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/127652
·;·FloridaT C O S·· Round 3:Dade C Motorcycle Raceway M winter AMA Series . '. OO R S ity ,,-eIY SCIIIY By Mike and Anne Adair DADECITY, FL, JAN. 22-23 eam RRP's Tim Ferry an d Tuf Racing 's Jeff Curry d ivided ove rall' pro honors a t the th ird round of th e Florid a Winter AMA Motocross Series in Dad e City, Florida. In ord er to participate, Ferry and a dozen other pros had to ca tch earl y morning flights fr om the H ou st on Supercross, which took p la ce Sa tu rd ay night. Promoter Rand y Yoho scheduled pro classes late to accommodate those rid ers, but man y still missed the opening 12SecPro moto. "The earliest fligh t left Houston at T (Top) Jeff Curry (56) and Ti m Ferry (28) _re the big wi nners at Dade City. Curry wo n the 125cc Pro and 250cc A classes, while Ferry caug ht a recl-eye flight from the Hou ston Suparcrosa to top the 250cc Pro div is ion. (Right) Ricky Csrmlchael (167) was the winner In three div is ions. Here he dices for the lead In the 125cc Youth class, which he won aboard a KXBO. (Below) Alan Andreu (149) was the top vet rider, taking home two first-place trophies. 7:30 a.rn., an d we d idn't get to Florida un til 11:30 , sa id the RRP / Ka yo / Kyod o /Honda West /Cycles of West Palm Beach/UFO / Bell /Sco tt / Sidi/ Renthal /Maxima/P3/Dunlop/Ohlins/ EK/Sunoco-backed Ferry, who ca me from beh ind to w in bo t h 250cc Pro motos. Curry had a busy day, bu t still posted his best results in the series thus far. He won the 12SecPro and 250cc A classes, was second in the 12Sec A d ivision , and third in the 250cc Pro ranks. "It all turned around for me when Paul Dri became my mechanic las t week," said the Kawa saki Team Gree n/TUF/Dun lop /Renthal/Smit h/ Shoei /Thro ttle Jo ckey / Pai n t Ca n Designs/Curry's Motel-supported Cu rry . "The bikes are solid and he has really helped motivate me ." Alan Andreu repea ted as the Vet Pro winner, bu t had to defend against a lastlap charge by [ojo Keller, who is planning to take another s hot at the 250cc Nationals this year. "I felt the pressure of a living legend (Keller) coming up on m e," sa id the Bea ch Sport Cycl e / Scott/ Pro Ac tion/Shoei/ Yoko hama / WKR /M otul /Pit Stop /FMF /RK / Fer oce / Fra nk 's Racing-supp orted Andreu. "I sort of 'can dy -assed' the first turn . Keller is a brute; he ran ri g h t through a b erm a n d came w it h in a wheel of beating me." Over 500 entrants enjoyed shortsleeve wea ther, and the track provided plenty of ch allenging racing. G iant berms q uickly formed, and the deep whoops made for a challenge. The fist 125cc Pro mota fea tured a quick br eakaway by Kevin Windham and Curry, as Jim Chester, David Gaylord, Pa t Barton, Kei th Trocolli, Carl Vaillancourt and Barry Carsten fought for th ird. Curry reeled in Windham and the pa ir swapped the lead several times before Curry made a move that stuck. "We were in solid lappers and I never saw a blue flag," said Curry. N I was faster in the whoops and Kevin would pass me in the hard section. n "I stayed home in Louisiana for the twoweek break, and I didn't train enough, n said Windham. "I died out there." Keith Johnson seized while in third, and Carsten, who had driven all night from Houston, took the number-thr ee position ahead of Craig Noack and Carl Vaillancourt. Jo hn Kitsch ea r n e d the lead in moto two wi th Jim Neese, Carsten, Barton, Noack and Vailla n co u r t also near the fro nt. Neese mo ved by Kitsch and led six laps; Kitsch retired. "My bike is box stock and the suspension is killing my wrist, n said Kitsch. After missing moto one, Ferry had gotten a terrible gate pick for the second outing, but he mana ged an awesome charge from the back to take the lead, an d eventual win, on lap seven. "Ferry was flyi ng," said Neese. N I wanted to keep th e lead, but the track got too rough to hold it." "I passed Neese by pinning it on the o u tsid e of a berm ," said Fe r r y. " He could have shut me off, but he didn't." Joh n Do w d a nd C urr y h ad also moved by Neese at m ot e 's en d. "We both love sand, but this is Timmy 's track, and he's flying," said Dowd. " Wind ha m and I got killed on the start," said overall winner Cu rry. "Ferry got to the front first, and there was no catching him." Vaillancourt had a good day with a sixth-place mota finish, and third overall. . Carsten erased Vaillancourt 's first-