Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

know he's a go od rid er . I wasn 't su r- : p ri s ed th a t h e m a d e n o m is tak es, because I've rid d en wi th him a nd h e doesn't make many." " I r o d e m y b ut t o ff and th e b ik e wor ke d g reat," A n tu ne z sa id of h is' co me-fro m- behi nd charge. "I' m jus t happy to pu t it up here on the pod ium after all of tod ay's even ts:' Chad Ped erson pu t his Shift-ba cked Suzu ki to th e fron t of the pack a t the start of the 250cc final. Gibso n held secon d goi ng into turn two, follo wed by Banza i Suzuki /Xtreme / Bieffe-sponsored Ant hony Pocorobba, Stephenson and Voss . Pederso n put a ga p between himself and Gibson out fro nt, but the tw o would bot h relinq uis h the ir positions . Gibson we nt d ow n first, cras hing in the rocke rs and losing a lot of positions, and the n Pederson mad e a big mistake as he oversho t the berm following the big doubl e. "A part of m y kne e brace go t hung up in th e s hro ud," sa id Pederson . "I couldn 't ge t it ou t before the tu rn ." Pocorobba took over the lead w hile Voss slip ped into seco nd : The two ba ttled for several laps un til Voss outpowered Pocorobba d own the fron t straight. Voss qu ickly p ull ed away ou t fro n t w h ile Pocoro b ba h eld down secon d . Stephenso n cruised in third and Bueh l followed in fourth . As Voss w as pu lling away, the battle was for seco nd . First Stephenson go t by Pocorobba; then came Buehl. Buehl, was working hi s way into th ird as he an d Pocorobba bumped on th e face of the double. Pocorobba wen t sailing through the a ir , sideways, a s Bueh l h i t the br akes . Pocorobba landed sid eways and hit the soil, kn ocking himself silly, while Bu eh l moved into third. N ext in lin e wou ld be Palmer. The Smith- backed ri d er quietly worked through the pack and wa s now ru nni ng with Stephenson and Buehl. Palmer made sh ort work of Bue hl and then Stephenson and se ttled int o second wi th two laps remain ing. At the checker s, it was Voss taking his second win of the series, followed by Palm er . On the final lap, Bue hl passed his teammate Step henson for th e th ird podiu m position. "I wan t to thank MHR for this opportu nity to come out here. I wis h I could d o mor e aren acrosses, bu t the time just won' t allow it," Voss said . SATURDAY Tuf Hon d a / Parts Unli m ited ' s Jeff Willoh nailed the start of the 125cc final, wi th Gibso n, Stephenso n and Ped erso n filing in behind him. Gibson qu ickly moved into the lead as he tripled over WiIloh befo re the end of the first lap. Willoh d istanced himself from Pe de rso n, as Ped e r s o n p u lled away fro m s u p er- p rivateer Ba rry Ca rsten, on his Bro mley Suz u ki /Dunlop- backed mou nt, and Rand . The top three ran in unison for some time as the battles took place back in the pa ck. Voss, Bueh l, Antunez and Pal mer were the riders sw app ing pa in t a ways back, as Ci bsonra iled the dee p bowl turns better than any other rider up front. Stephenson lost severa l positions as the lead ers freigh t-trained ahea d of him . An tunez started moving up as Carsten sta rted moving back. . With severa l laps re ma ining, it was obvious that Gibson was going to take his second 125cc w in of the weekend . The first-year Pro looked as strong on the final laps as he did in the beginni ng of the race, and he wo uld easily cruise across for the w in. Willoh held second the entire time and (Left) Heat h Voss , was a surprise entry in Worcester, b ut he won the 250cc main on Fr iday and still leads t he championship po ints standings. (Be low) Defending se ries champion Buddy An tu nez (1) st ill hasn't won a race in the 1998" 99 series , but he sits third in the , points