Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Antunez cross-rutted through the rhythm section and lost two positions to Buehl and Palmer. Jones was next to attack, and his target was the leader, Willoh. Jones blockpassed his way into the lead and Buehl soon followed. Buehl scooted by the wounded Willoh, and then Palme( struck, displacing Willoh to fourth in a rnatter of two lap . Buehl, who looked the most at home on the tough track, moved alongside Jones around lap seven. The two diced for several laps until Buehl tripled to the inside of Jones coming into a corner, setting up Jones on the outside and making the pass. By lap 10, Buehl was once again pulling away. Jones held second while Palmer and Willoh cruised in third and fourth. Palmer worked on closing the gap on second-placed Jones for some time, eventually pulling alongside and maki!lg the pass stick with only a few laps remaining. Buehl took his second win of the night, comfortably ahead of a hardcharging Palmer, a die-hard Jones and a courageous Willoh. Stephenson finished fifth, and Antunez full hed sixth after a poor start. "My bikes are working great and I've just picked it up mentally," said Buehl. "I'm happy to be up here," said third-place finisher Jones. "The more I tried to go fast, the more mistakes I made: overjumping the triples, almost going through the berms. I'm actually surprised I finished this well. I turned around once and said to myself, 'Where is everybody?'" Antunez and Palmer finished on the podium, while Stephenson and Two Wheel Kawasaki/MSR/Oakley's Doug DeHaan took advantage of the many spills to round out the top five. "I ju t had to pass my friend Greg Rand, and that was it," Willoh said. "I was actually hoping that he would hold on to second, but I lapped him near the end." "In one fell swoop, Rand, Tommy and Ty Wallace all fell within 10 feet of each other, and I found myself in fourth," Stephenson said. "I started using some good lines then and started catching Palmer. For once in my life, 1 would have liked to have had a few more laps." (Above) Cliff Palmer saw his points lead cut by two points, but he still has room to breath. (Left) Defending champ Buddy Antunez posted four top-three rides. (Below) Jeff Gibson finished a strong seventh in Friday night's 125cc main. SATURDAY Antunez looked strong in the early going, as he won both of his 125 and 250c heat races. Palmer had a crash-filled outing, as he was involved in a first-turn crash in his heat race and then in another entanglement in the Dash. Jones won the $800-plu Dash and took the jump-off win for the second night in a row. Rand got the holeshot in the 125cc main, with Willoh, Antunez, Palmer and Banzai/Xtreme/Wiseco's Tom Hofmaster in tow. Friday's big winner, Buehl, was nearly in la t after one lap. The omewhat ill Jones dedded to sit out the 125cc race to save SOlJle energy for the 250cc final. Willoh passed his way into the lead on lap three and Antunez soon followed, moving past Rand into second. Hofmaster moved by Palmer through the rockers and was into fourth by lap five. Hofmaster looked to be on the move, as he was closing in on Rand, who was riding with a painful blister. Palmer closed back in on the two as they scrapped for position; then Palmer moved by both of them for third. A lap later, Rand mistimed the final double and looked to be headed straight into the wall when he bailed out at the last second. The.surprised Hofmaster basically followed in Rand's tire tracks and slid alongside Rand, and both riders were knocked out of contention. "1 hit a rut that turned left and I couldn't hang on over the double," Rand said of the crash. "I thought he had a new, smooth line," Hofmaster said, "and I just followed him right into the wall." . Willoh controlled most of the race up front, but Antunez put the pressure on with several laps remaining. Antunez pushed Willoh to the limit, sticking in a wheel in several corners, but Willoh would not crack, taking his 10th victory of the season. Jones directed all his energy into the start of the 250cc final, and he pulled a crowd-pleasing holeshot ahead of Antunez, Buehl and Stephenson. In famous Mike Jones fashion, the 30something-year-old Pennsylvanian gave it everything he had on the first lap, only to come up short by several feet over the big double. Jones and his bike took an amazing tumble down the track, and he was down on the ground as 14 other riders whizzed by. Antunez, Buehl and Stephenson settled into the top three positions as the medic flags waved for the downed Jones for several laps. Buehl made his last pass of the weekend a good one, as he made his way by Antunez for the lead five laps in. Stephenson also passed Antunez, this time through the rhythm section, moving into second. Buehl began to pull away from Stephenson throughout the next few laps, and he started dealing with lapped traffic. Antunez settled into third, while Palmer and Willoh traded some paint, ba ttling for fourth. With only a few laps remaining, Buehl had lapped up to sixth place, picking off riders one by one. He soon crossed the line for his third WID of the weekend and his fifth win of the year. Stephenson, Antunez, Palmer and Willoh rounded out the top five. Buehl enjoyed his successful weekend. "I.£elt great all weekend, actually," Buehl said. ''I'm just rededicating myself, and I'm thankful to be here." "I don't know what I did - maybe (it was) brain-fade," Jones said of his crash. "The back end kicked up, and I lost all momentum in the air and nose-dived right into it. I knocked the wind out of myseU and tweaked my wrist - but oh, \yell." C#II Niagara Falls Convention Center Niagara Falls, New York Results: January 29-30, 1999 (Rounds 19 and 20 of 34) Friday 125 PRO (IS ciders, 16lapsl: 1. Jeromy Buehl (Hon); 2. Buddy Antunez (Suz); 3. Greg Rand (Kaw); 4. Jeff Willoh (Hon); 5. Cliff Palmer (Kaw); 6. Denny Stephenson (Hon); 7. Jeff Gibson (Kaw); 8. Jim hester (5uz); 9. Tom Hofmaster (5uz); 10. Ty Wajlace (Yam); 11. Doug DeHaan (Kaw); 12. Tom Welch (5uz); 13. Kevin Brodsky (Yam); 14. Jason Conlon (Hon). 250 PRO (15 riders, 20 laps): 1. Jet:omy Buehl (Hon); 2. Cliff Palmer (Kaw)j 3. Mike Jones (Kaw); 4. Jeff WiJloh (1-100); 5. Denny Stephenson (Hon); 6. Buddy Antunez (Suz); 7. Ty Wallace (Yam); 8. Greg Rand (Kaw); 9. Tom Hofmaster (Suz); 10. Doug DeHaan (Kaw); 11. Jim hester (5u7.); 12. Tom Welch (5uz); 13. Kevin Brodsky (Yam); 14. Jason Conlon (Hon); 15. Jeff Gibson (Kaw). DFC (4 taps): 1. Mike Jones (Kaw); 2. Jeremy Buehl (Hon); 3. Denny Stephenson (Hon); 4. Cliff Palmer (Kaw). JUMP-OFF: 1. Mike Jones (Kaw); 2. Greg Rand (}(aw); 3. Tom Hofmaster (507.). Saturday 125 PRO (IS riders, 16 laps): I. Jeff Willoh (Hon); 2. Buddy Antunez (5uz); 3. Oiff Palmer O

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