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SUPERCROSS THORR'ARTS UNLIMITED AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES (Left) Team YarnahaIFox's Kevin Windham pulls off a heel-<:Iicker after winning the 125cc class in Dallas, wrapping up his second consecutive AMA Western Regional 125cc Championship in the process. (Right) Windham shows off his new championship plate. (Below) Team Primal Impulse/Honda's Robbie Reynard finished second in Dallas and second in the series. AMA Western Regionall25cc Supercross Series Round 7: Texas Stadium By Cameron Coatney Photos by Kinney Jones DALLAS, TX, APR. 26 evin Windham. There's really nothing more that needs to be said about the Western Regional 125cc Supercross Series in 1997. Sure Robbie Reynard, David Vuillernin and Brian Deegan had their moments, but Windham has been the man all season long. With a dominant win in Dallas, Windham claimed the 125cc title just a week after his first career 250cc win in Charlotte. Count on him racing in the 250cc class next season. What made Windham's win all the more impressive was the way he lapped all the way up to fourth place on his Alley 5emar-tuned YZI25. "This is just wonderful," Windham said. "Last year went awesome for me and it just doesn't get any better than this. Last year, this year, I could win a million of these things and be just as happy. I've worked so hard all year long to achieve this ultimate goal and it's wonderful. My bike is pulling most every holeshot. I don't even need to get the jump off the gate and my Yamaha is pulling me to the front. And I'm one of the heavier guys in the class at 185 pounds. I just shift to third and let her G ~ l:'-. ~ ~ t--.' ~ '<::' ...::; 8 go." Team Primal Impulse/ Honda's Robbie Reynard had a mathematical shot at the title as he went into the Dallas round 19 points behind Windham, but it wasn't to be as the Oklahoman finished second in both the race and the point standings. "[ felt like I rode the mud pretty good today," Reynard said. "[ did n' t ever feel like I was out of control. I had a pretty good start behind Windham and he slid up into the first comer with me on the outside and I was a sitting duck - three guys slammed me and I ju t tried to stay up. I just kept on charging. I'm just going to keep on training and get better. I would have liked to be number one in the series but at least I made a full season without injuries, so that's an improvement. I just hope to win it next year, Kevin's going to be gone and I'm the next one in line." Team Honda of Troy's Casey Lytle finished third, his highest supercross placing yet. The California-born teenager got a great start and held second for most of the race before giving way to Reynard. 'T m not really used to mud so this was an experience for me," Lytle said. "[ got to the gate late so I lost my good pick on the gate. I started way to the outside and it was all or nothing. I left it on through the first comer, someone hit me and knocked me into the turn and I came out in second. Reynard caught me and just I wanted to hang on for a podium finish, my first of the year and my career. This is what I've been working for all year." Lytle ripped the holeshot in the first 125cc heat race followed by Primal Impulse/Honda's Shaun Perolio, Kawasaki of Mexico/Tecate's Pedro Gonzalez, F&S Kawasaki/Fox's Mike Metzger and the rest of the sliding pack. Meanwhile, Reynard jumped into the lead midway through the first lap and rode the remaining five laps uncontested to the win. Lytle went down, dropped a few positions, but eventually worked back up to third behind Perolio. Perolio had a scare when he came up short while doubling one of the triples, but he recovered to hold second place - the same couldn't be said for Chaparral/Yamaha's Michael Brandes, who came up short and consequently finished 18th. Suzuki Sport/Pit Pro/FMF's Chris Wheeler moved up to fourth through the pack, followed by Thousand Oaks Kawasaki/Pro Circuit's Rusty Holland, oleen/Pro Flex's Anthony Amaradio, Chaparral/Yamaha's Travis Preston, American Suzuki/Pro Circuit's Jiri Dostal, and Gonzalez, who held on for the ninth and final transfer spot. The second heat was all Windham when he ran off with the holeshot with Suzuki Sport/Pit Pro/FMF's Tyler Evans, SMP /Oakley's Grayson Goodman and Moto XXX/O'Neal's Brian Deegan close behind. Windham pulled out a 19-second lead by the end of the first lap and ran off to the checkers from there. Deegan worked up to second place on lap three while FMF /Xtreme's Cory Keeney slid off the track while running fourth, losing a lap in the process. Pro Circuit/SplitFire/Kawasaki's Casey Johnson moved up to third at the finish (after running as low as ninth) despite being chased by Clawson Motorsports/ Enzo's Jeff Pestana. Goodman and SMP teammate Tommy Oowers JI. finished fifth and sixth, respectively. American Suzuki/R&S Racingbacked Ryan Oark's good start helped him nab seventh, with Kawasaki of Mexico/Tecate's Erick Vallejo eight. Evans splashed to ninth and went straight to the main. Noleen/Pro Flex's Jeff Willoh holeshot the last chance qualifier, crashed doubling one of the triples, bu t held on for second behind Metzger. Pro Circuit Yoko's Scott Davis took third and Pro Circuit/Sinisalo's Ryan Duff grabbed fourth, taking the final spot on the gate for the main. Deegan got a good jump and looked to have the holeshot in the 125cc feature until Windham hit third gear and walked away to the first comer. Lytle came out in second with Clowers, Perolio, Holland and Gonzalez giving chase. Johnson and Reynard, who were ninth and 10th after the completion of the first lap, began to claw through the pack. Windham had a five-second lead over second-placed Lytle by lap two. Perolio had moved around Clowers for third in the comer before the finish line. Reynard was on the move, battling with Perolio for third on lap four before making the pass stick in the whoops before the finish line on lap five. By lap 10 of 15, it appeared as though Windham might possibly put the entire field a lap down as he had already lapped Preston in sixth. Reynard moved into second with the Honda rider now trailing Windham by 18 seconds. Windham eventually lapped up to fourth place, pulling off three heel-clickers on the last lap to take his fifth win of the seven-race series to sew up the championship. Reynard and Lytle finished second and third, respectively. Perolio was fourth and Holland fifth. Metzger made a charge through the pack to finish sixth after finishing the first lap in 14th. Preston finished seventh, followed by Oowers, Pestana, and Gonzalez, in 10th. Deegan dropped back to 11 th with Dostal, Vallejo, Johnson, Davis, Amaradio, Duff, Oark, Wheeler and Goodman closing out the top 20. (N