Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

--------------------------------~--------------- GFI California Winter lAX Series North, Round 4 HOLLISTER, CA, MAR. 15 ith clear skies, perfect track conditions, 14 anxious Pros and a large crowd of spectators, the fourth round of the GFT California Winter MX Series got under way at the popular Hollister GP track. And looking like he was shot out of a gun was Suzuki-mounted Michael Brandes as he smoked both the 125 and 250cc Pro Classes in convincing fashion. In fact, the 22-year-old Stiffie/Westwood/GP Sport/Tom Morgan Racingbacked Brandes was never challenged. If the crowd was eagerly anticipating a Brandes/JeffWilloh battle, then they left unsatisfied, as Willoh ended up down and slightly hurt in the beginning of the 125cc race. . With more than 310 riders making their way to the infamous Hollister GP track, t.he Azevedo crew once again worked their magic and laid out a challenging track. Their decision to cancel rainy weekend races in favor of dry ones was definitely well-received by riders and spectators alike. As the gate dropped for the 125cc Pro race, it was Yamaha-mounted Danny Paladino leading the screaming twostrokes to the first turn. However, Paladino soon found himself surrounded by fast company, as Rick Ryan, Willoh and Brandes were right on his tail. Ryan and Brandes quickly scooted by Paladino, and as Willoh was trying to do the same, the Suzuki pilot hit Paladino's rear tire on a tricky uphill turn and went down hard. In fact, he went down hard enough to injure his left elbow, ending his day. "1 think Paladino did a major brake check on me and I had no place to !O," the Team Suzuki/Stiffie/Westwoodbacked Willoh said later. "After I went down, I got hit again. My elbow is pretty sore and unfortunately I'm calling it a day." With Willoh out of the picture, Brandes appeared to have an easy win ahead of him. Ryan, however, wasn't about to hand over a win without a challenge. The veteran from Northern California, who is commonly known as "The Ironman" because of the fact that he rides four to five classes every race, set out after Brandes. Try as he might, he was never able to get close enough to be a serious threat. Behind Brandes and Ryan, Kawasaki rider Aaron Cheselske had a firm hold on third. Unfortunately for Cheselske, a battle for fourth between Paladino, Daniel Blair and Travis Preston would eventually intrude on that hold. At about the halfway point of the 20minute-plus-one-Iap race, Paladino, Blair and Preston came over the finishline jump in tight formation, and all three riders nearly went down in the fol00 0\ lowing right-hand turn as they fought 0\ ...... over the same line. Eventually, Preston 00 got around Paladino and set his sights ...... on Cheselske. Preston, aboard an F&S Suzuki/Bill's Pipes/NAKED-backed l-< 0.. RM, passed Cheselske in a big left-hand sweeper, but was promptly repassed. However, on the next lap, Preston made another pass in the exact same spot and ..... -< 32 Michael Brandes dominated both the 125 and 250cc Pro classes on the Hollister Grand Prix track during round four of the GFI California Winter Series. th is time was a ble to pull a wa y for good. Meanwhile, up front, Brandes was busy keeping Ryan far enough back and eventually took the win. Ryan would follow in second, with Preston, Cheselske and Paladino rounding out the top five. "I saw Willoh and another rider make contact on the uphill, and then Willoh hit the dirt wall," an exhausted Brandes said. "I didn't get a great start and I figured Ryan would be trouble because he rides here a lot." In fact, the last time Brandes rode at Hollister was back in 1996. "This is the best shape I've seen this track in, because it's usually either muddy or dusty," said Brandes, who is currently sitting in seventh place in the AMA Western Regional 125cc Supercross Series. Ryan, content with second, summed up his race thusly: "I got a good start and didn't have any problems out there. All the recent rain has kind of 'slowed me up in the conditioning department." Ryan, by the way, rode four classes on the day - finishing no worse than second. Preston, who had taken a seventh place at the AMA Arenacross at the Cow Palace the