Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

,:'. £/~f~r~ERoNCOATNEYF---PJ_1_N_a_tio_n_al_A_re_n_aC_(l_OS_S_S_e~_ie_s,_R_o_un_d_s_2_5_&_26_' (Left) Buddy Antunez all but put his competitors' hopes for the PJ1 National Arenacross Championship away by winning three of the four main events during rounds 25 and 26 of the series at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Antunez now has a 59-point lead in the series standings with two rounds left. (Bottom left) Cliff Palmer was the only rider to halt the Antunez freight train. Palmer won the '125cc main event on Friday night. By Lance Bryson Photos by Thomas zarraonandia SAN FRANOSCO, CA, MAR 13-14 ith a full moon... Friday the 13th... lunar eclipse 13th weekend of the series and after a three-year hiatus, the PJ1 National Arenacross Series returned to Nortllern California's Bay Area with the series championship still on the line as the contenders showed up to do battle at the Cow Palace. Carrollton Kawasaki's Cliff Palmer fought his way through the pack to get the 125cc win on Friday night, but defending PJl Arenacross ational Champion and current points leader Buddy Antunez guided his Primal Impulse/Suzuki wire to wire in the 250cc final to inch ever closer to a second straight series title. Antunez returned on Saturday night to drive another nail into his competitors' coffins by sweeping both main-event victories to gain a 59-point ad vantage over his nearest rival, Chad PedersOn FRIDAY "- 00 ..... ..... s.. < 30 Pederson collected the 1-900-PRORACE Holeshot Award as the 125cc finalists exited turn one for the 16-lap main. Jeff Willoh, however had his own ideas, as he got a better drive into the rocker section and passed Pederson for the lead spot. That lasted for three laps before Pederson had had enough of playing follow-the-Ieader and reclaimed the front position. While the two played catand-mouse with each other, Palmer and Stephenson, who had their own seesaw battle going, patiently bided their time in third and fourth, waiting for either of the two front-runners to make a mistake. That mistake came at the halfway mark. Palmer first got by Willoh and then, two laps later, passeq Pederson for the lead. Stephenson was hooked into Palmer's draft, but got out of shape over the triples, dropping back. While Palmer set sail for the ~eck ers, Willoh reclaimed second while Pederson secured the third podium spot, with Antunez and Nathan Ramsey rounding out the top five. Antunez was the man to beat in the 250cc final. Grayson Goodman followed, along with Denny Stephenson, Jimmy Gaddis and Willoh after having trouble with the rocker section. Ramsey looked to be the man on the move as he left the gate in seventh, and by the eighth lap he was second behind Antunez. That ride, however, ended when the SplitFire rider threw it away in the rocker section. Goodman moved back into second, with WilJoh third, Jeromy Buehl fourth and Pederson fifth. After 10 of 20 laps had been completed, Pederson seemed to get a second wind and he started to pick off one rider at a time: first Buehl, then Willoh, then Goodman. With four laps remaining, Antunez had established a good-sized lead, but Pederson tucked in and up-shifted. Pederson put on a show of both speed and bike-handling skill in an effort to catch the Suzuki rider. With one Jap to go, Pederson made up a four-bike-Iength deficit to follow Antunez across the checkers hait a bike length back. SATURDAY Willoh had the hot hand as he grabbed the holeshot in the J 25cc feature, with Mike Jones, Stephenson, Palmer and Antunez in tow. Willoh led for the first seven of 16 laps. Then alI hell broke loose: Willoh went down in the rockers, and Stephenson tried to set up an inside move on Jones coming out of the rockers and went down. In the meantime, Antunez got into his zone in the early going and moved into the lead at the halfway mark. Ramsey fought his way up from a poor start to follow Antunez after a four-lap battle with Jones. With Antunez in control of the race, followed by Ramsey, the third podium spot wasn't decided un til Palmer edged out Jones at the checkers. Pederson recovered from his disappointing ninth-place finish in the125cc final to grab the early lead in the 250cc main event. The Nielsen rider left the gate in first and never looked back - at least not until lap 13, when Antunez, after battling past Willoh and Ramsey in the early going, got by Pederson for the lead. Antunez rode very smoothly tonight, seemingly not pressured about anything or anyone. After Antunez got by Pederson, Pederson held his ground despite advances from Ramsey for the second ------'. position. While Ramsey had his sights set on getting by Pederson, it was' Palmer who again fought off the poorstart blues, locking onto Ramsey. With four laps to go, Palmer made his move past Ramsey to follow Antunez and Pederson to the checkers, while Ramsey collected fourth and Stephenson fifth. "This weekend was the first time in six weeks I was able to. ride without worrying about the war instead of the battle," Antunez said later. "When you start worrying about the title, sometimes you start playing it too safe instead qf riding like you are capable of riding. Tonight, I had so much fun. I rode like r wanted to ride - without a care." "If any rider - and I don't care what rider we are talking about - thinks they are going to come to this Arenacross series and kick butt - better think again," Ramsey, a regular in the AMA Supercross Series, said, "These guys are hauling and have this game wired. Buddys a friend, and to be battling against him and finishing second in the 125s was very cooL I don't like to lose, but if I had to get beat, I don't mind it being him." {'N Cow Palace San Francisco, California Results: II/larch 13-14, 1998 (Rounds 25 & 26 of 28) , Friday 125 PRO. 1. Cliff Palm.. (Kaw); 2.]effWilioh (Suz)~ 3. Chad Pederson (Kaw); 4. Buddy Antunez (Suz); 5~ Nathan Ramsey (Kaw); 6. Mike Jones CKaw); 7. Jimmy Gaddis (Kaw); 8. Jeromy Buehl (Hon); 9. Brad Woolsey (Kaw); 10. Grayson Goodman (Kaw); 11. Travis Preston (Suz); 12. Denny Stephenson (Hon); 13. Clifford Adoptante (Suz); 14. Jim Chester (Suz); ]5. Dean Matson (Suz). 250 PRO: 1. Buddy Antunez (Suz); 2. Chad Pederson (Kaw); 3. Jeff Willoh (Suz); 4. Grayson Goodman O

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