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/127650
:F1orid~Winter AMASeries ·,: .· Round 2. Flonda Motorsports Complex .MOTOCROSS:' .' , omm tes, By Mike and Anne Adair h wails a. (Above) John Dowd (16) topped bo th 250cc Pro matos, while Jeff Curry (56) was fifth overa ll. (Left) In the 125cc Pro division, Kevin Windham (511) overcame a poor first-moto start to finis h second. The 1S-yea r-old then holes hot moto two and led wire-to-wire for the overall. 12 OCALA. FL.JAN. 8-9 oh n Dow d and Kevin Windham we re crowned overall winners in the Pro classes a t the seco nd round of the Scott USA /Dunlop /Barrs Competition /Pro Circuit / AXO/ Ma xima/ Boy ese n/ Pro Actio n / W h it e Bro s /Performance Engineering / FMF/Hammerhead Graphics / Cycle News-sponsored Florida Win ter AMA Motocross Series in Ocala. Team Boyesen / Yam aha / Pens ke's Dowd posted first-place finishes in both 250cc motes, while Kawasaki Team G reen's Windham split wins with Tim Ferry in the 125cc division. Over 600 entries did battle at the facility, which is 'o w n ed and opera ted by Steve Bennin ger and Mike McQuaig, a p air of Marion County Deputies w h o also race motocross with their sons. The natural-terrain circuit, which also hosts a Gr and Na tional Cross Country round each February, utilizes surround ing hills ' that are covered by hard clay. In the fi rs t 125cc Pro moto, Kevin Crine rocketed in to the lead through the first tum, wi th Steve Herman, John Fesler, Barr y Carsten, Jim Chester, Kenny Yoho and Paul Cu rrie in tow . Series regulars Dowd, Ezra Lusk, Jeff Curry, Ferry and Windham were buried deep in the pack. Chester and Carsten foun d their way to the fron t, with Chester securing the lead on lap four. Carsten took over soon after, and stay ed up front for 10 laps, though he later ad m itted he thought Chad Pederson w as the leader. Curry and Ferry teamed up to hunt down the leaders, and they were soon dicing with Carsten and Windham. "Ferry and I were pushing each other to the front," said Curry. "Carsten wore down and we got by him." " Curry had me for a w hile, but I picke d a b ette r line o n a lapper a n d p ulled away fro m him," added Ferry, who won the moto ahead of Windham, Curry, Carsten and Dowd. "I p icked 41st on the ga te, and was abo u t 25 th into th e fi rst turn, " said Windham . "A t the end, Curry was only a length behind me." Mo to tw o saw Wi n d ha m getting a m uch better jump and nailing down a holeshot, and with a clear track ahea d of him, he led flag-to-flag to secure th e overall. Lusk was the only rider within range after tw o la ps, and the factory Suzuki rider tried all-out to track down the fleeing Windham. On lap 12, though, Lusk took a nasty, end -ove r-en d spill that brought the mechanics running. "I lost the handlebar on a jump, and I went over the bars and tumbled over a berm with the bike," said Lusk , who was shaken but otherwise okay . "Ezra Lusk was com ing up on me, n said the Team Green / AXO /Maxima / Scott/Dunlop/Pro Circu it /N Style /No Fear /Hammerhead Graphics-sp onsored Windham. "I saw him about a tum back and had to ride ha rd to hold him off. But then he took a bad fall and wa s ou t of J it." On the final lap, Dowd took over the runner-up spot by passin g Mike Brown, w ho was sufferin g fr om a dislocated thumb. Pederson, Carsten and Chester filled out the top five. Travis Blackburn w as a surprise in bot h 250/500cc Pro class sta rts, p utting the power of his big KX500 to good use. The big bike soon wo re him down, however. "I should have known from the shower of rocks that Blackburn was on a 500," said Dowd . In th e early goi ng of m o to one, Brown, Dow d , Keith Jo hnson, Cu rry, Chris Coleman and Vince Dev ane were