Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

GFI $50,000 Invitational Supercross By Greg Robertson LAS VEGAS, NY, JAN. 3 n his last major race on American soil before heading off to contest the 250cc World Grand Prix circuit, Pamo/Honda-backed Ryan Hughes lined his pockets with $20,000 in cash after winning the combined 125/250cc ·Pro class during the Las Vegas Events running of the 10th annual GFI Racing $50,000 Invitational Supercross at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hughes' big payday did not come easily. ot only did he have to contend with a starting gate full of top 250cc Pros (including past GFI Invitational winners Phil Lawrence and Jeff Emig), he also had to work his way through 25 of the fastest 125cc Pros on hand. Early in the day, during the running of the Amateur program, there was some concern about the amount of Pro entries, and it was decided to run all the 125cc and 250cc riders in one ra·ce and up the winner's share to a cool $20,000. By th time the Pro practice was ready to start, the number of -l25cc entries had swelled to nearly 50. It was too late to switch back to the traditional running of separate 125cc and 250cc classes, so a quick four-lap qualifier was run to narrow the 125cc field down to 25 riders. These 25 riders were given a 25-second head start over the 250cc class at the start of the single-moto main event. Ivan Tedesco put his YZ125 into the Jead as the huge field funneled through the sweeping left-hand fir t turn in the qualifier that cut the size of the 125cc I 32 Pro class in half. IMS-backed Donald Upton and Kris Rourke held down second and third, respectively, until Tallon Vohland got around them both by the end of lap two. Vohland quickly closed in on Tedesco and then jumped past him on a step-up jump on the back section of the track to grab the lead that he would control until the checkers fell. Tedesco held off Shawn Perotio for second pick on the starting gate. Upton went down and became a spectator for the rest of the day. Michael Brandes and Mike Brown worked up to finish fourth and fifth, just ·ahead of Shae Bentley. Nick Wey, Rourke, Chad Sanner and Greg Schnell rounded out the top 10 in the quick qualifier. When main-event time rolled around, it was Yamaha rider Gio Tedesco with the holeshot, just ahead of Brandes, Bentley and Brad Hagseth. Brooms were flying as mechanics swept off the cement starting pad for the 250cc class. 25 seconds after the 125s were let 100 e, the gate dropped for the 250s, wi th local Pro Jason Partridge leading the way. Heath Vo s slid,l1is Honda into second, ahead of Takeshi Koikeda, Hughes, Lawrence and Michael York. Within a lap, Brandes had his Primal ImpuJ e Suzuki running out front. Bentley controlled second place, as Perolio and Brown started moving up through traffic to join the lead group. Partridge was putting in a great ride on his home track, but by lap two Hughes had caught the Suzuki pilot and pushed him back to second place. Hughes wa stic- ing through the 125cc field and by lap three he was running 13th overall. Up front, Brandes had put about five seconds on Bentley and looked to have the first half of the race well in hand. Bentley had 10 seconds on Brown, who had his hands full with Perolio. Ivan Tedesco was up to fifth, followed by Vohland and Gio Tedesco. Hughes continued his forward march and was inside the top 10 overall as AllJapan Champion Kyle Lewi made his way around Partridge to hold down the runner-up position in the 250cc class. In what has become a tradition of the GFI Invitational race, the racers were given a checkered £Jag and the race was stopped at the midway point for a 10minute break. The riders were then lined up side by side in the order in which they had received the checkers the idea being to allow the mechanics to make any last-minute adjustrn nt to the bikes, and also to bunch the riders back up together in an effort to provide closer racing for the spectators. This year, GFI added a $1000 bonu to the top 125cc and 250cc riders at the midway break. Brandes and Hughes collected the money. Pole sitter Brandes seemed confident, knowing that in 15 short minutes he could be a whole lot richer. . "1 got a pretty good start, then just moved up into the lead and I'm just going for it," said Brandes. "1 see the dollars and I want to win." Judging by announcer Kyle Parson's informal pectator survey, £mig had to be the crowd favorite, but the multitime champ found himself sitting in about 20th place on the restart line. "It was a little bit wet on the outside of the first turn, and I wanted to pivot and turn," said Emig. "I slid out and, sure enough, I knew there would be a bunch of bikes coming right behind me, because I was about fifth or so. Lance Smail got my throttle cable caught in his brake .lever and all kinds of stuff, and that's not how you want to start out a race." Brandes