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/127813
Action-prepped Suzuki rolling and carded wins in both 250cc Expert classes. "I've been training, but these other guys have too," Pocorobba said. "I need to be more consistent." Casey Lytle crashed, broke his collarbone and the California rider had to withdraw from the competition. Justin Buckelew had his toughest 85cc Stock (14-15) race in the first moto. Buckelew slid out of the lead and Aaron Lindsey took over. "It was tough 'catching Aaron," Buckelew said. "I finally got by him in the whoops on the final lap." Wey won the 125cc (12-15) Stock and , Modified classes. "I had a close call in the Stock final," Wey said. "I ran through some banners and they took out my rear brake. Somehow I caught Jeff Gibson and passed him on the triple jump for the win." In the Over 50 class, Mayo, Gary Dogget and Barry Higgins had a close race, with Dogget taking the win. "Dogget flies a crop duster in Idaho," Mayo said. "He claims that he doesn't like to go fast on the ground." Branden Jesseman upset Fonseca and Racine to score the 125cc B Stock win. "I got by Jesseman," Fonseca said. "But he is riding well and passed me back in the whoops." 125cc C contenders Derick Hedrick and Mark Thompson were even in points until Hedrick pulled ahead with both class wins. "Thompson got caught on the bottom of a pileup in the stock fir).al," Hedrick said. "He was leading the Modified final, but bobbled and I slid by him." MOTOCROSS Brock Sellards pushed his Team Green Kawaski to stay in front of both 125 and 250cc Stock Expert motos. "In the final I25cc moto Robbie Horton, Danny Smith and Anthony Pocorobba were right behind me," Sellards said. "I' knew Horton would challenge, I held my lines and made as few bobbles as I could to take the win." Reynard outclassed Pocorobba and Horton to sweep both 125cc Modified motos. "I !lad the first Modified moto holeshot, but did not jump the elevator," Pocorobba said. "Reynard did, landed beside me, we hit and I went down. He and Horton were too far ahead to catch." "This was a perfect, low-key event for me," Reynard said. "It gave me a chance at some Supercross practice and some track time here before the Gatorback National Motocross." Over 30-c1ass racers Barry Carsten and Bowen fared well against the 250cc. Experts. Carsten led the first Stock moto and finished third overall to Sellards and Horton. Bowen, who finished fourth overall in the Modified classes behind Pocorobba, Reynard and Sellards, said, "I do this for fun now and that elevator jump is not worth the risk." In the 50cc (7-8) class, Grant Moreland and Jason Lawrence took the moto wins. Jake Griffis, who led the first moto before ending third, explained, "I got a dirt ball inside my goggles. It rattled around and bothered me." Milsaps upset Hepler, Matt Goerke and Nicholas Evennou in the 7)-rider 65cc (7-9) Stock field. "No problem," Milsaps said. "I just held the LEM wide .open." Hepler struck back with the 65cc (79) Modified win to preserve his points lead. Ryan O'Laughlin and Nathan Davenport shared the 65cc (10-11) wins. "James Stewart was favored, but he hurt his knee," Davenport said. "Nick Johnny Marley won his 85cc (12-13) Championship with a mouthful of dirt. "I started 15th and ate a lot of dirt passing guys," Marley said. "I caught everyone except for Joshua Woods by the end." 125cc contenders Racine and Wey were 1-2 the entire 20-minute heat. Wey would win the class championship, but Racine would go on win the I25cc B final and accumulate the highest point total of the event and earn the Arai Helmet Award. Fonseca, by winning one 250cc B class in each event, was easily the class Olympiad Champion. "I would like to have won the Golden Goggle Award again, but taking two Championships home to Costa Rica is great," said Fonseca. Johnny O'Mara couldn't stand it, borrowed injured Matt Walker's Honda CRl25 and riding gear, and entered the Over 30 heat. David Wagner led the start, but it was Keith Bowen and Omara going into the woods first. The pair were really close the entire race. Omara's CR125 would close in and (Above) KTM's Keith Bowen (1 n) came to Florida and won every 25+ and 30+ moto and won the Scott Golden Goggle award. (Right) Justin Buckelew (58) won the Axo Golden Boot award for the highest score in the youth division. Aaron Lindsey (29) finished second overall. Adams took over, then he broke a femur. Bryan Johnson won the first stock moto, then