Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

EVENTS EDfTEDBY KEfTHBUSH I?p 17 to regaiJ:l the lead for good. Brandes pulled away from Decker during the final five laps of the race and went on to score the victory ahead of Decker, Willoh, Holland and Pro Circuit-backed TyKady. Decker returned with a vengeance in the 250cc Pro race and once again broke down the competition with his brute strength and excellent physical condietioning. Decker reeled in and passed early race leader Holland on the 12th lap of the 22-lap race and, from that point forward, simply marched off with authority to an undisputed victory. HoIland held on to second in front of Upton, Simi Valley Kawasaki rider Billy Joe Mercier and Taka Asuta. TRE/Stiffie-backed Scott Mumford won his first race of the series after some close racing with rival Ed Staab in the always-exciting 125cc Novice division. Mumford had the moves, kept his cool and wound up a double-moto winner. Staab pulled both holeshots, but crashes and bad luck kept him off the podium. Hard-eharging Jeff Eide recorded a pair of second-place finishes for the day's runner-up spot in front of Dustin Jameson, Justin Gutierrez and Marek Jahoda. Birthday boy Chad Gores had a lot to celebrate after he and his Mike Meadetuned AC Racing LEM scored double class wins on both the main and peewee tracks in the SOcc Open division. Gores raced with KTM-backed Mike LaPaglia and the day's stock class champ Cole Seely on his Curnutt Shock/Pax Racingtuned Action for the day's victory on the main track. Gores returned and shot down Bryce Terzian on his factory KTM for top honors in the Pee Wee Open class on the small track. All in all, it was a memorable seventh birthday f<¥ "Chocolate Chad," who raced two classes and took home two first-place trophies. Adam Bisso and Anthony Barbacovi traded wins in the 80cc Beginner division. Barbacovi fla t ran away with the . first race while Bisso finished second in front of Thomas Glasbrennar. The second moto looked like another Barbacovi runaway, but Bisso had other ideas and caught and passed Barbacovi for the moto and overall victory. Glasbrennar recorded a third for the day while Kit Kunath, Ricky Hemme and Cas Swift rounded out the top seven. Team Green's rising star R.J. Thompson scored the overall Super Mini victory for the second week running. Thompson attributed much of his recent success to Billy Payne, who has been riding with him daily. Thompson topped the Pax Racing Yamahas of Jonathan Shimp and Sean Hamblin while Chris Rogers rode a near-stock KX80 to fourth in front of Mike Blose, Sean Pear and FMF racer Chris Nihan. • By Tony Alessi PALMDALE, CA, FEB. 9 T eam Pro Circuit/SplitFire/ Kawasaki's Craig Decker and Chaparral/Yamaha's Michael Brandes were the big winners in the 250 and 125cc Pro divi~ions, respectively, during round four of the GFI Winter Series held at the Los.Angeles County Raceway in Palmdale, California. Decker was the undisputed king of the 250cc Pro division after he ran down early race leader Rusty Holland, then pulled out a convincing lead. Brandes also showed some smarts as he topped Decker in the 125cc P.ro division after a risky but clever move 'near the end of the race to score the gold. In all, just under 600 riders. were in attendance on the Jack Barbacovi-prepared race track that brought rave reviews as a challenging, yet fun course. . The 125cc Pro race was, without a doubt, a game of strategy for Brandes as the racers competed in one single 30minute race where the winner takes all. Don Upton and Brandes led from the drop of the gate on their FMF/Varnertuned YZS, while Decker was third just ahead of the Noleen YZ of Jeff Willoh. Holland and Lex Malan ran near the front of the field a distance behind B~ des, who was setting an extremely fast pace while pulling away from the field. Brandes' style was that of coolness, combined with confidence and a touch of class as he effortlessly piloted his machine around the somewhat bumpy course. Decker, on the flip side, had his sights set as he systematically worked on Brandes, slowly but surely, lap by lap, with his machine-like riding. While Decker worked closer to Brandes, Upton (Above) Michael Brandes (33) was first overall in the 125cc Pro classinGA Winter Series action in· Palmdale, California. Craig Decker was the 125cc Pro runner-up and the 250cc Pro winner. (Right) Scott Mumford topped the 125cc Novice dlvlllion. Results Small Trac,k . so FIT (4·6): 1. Logan Russell (Yam); 2. Nathan Search (Yam); 3. Chance Seely (Yam); 4. Cole Pugmire (KTM); 5. Shaun llustre (KTM). 50 STK BEG (4-6), 1. Tylor Hemme (LEM); 2. David Medina (KTM); 3. Danny Gonzales CLEM); 4. Tyler M

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