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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127844
MOTOCROSS AMAllfAXIMA WESTERN FOUR·STROKE NATIONAL MX SERIES Round 5: Albany Motorsports Park (Left) Shaun Kalos recorded his second win of the series at Albany Motocross Park in Oregon. (Below) Lance Smail took second but matched Kalos on points for the day. By Don Schneider ••S 46 ALBANY, OR, JUNE 1 omeone has got to beat Lance" at these races," beamed Husaberg's Shaun Kalas, who finally put the skids to KTM's Lance Smail's winning streak in the AMA/Maxima Western Four-Stroke National MX Series at Albany Motorsports Park in Oregon. 'Tm the one to do it. I'm in great shape, and I'm happy with my speed right now." By beating Smail to the finish line in the second mota, Kalas took his second overall victory of the season, his first coming way back in April when he won round two at Glen Helen Raceway in California. Smail topped Kalas in the first mota, but Kalas came back to win the tie-breaking second mota. Still, Smail has very little to wony about. The two riders matched total points on the day, so Smail maintains his comfortable 24-point series lead over. Kalas, the only rider giving Smail any concern at all throughout the series. Third on the day went to Kawasaki's Ty Davis, who went 3-3 at Albany. Unfortunately for Davis, however, the former West Coast 125cc Supercross Champion has little hope of catching either Kalos or Smail before the series is over. "We came into the championship series knowing we were down on power," admitted Davis, who has been piloting a modified KLX300 Kawa aki vs. the 620 of Smail's KTM and the 501 of Kalas' Husaberg. But Davis knows that horsepower isn't everything. "Those first two guys, Smail and Kalos, are going real fast," Davis said. Fourth overall on the day was Honda rider Mike Healey (5-4), whi],e rounding out the top five overall was local favorite Shaun Highland (4-5), from Medford, Oregon. The first moto got under way with a surprising sight as Davis, on the smallest-bore motorcycle of the group, Meanwhile, up front, Smail had reeled in Davis and made his move just past the pit-board area. Smail dived to the inside and pushed Davis wide and into second place. Davis' problems weren't over yet, as Kalas was moving in. For two laps, Kalas got closer and closer to Davis' Kawasaki, until he was right next to him going into a sweeper, where Kalas got by the former leader. Once into second, Kalas had five seconds to make up in order to catch the leader, Smail. And he did just that. At the halfway point, Kalas was right on Smail's rear fender and was looking for room to pass. Their dice would go down to the checkered flag and Smail grabbed the holeshot, while local rider Scott Halas hit the deck. "They were all bunched up heading into the first tum, so I just kept it pinned and was going to rail the outside:' Halas said. "But I lost traction and washed out." Davis led the way, while Smail and Kalas were making up for so-so starts. Scott Myers, back on the track after being sidelined with injuries since the opening round, was also up there among the leaders. . Heading into the third lap, Davis still led, but Smail and Kalos were on the move, now holding on to the secondand third-place positions, respectively. Husaberg rider Kenny Olsen settled into fourth, ahead of Myers and Highland, aboard another Husaberg. Further back, Healey and Honda rider Spud Walters were going at it until Walters went down. "1 didn't want to follow too close to Healey:' Walters said. "I positioned myself for an outside-inside pass and I just grabbed a handful of throttle, trying to make it stick. Then the rear end broke loose in a power skid and washed out. I couldn't remount very fast as the pack came flying by." Walters finally got going again in 18th and would climb as high as 10th at the finish. (Above) Back on the track after injuries, Scott Myers (5) leads "Kalos in the first moto. (Left) Ty Dayis finished another third. managed to hold on for a narrow win by a bike length, to be exact. Finishing all alone in third place was Davis, some 52 seconds off the pace. Myers was battling with Highland for fourth when Myers' ATK began running sour. "The clutch basket broke and the airboat clamp came loose, causing the bike to lean out," Myers said. Myers salvaged a 14th in the mota. Highland ended up fourth, followed by a hard-charging Healey. Sixth went to Steve Drew, followed by Billy Binckley and Kenny Olsen, who wasn't even planning on riding this event.