broke a shoulder. There.are still a lot of good riders left out there, though." Johnny Marley all but locked up the 85cc (12-13) Championship by sweeping both classes. "I love a II of the events here, but motocross is my favorite," said Chaparral Team rider Marley. Buckelew had a close caU prior to the 85cc (14-15) Stock moto. Mechanic Clyde Buckelew said: "I grabbed the Modified bike and was pushing it out to a Stock start. Luckily a friend caught it. Mike Guerra ran back and got the right bike, and we made the gate with only seconds to go." Racine and Wey each took a win in the 125cc (12-15)- classes, forcing a Grand Prix showdown for the championship. In Over 25 and Over 30 classes, Earl May joined the show, leading the first Over 25 moto, taking the elevator and passing Bowen and Carsten. "Bowen has definitely got that KTM dialed in," May said. "He reeled me right in, then won three more motos." John Ayers abandoned his Racetrace Designs/Gear Racewear concession for a couple of motos, winning the Over 40 class. 'T ve had fun helping on the sidelines at the event for years," Ayers said. "It felt good to be out there back on the track, as well." The competiti ve 125 and 250cc B classes saw Fonseca earn two wins, with Racine and Jimmy Wilson earning one win apiece. GRAND PRIX Mark Barnett led each heat for a parade lap, starting in the grassy north field, around the motocross track (reversed), through the long woods section, around part of the supercross track, and finishing at the scoring barrels. Starts would be Lemans-style with heats varying from 20 to 30 minutes long. Reynard won his 125cc A heat and the championship the hard way, from last place. "I ran, jumped on the bike, but only got a piece of the kickstarter," Reynard said. "When I finally got the bike going, the pack was already in the first turn." Reynard worked through the pack and then picked off leaders Wey, Horton and Pocorobba before earning the win. It was Pocorobba who got a bad start in the 250cc Expert main. "I kicked my Suzuki four times and Reynard was gone from the get-go," Pocorobba said. "I wanted him, but I crashed, blew a fork seal and was glad to preserve second." Rhonelli ended his 50cc (4-6) Championship quest with a convincing win. "I remember when my Dad (Tony Rhonelli) won an Olympiad Championship," the 6-year-old said. "The trophy was taller than he was. Now I have one too." Griffis was three points behind Grant Moreland in a close 50cc (7-8) points race. Griffis took an early lead and then held off Milsaps for the win. Moreland got in trouble and went a lap down, putting him out of contention. "This is a true family racing team," Griffis said after winning his second KTM 50. "My dad is the mechanic, and Mom gets my brothers and me ready." In the 85cc (7-11) race, Bobby Bonds led Edgardo Rojas, Anthony Weber and Raphael Guillen at the start and held the point all the way to win the title. Bonds, who rides on the Yamaha Chaparral Team said: "I seemed to crash in the Stock races and do well in the Modified races. This is a wonderful event. Look for us to return from California next year." Bowen's 250cc KTM would open the gap and hold O'Mara at bay. "This was great fun being here," O'Mara said. "I like this new job." JohJ:I Lundy, after being frustrated all week, won the final Over 35 GP heat ahead of Thomas Dreetzka, Flip Page and eventual class champion Mark Guy. Barry Higgins had one of those goodnews/bad-news days. His Husaberg blew off its cm:b at the beginning of the Over 50 parade lap. "1 looked around and, can you believe it one of my customers loans me'a KTM," Higgins said. "It even had my number on it." The fun wasn't over because Higgins had not seen the cotJrse. His fellow competitor Mayo; who had already wrapped up his Over 40 title, helped out by leading. Higgins took the lead and eventual win. One of the closest point races featured 125cc C riders Derick Hedrick and Mark Thompson. "1 got a real bad start, Hedrick had a great lead, and it took me three laps to reel him in," Thompson said. "1 finally got by him in the woods and hung on for the win and championship." 250cc C rider Ryan Tow used top. three finishes in each of the venues to earn the Olympiad Championship. "This is a wonderful family event," Pro Circuit's Bones Bacon, said. "We always look forward to seeing old friends and making new oiles and spending Thanksgiving here in Florida. I hope this event goes on for another 25 years!" (N