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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127842
MOTOCROSS AlA 1W25Occ NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MOTOCROSS SERIES (Left) Sheak (29) got the jump on the 125cc field in both motos. Ferry, Manchester Honda/ AXO / GT's Robbie Skaggs and Honda of Troy's Casey Lytle gave chase. By the time the pack made it through the second tum, several top names ""ere bringing up the rear: SplitFire/Pro Circuit teammates Carmichael, Craig Decker and Casey Johnson, Honda of Troy's Mike Craig, and top privateer Tony Lorusso. . At the end of the first lap, Sheak was starting to pull slightly away from Deegan and the rest, no doubt aided by clear vision. Windham was right on 'Deegan for second; then rode Ferry, Team Chaparral's Michael Brandes, Roncada, and Noleen'Racing USA's Jeff Willoh. Next came a surprising Pichon, who somehow passed 33 riders on the first lap but had already discarded his goggles. Windham made a pass on Deegan at the beginning of the second lap and seemed ready to go after the still-clean Honda out front. Unfortunately, Windham went down halfway through the (Above) Stephane Roncada made it a Honda 1-2 sweep in the 125cc class, going 3-2 for second overall. (Left) Hughes (9) picked the inside line and led nearly from start to finish in the first 250cc > mota. lzJ ! ::l lap and took a long time getting back on the track, falling all the way out of the top 20. Deegan also dropped his bike, opening the door for Ferry and Brandes to inherit the second and third spots. French compatriots Pichon and Roncada were next, each looking stronger in the mud than they have in the dry outdoors this year, but then Pichon fell and left Roncada to run down Brandes for third on his own. Sheak never missed a bea t on his way to winning the first 125cc moto at High Point for the second year in a row. "I just tried to stay calm and ride smart and get the job done," said the amicable New Yorker in the winner's circle. "I've been working so hard and the team's been working so hard to get a win, and I feel like this belongs to them as much as me. Now I need to just go out and do it again." Ferry rode smart and steady to finish second. "I was only riding at about 90 percent, because sometimes that's the way you have to ride in the mud," said Ferry, a native of Florida and the overall winner at High Point in '95. "I was charging pretty hard at the beginning, but by the time I got to second, Scotty (Sheak) was pretty far out there, and I thought I would just play it safe and see if he made any mistakes which I guess he didn't. Still, second place in a race like that isn't too bad." Roncada finished a career-best third, while Brandes took fourth. Pichon . scored fifth, followed by four impressive privateers: East Side Suzuki's Josh Demuth, Skaggs and Team Green riders Paul Currie and Robbie Horton. Team SplitFire/Pro Circuit's David Pingree rounded out the top five. There were a lot of major players outside the top 10 at the end of the race. Windham never quit swimming back up through the track and finally surfaced in 15th, but he still picked up three points on Carmichael, who could only muster 18th place after several spills. Honda of Troy's Mike Craig had to stop to get a clutch adjustment and scrambled to pick up two series points with a 19th-place finish. Primal Impulse Honda rider Robbie Reynard struggled with muddy hands throughout the moto after wasting his gloves in a fall; he stopped several times to try to get his hands cleaned up or to put paper towels on his grips, but ended up a fruitless 21st. Kawasaki's Damon Huffman was struggling to stay upright and eventually slipped back to a 29th-place showing. Sheak again grabbed the holeshot to start the second moto and Carmichael again fell, only this time the 17-year-Qld didn't make it through the first turn, and neither did Reynard or Huffman. Craig, Windham, Pichon, Skaggs and Performance Engineering's Ronnie Tichenor were the next riders in line as the riders headed out in the difficult back sections. Tichenor would be the first major casualty, with a sputtering bike most likely caused by water in the carbo As the rain picked up again, Sheak began to pull away from everyone. Windham fell again in the early stages, but this time the damage was limited and the Yamaha pilot would eventually manage third-place points for the moto. Pichon also went down and would salvage seventh. The only real race on the track that the fans could make out was the duel between the Hondas of Sheak and Roncada for the lead. Looking smooth and fit in the sea of mud, Ronca~a slowly reeled the leader in until there were just