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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127742
Ponca City NMA Grand National Championships • • onca I (Left) Kawasaki Team Green's Cory Bauder (156) came out of the woodwork and smoked to the 125cc Modlfted and Non-Pro class wins. Here, he fends of Suzuki's Cherley Bogard. (Below) Yamaha's Justin Buckelew swept all four moto. of 80cc 12- to 13-year-oldclass competition. Many are dubbing hlma. Ricky carmichael'. replacement as the dominant mini rider. By Tony Alessi PONCA CITY, OK, AUG. 3-5 ain and mud made the going tough at the 18th annual NMA 'Ponca City Grand National Championships, but Cory Bauder and Justin Buckelew seemed almost unaffected by the miserable conditions as they raced to several Grand National Championships each. Bauder topped the 125cc Non-Pro and 125cc Modified Intermediate classes, and Buckelew swept all four motos in the 80cc 12- to 13-year-old Stock and Modified classes. This year's event was a love-it-orleave-it scenario for the competitors, as remnants of Tropical Storm Dean played Russian roulette with the racers throughout the week. When it rained it was a muddy mess, and when it dried up it was motocross heaven. Moist, loamy dirt brought smiles to the faces of many a racer when it wasn't raining. In a nutshell, it was a matter of exactly when your race happened to run. Depending on your luck, you would R race in perfect condltions, or possibly, the mud pit from hell. Kawasaki Team Green's riding star Bauder turned heads en route to impressive victories in his 125cc races. "He's our secret weapon," said Team Green's Ron Heben. "He doesn't race locally, only at Nationals. But he does practice with the Sasquatch in his dad's. cherry orchards to prepare for these big events. Unknown to most, Bauder has a history of winning, dating back to the late 1980s, when he won the Alaskan Ice Racing Championships, and then went on to win the NMA Super Mini title in the early '90s. "My next goal is to turn Pro and make my debut at the '96 Washougal 125cc National," said the 17-year-old Bauder. . Over 70 125cc Modified Intermediate class racers made it necessary for qualifiers to be run in order to trim the field down for a single main event. Bauder and Texan Charley Bogard each won their respective qualifiers, which gave them the first two picks on the line at 1I the start of the main. In an effort to improve Bogard's start, Suztiki mechanics used fire from a propane tank to dry off the wet concrete starting pad. When the gate dropped, however, it was Kawasakis that ran onetwo, with Caleb Leath and Bauder gaining the edge, Bogard quickly shoved his way to the front and along with Bauder,. the two made quick work of Leath and set the stage for a moto-Iong duel for the class championship. Bauder seemed smooth and controlled, while Bogard rode with fire in his eyes. Sparks flew on the last lap as the two battled right down to the wire. Bogard went down on the last lap. "I knew it was coming, because B0gard doesn't know how to lose and he tried to T-bone me and he ended up going down," said Bauder, who went on for the overall win. Bogard recovered in time to salvage second ahead of Leath. Bogard and Bauder faced off again in the 12Sec Non-Pro class. Once again, the