Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

International Supercross Series, Rounds 3/4 By Erick Hilton MONTERREY MEXICO, OCT. 13 GUADALAJARA, MEXICO, OCT. 20 yle Lewis went south of the border to claim the International Supercross Series championship for Team Noleen. The top four riders were separated by a slim nine points as they met for round three of the series in the Pista San Pedro arena in downtown Monterrey. Defending champ Phil Lawrence led the standings, followed by Lewis, Brian Swink and Buddy Antunez. Loclil favorite Pedro Gonzalez blasted into the lead in heat one aboard his Primal Impulse Honda. He was chased by Team Great Western's Antunez and Kawasaki of Mexico's David Pingree for three laps before Antunez block-passed him in a tight corner after the 120-foot section of whoops. Antunez took the win with ease, over Gonzalez and Pingree. Lewis took the holeshot in the second heat and ran away with the win over Lawrence and Swink. Because of the unique points system where points are awarded for heat-race positions, Lewis took over the series lead going into the main event, but defending champ Lawrence wasn't going to let that bother K him. "I wasn't riding well in practice or the heat since I crashed hard in the whoops during practice," Lawrence said. "It's time to put things together." That he did, as he took the holeshot away from Gonzalez and Lewis, who were banging bars going into the first turn. Lawrence quickly established a lead for the first few laps over the two only to find himself down in turn two. Gonzalez and· Lewis motored by Lawrence and battled for a lap until Lewis block-pass~d Gonzales. Lewis led for 10 laps while Lawrence chased him. With three laps to go, Lewis got held up by a lapped rider and Lawrence flew over them on the triple. Lawrence established a two-second lead and held on to it to the finish. Lewis finished second, putting him· a mere four points behind Lawrence in the series standings. They were followed by Swink, Pingree, Pederson and Antunez, in that order. Over 7,500 turned out at round four in Guadalajara's Pista del Sol arena. Pingree grabbed the holeshot in heat one and was followed by Lawrence and Jimmy Button. Lawrence chased Pingree to the very last corner where he put a spectacular block pass on Pingree to take the win. Button was a distant third, followed by Rich Taylor and Cory Keeny. Heat two saw Lewis take the holeshot and score a convincing wire-towire win. Behind him Denny Stephenson, new Team Chapparal rider Chad Pederson and Antunez diced for five laps. With·two laps to go, Antunez pulled away to secure second. He was followed across the finish by Pederson, Stephenson and Erick Vallejo. Pederson took his new Yamaha into the lead at the start of the main and led for two laps. Lewis gave chase while a nasty first-turn crash left Lawrence, Antunez, Pingree, Swink and Canadian Blair Morgan on the ground. All recoverer to rejoin the race except for Swink, who was too shaken up to finish. Lewis took the lead and Lawrence charged through.the pack to take second about 10 seconds back from the leader. Lewis crossed the line first and won the series by a single point. Lawrence took a frustrating second, followed by Button, Pederson and Stephenson. Pista San PedrolPista del Sol Monterrey/Guadalajara, Mexico Results: October 13120, 1996 (Rounds 3/4 of 4) ROUND THREE: 1. Phil Lawrence (Raw); 2. Kyle Lewis (Y-am); 3. Brian Swink (Hon); 4. David Pingree (K.w); 5. Chad Pederson (Yam). ROUND FOUR, 1. Kyle Lewis (Yam); 2. Phil Lawrence (Kaw); 3. Jimmy Button (Yam); 4. Chad Pederson (Yam); 5. Denny Stephenson (Kaw). INTERNATIONALL SUPERCROSS SERIES FINAL POINT STANDINGS, 1. Kyle Lewis (411); 2. Phil Lawrence (410); 3. Buddy Antunez (372); 4. Brian Swink (355); 5. Chad Pederson (348); 6. Jimmy Button (342); 7. Cory Keeney (310); 8. Denny Steph""",n (302); 9. David Pingree (278); 10. Grayson Goodman (273).. SETRA Enduro Series, Round 7 Ramey's rampage By Kenneth King MAPLESVILLE, AL, NOV. 3 ranklin Ramey III is a man on a mission, and that is to win the . SETRA enduro championship. He is headed full speed in that direction. Ramey won the overall at the Gobbler Getter Enduro, attacking the welllaid-out course with blazingly fast times through the tight trees and rock-strewn trails, dropping only four points throughout the race. . "1 just rode good all day, didn't have any problems and my bike ran perfect," the KTM-backed rider said. He seems to be getting faster with every race, and has taken command of the series. Ramey's main competition of the day didn't come from the AA class, as one might expect, but from the 200cc A class, where Tommy Veator, riding a KDX200, seemed to be the only one able to match Ramey's pace in some of the enduro's brutally tight sections. Veator has been one of the top riders at every race this season, and he finished the day in the runner-up position with a score of six. SERA 250cc A rider Steve Nichols finished with a sevenpoint loss to take the number-three position, besting all the AAs but Ramey. Enduros have been held in the Maplesville area for at least 30 years, and. this race was the 28th running of the Gobbler Getter Enduro. Eighty percent of the race is on land owne.d by Millard Reynolds, an enduro rider from years past who graciously lets the club use his property. The terrain is qu,ite hilly with an abundance of red clay, rocks and roots. With rain the week before the race, there F . Kyle lewis (11) and Phil lawrence (13) were neck and neck In the final point standings of the International Supercross Series, which concluded In Guadalajara, Mexico. even was some mud to be found. The countryside is quite scenic and afforded some beautiful views if you had time to stop and look. The Perry Mountain Motorcycle Gub hosted the event, which was dual-sanctioned with SERA. Temperatures on race day were chilly in the morning, with temperatures in the 30s, bu t it warmed up to the low 70s by lunchtime for great race weather. The start was located in a pasture, complete with caws. They are so used to motorcycles that they didn't budge when the bikes rode by, just gave them a glance and kept eating. Riders were five per row, with the first rider out at 8 a.m. A mile or so of trail was followed by a few miles of dirt road. At 4.5 miles, the riders were checked in to the start of a seven-mile section of tight, twisty trails, set at an 18-mph average. Glenn Hollingshead said, "When. I laid that section out, it was so tight I didn't think anyone could go through on time, even at an 18 mph average." Ramey, the only rider to zero the section, proved him wrong. There was a reset here to help everyone get back on time, followed by a speed change to 20 mph. Section two was roughly 10 miles long with faster, more-open trails. Ramey, Veator and most of the faster riders had little trouble staying on time through the trail. The riders were greeted with another reset. and then a speed change to 24 mph. At 36.6 miles, everyone was checked into the start of the last 6.5-mile section before the gas. The trail wasn't as twisty, but the trees were spaced about a handlebar's width apart: Again, Ramey attacked the section, setting the filst time through with only a one-point loss. Veator, Nichols, Harris,

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