Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Events Chaparral U.S. AMA Pro-Am Championship (Left) Jonathan Levey took the Vet Intermediate honors at the Chaparral U.S. AMA Pro-Am Championship, held at Glen Helen Raceway. 'Levey won both class motos on Saturday and then topped the class in Sunday's grand prix event. (Above) Kyle Smith won the Pee Wee Modified (0-6) class on both days of competition. By Beth and Bob laRock 28 SAN BERNARDINO, CA, DEC. 26-27 he Chaparral U.s. AMA Pro-Am Championship brought together amateur racers from seven western states including Hawaii and Kansas to compete in the warm winds at Glen Helen Raceway. According to Vet Intermediate racer Jonathan Levey, the weather was perfect and the track was perfect. Now all he needed to do was "get the lead and try to stay cool." The plan worked for Levey, as he swept the weekend with 1-1-1 finishes. The Pro-Am weekend was a combination of motocross on Saturday (the day after Christmas), a grand prix race on Sunday morning, and the Pro Invitational Supercross race on Sunday afternoon (covered in Cycle News, January 13, 1999). In the amateur races, the overall standings were a combination of points from the motocross and grand prix races. When asked about racing the day after. Christmas, Levey said, "I went (riding) yesterday, Christmas Day - one step ahead of most of the other guys out here." Levey also gave up the chance to join in a family vacation in Las Vegas for the opportunity to race in the Pro-Am. The 10 Vet Intermediate riders came ou t in the same gate as the Vet Experts. In the first moto, Vet Expert Chad Blough seized the holeshot. Vet Intermediates Levey, Robbie James and Jerry Jetton were close behind. By the time the racers had reached the spectator jumps on lap three, Levey had taken the lead and Blough had fallen back to fourth. Levey maintained a consistent lead over the rest of the pack while the riders in second, third and fourth battled for position. On lap four, Jetton passed James for second. Blough then charged his way past James, and on the white-flag lap Blough pushed Jetton wide in a turn, which placed Blough in second. Levey finished the moto with a 10second lead over Blough, Jetton and James. After the moto, Levey admitted, "It was tough in the start - a couple guys almost had me." James captured the holeshot in moto two, with Blough and Nathan Pittman on his back tire. As the riders came over Animal Leap, Pittman had taken second away from Blough, but Blough quickly regain~ the number-two position. Levey started the moto in sixth, but by the time the riders reached the spectator doubles on lap one, Levey had charged his way through the pack to third. Levey passed Blough to take second on lap two. Maintaining his momentum, Levey squeezed to the inside of the finish-line turn to pass James for first. Levy quickly developed a ftve-secoI)d lead over James. Blough lost one more position to Greg Pierce on lap three, putting him back in fourth. By the white-flag lap, Levey had again put 10 seconds between himself and the rest of the field. James commanded second, with Pierce and Blough following. On Sunday, Levey admitted that he usually does not race in grand prix events, but his friends convinced him that he should compete after his success on Saturday. Levey challenged the rest of the field of 16 Intermediate riders to catch him after taking the holeshot in the grand prix. Duane Potts and Jetton pursued the leader through the desert. Brian Calhoun came up through the field and passed Jetton to take third in lap two. Levey said he felt Potts daring him to make a mistake in laps three through six. "He'd push me in the desert section," said Levey. Levey persevered and by lap eight he had developed a 25-second lead. Potts fell back to fourth on lap 10. Jetton and Calhoun held on to second and third. At the finish line, Levey came in first, ahead of Jetton, Calhoun and Potts. "I tried hard to get the start; it's so dangerous in the middle of the pack," Levey said following the race. "You can go fast for a long time if you just relax. n c. Glen Helen Raceway San Bernardino, California Results: December 26-27,1998 friday PIW: 1. Ryley Murphy (Yam); 2. Sean Renshaw (Yam); 3. Chad Smith; 4. Conor Olson (Suz). PIW MOD ((I.