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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127943
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Windmann also beCome the third different rider
in as many events to claim the top position.
A very rocky and technical course, measuring just about 10 miles, greeted the 229 riders on
a calm and sunny day. Trail conditions were
nearly perfect and lap times for the front-runners measured right around the 3D-minute
mark. The top four riders consistently turned in
laps just under. 3D minutes and were the onJy
riders to go five laps.
Thiele pushed his J&W Cycles-backed
Kawasaki into the lead at the start, followed by
Chris Caplinger, Chris Nesbitt, Windmann and
defending series champion Steve Leivan on his
Sport Cycles YZ400F. Wind mann and Leivan
moved past Nesbitt quickly, and these five riders distanced themselves from the rest of the AA
class. Near the 4-mj]e mark on lap one, Leivan
suffered a minor problem.
"Something pulled the shifter snake in under
the flywheel cover and I couldn't upshift,"
, Leivan explained. "I stopped and was 39le to
&reak it loose by hand and only lose one spot"
Thiele continued to lead and Caplinger held
second until just slightly over a mile from the
end of the first lap, when he went down in a
rocky turn. Wind mann moved into second,
Leivan took over third, and Caplinger recovered
to hold on to fourth.
Windmann overtook Thiele for the top spot
on the second circuit, while Leivan and
Caplinger dueled over third on their thumpers.
Lapped traffic became an obstacle for the leaders
near the end of the lap, and with not many
places for the slower riders to move. over, lap
times increased slightly.
"I was kind of happy to be following Mike
(Windmann), because he was doing all of the
yelling and the lappers were moving for him
and letting me by, too:' Thiele explained.
Nothing much changed up front on the third
lap, except that Caplinger suffered a nasty getoff that banged up a fInger and forearm, and he
bst a little time to Leivan in the battle to go after
the leaders. Windmann's lead after the third
time around measured only two seconds over
Thiele, while Leivan was another 45 seconds
back. Next came Caplinger, and Chad Busenbark had taken control of the fifth spot from
Nesbitt, who witS suffering a power loss due to a
smashed exhaust system.
During the fourth lap, Leivan was able to
whittle the margin down to only a second from
Thiele and 19 seconds from race leader Windmann, partly due to a COMonta.tion with a lapper just before the scoring barrel.
"There was a fence up in the creek that we
had to go around, and Chris (Thiele) was leading when we got there:' Windmann explained.
"This lapper stopped right in front of Chris, and
1 went around both of them but couldn't get
through the opening and had to get off my bike
and drag it around. Thiele tried going up the
rock bank and flipped his bike upside down,
and I went through and got a little gap on him."
Thiele and Leivan both pitted at the completion of the lap, allowing Windmann to gain even
more of a lead. Thiele stopped for fres» goggles
and Leivan got goggles end a splash of gas
before heading out on the final circuit. Thiele
immediately picked up the pace and set out
after Windmann.
"I had to push it and I rode over my head a
few times trying to catch up," claimed Thiele.
And catch up he did. With only the final
creek section that led to the finish remaining,
Thiele was right on the rear fender of Windmann. Windmann held his ground and rode
error-free for the last few hundred yards, while
Thiele's last-ditch effort came up short when he
went down in the rocky creek bed.
"I had a pretty good start and rode comfortable ~Il day:' Windmann said about his winning
ride. "1 thought that if I was that close, I might
as well see what it was like to win one of these."
Leivan brought his Yamaha home in third,
two minutes ahead of Caplinger, who soldiered
on to finish fourth after his crash. Busenbark
claimed the r,fth spot after spending most of the
day riding alone.
Results
0/ A: 1. Mike Windmann (KTM); :z.. Chris Thiele (Kaw); 3.
Stieve Leivan (Yam); 4. Chris Caplinger (Yam); 5. Chad Busenbark
(Yam); 6. Chris Nesbitt (Yam); '1. Ken Yount (Yam): 8. Jason
Counts (Kaw); 9. Kevin Boyle (Hon); 10. Dale Rector (Hon).
AA: 1. Chris Thiele (I