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SuzukilE·Z Up Dealer Series, Round 3
Kudosto
Cuda
By Robert Van Damme
WlTIMAN, AZ, MAR. 20-21
ill Cuda came from behind to win
one mota and finish second in the
other to take the overall in the Vet
Junior class at the third round of the E-2
Up Dealer Series, presented by Suzuki.
Run in conjunction with the first round
of the Sound of Thunder Series, more
than 575 riders participated in the twoday event at Speedworld Motocross
Park.
The start of the first Vet Junior mota
had Jimmy Gunderson and Tom Seagroves going side by side into the first
corner, with Gunder~on getting underneath Seagroves at the second corner to
take the lead. Third belonged to Mike
Weiland, followed by Dan Boardman,
Rick Watmore and Mike Lynch.
When the riders came back into view
over a jurop, Weiland went around Seagroves for second and then came up on
Gunderson's rear wheel. Weiland got
alongside Gunderson through the
whoop section, and as they e;tropped
down into the valley, Weiland cut tightly to the inside and took the top spot
from Gunderson. As the riders came
toward the finish line, Gunderson was
no longer in the lead group but was to
be found just outside the top 10. Boardman also succumbed to some bad luck
and did not finish the mota.
Weiland's lead after one lap was six
seconds over Seagroves, who was now
under pressure from the poor-starting
Mark Oldenwald, who had gone from
ninth to third in one lap: Lynch held
fourth but had Cuda in his shadow.
Oldenwald took over second from Seagroves as they disappeared to the east
side of the course. When the pack reappeared, Cuda was now ahead of Lynch
for fourth. Cuda set up Seagroves at the
switchbacks by going wide on the righthander, and then he had the inside on
the left-hander.
Lynch went around a tiring Seagroves as they came by the finish line to
take over fourth. Robert Olander was
making a big charge from a poor start
and was just passing Jerry Stuart on the
descending double jump when he went
wide on the course, going on the wrong
side of the banners. Olander rode another hundred yards before re-entering the
track, only to lose a couple of spots.
Cuda passed Oldenwald for second as
they completed lap three.
Weiland's early lead was all gone as
Cuda pulled to within three bike
lengths as they came up on the switchbacks. Then, two turns later, Cuda
went by Weiland in the whoop section.
Oldenwald was the next to pull alongside Weiland, at the double-double section. A lapper was right in front of
them, and Oldenwald went by both
Weiland and the lapper over the big
tabletop. Lynch was able to dive undernea th the tiring Weiland in to the next
corner. Then, as the front-runners
received the white flag, Weiland went
right back around Lynch for third. Oldenwald went to the inside line on the
right-hander by the pits and pulled
even with Cuda as they went over the
big double on the east side. But Cuda
had a better drive off the next corner
and squirted back into the lead. Sea-
B
groves went down on the east side and
would finish out of contention.
Lynch outjumped and passed Weiland to take back third. Cuda pulled
. away to a 10-bike-length win over Oldenwald. Lynch, Weiland, Watmore,
Robert Smith, Olander, Gunc;lerson,
Randy Clark and Paul Bowman rounded out the top 10.
Once the pack got sorted out, Weiland was again out in front for the second moto. Lynch was second, followed
by Olander, Todd Smith and Cuda.
Cuda passed Smith over a jurop to take
fourth. Lynch cleared the big tabletop
going into the valley and was able to
pass Weiland for the lead. Then Weiland
took the spot back, going wide and getting a better drive as they went past the
finish line to complete lap one. Olander
then passed Lynch on the long start
sweeper just before the first turn.
Just before the leaders dropped into
the hole section, Olander 'tried to pass
on the outside of Weiland, but as they
reappeared, it was still Weiland in front.
Olander pulled alongside Weiland over
a jump and outdragged Weiland to the
next comer to take over first. At the start
of lap three, Cuda went by Lynch on the
start sweeper. Oldenwald and Watmore
were trying to push each other along
after poor starts and were now running
seventh and eighth. Lynch bobbled and
dropped behind Oldenwald and Watmore. Bowman was running a steady
sixth until he made a mistake on lap
four and slipped out of the top 10. Olander took the second-moto win, followed
by Cllda, Weiland, Smith, Watmore and
Oldenwald.
CN
Speedworld Motocross Park
Wittman, Arizona
Results: March 20-21, 1999 (Round 3)
Saturday
PIW (0-6), I. Jacqueline Strong (Lem).
PIW BEG, I. Coley Todd (Act): 2. Leslie Colasaeeo
(KTM); 3. Brandon Schaffner (KTM); 4. Phillip
Perryman (Lem); 5. Jacob Becchina (KTM).
60 BEG: 1. Daniel Wilburn (KTM); 2. Cody Carlson
(KTM); 3. Kevin Curtis (Hon).
60 (9 ll): 1. Jeremy Johnson (Kaw).
60 OPEN: 1. Jeremy Johnson (Kaw); 2. Daniel
WHburn (KTM); 3. Cody Carlson (KTM).
80 BEG: 1. Austin White (Han); 2. Trenton Straub
(Han); 3. Todd Miller (Hon); 4. Paul Dye (Kaw); 5. 50
Bleli (Hon).
w
80 (7-11): 1. Nick Riley (Kaw); 2. Josh Coleman
(Suz); 3. Greg Smithson{Yam); 4. Tyler Johnson (Suz); 5.
Billy Todd (Kaw).
80 (12-13): 1. Cody Huddleston (Suz); 2. Rocky
Colas.'cco (Suz).
80 (14-16): 1. Rodney Honberger (Yam); 2. Cody
Hatch (Kaw); 3. Moe Fuller (Kaw).
80 OPEN: 1. Rick Schaffner (Yam); 2. Cody
Huddleston (Suz); 3, Jake Alexander (£