Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Round 1: Mesquite Grand Prix (Left) Greg Zltterk opf led a KTM sweep at the Mesquite GP. The top six riders were abo ard the Austrian-bred marque. (Above) Scot Hard en wo n the 3O-Plus di vision. Zitterkopf and KTM dominate By Mark Kar iyalD irt Rider MESQUITE, NV,JAN.22 ed by former motocrosser Greg Zitterkopf, KTM thoroughly man-handled the Peppermill Championship Grand Prix - round one of the Best in the Desert's newly named Silver State Championship Series . In doing so, Zitterkopf also became the only three-time overall winner of the race , which carries riders through the city streets and into the desert and surrounding farmland. In the seven-race history of the event, superstar Danny Hamel notched a win in 1990 before Zitterkopf emerged the victor in '91 and '92. Hamel prevented Zitterkopf from making it three in a row last year (though the KTM racerdid win the 250cc class). A showdown was avoided this time around, as Team Green commitments took Hamel to the Parker 400, held the same day. Nonetheless, Zitt erkopf rod e every turn of the five- lap, 70- mile ra ce as tho ugh Hamel was ri ght on h is rear wheel. "The only person who could 've beaten me was my self," he said later. "I just tried to ride my own race. I knew that without Danny there, if I rode a good, smart race I'd win it." The KTM USA/Duralube/ Z The Racing/Dunlop/O'Neal/Smith/EKI Acerbis/Sidi/Renthal/100%/FMF I L IMS/Bieffe / Bernardo Pa inting /VP Fu els-sponsored rider completed the 7D-mile trip on his 550 M/ XC in 2:02:36, which includes a five-minute penalty. "I screwed up on the second lap, " he admitted. " It was total brainfade. I overshot the pit entrance, so I cut underneath the ribbon (separating the race course from pit lane) to get to my pit." A sim ilar penalty four years ago dropped him from first to third overall, but he had enough of a cushion this time to become the race's wi n ni ngest rider. ISDE veteran Kelby Pepper, one of four Pros from Colorado (three of whom made the top 10), faced this course for the first time. It mattered little. He pushed the pace all morning and at one point ran in second overall on his KTM USA/Dunlop/Moosel Smith/FMFI Acerbis-backed KTM 250. He couldn't hold off Arizona 's Destry Abbott, however. Astride another KTM250, the KTM USA/Duralubel FMFI Arai/Sunocol AXO I K-Style/Dirt & Street/Dick's Suspens ion-sponsored racer wrangled his way past Pepper and took the 250cc Pro win in 2:03:47 to Pepper's 2:04:38. After the race, he held up hi s forearm, pointed to a scar and explained, "This is the fir st time I've raced since LaughIin (seven weeks ago). I crashed the week after that and had to have surgery." Nice recovery. Rounding out the top five were Bryan Wad e Folks (whose father, Casey, promoted the race) and Over 30 Pro victor Scot Harden, both on KTMs. In fact, KTMs took eight of the top 10 spo ts and ended up winning 10 classes, roughly one-third. Yamaha-mounted Julian Cerny just missed breaking into the top 10, but he won the 250cc Expert class for the second Best in the Desert race in a row. He was also the first Expert finisher - not bad for a Canadian. Nick Pearson, 16, smoked the Amateur race held right after the Pro/Expert competition, bagging the overall on a KTM 250 . Younger brother Russell matched that by winning 80cc Expert and the minibike race overall. A first for a Best in the Dese r t event, the mini event ran on an abbreviated course and drew 34 aspiring young desert racers not bad, considering the decision to run the class was made only a couple weeks earlier. The "gro wn-up " race drew 328 en tries. Of Peppermlll Resort and Hotel Mesquite , Nevada Results: Ja nuary 22, 1994 (Round 1 of 5) 0 1A: 1. Greg Zitterkcpf (KTM) ; 2. Des try Abbott (KTM ); 3. Kelb y Pepper (KTM ); 4. Bry an Wade Folks (KTM); S. Scot Harden (KTM); 6. Daryl Folks (KTM); 7. Ton y Bergman (Hon); 8. Jim Gray (KTM) ; 9. Tod d Hoy (KTM); 10. Donnie Book (Kaw ). OPEN PRO: 1. Greg Zillerkopl (KTM); 2. Daryl Folks (KTM); 3. Tony Bergman (Hon) . 250 PRO: I . Dcstry Abbott (KTM); 2. Kelby Pepper (KTM); 3. 8ryan Wad e Folks (KTM). 1 25 PR O : 1. Jeff Martin ez (Yam) ; 2. Ste p hen Ticheno r (Suz) ; 3. Charlie K1ineCHon). 30+ PRO: I . Scot Harden (KTM); 2. Grant Palenske (Yam). 30+ PRO: I. Bill Maxim (!(aw); 2. Sieve Pitts (Suz); 3. Mark Force. OPEN EX: I. Ken Kozlik (Kaw); 2. Kurt H in tz (!(aw ); 3. Andy Nelson (Hon). 2SO EX: 1. Julian Cerny (Yam); 2. Shawn Chavez (Suz); 3. Brad Christensen (y am) . 115 EX: 1. Greg Smith (Suz); 2. Brook Finli nso n (!(aw) ; 3. Mil

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