standings. and h eld th e lead un til th e che ckers flew . Voss crossed in seco nd, and Ste p he nson quietly ro unded out th e . podiu m . Gibson ca p p e d off a goo d weekend by finis hing fourth. "i got pus hed aro u nd in the 125cc race, so this ti me I took con tro l, " Palmer said of hi s seco nd win of the series . "I wa s riding ag g ressiv e and once I go t out front, I knew I coul d pull away. " "We had a good battle go ing all the way to the end," Voss exp lained. "Cliff rode great - we had some tight racing ." "A fter getting KO' d by that goon las t nig h t, it feels good to be o n the podiu m ," Step henson sai d o f h is first podiu m of the year. "I got ou t fron t but got a li t tle tigh t and lost a few p ositions . It's o kay - I' m no t ou t of this thi ng yet." t '~ Centrum Centre Worcester, Massachusetts Results: November 13"14, 1998 (Rounds 3 and 4 of 34 ) Fri day 125 PRO US ride rs; 16 la ps): 1. Jeff Clbson (Kaw): 2. Ie r o m y Bu eh l (He n) : 3 . Budd y Ant un e z ISu z ): 4. C harley Bogard (Suz): 5. G re g Ra nd (Ka w}, 6. C liff " P a lm e r (Kaw) ; 7. Je ff W illo h (H o n) ; 8., De nn y Stephe nso n (H en): 9. Ke ith Johnson (Ka w ): to. C ha d Pederson (Suz): 11. Tv Wa llace (Yam); 12. Heath Voss (lio n); 13. Brian Sw ink (Ho n); 14. Jim Che ster (Suz); 15. Tom Hofma ster (Suz) . 250 PR O US riders, 20 lap s): 1. Hea th Voss (Hen): 2. Cliff Pa lme r (Kaw); 3. j ere my Buehl (Ho n); 4. Denny Stephenson (lion ); 5. Bud d y An tu nez (Suz); 6. Charley Bogard (Suz) : 7. Ty Wall.le e (Yam ); 8. Jeff Willo h (Hon); 9. Gre g Rand (K7aw); 10. Jim Chester (Suz): 11. Bria n Sw in k (H e n): 12. Barry Car sten (Suz): 13. Chad Pederon (Suz ): 14. Jeff Gi bs on (Kaw): 15. An thony Pocor o bba wo uld lock up tha t position. Pederso n cross ed the line in th ird and Rand also held his racelong ride for fourth . St ephen son rounded out the top five. "My Kawa saki is worki ng great righ t now, and I'm rea lly likin g it," Gibson said . "I had a blast doing it - that was 16 fun laps: ' Willoh 'was also ha ppy with his finis h. " I jus t want ed to pla y it sm ar t," he said. "He rode well u p fro nt , bu t I'm happy with se con d . This ·is a rea ll y good series . The mo ney is great arid they put on a grea t eve nt." In the 250cc final; Pederson was th e lea d er co m ing out of turn one, with Gibson, Stephenson and Voss following . Stephenson took over the lead throu gh the rocke rs on the first lap . Palmer also s truc k. Then Voss moved into th ird as Pederson was drop ping back. Step henso n looked smooth out fro nt fo r several lap s as Pa lmer, Voss a nd Gibson tra iled in hi s roos t. Pederson ma de a b ig m istak e a nd went down w hile la nd in g from the d ouble, and ad ding to the carnage was his teammate A ntu nez, w ho cl ip p ed Pederson 's downed bike . As the race wore down, Stephenson held the point. H is lead beg an to diminish as the lead ers approache d la p ped traffic. A big collision betw een Xtreme 's To m Welch and Banza i's Tom Ho frnaster left a mess of bikes, hay bales, p lastic and rid ers strewn throughout the firstturn sweeper area. Pal mer u s e d all of th e sce narios mention e d above to catch lea der Stephenson . With half of the race over, Palmer tripled over Stephenson into the le ad . Vo ss sa w hi s op portu nity a n d s tar ted to close. Voss block-p assed Stephen son into second and now had his sights se t on Pa lmer. Gibson, meanwhile, watched all th e acti on from fourth an d was content wi th his ride. (Su z) , With only a few laps rem aini ng, Voss made an a ttempt at p as s in g Pa lme r . Voss dived to the ins ide of Palmer in a tight corner a nd th e u n exp ected pa ss caug ht Palmer off guard. Palm er collided with An tunez, who was a lap down, a nd tha t didn' t help Antu nez' a lre ady "off" weekend, either. Pa lm e r quick ly got back by Voss DFC: 1. Gr eg Rand (Kaw ): 2. Hea th Voss (Han); 3. G ift Palm er (K.1w ); 4. Jeff Gibson OG.1W). JUMP·O FF: 1. Tom Hofmaster (Suz): 2. Jeff Willoh (Han); 3. Anthony Poco robba (Suz) . . Saturday . 