Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

irginia C G Prix ity rand 'O F O D 25th AnnualV F -R A , Mother Nature was at it again for Sunday morning's race . An increase in temperature tumed snow into rain and the course became a quagmire. The WSRA quickly reworked parts of the course to bypass some of the giant mud vats that developed . The 200 Expert and Amateur riders lined up in the rain, taking off shortly after 10 a.m. At the start, the rid ers made an abrupt left-hand turn, shot off a jump and then headed out into the hills. First through the pits was Team Green 's Danny Hamel, turning the lap in jus t over 26 minutes. Two minutes off his pace was Aaron Sykes, the IS-year old phenom from District 36. Ty Davis followed shortly thereafter, having picked up a lot of positions from his eighth-row start. In fourt h was Kevin Janson , riding a Honda , with Brian Garrahan and Larry Roeseler, both on Kawasakis, hot on his hee ls. Riders were literally covered in mud, each having to stop at their pits to have their number plates cleaned and grab a fresh pair of goggles. Almost everyone had figured that this was going to be Ty's race . His riding of late has been almost unbeatable and, with the course being as tight and short as it was , not to mention the Danny Hamel, with pit crew, Mike Hodges and Roger Hamel, are all smiles after winning the 25th running of the Virginia City Grand Prix by almost a s ix minute margin. (Below) Ty Davis worked his way up from an eighth-row start and through a whole lot of mud to take second overall and first in the 250 class. (Left) By Tim and Cindy Clark VIRGINIACITY,NV, MAY 1:,-14 he year was 1971, Richard Nixon was president, Joe Frazier held the World Champion Boxing title, gasoli ne was only 50 cents a gallon and Leroy Kay won the first running of the Wes tern States Racing Association's, Virginia City Grand Prix. Since that time, the VCGP has become one of the most popular twoday Grands Prix in the Western states. Such notable off-road legends like earl Cranke, Jack Johnson and Dan Ashcraft !lave all found their way into the winner's circle. In the mid-80s Larry Roeseler came along and dominated the event up through 1991. In 1992, after having a $1000 bounty placed on his head, Larry gave up his reign to Rodn ey Smith. In 1993, it was Danny Hamel's turn to be top dog and in 1994, Ty Davis was the overall winner. This an nual Mother's Day event has also become known for its unp red ictable weather - and 1995 was no exception. On Friday night6 May shoowers (with the help of some 20 and 30 temperatu res), tumed into May snows and on Saturday moming the almos t 400 Novice (and a handful of Vintage) rid er s head ed ou t toward the snow-covered Day ton Valley. Racer s lin ed up on th e asphalt in rows o f 10 a nd took off a t 15-second intervals. This yea r's course was a 17mil e loop m ad e up of tig ht , twist y, ro ck y sec tio ns, a few u p hill s a nd a wh ole lot of mudholes. • "The first loop was pretty good, but it sure got slop py after that," said Jake Himphill, w ho came around in second T position on the first loop. "I was riding real smooth until I bailed on the second la p . I went to pick m y bi ke up and someone clipped m e from behind . I dropped a couple spots so I'm not sure where I finished ." As the snow conti nued to melt, each lap became considerably muddier. "I know I led the first couple ' laps," claimed Kawasaki-mounted Kevin Stanley of San Marti n, California. "My front brake locked up, the whole wheel was caked with mud. It took about 15 minutes before I could free it up and get going again." About three quarters through the course, a giant lake of mud developed and began swallowing riders one by one. Twelve-year-old 80cc Beginner Todd Haney got a quick lesson on how not to cross mud ho les . Halfway th rough, he discovered that his motor did n't quite have enough horsepower to make it the rest o\. the way. He then became a sitting duck as passi ng riders wo uld roost by him on each side , comple tely covering the you ng, bu t quicklearning Novice. "I've been stuck in here for about 15 minutes, every time I try to pull my bik e ou t so me bo dy comes by and covers me with mud agai n. It's so dee p, I can' t get it out!" Rod Kreiss had a great ride, finishing high in the 125cc No vice class. "Starting in the first row was definitely an ad vantage," said the Suzuki pilot. "The course w as g rea t, but so me of t he mudd y u p hills we re trick y on th is 125. I jus t hung in there tryin g to keep a consistent pace for eac h lap." Ch ryst al Ponsoc k, aboard a Kawasaki, was also on the gas and even th ou gh the results for Satur- day's race a re uno fficia l, s he s ho u ld come out on top in the Women 's class. Bill Hen ry of Sa n ta Rosa, Ca lifo rnia, topped the Vintage class aboar d his 1974 Husqvarna. The course d efinitely took its toll on tires as Dave "Fire hose" Bombard and the Team Gree n pit crew vo lu n tee re d their services and repaired over 30 flats. Even Larry Roeseler and Ty Davis were under the big green tent throwing tires on top of barrels and puttin g in new tubes to help rid ers get back out and finish the race. "The most important part is just to help keep these gu ys goi ng," explai ne d Bombard. "We really don' t care w hat brand of motorcycle they are rid ing, we just basicall y wan t to help out and keep everyone in the even t." wea ther conditions, he was a shoe-in to take th e even t for t he second time. Everyon e in the pits was anxio us to see if he could close th e gap on Hamel as th e y wa ite d fo r th e riders to come arou nd for the second lap . But it was s till the recently crowned, five-time, Hare & Hound Ch ampion leading the race, and Hamel had stretched that lead to nearly three minutes. On ad ju sted time he was now one and a ha lf minu tes ah ead of Davis, who did work his way into second . Sykes moved back to third wi th Roeseler hot on his tail and in command of th e fourth spot. Brian Ga rrahan's brother, Patrick, plow ed his way through the pack, pu llin g into the pits fifth . Cole Mar sh all , on a Hon da , and Mark Kerling, rid ing a Yam aha , were in

• Cover