Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

By Greg Robertson BAKERSFIELD, CA, JULY25 ormer Yamaha factory rider "Doc- tor" Doug Duba ch turned a couple of good sta rts into runaway victories a nd we nt hom e $5000 richer after wi nning both the 125 and 250cc ma in eve nts a t the Bill Wright Toyota /Kern Kiwanis Founda tion-sponso red Supercross, held at th e Kern Co u n ty Fairgro unds . Two hundred truckload s 01 primo d irt we re used to scul p t a double- and triple-jump-filled course that received p raise Iro m m o st riders . So ld-ou t bleach er sea ts, a hu ge standing-roomonly crowd, and a good rider tu rnout mad e promoter David Rogers a happy man, too. "This is a concept race," said Rogers. "The Kiwanis Found ation is using thi s ra ce to ra ise fu nds to aid young children's progra ms he re in the county of Kern. We're trying to mimic an AMA Supercross , just on a smaller scale. We' re tryi ng to promote pri vateer racing so that non-fa ctory rid ers ca n make lots 01 money. Next yea r we wa nt to do a $50,000 race, and the lollowing yea r a qu arter-million -d ollar, live-race series ." A pa ir 01 six-lap qualiliers lor both the 125 and 2SOcc classes were used to determine gate positions lor the main events, with [iri Dostal nailing the first 125cc qu alilier holeshot on his Suzuki. Chris Wheeler and Terrance Malan ran second and third, respectively, lor a lap belore Tyler Evans passed th em bo th. Evans inched close r to Dostal an d by lap lou r was on his back lende r, looki ng lor room to pass. "I just mad e a mis take in the whoo p section and he (Evans) got aro u nd me," said Dostal. . "[ iri was going pretty las t," said the FMF/ Smith/ American Suz uki-backed Evans alter pickin g up the win. "I was lucky to get around him when I did." Wheeler linished third, Malan fou rt h, and Honda rider Brian Sweany rounded ou t the top five. Jell Pestana shot his KXl25 in to the lead in the second 125cc qualifier, followed by Tommy Harrison, Dubach an d Dean Matson. Dubach d isposed 01 Harrison within the first few turns, then dove underneath Pestana in a tight right-hander to take the lead within the first lap. Pestana also passed Harrison on the opening lap and would stick with Dubach lor the first lew circuits. Dubach upped the pace towards the end to greet the checkers with live seconds to spare over Pestana. Jerry Aleman came from his sixth-place start to pass Matson lor third. Yamaha rider Tim O 'Brien worked up Irom a poor sta rt to finish, Iifth behind Matson . Ju stin Tiea rney led the Iirst 250cc qualilier lo r about three tu rns belore going down and Iinding himself in last place alte r a restart. Ray Crumb ran out front, wi th Wheeler, Lex Ma la n and Evans juggling posi tions behind. Malan railed around Crumb and led lor a lew laps before bobbling in a berm , allowi ng Evans to slip underneath . Evans w ent on lor the win , with Malan a very close second . Cru mb lended 011 the late-mote challenge 01 Ter rance Malan lo r third, with Wheeler finishing Iilth . "The track is really tight," Evans said . "You have to make passes when you can." "Evans had a last pace an d he go t me," Malan said. "This track is good for passing, obvious ly." Th e se co n d 250cc qual ilie r sta r t b el on ged to Pestana, with Na tha n Woods, Mat son a nd Dubach in close fo rm a tio n. Woods was pressur ing Pes - (Above) Team Yamaha Testin g's Doug Dubach went home $5000 ri cher aft er w inning the 125 and 250cc Pro classes at the "BiII Wright ToyotalKern Kiwanis Supercross, held at the Kern County Fairgrounds in - Bakersfield, California. (Left) SpUd Walters finished second in t he 2SOcc Pro class. tana as Dubach passed Ma tso n on the firs t lap. Dubach squared 011 a corner under Woo d s a la p lat er to ta ke over second place, then ou tju mped Pestana d own the front straight lor the lead on lap lour. Dubach quickly pulled away to collect the win. Matson came across in third , wi th Jerry Aleman wo rking around Woods lor lourth. "I don't like to let up on these guys; they're going pretty last," Dubach said . 'The main is a long race and the track is developing ruts. I like ru ts, so maybe it' s my track." "1' m gonna try to put this Kawie on the podium in the main," said secondplace Iinisher Pestana. " Du bach goes good in the ruts. " When the gate dropped for the 125cc main, it was the KX 01 Pestana leading Evans, Lex Malan, Dubach and Wheeler. Evans lollowed Pestana lor a little over a lap belore making his wa y into the lead. Dubach passed Malan, then moved into second when Pestana messed up in a comer. A lap later , Dubach sailed past Evans. Evans kept Dubach honest lor a couple of laps belore the Yamaha testrider disappeared into the night w ith the win. 'T d like to thank everyone lor pu tti ng o n this ra ce ." Dubach sa id afterwards . "I know it's for cha rity, an d these even ts are grea t. Supercross see ms to be gain ing momen tum, and I'm glad to see everybody out here to support us." Ha lfway th rou gh the race, Pestana was able to pass Eva ns and run in the runne r-u p position, bu t only lor a lew laps, as Pestana retaliated wi th a couple 01 laps remaining to pick up the secondplace mon ey. Hit was an awesome race," Pestana said. "It puts a little money in the privateers' pockets. It was a hell 01 a race, with Evans putting the pressure on me and Dubach in front 01 me." Evans Iini shed third , a head 01 a great battle for lourth that saw Wheeler jus t edge out Matson and Spud Walters. Lex Malan, Andy Harrington and Aleman fini shed se ve n th through ninth respectively, with Tommy Harrison grabbing the final cash-paying position in 10th. It was all Dubach in the 2SOcc main, as the former Vet Pro World Champ and AMA Supercross winner exited the first turn with the lead and never looked ba ck, 'The track builders did a great job," Dubach said to the crowd alter the race. "I'd like to thank Bill Wrigh t Toyota and the Kern Kiwanis lor putting on this race, and I have to thank my wile and six-week-old baby lo r pu tti ng up with the hea t all day and waiting lo r me to get done racing ." Walters chased down Crumb, getting around him on lap five to collect the second- place money. "It's kind 01 bee n a bad night," said th e White Bro s./Stone Racing /MSRba cked Waiters. " I spen t most of my night on the ground. In the 125cc main, I got a really bad start and worked up to sixth. It su re helps a lot when you get a good start and just ride smooth and stay ou t front." Crumb he ld 011 the cha rges 01 Pestana lo r the second half 01 the main to hold on to third . "I had Sp u d (Walters) there, but I made a mistake, bottomed ou t real hard, and my hand came ofl the bars and he got arou nd me," Crumb explaine d . " I just didn' t have anything left to get him back. " Matson brought his Suzuki across the line fo r fifth , ahead 01 Swea ny and Tiearney. Evans spent the moto working up Irom a bad s tart to eighth, with Wood s and CR -moun ted Erik lindstrom filling out the top 10 positions. 0 Kern County Fairgrounds Bakersfield, California Results: ~uly 25, 1997 125 QUAL: 1. TylrT Eva m (Suz); 2. liri IJn<;taI (Suz); J. Chri5 WhtTkT any C Hon). 125 QUAL: 1. Doug Dubach (Yam); 2. Jeff Pe taN 3. Jerry Akuuin (Y.m); 4. ~an Matsou (Suz); S. Tun O'Bril-n (Yam). 250 QUA~ 1. Tye Eva ns (Suz); 2. Lex Malan (5uz); 3. Ray Crumb (Ka w ); 4. Terra na- Malan

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