Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Events (Lett) Robbie Horton (59) grabs the holeshot over Jered Black (431) and Josh Capps (18) in the first tum of the 250cc Pro moto at Camp Coker Motorsports Park. Horton went on to win the overall. (Above) Michael Campbell (16) seemed' right .at horne in the soggy conditions, taking the win in the 250cc B class. By Kirk Johnson SOCIETY HILL, SC, MAR. 14 COld front stationed over the Southeast and torrential rains . did not make for ideal racingconditions at round one of the Tecnosel Carolina Ultra Series. However, the monsoonlike weather did not deter the more than 450 riders who showed up to do battle in the event, which also doubled as round two of the United States Mega Series. The Pro class saw two different winners garner class wins in totally different fashion. Team Mota Planet/ Al Lane Yamaha/Boyesen-backed Robbie Horton reeled off two wire-to-wire wins in the 250cc Pro class, while Alpha Motorsports/ Acerbis/Yamaha-mounted Chuck Shirley used two calculated rides, going 2-2 to take the l25cc Pro class. As the l25cc Pro division left the line, Horton's teammate Matt Walker grabbed the holeshot. Walker, who was just returning to racing after an injury, looked as though he had never missed a beat and jetted out to an early lead. Honda-mounted Hans Neel and Team Green/Thor/FMF's Josh Capps were in tow. The less-than-ideal conditions did not seem to bother Walker as he easily opened a large lead, never to be headed the entire mota. However, behind Walker it was· anything but settled. At one point in the moto there were five riders vying for the number-two position. Capps displaced Neel early and assumed the second spot. Following close behind were Horton, Suzuki of Gastonia/Cycle Suspension/Sinisalo's Jim Chester, Yamaha-mounted Matt Abbott and Shirley. Capps remained in the number-two position until just past the halfway point, when the track claimed the Team Green rider. Shirley, riding very smoothly in the soggy conditions, was slowly picking off riders. KTM-mounted Richard Prather ran in third, ahead of fourth-pla~ed Chester and then Horton, who had fallen victim to the conditions as well bu t was still in fifth. . As the checkered flag flew, it was Walker out front by more than 20 seconds. Shirley and Prather held off a hard- A 0'> 0'> 0'> ~ D- c( 8 charging Chester for second and hird, and Horton rounded ·out the top five. Horton grabbed the holeshot in mota two, with Shirley, Prather, Jered Black and Capps all tucked in behind. Walker, in the meantime, was mired back in the pack after a terrible start. Black quickly displaced Prather and moved up to challenge Shirley. ShirlE:Y also lost out to the wet conditi'ons and slipped out of the top five. Feeling the pressure from Walker, Chester made his move on Prather and slipped into the number-three position just past the halfway point, taking Walker with him. As the race drew to a close, Horton took the uncontested win, with Shirley holding a steady pace to take second and the overall on the day. Chester garnered third, and Walker and Prather rounded out the top five. Horton again had the quickest reaction and grabbed the 250cc Pro holeshot. Capps, Shirley, Kent Rogerson, Walker and Black were all in hot pursuit. Walker was the man on the move, taking advantage or the improving track conditions to move into second early in the mota. Walker set his sights on his teammate and slowly began whittling away at Horton's 10-second lead. Capps could not rest in third, as he was under heavy pressure from Shirley and Black. Going into lap three, both the Yamaha riders passed Capps, relegating the Bessemer City rider to fifth. Back up front, Horton began to feel the presence of Walker and picked up his pace. In the . waning laps, Black made his move into third, displacing Shirley to fourth. Chester then picked up the pace and began to pressure Sh.i:rley to gain fourth. Horton maintained a comfortable lead until the end, taking the first-mota win. Walker came Aome in second, ahead of Black and Chester. Fifth went to Shirley. Weather conditions drastically deteriorated for the final mota, with heavy rains almost flooding the track and making some sections nearly impassable. Horton seized the final holeshot of the day and took full advantage of the good start, leaving the rest of the pack to scrap over the rest of the positions. Shirley, also getting a good start, assumed the second position, with Chester, Timmy Milligan, Black and Brian Lane not far behind. With Horton gone, the battle was for the number-two spot, and runner-up Shirley had fus hands full with Chester, who was all over the Yamaha rider. Just past the halfway point, Shirley made a slight miscue' and Chester capitalized on it and moved into second. Shirley stayed close but was unable to move past Chester. Horton took the win in an abbreviated final mota, while Chester held off Shirley for second. Milligan finished fourth and Lane rounded out the top five. Yamaha-mounted Steven Durick took the track conditions in stride and ripped off his first win over 32 hungry l25cc C riders. Durick went wire to wire in both motos as Kawasaki-mounted Jacob Saylor and KTM rider Duane Mitchell tried to keep him honest. Durick's other win came in the Over 25 C class, in which he again took both motos by storm and left the rest of the field to fight over second. William Harbert recovered from a fifth-place firstmota showing and bounced back to take second in mota two. He garnered second overall. Honda-mounted Jason Surface used consistency to take horne the final podium position with 3-2 finishes. Florida's Phillip Page made his trip to the Carow1as worthwhile by winning the Over 30 B class and then backing it up with a win in the Over 35 class. The former North Carolina resident went out and reeled off four mota victories, leaving. little doubt as to who was the mud specialist. In the Over 30 B class, Page took' the win over Frank Koenig' and Cleveland, Ohio's Eddie Karban. Page's seemingly effortless win in the Over 35 class topped the rides of Ken Frankenberryand Keith Nevers. eN Camp Coker Socieiy Hill, South Carolina Results: March 14, 1999 (Round 1) SO SHAFT/JR: 1. Cody Robbins (Yam); 2. David Clark (Yam); 3. Trevor B<1rretl (Yam); 4. Chris Goodman (Yam); S. Cody Rowe (Yam). 50 (4-6): 1. Preston Thomas (KTM); 2. lan Trettel (Cob); 3. Cody Robbins (Cob); 4. Trevor Brown (Cob); 5. Christopher Epperson (KTM). 50 (7-8): 1. McKinnon Welborn (Cob); 2. Taylor Futrell (Cob); 3. Benjamin Tedards (Cob); 4. C.W. Brim (KTM); 5. Ben' Denton (Cob). 60 (7-9): 1. Zach Osborne (KTM); 2. Davin Price (Kaw); 3. Christopher Newton (Kaw); 4. Les SI)1)th (Kaw); 5. Tyler Oork (Kaw). 60 <10-111: 1. Clay Willett (Kaw),2. Aoron Kline (KTM); 3. Joshua Schmitt' (Kaw); 4. Adam Rowe (Kaw); 5. Matthew Glass (KTM). 8S (12~13): 1. Michael Willis (Yam); 2. Matt Miller (Suz); 3. Dustin Oates (J

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