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20th Annual Kawasaki Race of Champions (Above) Suzuki rider Barry Carsten took runner-up honors in the 250Cc Pro class. (Below) KTM's Keith Bowen finished second to Young in the Four-Stroke National. \0 0"0"- ....... M~ N lo-o (J,) .g ..... o U 32 spot. Hughes worked past Bowen and Sellards and started to pIck up Emig's pace. Carsten passed Crine and moved to fifth. Hughes was looking strong on the 500 and catching Emig until a mechanical failure caused him to pull out of the race. As a result, SeLLards and Bowen inherited second and third. A few laps later, Bowen, a former factory Yamaha rider, passed Sellards for second. The young Kawasaki rider stayed close and passed Bowen back in the later part of the race. The two were nearly half a lap behind overall winner Emig. Carsten finished in fourth. "1 feel more pressure to win here than 1 do at a National," Emig said. "I was glad to see Roy doing' well, but 1 was riding to win. 1 made a few mistakes and he was able to take the first moto. 1 would have Liked to have raced him in the final. It is a shame that he got hurt. "The second moto was a different story," Emig continued. "My teammate Ryan Hughes was riding the 500 extremely fast, and 1 had to get it together for a while and concentrate on pulling out a lead. 1 looked over midway through the moto and noticed that Ryan was having trou.ble with the bike. At tha t point, 1 relaxed and focused on riding smooth. I'm glad the day turned out the way it did; I'm expected to win. here. This is my first time at Raceway Park and I really enjoyed the track. 1 will be back next year." The first 125cc Pro moto saw Huffman's number-l0 Kawasaki nab the holeshot, with Team Green rider Ricky Carmichael a close second. Larusso and Honda rider John Schnider pursued the two Ka wasaki riders. Huffman and Carmichael pulled 10 seconds on the pack by the third lap and Rile'y wheeled up behind Schnider and the two riders diced for fourth. Behind this duel, Carsten and Michigan rider Nick Wey were going at it, with Wey getting by Carsten to move into sixth. Carmichael made a mistake and dropped off the pace, allowing Huffman to pull a large lead. Carmichael was safe in second, however, because he and Huffman were so far ahead of thirdplace rider Larusso. Schnider and Riley were soon joined by Wey, who was followed by Carsten. Weyand Carsten moved up on Schnider and Riley and replaced the two riders for fourth and fifth place. Lapped riders slowed the pace of the leaders and enabled Wey to get closer to rider Larusso. Carsten subsequently closed on Wey but ran out of time. Huffman took the win, Carmichael got second and Larusso hung on to third. Weyand Carsten finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Carmkhael holes hot the second moto, followed by Huffman for what wou.ld turn out to be one of the most entertaining races of the day. The Team Green rider was giving the factory star fits, as Carmichael led the moto for half the race. Huffman tried numerous times to get around Carmichael and each time the door was slammed. Behind the leaders were Riley, Carsten and Larusso, who were conducting a race among themselves. Riley fell and Carsten was able to get by for third. Riley 'remounted in fourth in front of Larusso. Carmichael and Huffman were out front riding in a class by themsel ves as the two riders raced side by side. Huffman made a pass stick in the back section of the track and stayed in front of Carmichael to win the moto. At the close of the race, l2armichael and Huffman had lapped the field into the top 10. Huffman won the race, with Carmichael in second. Carsten took third in the second moto followed by Riley and Larusso. The fourth round of the AMA East Coast Four-Stroke Nationals was part of the racing during the Kawasaki Race of ·Champions. The race featured 20 fourstroke riders and was sponsored by East Coast Kawasaki/Suzuki. Bowen, on a KTM, got out to an early lead in the first moto and looked comfortable on the thumper. Gene Naumec, on a Husaberg, and Todd DeHoop, another Husaberg rider, foHowed in close formation. Joel Dengler was holding fourth on his Husaberg, followed by series points leader Mike Young, yet ano~her Husaberg rider. Young was on the move, first pickIng off Dengler and then going after Naumec. Young and Naumec banged bars, with Young coming out on top to move into third. Young was staging a ride to the front and his next target was DeHoop. Bowen was safely on his way to a moto win, but it was Young who needed the points to maintain his series lead. Young made a move on DeHoop como' ing up to Raceway Park's staircase section and took control of second place. DeHoop remained in third followed by Naumec and Dengler. Bowen won the moto, but Young got enough points to stay in good shape for the series. DeRoop got third and aumec and Dengler rounded out the top five. "I'm going for points today," Young said. "1 want to remain consistent and consider the Eastern Championship. If 1 can get second or better 1 will lead Bowen going into the last round.. "In the first moto, 1 experienced trouble with my transmission - it .was sticking in tltird gear. The only way 1 could get the upper gears was to downshift to first and then keep shifting up in succession. I've had to modify my riding style slightly to compensate for the problem. 1 would have considered repairing the bike between motos, but 1 didn't have the parts 1 needed for the job." . DeRoop started strong in the fourstroke final, getting the holeshot followed by Bowen, Naumec and Young. Bowen quickly displaced DeHoop for first and Young moved past Naumec and began to pressure DeHoop. Both Young and Naumec locked in a freight train that took both riders by DeHoop and into second and third place behind Bowen. Young then made a pass on the leader Bowen in the back section of the track, but Bowen came charging back and, within a couple of la ps, the two riders were right next to each other and Bowen found the opportunity to pass Young back for the lead. 'Young followed Bowen's lines and the two pulled the field by 10 seconds. DeHoop and Dengler both clipped Naumec, who was now in fifth. Young started moving closer to Bowen and passed him back and pulled away to take the win. DeHoop placed third, Dengler fourth and Naumec fifth. l'N Kawasaki Race of Champions Englishtown, New Jersey Results: October 8, 1996 250 PRO, 1. Jeff Emig (Kaw); 2. Barry Car>~en (Suz); 3. Keith Bowen (KTMJ; 4. Brock Sellards (Kaw); 5. Todd DeHoop (Suz). 125 PRO: 1. Da.mon Huffmnn (Kaw); 2. Ricky CarmichacJ (Kaw); 3. Barry Ciusten (Suz); 4.Er,ic Riley (5uz); 5. Tony Lc'lrusso (Hon). EAsrERN REGIONAL4-STRK NATIONAL O/A: 1. Mike Young (Hbg); 2 Keith Bowen (KTM); 3. Joel Dengler (Hbg); 4, Gene Naumec (Hbg); 5. Jeremy Shoning (Hbg).