps, squeezed past Harris and settled into second place behind Reynard. Boliver moved up and passed Harris, and Reynard took the A-class honors, while Woolsey was the top rider in the B division. In a last-minute fight for the runner-up spot in the B class, Grapevine Kawasaki-backed Boliver hounded Brassfield around the track tp the finish line, with Brassfield barely hanging on for second place. Houston's own Travis Elliott holeshot the combined 85cc (7-11) and (12-13) class heat race, and led Dago Racing-sponsored Jacob Martin into the first turn. Team Green-sponsored Erick Vallejo followed the two riders into the first set of rockers. The leading Elliott missed a gear, allowing Martin to shoot out front, and Vallejo to sneak into second place. Once in front, Martin put it in cruise control all the way to the checkered flag. Honda-mounted Shawn Smith earned the (7-11) honors, followed by Derek Gerdes and John George, Jr. Martin hoJeshot the ma.u\ event, with Vallejo, Nicholas Hamilton and Elliott right on his tail and fighting for second. Elliott squeezed by Hamilton and followed Martin and Vallejo out of the first set of rockers. Vallejo reeled in Martin and pulled up to his rear fender, then st"arted looking for a way around. Vallejo hugged the tight inside up a straightaway in an atternp at a pass, but Martin kept the lead. Both front-runners were handlebar to handlebar at the end of lap one, and Vallejo edged just in front of Martin to take the lead. Martin tried to retaliate, but cased his bike in a set of rockers and crashed. Vallejo rode the rest of the race with a comfortable lead, and scored the overall win. Elliott held off Hamilton to nab the second position, while Smith led the (7-11) division to the finish line in fourth overall.