125 PRO (15 riders, 16 laps): 1. Jeff Gibso n (Kaw): 2. Jeff Willoh (Ha n); 3. Cha d Pederson (Suz); 4. Greg R.mJ (Ka w ): 5. Den ny Step hen so n (Han); 6. Budd y Antu nez (Suz): 7. Cli ff Palmer (Kaw) : 8. Charley Bogard (Suz): 9. Hea th Vos s (He n ): 10. Jere my Bueh l C n); 11. Bar ry Ho Carsten (Suz); 12. Ty Wallace (Yam); 13. Keith John so n ) (Kaw): 14. To m Hofmaster (Suz): 15. Jim Cheste r (SU7, . 250 PRO (15 riders, 20 laps): 1. Cliff Pa lmer (K .1W); 2. Heat h Voss (Han); 3. Denny Stephenson (Ha n); 4. Jeff G ibso n (Kaw ): 5. Jerom y Buehl (Han); 6. Jeff willoh (H a n); 7. Cha rl ey Bo gard IS u z) : 8. Bud d y An tunez (Suz ): 9. Barry C ars ten (Suz): 10. G reg Rand (K.1w); 11. Ty Wallace (Yam) ; 12. Chad Pede rso n (Suz ): 13. To m H o fmas te r (Suz ); 14 . To rn Welch (Su z) : 15. Ke ith Johnson (K aw). DFC: 1. C ha d Pe de r so n (Su z); 2. Keit h Johnso n (Kaw) : 3. Jeff wi lloh (Ha n); 4. Jeff Gibso n (Kaw ). JUM P-oFF: 1. Jeff Willoh (He n): 2. To m H ofmaster (Su z); 3. Jim Ches te r (Suz). AMAlPJl NATIONAL AR EN ACROSS SERIES POINT STANDINGS (After 4 of 34 rou nds): 1. Heath Voss (124 /2 w in s ); 2. C li ff Pa lm er 01 6 /2 w ins ); 3. Bud d y Antunez 0(}4); 4. Chad Pederson 0 03 / 1 w in); 5. Jeff Will oh (100/1 wi n); 6. Denny Step he nso n (96); 7. (TIE) Jeff Gibs on / Jeromy Bueh l (84); 9. Greg Rand (82); 10. Cha rley Boga rd (71);.11. (TIE) Tom Hofma srer /I im Ches ter (52); 13. Mike Jon es (43); 14. Brian Swi nk (42); 15. Brad Wools ey (36); 16. Ty Wallace (35); 17. Tod d Del-loop (33); 18. Barry Cars ten (25); 19. Keith Johnson (20); 20. Trent Hansen (12). Upcoming Rounds: Rounds 5-6 " Jacksonville, Ronda, November 21-22 Rounds 7-8 - Perry. Georgia. November 27-28 . The first night of racing saw many strange happenings: As luck wo uld have it. it was Friday the 13th. Denny Stephenson was involved in an ugly heat-race crash when a slow er rider missed 'a turn arid launched h is bike into the 'next straight: Stephenson was clothes lined off his bike and , .'was knoc ked unconscious. After' se veral minute s. he got to his feet and said. :" D id· a ny~ne get the hcense-plate number of that truck that ran me over1" ' A hole the size of a finger wasdiscov , ered later that night in one of his upp er fo rk tubes. . On Friday night. Ty Wallace qualified for the 250 cc main event aboard a ,VZ400 'and became the first rid er to ever qualify for an Ar enac ross main ev ent aboa rd a four-stroke . " It .w as on e of the easier events to qualify for. ac tually." W allace said. "The bike worked great. Mike Rossini of RR 'p 'and I have' been testing a lot . and the bike work s well. You would think it would be harder: but I'm used to it and found .it to my liking. " Wallace finished seventh on Friday. qualified again on Satur- : day.and firiishedl 1th: " " , For B~nza;' Mot orsports/Xtreme i Wi seco /Pro Action~backed .T o m ' Hofmaster, Friday night marked the first Ar enacro ss w in 'o f his career. Hofrnaster didn 't win' a main ' event, but tie did win , the jump-off contest. 'T~e Illinois rider competes in almost every jump-off and usually finis hes seco nd to Mike ' .Jones. .who was at the jump 'con test in, Las Veqas . With Jones ' absence ., Hoffy hammed it up for the crowd and was voted the winnerfor the first 'time. .. ~ t;: a ~ 00 0\ 0\ .- C'l' .... OJ .c E OJ u OJ c 17

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