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/127797
.MOTOCROSS . PO!lC8 City "NMA Grand National Championships Ponca City, Oklahoma (Lett) Suzuki's Charlie Bogard had a great _kend, winning the 250cc Stock and Modified Pro classes and the 125cc Stock Pro class. ยท(Below) Yamaha's Justin Buckelew continued his reign in the mini ranks by winning the eCcc 14-16year-old Stock and Modified classes and the Super Mini class. By Tony Alessi PONCA OTY, CA, JULY 29-AUGUST 3 hey say good things come in sets of three and for Team Suzuki's Charley Bogard, Team Yamaha's Justin Buckelew and Team KTM's Mike Alessi, it was a banner week as each rider recorded three class championships during the 21st annual running of the NMA Grand National Championships held at Ponca City, Oklahoma. This year riders were treated to awesome track conditions due, in part, to great weather during the five-day event, which was a direct contrast to last year's rainy conditions and subsequent mud bog. NMA chief of track operations Lance Moorewood increased the lap count in all of the races because the racing was ahead of schedule. "Each race averaged about 24 minutes with the added laps," said Moorewood. "The riders really liked that idea". "I think this has been the best Ponca City event of aJl time," said Pat Alexander, crew chief for the American Suzuki Amateur race team. Alexander was pleased not only with the perfect weather and the great course, but by the sheer number of Suzuki 1"iders posting class championships during the week-long event. In the end Suzuki riders won 10 classes, which was an impressive 45 percent of all of the races held. Suzuki's Bogard scored the gold in the 250cc Stock and Modified Pro divisions and the 125cc Stock Pro class. Even though Bogard was the top Pro rider of the week his actual speed may have been in question on more than one occasion. Chris Wheeler showed some raw speed and passed Bogard more than a few times during the week, but cited a lack of track time for his ultimate failure in winning a Pro title. "Our truck broke down on the. way here," said Wheeler. '1 missed the practice day and I really wasn:~ quite up to speed for the first few T J\Jlother fast Pro in attendance was Albuquerque, New Mexico's Ryan Clark, who also was able to show Bogard the back of his jersey during the week. Clark wound up winning one class, the U5cc Modified Pro division, in front of Bogard, who was competing in his last Ponca City event. Justin Buckelew, on the other hand, sent his competition searching for answers after he swept all six motos of the 80cc 14-16-year-old Stock and Modified Expert classes, and the Super Mini class on his Dean Dickinson-tuned R&D Racing Yamaha. Last year Buckelew was forecast as the next mini hero to replace Ricky Carmichael. After his wins this year at the GNC in Texas, the World Mini GP in Las Vegas and now at Ponca City, Buckelew has certainly silenced any doubters about his new position as the king of the minicycle ranks. Team KTM Pee Wee rider Mike Alessi finally broke his Ponca City curse by scoring overall wins in the 50cc Stock and Modified 7-8-year-old, and in the Super Pee Wee division. Alessi started out on a sour note when dirt clogged his carburetor main jet in the first SOcc Stock 7-8-year-old class, where he finished fourth. A flawless second moto, though, put Alessi into the winner's circle with. the overall win. Alessi returned to sweep both motos of the Modified 7-8year-old division in front of Charlie Grantom, Grant Moreland, Beni Williams and Jeff Lucido. Pennsylvania mini-pilot Brandon Jesseman on a Suzuki came out of hiding and posted upset victories in the 80cc 12-13-year-old Stock and Modified divisions. Yamaha-mounted Ryan Morias and Kawasaki-mounted Chase Reed finished second and third, respectively, in both classes. Heavy favorite and local hometown ace Johnny Marley looked to be on his way to victory in the BOcc 12-13-year-old race, but may have been pressured into . from the finish class and sixth in the BOcc Modified 1213-year-old class. Shane Bess continued his dominance of the 80cc 10-11-year-old Stock and Modified divisions aboard his FMFtuned Suzukis. Bess did, however, encounter some resistance from nineyear-old future mini hero Brandon Layton, who won a moto when Bess made a mistake and fell. Layton also was the star of the 60cc 9-11-year-old divisions when he became the first 60cc racer in the history of the Ponca City Grand National Championships to clear the 75-foot double jump on the front straight away. Danny Carlson shook up the troops in the 125 Stock Intermediate, class by bringing his Honda to the finish line first. Carlson, who has only been riding the U5cc class for two months after moving out of the 80cc class, also won the 250cc Modified Intermediate division as well. "I really only hoped for a top five finish," said Carlson. "It really feels great to have won." Carlson is on Team Honda's new and improved amateur race team, which is run by Bill Orr. "We are very proud of all of our riders," said Orr. "We will also be signing Jonathan Shimp on to the team to be Bryan McCavran's teammate in the mini ranks." line by a relentless Jesseman. Marley could not restart his bike after dirt clogged the silencer, 'and was forced to his best imitation of Ryan Hughes by pushing his bike across the finish line and promptly fainting. Marley would finish the week off with a disappointing 20th in the 80cc Stock 12-13- ear-old Jacob Martin's victory in the 125cc Modified Intermediate division was made sweeter by the fact that he won with a fractured fibula. Martin spent 10 minutes before the start of the race putting his boot on in pain, but when the gate dropped, Martin pulled the holeshot and never looked back. Mar-