Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Left) Spud. Walters powers his way to the win during round-three action of the U.S. Off-Road Thunderbikes Series, held in the Minneapolis Metrodome. (Right) Ryan Leach used a 1-1 tally to top the 250cc Pro class at round two 01 the CMC Pacific Northwest Golden State Nationals in Salem, Oregon. 34 and Ramey right on his tail. Ramey moved into the lead shortly after the start when Plessinger overshot a turn. By the end of the first lap, Ramey wa still in the lead with a 10-second cushion over second-placed Stev'e Sa under. Plessinger and Hawkins sat third and fourth. Gravitt was having problems further back. "My brakes went out during the first lap and I got pretty aggravated," said Gravitt. '1 ju t couldn't ride. They finally came back on lap two. Then I carne in for gas and I got doused. I figure that was a good-enough reason to quit, so I did." Both Plessinger and Ramey managed to find some barbed wire on the course on the third lap. "I had just caught Randy (Hawkins) and Ramey when I got tangled up in the barbed wire," said Plessinger. "] managed to get it out of my rear wheel, but they got another 30 or 40 seconds on me." Despite his problem, Plessinger began to reel in the lead two, and Ra\lley's encoun ter wi th the same wire did not hurt Plessinger's chances, either. "Scott (Plessinger) had just passed me, and I got back around him," said Ramey. "I made a corner in one of the fields and got barbed wire all in my rear wheel. It was wrapped up in there bad. I borrowed orne cutters from a guy and it took me a while to cut it out. It would have been a good race to the finish with Scott and Randy." Haw ki.ns had a similar account of the do ing lap of the race. "Me and Scott passed each other back and forth a bunch of times on the li\St lap," aid Hawkins. "You would get behind a lapped rider in the mud and have to take a different line, and Scott would pass me. Then the same would happen to him later and I would pas him back. IT Franklin hadn't got the wire caught in his wheel, it would have been a good race to the finish." When Plessinger took the checkers, Hawkins was right on his rear wheel. "I had fun," said Plessinger. "The course was a little fast, but it was still pretty good. I'm ju t trying to get as much riding in as I can to get my wrist in shape. The GNCC season'is just a month or so away." With Gravitt and Ramey not finishing the event, series regular Hawkins moved that much closer to capturing the eN SETRA championship. High Point Hare Scrambles Perry, Georgia Results: January 24, 1999 (Round 9) OIA, Scott Plessinger (Suz). Ak 1. Randy Hawkins (Yam); 2. Steve Saunders. OPEN'" 1. Jeff Vealey; 2. Milch McRee; 3. Daniel Munsrod. 250 A; 1. Gary Hendricks; 2. Matt Beaty 3. Jeff Collins. 200 A: 1. Chris McDonald; 2. Mark Thompson; 3. Mark Hutchinson. OPE B: 1. Buzz Dyer; 2. Blair Jackson; 3. John Embro. 250 B, 1. Robert Blalock; 2. Scott By.-d; 3. Bobby Barefield. 200 B: 1. R.J. Lagroon; 2. David Keith; 3. Bruce Gann. 4--STRK 8: 1. PauJ McColl; 2. Chris Kite; 3. Peter Magee. OPEN C: 1. Heath Henderson; 2. David Davis; 3. Scott Cooper. 250 C: 1. Steward Baylor: 2. Jonathan Phillips; 3. Toby By.-d. 200 C: 1. Shawn Dailey; 2. Chris Wahle; 3. David Martin. 4-STRK C: 1. Dwight Sutphin; 2. Jason Miller; 3. Jeff F1cmistCL SR A: 1. Terry Hughes; 2. Jimmy Pratt; 3. Willie Bradshaw. • SR B: 1. Steve Moore; 2. Cameron Smith; 3. Mack Barber. SR C: 1. Mel Smith; 2. John Wilson; 3. Danny Burkhalter. S/SR A: 1. Robert Neeley; 2. Dan Jackson; 3. Frank Nelson. S/SR 8: 1. Bob Ingle; 2. Patrick Golden; 3. Larry BolUnger. MSTR A: 1. Wayne Beaty; 2. Jim Ford. MSTR 8: 1. Steve Huggins; 2. Richard Patterson; 3. John Snyder. MSTR C: 1. s',m Shaw. U.S. OfI-Road Championship Series, Round 3 Walters whips the thunderbikes By George Hodkinson Photo by Karen Hodkinson MINNEAPOLIS, MN,J .23 pud Walters was the winner of round three of the PACE U.S. Off· Road Thunderbikes Series, held at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The win marked Walters' second consecutive year winning the event, but this time the defending series champion . rode against some new competition. The event definitely has grown in the last year, because this year qualifying heats were needed to whittle the field down to 20 riders for the main event. A new rule for this year in the Thunderbike division allows the use of a sub- S stitute rider for a maximum of two events, providing that the substitute runs like machinery and number. In round two, this very rule allowed Scott Meyers to assist Walters in gaining some points on overall