Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ AMA Checkered Flag Productions Arenacross series, Round 4 Josh Demuth skied over the competition in Texas, winning the 125cc and 250cc Pro races on Friday and Saturday nights. By Craig Cole WICHITA FALLS, TX,JAN.15-17 amaha-mounted Josh Demuth mastered the track and his competition at the fourth round of the AMA Cl1eckered Flag Productions Arenacross Series, held at the ].S. Bridwell Ag Center in Wichita Falls, Texas. Demuth won Friday's and Saturday's main events and also topped the jumpoff contest both nights. To the relief of the other riders, Demuth missed Sunday's action due to other commitments. Joey Pratt stepped up and won both races, giving Yamaha a clean sweep for the weekend. The series returned to its home base, Texas, after making stops in Fayetteville, orth Carolina, and Salt Lake City, Utah. The series was welcomed home by sold-out crowds Friday and Saturday and a nearly packed house on Sunday. The rowdy Wichita Falls fans were rewarded for their support of arenacross with some great racing. fi 30 Adam Carroll put his Kawasaki in front at the start of Saturday's main event, but he would not enjoy the lead for long, as Demuth immediately applied pressure and took the point two turns into the first lap. Carroll and Pratt had the crowd on its feet as they ran bar to bar, fighting for the second spot. Pratt made the pass in the final turn, but Carroll put him back to third in the same spot where Demuth had passed him the previous lap. Demuth, meanwhile, was continuing to stretch his lead. The only time the other riders would see. him was when he was lapping them. Carroll and Pratt continued their battle for second through the third lap. In the last tum, Carroll took the inside line and was unable to carry enough speed to clear the triple, leaving the door open for Pratt, who jumped his way into second. Pratt began pulling away from Carroll and the rest of the field, but he was unable to cut into Demuth's already huge lead. As the front three started to spread au t, the figh t for positions behind them started to heat up. The Kawasaki of Adam Zarda and Earl Kephart's Honda were locked in a duel for fourth, while Suzuki-mounted Wes Hale and Honda jockey Michael Peacock fought over sixth. Kephart wound up crashing and had to settle for an eighth-place finish. As the race went on, the battle for the third spot became a four-man race. Zarda, Hale and Peacock closed the gap on Carroll, with Zarda eventually getting to his rear tire, but Carroll was able to counter every move Zarda made and hold on to the final podium position. Hale kept Peacock behind him and finished fifth. Pratt grabbed the holeshot in the 250cc race, with Demuth in second and Yamaha pilot Levi Ballog in third. Pratt led the entire lap, with Demuth's fourstroke hounding him the whole way. Pratt continued up front, but Demuth was able to get beside him in the whoop section and appeared ready to take over the lead going into the final turn of lap two, but his rear tire lost traction and he tarted to spin out. Demuth did a complete doughnut a round a hay bale, bu t he was able to quickly rejoin the race in fifth. By the end of lap three, Demuth caught Kephart, who was running fourth, and quickly took over the position. Demu th then set his sights on Hale and, to the crowd's approval, passed him over the triple. Demu th used the next lap to catch second-placed Ballog, but he was unable to make the move until the two got back into the infield section on the following lap. Going into lap nine. there was still a lot of track between Pratt and Demuth. Dunng the ninth lap, Pratt was momentarily held up in the infield when another rider went down in front of him. This may have been the race's deciding factor, as it let Demuth close what was once a substantial lead down to just a few bike lengths. On the final lap, Pratt still held on to the lead, but he knew Demuth was right behind, as he took a look over his shoulder going over the first step,up jump in th infield. Demuth moved right up behind him and the two went over the tabletop and into the rockers side by side. Demuth blasted by in the whoops and led for the first time just as flagman David Clark was reaching for the checkered flag. Demuth took the win, with Pratt right behind him. Ballog held on to third, with Hale and Kephart rounding out the top five. Peacock had the holeshot in Sunday's 125cc main, with Kephart, Carroll and Shay Manly giving chase, but his lead was short-lived, as he ended up crashing after the triple, handing the lead to Kephart. Carroll, Manly and Pratt also got by the downed Peacock before he was able to get back in the race. Pratt moved up to third after passing Manly and set out after Carroll and Kephart, who had put some distance between themselves and third place. By the end of lap one, Pratt had caught Carroll and chased him through the infield going over the tabletop side by side. Pratt was able to get by Carroll in the whoops, and then he. set out after Kephart, who had moved even further ahead while the two were going at it. Peacock, meanwhile, had recovered from his first-lap crash and had moved up to fourth by the end of lap two. By lap four, Pratt had caught Kephart and was starting to pressure him for the lead. Peacock was ca tching up to Carroll, and he got up beside him going into the whoops. The two went through the next two turns together before Peacock was a ble to pick the third spot. On lap five, Pratt and Kephart went through the infield bar to bar, with Pratt finally taking the lead over the tabletop. Pratt continued to pull away and took the checkers well ahead of Kephart, who was running by himself. Peacock, Carroll and Manly followed. Unfortunately for the rest of the .field, Pratt took the holeshot in the final race of the weekend, the 250cc main. He would spend the rest of the race increasing his lead with eac!1 lap. Several times he completely cleared the tabletop, landing well past the downhill side. Peacock, Kephart, Carroll and Todd Clayborn followed Pratt at the start and ended up finishing in the same order. Only two passes were completed during the race: once when Clayborn got by Carroll, and again when Carroll immediately took the fourth spot back. On the following lap, Clayborn stalled his bike and Carroll was gone. Pratt finished the race about half a rap ahead of Peacock. Kephart, Carroll and Clayborn followed in single file. _ J.S. Bridwell Ag Center Wichita Falls, Texas Results: January 15-17, 1999 (Round 4) Friday 125 PRO: Josh Demuth (Ynm); 2. Enrl Kephart (Hon); 3. Adam Zarda (Knw); 4. Joey Pratt (Yam); 5. Michael Peacock (Hen). 250 PRO: 1. Josh Demuth (Vam); 2. Joey l?ratt (Vam); 3. Earl Kephart CHon); 4. Adam Z,rda (~w); 5. Mkhnel Peacock (Hon), Saturday 125 PRO: 1. Josh Demuth (Yam); 2. Enrl Kephart (Hon); 3. Adam CMroll (K..1W); 4. Adam Z1rda (Kawl; 5. Wes Hale (Suz). 250 PRO: 1. Josh Demuth (Y;lm); 2. Joey Pratt (Vam); 3. leVI Brdlog (Yam); 4. Wcs Hale (Suz); 5. Enrl Keph.'1rt (Hon). Sunday US PR();1. Joey Pratt (Yam); 2. .Earl Kephart (l-Ion); 3. Michael Peacock (Hon); 4. Adam rroll (Kaw); 5. Shac Manly (Yam). 250 PRO: 1. Joey Pratt (Yam);'2. Michael P~acock (Hen); 3. Earl Kephart (Hen); 4. Adam Carroll (Kaw); 5. Todd OayOOm.

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