Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

AMX NorthlSouth Shootout Series, Round 4. - McMurrich Triumphant By ~ohnny Whiteboots ELOY, AZ, FEB. 7 outhern Arizona's Ocotillo Raceway played host to round four of the AMX North/South Shootout Series, and Justin McMurrich took full advantage of the perfect conditions to win the Pro class over a pack of hungry competitors. With more than 250 racers locked in a serious pain ts chase, it was clear after practice that the event would prove to be a big day for everyone. The feature race of the day started with a bang as McMurrich grabbed a holeshot aboard his CR250, ahead of Ryan Mortensen's YZ400, Kyle Killebrew's YZ250, and the rest of the talented pack. The McMurrich/Mortensen duel picked up right where it left off tire weekend before at round three as the two riders battled for the early lead. Killebrew was not about to let them get away, and neither was fourth-placed Ben Shank, as the pair turned up the wick to make it a fourway battle for the lead. The top four racers set a torrid pace, pulling away from fifth-placed Todd McRee's KX. Having suffered some bad arm pump in the Over 25 Pro mota, McMurrich knew he had to pull out a lead so he could relax, ride smooth lines, and concentrate. By the end of lap two, it had all come together for McMurrich, because he had a straightaway lead. Not so for Mortensen, as he had all he could handle from a hard-charging Killebrew, who was riding like a man possessed. Shank, who was also stepping it up, showed Killebrew a wheelan every lap. The fourth and fifth laps had the crowd holding its breath, as the trio came into everY'corner grouped together. McMurrich had a four-second lead as Shank was pressuring Killebrew for the second position all around the track. Killebrew, however, was on a mission and holding him off. Shank's YZ400 pulled slightly ahead over the 70-foot tabletop, and he managed to close the door on Killebrew. It was not to be, though, as Shank applied too much pressure on the front tire, washed out and went down, giving second immediately back to Killebrew and third to Mortensen. He managed to keep the bike running and rejoin the race, but, with only two laps remaining, It would take·a miracle to recover. At the finish line, it was McMurrich styling to the win, Killebrew second and Mortensen third. Shank rounded out the top four. "I was glad to have pulled an early lead so I could relax and ride my own :ace," said McMurrich. ''I'm triple-class~g today, working on my arm pump, so I m sure the second mota's going to be the real battle." As the riders were getting ready to start mota two, Shank appeared to be quietly focused. . "It took me a while to get going that first mota, this being my first look at the track," said Shank. "I like going 20 or 30 minutes, but I'll be ready for this mota. Nine laps go by quick, so the start will be the key." Killebrew grabbed the holeshot to start mota two, with McMurrich Mortensen, Shank and the pack in tow~ S Killebrew seemed to enjoy the view up front,. and he held a quick pace to lead the first couple of laps. McMurrich made his m,ove on lap three, pulling alongSide Killebrew coming out of the "Pit." They rubbed all the way around the decreasing-radius right-hander, chattIng like bench-racing Vets, until McMurrich made the horsepower stick to pass in the following straight. Shank saw the pass and knew it was time to go. He made the pass on Mortensen down the expressway to take over third and challenge Killebrew. With Shank .pressuring him from the triple on, Killebrew was a busy man, trying to pass McMurrich and hold off Shank. McMurrich bobbled and went down, advancing Shank and Mortensen a position. Shank closed the gap by lap five and was challenging for the lead. The riders battled for the lead, with McMurrich's nimble two-stroke gaining an advantage through the whoops and tight sections and Shank's ground