{;), 1. Kyle Smith (Kaw); 2. Tommy Aguino (Kaw); 3. Bryce Stewart (Kaw); 4. Chris Ploutte (KTM); 5. Johnny jelde'da (Lem). PIW MOD (7-9): 1. Donnie Keamey (Kaw); 2. Tylor Hemme (Kaw); 3. Corey Bernatz (KTM); 4. Richard 51eding (KTM); 5. Marcus Carillo (Lem). 60 (0-8): 1. jeff Alessi (Kaw); 2. Travis Christensen (Kaw); 3. Trent Pugmi'" (Kaw); 4. Sean Hayes (KTM); 5. Casey Huntley (Kaw). 60 (9~11): 1. Mike Alessi (Kaw); 2. Robert Memoli.; 3. Ryan Villapoto (Kaw); 4. Justin Mulford (Kaw); 5. Vinny Ramirez (KTM). 80 BEG: 1. Weston Peick (Suz); 2. jason Luffel (Yam); 3. Mitch Maxwell (Han); 4. Gregory Bacon (Hon); 5. Jimmy Gonzalez (Yam). 80 NOV: 1. Chris Chevrette (Suz); 2. Pablo Quintanilla (Kaw); Chris Blose (Yam); 4. Jeff Alessi (Kaw); 5.j3rOO Minor (Hon). 80 TNT: 1. Sean CoUier (Kaw); 2. Mike Alessi (Kaw); 3. Calc Wallace (Yam); 4. Kelly Tedder (Suz); 5. Brent Line (Yam). 80 EX: 1. Michael Blose (Yam); 2. Nick Alvarez (Hon); 3. Dylan Lord (Kaw); 4. Erik Meyer (Yam); 5. Matthew Burris (Yam). 125 BEG: 1. Mike Davis (Yam); 2. Brad Huth (Yam); 3. Ryan Bacon (Suz); 4. Tyler Renshaw (Kaw); 5. Jason Meadows (Han). 125 NOV:.l. Kurt Caselli (Kaw); 2. Richie Owens (Yam); 3. Kane Jameson (Yam); 4. Danny Cooper (Yam); 5. Oyde Adams (Yam). 125 lNT: 1. Sean Hamblin (Yam); 2. Chris Spre.nkel • (Suz); 3. Dusty Walter (Yam); 4. Kevin Townsend (502); 5. Ross Garcia (Yam). 125 PRO: 1. Bryan McGavr3n (Yam); 2. Tim Langdon (Kaw); 3. Mike Co,de, (Kaw); 4. Bobby Fitch (Yam); 5. Scott Burris (Yam). 250 BEG: 1. Brett Daugherty (Yam); 2. Ken Kinnucan (Yam); 3. Mike Mohr (Yam); 4. Jeremy Johnson (Yam). 250 NOV: 1. Kory Ellis (Yam); 2. JOll4lthan Schultz (Yam); 3. Kris Lavoie (Yam); 4. Luis Vasquez (Kaw); 5. Brian Walker (Kaw). 250'INT: 1. Kevin Townsend (Sux); 2. D.J. Umphres (Yam); 3. ick Brown (Suz); 4. Brian Shaleen (Yam); 5. Brandon Milstead (Suz). 250 PRO: 1. Bryan McCavran (Yam); 2. Mike Corder (Kaw); 3. Matt Kurlsen (Yam); 4. Alberto Zamora (Hon); 5. Brian Beach (Yam). JR VET BEG, 1. Rob McGee (Hon); 2. josh Blackburn (Yam); 3. Morgan Secor (Hon); 4. Cliff Huxley (Hon); 5. Jeffrey Paul (Kaw). JR VET NOV: 1. Jason Lowther (Yam); 2. Dal Trubey Jr. (Kaw); 3. Matt Freeman (Sux); 4. Traci Aeming (Yam); 5. Craig Hunter (Yam). JR VET !NT: 1. Philip Johnson (Kaw); 2. Jonathan Levey (Yam). . JR VET EX, 1. Alex Zapa" (Vam). VET BEG: 1. Rog~r Hampton (SU1:); 2. Rich Mihalic (Hon); 3. Ken Kinouc..ln (Yam); 4. Bonnie Warch (Yam); 5. Andrew Horton (Hon). VET NOV: 1. Dirk Davidow (Kaw); 2. Kenny Maddox (Yam); 3. Jeff Ealy (5uz); 4. C.T. Folk (Vam); 5. Matt Morgan (Suz). VET INT: 1. Jonathan Levey (Yam); 2. Robbie Jam (Yam); 3. Greg Pierce (Yam); 4. Jerry Jetton (Yam); 5. Nathan Pittman (Yam). VET EX: 1. Chad Blough (Suz); 2. Doug Yarnell (Vam). SR NOV: 1. Gary Chaidez (Hon); 2. Jeffrey Arzosman (Yam); 3. Karl Holmberg (Hus); 4. Steve Jackson (Yam); 5. Mark Stice (}-tOn). SR lNT: 1. Kirk Bassett (Yam); 2. Jason Yodogawa (Vam). SR EX: 1. Bob Maxwell (Han); 2. Larry Morton (Yam); 3. Tom Baugh (Suz). WMN BEG: 1. Kelly Renshaw (Kaw); 2. Bridgette Canillo (Yam). WMN NOV: 1. Shay Garcia (Hon); 2. Tarrah Johnson (Yam). WMN !NT: 1. Laura Little (Hon). WMN EX: 1. Traci Reming (Yam); 2. KeUy Yancey (Kaw); 3. Bonnie Warch (Yam). t 4-STRI< BEG: 1. Robert Moruzzi (Yam). 4-STRK NOV: 1. Rex Easley Jr. (Yam); 2. Mark Moore (Yam). 4 STRK lNT: 1. Kelly Yancey (Kaw). OPEN NOV, 1. Jason Bassett (Yam); 2. Rocky Hash (Hon); 3. Kenny Potter Q-lon). Overall: Combined Motocross and Grand Prix Results PIW: 1. Sean Renshaw (Yam); 2. Ryley Murphy (Yam). PIW MOD (0-6): 1. Kyle Smith (Kaw); 2. Tommy Aguino (Kaw); 3. Johnny jelderda (Lem); 4. Chris Ploutte (Kaw); 5. Bryce Stewart (Kaw). PIW MOD (7-9): 1. Donnie Kearney (Kaw); 2. Tylor Hemme (Kaw); 3. Kyle Mason (Kaw); 4. Richard Sterling (KTM); S. Marcus Carillo (Lem). 60 (0-8): 1. Jeff Alessi (Kaw); 2. Travis Christensen (Kaw); 3. Jake Hulett (Kaw); 4. Richard Sterling (Kaw); 5. Chapman Fiene (Kaw). 60 (9-11): 1. Mike Alessi (Kaw); 2. Justin Mulford (Kaw); 3. Vinny Ramirez (KTM); 4. Matt Harrison (KTM); 5. Brian Hiner (Kaw). 80 BEG: 1. Weston Peick (Suz); 2. Mjtch Maxwell (Hon); 3. Gregory B.1.con (Hon); 4. Kris Paluzzi (Yam); 5. Patrick Pennington (5uz). 80 NOV: 1. Chris Chevrette (Suz); 2. Jared Minor (Hon); 3. Andrew Petrie (Kaw); 4. Robert Memoli (Yam); S. Sean Borkenhagen (}

• Cover