jumped out to a three-second lead over Bentley on the restart. Vohland was on the move, passing both Brown and Bentley two laps into the econd half of the race. Hughes came from his sixth-place restart to quickly dispose of Ivan Tedesco and then Brown. A lap later, Hughes went under Bentley to control third place. Meanwhile, Vohland jumped to the inside of Brandes to steal away his line, taking the top spot in the process. Brandes stayed close, but Hughes joined them, making it a three-rider batHe for the lead. Hughes sailed over Brandes in front of the filled grandstands to take over the runner-up position, then dived under Vohland at the end of the same straightaway one lap later to take the lead once and for all. Hughes ended up putting a couple of seconds on VohJand by the time the checkers waved. Tim Ferry came alive on the last lap, getting around Lewis and then stuffing his way underneath Brandes to steal away third. Ferry then managed to close to within two bike lengths of Vohland at the finish. "I wasn't looking behind me during th race - .I knew 1 had the speed to go to the front," Hughes said after he was presented with a briefcase stuffed with $20,000. "1 was a little worried about the 125 guys ramming me, because I would have rammed for 20 grand. Everybody rode good and dean, and I think it wa a good turnout for all the fans and the riders. I think the riders were a little worried in the beginning of how it was going to turn out, but I think it was good racing for everybody." Team FMF's Vohland went home 510,000 richer for his second-place fini~h and first-l25cc-rider status. "I got caught up in a pileup in the first turn," Vohland said. "I actually didn't go down, but I had to go off the track and through the banners, SO I had a really bad start. I saw the first few guys were getting away but the rest of the pack was taying really dose together, so I really pushed hard and [ got almost to third at the halfway break. I tried to hold off Ryno, but [ couldn't. [ tried to keep him clo e and force him into a mistake, but with that horsepower, after a lap, he started to get away." Yamaha-mounted Ferry was content with his showing de pite a slow start. "I was feeling pretty good today," said Ferry, who earned $5800 for his third-place finish. "My Nole n Yamaha was working good, and I'm happy with third. This is the best I've done in any preseason race, so I'm pretty happy, and I'm excited about the Sup rcross opener at Anal1eim next week." Brandes earned $3500 for fourth, with Lewis getting a thousand dollars less for fifth. Bentley brought his SptitFire/Pro Circuit-backed KX125 across for sixth. Seventh went to [van Tedesco, with Koikeda, Brock SelJards and Voss rounding out the top 10. _ Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada Results: January 3, 1999 INVIT'l.: 1. Ryan Hughes (Hon); 2. Tallon VohJapd (Hon); 3. run Ferry (Yam); 4. Michael Brandes (5uz); -. Kyle Lewis (Suz)~ 6. Shae Bentley (Kaw); 7. Ivan Tedesco (Yam); 8. Takeshi Koikeda (Yam); 9. Brock Sellards (Hon); 10. Heath Voss (Hon); 11. Nlc.k Wey (Kaw); 12. Lance Smail (KTM); 13. Shawn Peroua (Kaw); 14. Jeff Emlg (Kaw); 15. Michael Young (Yam); 16. Greg Schnell (Yam); 17. Andy Herrin~ton (Yam); 18. Ryan Terlecki (Suz); 19. Michael York (Yam); 20. Jason Partridge (Suz). 50 STK (4·6): 1. Dakota Gamer ( obI; 2. Zachary Fussell (KTM); 3. Christopher Proscclle (Cob); 4. Ouistian Standers (Cob); 5. Casey Mello (Lem). 50 STK (7~8): 1. Ronnie Goodwin (Lem); 2. Cody Cannon (KTM); 3. Andrew Iovino (KTM); 4. Dillan Glendenning (COb); 5. icholas Renzi (Lem). 50 OPEN: 1. Dakota GarneT (Cob); 2. Ronnie Goodwin (Lem); 3. Jilke L3ccy (KTM); 4. Brett Hamson (Cob); 5. Andrew Iovino (KTM). 60 BEG: 1. Chapmiln Fiene (Kaw); 2. Cory Ayers (Kaw); 3. Tyler Freeman (Kaw); 4. Richard Sterling (Kaw); 5. Andy SlTaight (KllW). 60 NOV: 1. Brad Masters (Kilw). 60 INT: 1. Matthew Spencer (Kaw); 2. Greg Fouts (Kaw). 60 OPEN: 1. Robert Memoli (Kaw); 2. Mark Proscelle Jr. (Kaw). 80 Frr: I. Cory Ayers. 80 BEG: 1. Joshua Pillsbury (Hon); 2. Jnson Poulsen (Suz); 3. Michael Raines (Suz); 4. Kyle Chnmberlain (Hon); 5. Zack Molitor (Yam). 80 NOV: 1. Soo~ Theob.,ld (Yam); 2. Kyle Campbell (Yam); 3. Robert Memoli (Yam); 4. Justin Jenson (Yam); 5. Ryan Brown (Suz). 80 tNT: 1. Matthew Burns (Yam); 2. Brandon Sch1ensig (Yam); 3. Tony Westbay (Kaw). SIMI I: 1. Matthew Burris (Yam); 2. Ty Morrow (Kaw); 3. Justin Jenson (Yam); 4. Brandon Schlensig (Yam); S. Sco~ Theobald (Yaml. 125 BEC: Brian Pillsbury (Suz); 2. Josh ~ayne (Yam). 125 NOV: ,. Blake Bukamier (Yam); 2. Nathan Hoffma.n (Suz); 3. Adam Burris (Yam); 4. Bobby Bloodworth (Hon); s. Carl Maass~"'g (HonJ. 125INT: 1. Priem M.1nuel (Yam); 2. Brandon Barnes (Yam); 3. Akira Kaga (Hon); 4. Cassidy Anderson (](aw); 5. Dan Defalco (Hon). 125 PRO: I. Mark TUley (KTM); 2. Ego Sato

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