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GMOTOCROSS ~ o Southern California Veteran's Cup- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - .... N ~ Q) .g ..... u o Dean Nesbitt (221) pursues Bruce Forinash (23), winner of the 40+ Intermediate class. Willy Musgrave blasted to the win in the Vet Pro class by easily topping both motos; . Musgrave crowned at Carlsbad By.Donn Maeda CARLSB CA, OCT. 3 AD, ore than 200 Veteran-class riders converged upon Carlsbad Raceway for the first-ever Southern California Veteran's Cup, and it was Willy Musgrave who came away the winner in the Vet Pro class . Musgrave lo oked like a youngster as he raced awa y with both moto wins aboard his Pro Circuit/ AXO/ ABD/Bridgestonebacked Honda CRSOO with relative ease. "I had a lot of fun today," said Musgrave. "I was able to get out front pretty early in both motos and just concentrate on riding smoothly." The race was a first for the event's promoter, Racing Enterprises Motocross. "About 70 percent of our normal Saturday race program is comprised of Vet-class racers, so it seemed almost natural to have a big vet event," said REM President Frank Thomason. "Judging from the rider turnout and feedback, we're hoping to make this an annual event." The inaugural race was sponsored by Pro Valve, Gatorz, Ceet, Race Tech, Enzo Racing, Don't Let Up , Acerbis, Eberly Surf Designs, Trick, Dirt Squirt, Koller's Kolors, White Bros. and No Fear, and a number of track changes kept even the "Carlsbad locals" on their toes. In the first eight-lap Vet Pro moto, Robert Weber ripped off the line and led Musgrave, Rob Wilshire and Vincent DeLuca through the flat, slippery firs t turn. Musgrave studied Weber's lines for a lap before setting him up in a new section of the course before Carlsbad's famous uphill, "There was a real slippery inside M Jeff Pittma n (19) ledWilIiam Pasawarat (58)and Bruce Virgilio (5) in the Vet Junior class. f Ron Stebe (37) topped th e 25-29 Ju nior class, edging out Buc Ybarra UO), Scott Hack (162) and Pas awarat (58). Stebe also won the Bomb er class aboard the same machine. 26 line, or a safer, easier line on the outside," said Musgrave. "Weber went for the outside and I was able to get past him on the inside." With a clear track ahead of him, Musgrave twisted the throttle on his big Ho nda and simply motored away from the rest of the pack. Weber was able to distance the rest of the field en route to ยท a solid second-place finish . Wilshire held on to third aboard his ATK thumper, while DeLuca and Dave ! Biesiada rounded out the top five. Wilshire put the power to the ground the best in moto two and led the field into turn one. Wilshire's luck didn't hold out, however, and .he lost control and crashed in the first turn, nearly taking out Weber and Musgrave in the process. Weber was able to avoid the fallen rider and take over the lead, while Musgrave recovered in fifth. It didn't take long, tho ugh, for Musgrave to power past his competitors and into second behind Weber. After stalking Weber for a lap and a half, Musgrave pulled alongside the leader as they raced down the downhill. "He must have stalled at the bottom or something," said Musgrave. "I got him on the downhill and didn't see him after that. " Once again, Musgrave waved goodbye and ran away with a relatively easy win. Weber held on to the runner-up position, while Jim OdIe recovered from a first- moto seventh to finish a strong third . Wilshire th u m p e d home in fourth. Orange County Suzuki's Jeff Pittman , grabbed the holeshot in the opening moto in th e ever-popular Vet Junior class, but after making contact with another rider in tum one, found himself sliding across the track on his rear. Pittman remounted last, but would