Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

in the sweeper early in the race, so [ didn't have to worry about them [ater." "I didn't get the start I wanted," Dylan Lord said. '1 got pinched off and was in sixth when one of the guys fell right in front of me. I think I did pretty good, though." Lord used hi 2-3 for second overall. Stull then blasted his way to the front to win both the 85cc Stock and Modified (I4-16) classes. "In the Stock moto, I knew I had to get a good holeshot," Stull said. ~'I got the start I wanted and stayed out front. In the Modified, I knew I had to beat Dylan for the win. I played a smart race and didn't want to go down, so I kept a safe pace from Dylan, and it worked." Mike Alessi's first championship came early in the second motos, when he finished 1-1' for the title in the 65cc (I0-11) Modified class. "I've been finishing first in all my motos, except for the 80s - I gotta get my act together," said Alessi of his six straight moto wins in the 65cc ranks. "The track is getting rough," said runner-up Dennis Jonon, "and I got a horrible start and had to work my way up to second after an eighth-place start." Ronny Jackson finished the second moto in third for the same position overall, shutting out Scotty Wennerstrom for a podium finish, although Scotty still finished fifth. The t;5cc Stock (10-11) class was Alessi's next conquest, as he once again won both motos. . '1 got the holeshot, but it was kind of tough because Dennis (Jonon) was on my butt the whole race," said Alessi. "Mike's kind of hard to catch up to," Jonon said. '1 passed him in the whoops and mis-shifted in the air and then couldn't get my rhythm back." Justin Keeney was consistent with third-place finishes in both motos. ':The track was real rough," Keeney related. '1 came around a corner and hit a bump and Dennis got around me. He kind of got away, so I just rode safe and tried to stay up and keep going." Alessi's final win in the 65cc Open left second place up for grabs. Texans Scotty Wennerstrom and Ronny Jackson both wanted it. As it turned out, though, New Mexico's Bradley Graham used a consistent 3-3 core to tie in points with Wennerstrom's 2-4 and Jackson's 4-2 tallies. '1 got by Wennerstrom in the last lap in the whoops," said Graham. "I had an okay start, but I could have been up there a little more, I think." "I just had to concentrate on what I was doing," Jack on said. "I got an allright start but couldn't double in the whoops." . Florida's Davi Millsaps put a halt to Mike Alessi's win streak in the 80cc ranks, winning all four of his 85cc (7-11) Stock and Modified showings. Alessi, however, made an excellent showing in the 80cc format, finishing a very respectable second behind Millsaps in every moto. "Mike (Alessi) got the holeshot in the first moto," said Millsaps of the 85cc Stock (7-11) race. '1 pas ed him 'on the outside, but then 1 drifted out too wide and he took me on the inside, followed by Dennis Jonon. In the next lap after that, L just went for it and took it back and won the race." "My front lever got pushed down and I couldn't stop because 1didn't have any brakes," Alessi commented, "so I couldn't catch Davi." "I got the start in the second moto but mi sed a hift and two people went by me," Millsaps said of his Modified win. "The next lap around, Mike Alessi went on the inside and hit some big breaker bump and almost crashed. He just let me go by and I ended up winning." Local Joey Pratt absconded with the holeshot in the first moto of the 125cc Pro event, but Justin Buckelew took over the lead out of the first turn and held on to it. '1 got a pretty bad pick of the gate," said Buckelew, "and was lucky to get on the inside on the start. I bogged it a little right out of the gate, but my Pro Circuit NCY Yamaha pulled me up there in the first turn, where there was definitely some banging going on in the first lefthander. 1 knew I had to get out there in front right away, so I snuck around the inside and swept the sweeper for the lead and just tried to get away as soon as [could." Mike Corder followed Buckelew to the checkered flag in second. "I gained a position when Rusty' (Holland) screwed up," Corder explained. "He was swapping out, so [ went by. Then Brett (Racine) made a mistake in the whoops, and that helped me when I went by him." "I got a good start, actually," said Team Green/Prop Circuit/Fox/Spysponsored Brett Racine. "I thought I may have gotten the holeshot at first. I swept around the outside, and there was a Yamaha (Pratt) on the inside of me. I went outside of him and overshot the second turn a little bit and J. B. (Buckelew) got by me. I was trying to stay right with Justin, who had a really fast pace going; then Corder was right behind me the whole moto, too. I kept getting him through the triple-tripledouble, and once I messed up through it and did a big 01' Superman. Corder got by me and rode an awesome race." The second moto saw Holland out front at the checkered flag. "In the first moto, I didn't get too good of a jump off the gate," Holland said. "I moved to third real quick, but my lines were all messed up. If you're not taking good lines on a 125, it really slow your momentum down. I regrouped in the second moto, though. These kids are keeping me honest. 1 had no idea who was behind me, but 1 just kept charging forward, and that's what 1 needed to do. They call these 'amateur' races, but these kids are just as fast as the guys in the National circuit." Billy Payne finished third. "It was a good race," Payne declared. "All four of us hung in there. I tried like hell to get by Corder, as he's been roosting me all day." Justin Buckelew ended second overall. "I didn't get a really good jump off the tart and got punched off by HoIland and Payne and still came out okay and got by a couple of people," Buckelew said. '1t was a tough moto. I was eating dirt there for a long time. I finally got around Payne and then he got me right back. [ made a bobble in the whoops, which kind of demoralized me a bit, but [ put in a good effort and I'm pretty happy with second overall." Mike Corder's second-place finish in the second moto earned him tlle overall. "I'm pretty happy," Corder said. "1 started riding Pro in January, and this is my first overall win. I was just out there hav.ing fun. Billy was on me, but 1 just kept saying to myself, 'Hold on, hold on!' I'm stoked. I'm out here to race for Brandon Layton, a good friend, and I'm glad I won this one for him." Holland's return in the 42-rider 250cc Pro contest saw him smokin' on the Lake Whitney course. "Northrup got the holeshot, but 1 passed him at the end of the creek bottom after passing my way up from a third-place start in the rhythm section," said the Dean Marini /Torco/Planet Hollywood-sponsored rider. "My forte is outdoor tracks, and I'm glad I made the trip." "Whitney's pretty fast," said the Team Green/FMF/Fox/Scott-backed Northrup. '1 got the holeshot, but I was kind of antsy." Corder started in fourth, behind Holland. "Rusty was on it!" Corder said. "1 passed Brad (Woolsey) and ·then closed in on Rusty in the tower sweeper. It was kind of sketchy." Holland absconded with the holeshot and went on to collect another win in the second moto of the 250cc Pro class. "1 wish it was as easy as it looked," Holland said. "All these kids are going good and keeping me honest." "I rode really fast in the second moto," the Team Green/Pro Circuit/ Fox-sponsored Racine said. "Billy (Payne) and I got together through the whoops and he passed me and started doubling through. 1 thought to myself, 1 can get him back.' I tripled in, then tripled again and jumped as far to the right as I could, landing on the tires. Billy drifted over a little bit and we tapped. He ended up going down, and I really don't know how [ saved that one." CN Lake Whitney Cycle Park Lake Whitney, 'Texas Results: March 26-28, 1999 51 (U) STK: 1. Blake Baggett (Cob); 2. Zeb Smith (Cob); 3. Cole Seatoo (Cob); 4. David Meade (Cob); 5. Alex Mennenga ()(aw). S] (4-6) MOD: 1. Blake Baggell (Cob); 2. David Meade (Cob); 3. Landon Currier (KTM); 4. Cole Seaton (Cob); 5. Alex Mennenga O

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