night before the race, was all smiles. "I got a bad start and' ran out of time," he said. "I felt good the whole race, and by the time I worked up through the pack, Ryan w~s already gone." The 250cc Pro race got under way with the same 20-minute-plus-one-Iap format in place, and blasting into the first turn was Yamaha-mounted Nathan Woods. Following Woods in hot pursuit were Brandes, Dean Matson, Cheselske and Trevor Meagher. Missing from the picture was Ryan.. ':The guy next to me hit the gate and I got my front wheel stuck in it," Ryan said. "It felt like I waS stuck in the gate for about 10 seconds." Ryan had his work cut out for him, and the seasoned veteran was up for the challenge. Brandes quickly made his way by Woods and, just as in the 125cc Pro race, said adios to the competition and basically cruised to a victory. Behind Brandes, however, things got very interesting as the crowd kept its eyes glued on Ryan to see if he could make an incredible charge toward the front. The only problem w.as the gang behind Brandes - the likes of Matson, Woods, Cheselske and Meagher - all trying to make sure Ryan stayed behind them. But by the second lap, Ryan had amazingly made his way up to sixth place, and the first rider in the top-five group to fall victim to his charge was Meagher. As Meagher and Ryan came over a tabletop jump, the two made contact in midair and, luckily, neither rider went down. Ryan was on a furious pace and left Meagher and his Suzuki behind. Next on Ryan's hit list was Cheselske, and he also fell victim to the veteran's charge. . When Ryan caught up to Woods, who was running third, the crafty veteran sailed by on the right as Woods looked to his left. But Woods wasn't about to give up and he promptly repassed Ryan' on the following turn. In fact, Woods began to pull a lead over Ryan throughout the next lap. That lead soon dwindled and Ryan once again passed Woods in the big sweeper - this time making it stick to take over third place. As Brandes continued to increase his lead up front, Matson, who was running in second place, soon felt the pressure from Ryan. Ryan eventually made the pass on Matson on the back section of the track, making the running order Brandes, Ryan, Matson, Woods and Cheselske. Things stayed calm for a few laps until Cheselske got a little out of shape and crashed. Capitalizing on the mistake was Meagher, who slipped by the downed Cheselske to take over fifth. When the checkered flag finally came out, Brandes sailed across the finish-line jump, airing it out for the crowd to take the win. Ryan would follow in second, to the delight of the appreciative crowd, followed by Matson, Woods and Meagher. "I had a very good start .and just rode smooth," a satisfied Brandes said. "Compared to the 3o-rninute motos they have. down south, these are a·little easier." GP Sports/FMF /Fox/ Arai-backed Ryan was happy with his performance. "Once I got into fourth place, I knew [ co.uld get second," a confident Ryan said. "With my bad start, I knew there was no way [ could catch Brandes, eve though he was probably cruising." The Alford Racing/FMF-backed Matson, who had just come off a less-thanstellar performance at the AMA Arenacross at the Cow Palace the night before, was pleased with his ride. "I felt pretty good out there," the Suzuki rider said. "After Ryan got.b}' me, 1 just did my best to try and stick with him." Like Ryan, Matson rode four classes on the day. 0. Hollister GP Track Hollister, California Resuhs: March 15, 1998 (Round 4) so STK BEG (4-6), 1. Zach.ry Dupuis (KTM); 2. Michael Flores (KTM)i 3. Ty Keenom (Act); 4.. Rya Bowen (Cob); 5. Ruben Hernandez (Act). ) 50 STK BEG (7-8); 1. Ryan Martin (l(TM); 2. Garrett Ad.ms (KTM); 3. Cody J.ckson (KTM); 4. Mich.el Curci (Lem); S. Jacob Broman (KTM). SO OPEN (0-8): 1. Brandon ReYna (Cob); 2. Chris GHbert (Yam). 60 'BEG: 1. Greg Fouts O; 3. Danny Towe (Suz); 4. Bobby Lynch J'. (Y.m): s. MiJ<" Towe(Suz). 40+ (NT: 1. Terry Huffer (Suz); 2 Joseph Gonzalet (KTM); 3. Alan McGehee (Yam); 4. Dave Graham (Hon); 5. Keith Huffer (Hon). 40+ EX: 1. Kenny Zahrt (Yam); 2. John BandeLin (Sut); 3. Joe Root (Yam); 4. Robert Hansen (Suz); 5. Ricky Masters (Suz).

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