Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

81a19S nUSA Motocross Championships D (Above) First title, first time: Arthur Cofield had only been rac ing motorcycles for two months when he came to Branson for a shot at the SOcc (4-6) Modified-class champ ionship. Cofield pulled off 1-1 rides in the class and a st ar was born. (Left) Danny Carlso n (435) dom inated the Pro-class ac tion at the Branson USA Motocross Champ ionsh ips In Mis so uri. Carlso n cru ised to wins in both the 125cc and 250cc Pro classes. By Tony Alessi ! GALENA, MO,SEPT. 24·28 .. .. ~ t.:: a 00 0\ 0\ ...... -.::l" ...... l-< OJ .c o .... u o 60 ea m C ha pa rra l's Danny Carlson cleaned up at th is yea r's Branson USA Mo to cro ss Championships by po sting four out of four moto vic tories in bot h 125cc and 250cc Pro classes during the Bran son USA M otocro ss Cham pio ns hips in Galena, Missouri. "We have rid ers here fro m 27 differen t states," N MA founder Ron Henrickso n sa id . "This vea r, we have close to 800 racers in a tte ndance for th is threeday even t." Th e racers were tr eated to a n aweso me all-natura l-ter rai n racecourse that w as si mila r to a European g ra nd prix track . The track was built by fo rme r Mini cha mp Kurt Henrickson. Danny Carlson set the weekend's fast la p time and was far and away the top pro in th e ho use, dominating all fou r m otos in bo th th e 125cc and 250cc Pro classes. Carlson battled Bryan Emig during both 250cc Pro races, while Mike Kann gave chase in the 125cc d ivision . W hen a ll w as said and done, Carlson ran off and h id in m ost of th e mo tos, ridi ng at least two seco nds per lap faster th an his com petitors w hil e aboard his FMF / Shift-backed Yamaha. If C a rlson had a good weeke nd of racing, th en local Mid weste rner Cha d Johns on had a grea t o ne, as he w o n three s e p a ra te classes a n d a lmost claimed a fourth overall win. Joh nson sco red the gold in the 250cc Open, 250cc Stock Int ermed iat e and 125cc Modified In ter m ed iate divisions . Johnson even ba ttled a hard-charging Dusty Emerson d urin g both 125cc Open-class mot os, an d he w on the first moto w hen Emer- so n fell 10 feet before the checkered flag . But Eme rso n rebo u nd ed in th e a llim po rta nt second mota, this time lead ing the race from the drop of the gate to the fini sh line. Despite heav y p ressu re fro m John son, Eme rson kept it togeth er to po st the moto win and th e ove rall victo ry . Johnson is hed secon d o n hi s Team G reen Kawas a ki , wh ile T rav is Young , Br ent M ill er a nd Levi Humphrey rounded ou t the top five . Em ig re-emerged in the Vet classes a nd smoked the fiel d on his 1996 Jeff Emig works replica KX250. Emig topped Darryl Will s and Sh a u n Martin in the Over 30 A class, and Mike Luoma an d Brian Sorenson in th e Over 25 A class. C u rren t AMA B-class cha m p Nick Me tcalf rod e his last 125cc Intermed ia te race and left a winner by winn in g a ll three mo tos of the 125cc Stock Intermediate class. Metcalf endured a muddy course and bad starts in his first heat to sco re the w in over Du sty Emerson, Jake Go ttas and former California boy Aaron Baker , w ho sa id his move from the big ci ty to th e farm ha s done h im so me good. M e tcalf m o to r ed a way in the remaining mot os for the overall victory and sa id he will make his move into the Pro ranks as ea rly as his next local race. Th e Mini ranks saw n umero us d ouble class winners, incl uding Mike Alessi in the 60cc (9-11) Sto ck a nd Mod ified classes, Justin Ashb urn in the 60cc (6-8) S to ck and Mo d ifi ed cla s se s , De nni s [orion in the SScc (0-11) Stock and Modified classes, N athan Davenport in th e 85cc 0 2-13) Stock and Modified classes, Co lt Humphrey in the 85cc (14-16) Stock and Mod ified clas ses , and Vince Friese in th e s Occ (7-8) Stock and Modi fied classes. . For some rruru p il o ts, su ch as Pee Wee (4-6) Stock-class wi n ne r N ic Paluzzi an d Pee Wee (4-6) M od ifi ed wi nne r Ar thu r Cofield, Branson marked their firs t-e ver ama teur cha mpi ons hips . Paluzzi seem ed po lished an d gea red up for his victory, while Cof ield could best be de scribed as a diamond in the rou gh. Co fiel d, w ho has been racing for o nly tw o mon th s, le t it all han g ou t d u ring bo th mo tos, and th ou gh he was sketc hy a t ti mes, he held it to gether, topping Ga rret Tot h, Justi n Lawrence, Blak e Bagger and Daniel Rocke. 0 Brans on USA MX Champions hips Galena, Miss ou ri Result s : Septe mber 24-28, 1998 50 14--61 ST K: 1. Nic Paluzzi (Cob); 2. C. UTt" t To th (Cob); 3. A rt h u r Co fie ld (C ob) ; 4. Au s tin Lind sa y (KTM); 5. Dani el Rocke (Cob) , 50 (4-6) MO D: 1. Art hu r Co field (Cob); 2. Ga rr et Toth (Cob) ; 3. Ju~ tin Lawrence (KTM); 4. Blake Bagg ett (u l b); 5. O.. icl Rocke (Co b). m so (7-8) STK: I . Vince Fr ie se (Cob); 2. Co lton Ma yn ard (Cob l: 3. Jak e Eric kson (Cob); 4. Cameron ; Smith M OO: 1. Dc nni .. Ion o n (Kaw); 2. Cody Gilmore (Ka w ): 3. Blake Renshaw (Ka w) : 4. Gregg Albertson (Yam); 5. Nathan Kimbal l (Ha n). 85 (12 -13) STK: 1. Nathan Daven port (Kaw): 2. Teddy Ma ier (Ha n); 3. Natha niel Benoit (Ya m); 4. Josh Rolbiecki (Ya m); 5. Ryan Nett (Yam ). 85 (12·13) M O O: 1. Nat ha n Davenport (Ka w ): 2. Na tha niel Beno it (Yam); 3. Jo sh Rolbicck! (Ya m ); 4. Kendal Owens (Kaw): 5. Ryan Nett (Y.lm). 85 (14-16) STK: I. Colt Humphrey (He n): 2. james • Marshall (K a w ): 3. Tr a vi .. Murra y ( Kaw): 4. Gra y Davenport (Yam); 5. Kory Cu nning ham (Yaml, 85 (14-16) MOD: t. Co lt Humph rey (Ho n); 2. Iamcs Marshall (Ka w) : 3. Brand on Beab ou t tK.1W); 4. Jef f Burkett (1<.1\\'); 5. Gray Davenport (Ya m) . S/M IN I: 1. Ted dy Maier (Ho n l; 2. Co lt Humphrey IHo n): 3. Nat ha n Davenport ( J(., W); 4. la mes Marshall (Ka w ): 5. Bra ndon Beabout (Kaw ). 125 BEG: 1. C h.1SC Dunft.'t' (Ya m); 2. Mrt Portt'r (Yc1 m); 5. Tim Bowt'n (Yam) .

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