series leader Todd Downs. Walters had not raced any events prior to this one, as he was injured at an outdoor event in late December. He spent eight days in a hospital with a tube in his chest due to a collapsed lung from the horrific crash. '1 still think I have a good shot at the overall title," said Walters. "As long as I ride consistent, I should be a contender. Yamaha, White Brothers, and my mechanic, John Anderson, and I are all hopeful we will be there at the end." Series points leader Downs could not make this event, but he took advantage of the new rule himself, as Minnesota native and experienced veteran Pro turned Polaris factory snowmobile racer Cory Keeney rode in Downs' spot. As a result, Downs did not lose any series points by missing the event. With Walters, Keeney, Chris Ridgeway and the second-placed rider in points, Chris Knox, all in attendance, the field was loaded with talent. Knox took the early lead in heat one on his KRW Cycles-backed Husaberg FC600, followed by YZ400-mounted Demarco Guiden. Knox's traveling part· ner, Chri Roop, filled the third spot aboard his KTM. Guiden went down early on lap one, as Richard Wuori moved into second at the end of lap one and stuck to Knox for the rest of the race. The 29-year-old Knox put his 22 years of racing experience to use as he held the hard-charging Wuori and his Yamaha back in econd place for the entire heat. Roop, meanwhile, went on to hold third at the finish, followed by Guiden, who worked his way back up to fourth. Steve Drewlo finished fifth. "I love this kind of racing," said Knox afterward. "It is short and demanding but not too dangerous." Heat two was talent-filled, as Walters, Keeney and Ridgeway were all on .the start line on their YZ400s. When the start flag fell, it was all Walters, as he grabbed the holeshot and walked away with an easy win, building a sizable lead on the first lap. Keeney stalled on the line and was forced to work his way through traffic, while Ridgeway cruised easily in second place. YZ400-mounted Steve Downey took a close third on his 1993 XR600. Keeney was right at the back tire of Downey for fou rth a t the checkers. Troy Goehrs went on. to take fifth in the hea t. In the last-chance qualifier, local Minnesota rider Bill Tillord grabbed the holeshot on a YZ400 borrowed from Mike Quinn. Tillord won the LCQ with ease in his cameo four-stroke appearance, and Joe Avellone of Illinois took second. Tim Mitchell, Bob Maxey and Brent Reiner all made the main event via their top-five finishes. At the start of the main, it was local hero Keeney who grabbed the holeshot into turn one, but Walters quickly showed why he was sporting the number-one plate as he di¥ed under Keeney and passed for the lead in tUfn one. Walters set the pace early on. Keeney hung with Walters in the early going, and Knox was also right there on his big Husaberg. Wuori ran fifth and Goehrs rode in sixth. By the sixth lap, Keeney had slipped back ever so slightly from his spot as he began entering lapped traffic. Ridgeway made his move around Knox for third as he chased Knox intensely. The race concluded with Walters cruising to his first win in as many outings in the series. Keeney's last-ditch effort to clo e in came up short. Ridgeway finished alone in third, and Knox and Roop rounded out the top five. Guiden made a late pass on Wuori for sixth place. '1 was a'little tired," said Walters. '1 could see Keeney behind me, and a couple lapper got in the way, 0 I'm pretty happy with how things turned out, because there were orne good riders here tonight." "He (Walters) was going real fast and smooth tonight," said Keeney. "Lappers were a problem for me, and Spud just didn't make any mistakes." Keeney said that he may continue to race a few more of the thunderbike events, though he will not conte t the series due to other commitments. However, he was pleased with his first' attempt. Ridgeway was pleased with his finj h of third place, as he is nursing a nagging foot injury. eN Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis, Minnesota Results: January 23, 1999 (Round 3) O/A, 1. Spud Walters (Yom); 2. Cory Keeney (Yam); 3. Chris Ridgeway (Yam); 4. Chris Knox (Hbg); 5. Mnrk Roop (KTM); 6. Dcm3rco Guiden (Yam); 7. Richard Wuori (Yam); . Troy Goehrs (Yam); 9 Steve Downey (}-Ion); 10. Keith Guiden (Yam); 11. Steve Drewlo (Yam); 12. Bill Tilford (Yam); 13. Joe AveUane (Yam); 14. Brent Reiner (Yam); 15. Bob Maxey (Yam); 16. John Larson (Yam), 17. Jason Schulberg (Yam); 18. Mark Bonnell (Yam); 19. TIm MitcheU (Yam); 20. Don Bettis (Yam).

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