pounder closing through the big .outdoor sections and sweeping turns. It proved to be a duel to the finish as neither rider could gain an advant~ge over the other. The white flag came out, and the battle heated up to boiling. Shank showed a wheel to McMurrich through the first turn and then went wide around the following turn, to no a~all. McMurrich hit the triple totally pmned and pulled several bike lengths as Shank came up just a bit short. Shank pushed hard and pulled back up to challenge corrung out of the "Pit," attemptmg. the pass around the decreasing radiUS. They went side by side down the straightaway, over the next two obstacles and into the whoops. Shank controlled t/le inside line and made the clean pass in the tight left-hander commg out and took the checkers. McMurrich settled for second and Mortensen finished third. Todd McRee finished fourth, followed by Tom Fr-'anz. "I really wanted to win that second mota," McMurrich said. "Shank did a great job pulling up on me through the whoops t.l;1at last lap. I had a great time racing him, though, and I look forward eN to the ne.xt time." Ocotillo Motocross Park Eloy, Arizona Results: February 7, 1999 (Round' 4) SO BEC 0-1: 1. Brandon S<:haf1ner (Yam); 2. Cody Thomas (Yam). 50 BEG D-2: 1. Kyle .Henry (KTM); 2. Jacqueline Strong (Lem); 3. Hayden Willingham (KTM); 4. Spencer Robert (Cob); S. Rachael Benge (KTM). 50 (~-6): 1. Cole Martinez (Cob). . 50 (7-8): 1. Paul DeSoto (KTM); 2. Brodie Prether (Cob); 3. Cory Sibley (KTM); 4. Kristin Canis (KTM). 50 OPEN: 1. Curns Smith (Yam). 60 BEG: 1 I:?aniel Wilburn (KTM); 2. Daniel Kelly .. ~Ka~); 3. S?ou. Rtchardson (}(aw); 4. Mike Loder (Kaw); :J. Mitch Wise (Kaw). 60 (0-8): 1. Rhett Urseth (Kaw); 2. Taylor Robert CKaw). 60 (9-11): 1. Jeremy Johnson (J(.1W); 2. Travis Lumby (KTM); 3. Brandon Carlson (Kaw); 4. Jimmy Rundle (Kaw); 5. Brent Davey (KTM). 60 OPEN: :. Rhett Urseth (J(.1W); 2. Jeremy Johnson (,Kaw); 3. TraVIS Lumby (KTM); 4. Brent Davey (KTM); 5. Brandon Carlson (Kaw). 80 BEG: 1. Casey Creley (Kaw); 2. Moe Fuller (Kaw); 3. Ryan Harel (Kaw); 4. Michael Falls (Yam)' 5 David Moskat (Kaw). ' . 80 (7-11): 1. Steven Schwartz (5uz); 2. Nick Riley (Suz); 3. Tyler Johnson (Suz); 4. Josh Coleman (Suz); 5. Karl Orr (Suz) 80 (12·13): 1. Chris Chevrette (502); 2. Sean Shelton (Kaw); 3. Cody Huddleston (5uz); 4. Michael Beaver (5uz); 5. Chad Winton (Yam). 80 (14-16): 1. Rick Schaffner (Yam); 2. Nic Shaffer (Yam); 3. Cory Hatch (Kaw). 80 OPEN: 1. Steven Schwartz (Suz); 2. Matt Madden (.Kaw); 3. Chris Chevrette (5uz); 4. Cody Huddleston (5uz); 5. Eric Ramirez (Hon).· WMN: 1. Tamara Madden (Kaw); 2. Tarrah Johnson (Yam); 3. Jenny Clark (Yam); 4. Lynsey McDade (5uz). 125 BEG: 1. Chris Shaffer (Yam); 2. James Straub (Hon); 3. Matt Swensen (Yam); 4. Mike Beaver (So2); 5. Tamara Madden (Kaw). i2S NOV: 1. l.R. ScheU (Yam); 2. Adam Bode (Yam); 3. Bryan Mills (Yam); 4. Lupe Aguayo (Yam); 5. Jason McTygue (Yam).. 125 IN!": 1. Nick Beaver (Suz); 2. John Mazur (5uz); 3. Ryan Wilson (Suz); 4. Jeremy Lasto.vica (Yam); 5. . Ryan Mazura (Yam). 125 PRO: 1. Jason Smith (Hon); 2. Bart Hafferkamp (Yam); 3. Chad Luhman (Hon); 4. Brett Cole (Yam). 250 BEG: 1. Jason Kilborn (Han); 2. David Jensen Michael Brandes won the 125 and 250cc Pro classes at round four of the CMC Golden State Series at tl)e Badlands Raceway in Victorville, California. (Kaw); 3. Brian Behan (Yam); 4. Randy Hill (Yam)' 5 Jessie Erwin (Yam). ' . - 250 NOV: 1. J.lJstin Collett (Kaw); 2. Jesse Attaway (Yam); 3. Scott Rich (Hon); 4. Kurt Robert (Han)' 5 Steve McFerrin (Kaw). . ' . 250 tNT: 1. Nick Beaver (Suz); 2. Chad Scholz (Kaw); 3. John Mazur (Suz); 4. Jeremy Lustovica (Yam)' 5. Brandon Rt:.'l.>d (5uz). ' 250 PRO: 1. Justin McMurrich (Hon); 2. Ben Shank (Yam); 3. Ryan Mortensen (Yam); 4. Kyle Killebrew (Yam); S. Todd McRee (Kaw). 25+ VET BEG: 1. Sherman Taylor (Suz); 2. Stephen Benge (Suz); 3. Doug Gams (Yam); 4. David Mitchell (Kaw); 5. Jay Garrett (Han). ) 25+ VET NOV: 1. Andrew B.1Try (Hon); 2. Kenny I orter O"lon); 3. Jeff Parr (Kaw); 4. Robert Klein (Yam). 25+ VET £NT: 1. Heath Cox (Yam); 2. Greg BrydIe (Yam); 3. Rob YamelJ (Han). 25+ VET PRO: 1. Justin McMurr.ich (Hon); 2. Chad Luhman (Han). 30+ ~ET NOV: 1. Jimmy Gunderson (Yam); 2. Todd Smltl, (Yam); 3. David Erwin (Yam); 4. Randy Clark (Yam); 5. Robert Olander (Yam). 30+ VET INT: J. Tom Franz (Han); 2. Steve McFerrin (Kaw). 30+ 1)&0: 1. Todd McRee (Kaw). OPEN: 1. Nick Beaver (5uz); 2. Justin McMurrich (~on); 3. Chad Scholz (Kaw); 4. J.R Schell (Yam); 5. MichaeL Mazura (Han). Sunstar Sprockets CMC Golden State Nationals, Round 4 Banner day for Brandes By Tony Alessi VICTORVILLE, CA, FEB. 14 t was a banner day for Team Primal Impulse /Suzuki-backed Michael Brandes, who performed his own version of mota "four play" by sweeping each and every mota he entered en rou te to both the 125 and 250cc Pro-class victories during round four of the CMC Golden State Nationals, held at the Badlands Raceway. Brandes and KTM racer Lance Smail seemed equally matched in 250cc competition. However, Smail could not keep his rear wheel together long enough to finish either mota. "I don't know," Smail said, "I think they were just new wheels and I didn't break them in long enough and the spokes came loose and broke." Team Green's Brett Racine was up for the challenge all day long and scored an Impressive second overall.behind Brandes, while Team Mota XXX-backed Travis Preston took his RM250 to the podium with a strong 2-3 showing for third overall. I The second mota had all the ingredients of an epic motocross battle after Brandes and Smail gated first and second. Brandes jumped out to an early lead only to come under a heated attack by Smail, who closed in on Brandes lap after lap. . Though Smail seemed starved for horsepower, he made up for it in determination, pushing the envelope by gass1l1g It longer down the straightaway, diving deeper into the turns and flying lower and further off the jumps. Small put up a respectable fight for the length of the ~ace, but in the end Brandes kept a cool head and a steady throttle and went on for the mota and overaJI victory in front of Smail, Steve Andnch, Espen Blikstad and Brad Hagseth. "He (Brandes) is the king of outdoor tracks" said 125cc Schoolboy-class winner Seap Hamblin. "1 rode with him all week, and he's awesome on outdoor tracks like this one." . Obviously, some of"Brandes' great ndmg rubbed off on Hamblin this week, as he posted the win in the Schoolboy diVISIOn and took runner-up honors in the 125cc Intermediate class behind Team Green's R.J. Thompson. . Mike Collier turned a potentially bad sltuahon mto a winning proposition by borrowmg a professional's bike for his day of racing. "Our race bike seized during Saturday's practice session," Collier said. "I borrowed a pro's race bike today and ended up winning." . Collier topped the charts in the 250cc Intermediate class in front of George Merry, OJ Umphries, Travis Smith and Randy Norman. The Mini classes saw close battles in almost every mota this weekend, right dm.vn to the youngest of competitors as 111 the 50cc division for 4- to 6-yearaIds, 111 which N1C Paluzzi and ·Blake Baggett had a knock-down, drag-out battle in both motos. The win went to Paluzzi on his John Burr-backed Cobra. The dynamic duo of Bruce Rutherford and Donnie Kearney dominated the 50cc (7-8) class by taking their flammg-orange KTMs to a one-two finish in front of Webb Massey, Chris Bradshaw and newly signed Maxima rider Kyle Smith. Rutherford returned in the 65cc (6-8) class, but despite winning the first mota, he found hImself running second fiddle to the 65cc KTM of Cole Seely. Mike Alessi kept his Golden State Series win streak alive by sweeping all I~ '!Iii IIii III :l! ~ :ii Q • 81 ~ g.c ~ :;: 35

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