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U,S, Off-Road Championship Series, Round 9 Events (Left) Scott Myers sailed to his third straight main-event win in the PACE U.S. Off-Road Championship Series in Vancouver. (Above) Spud Walters fell late in the main event in Vancouver but held on to the series' points lead with one round remaining. (Below) Spud Walters (1) grabbed the holeshot in the main event, ahead of Scott Myers (29), Jay Whipple (56) and Mark Roop (21). By Mike Lar~on VANCOUVER, Be, CANADA, MAR. 20 cott Myers picked up his third straight main-event win in the PACE U.S. Off-Road Championship Series, once again capitalizing on the misfortune of his White Brothers Yamaha teammate Spud Walters. Walters led three-fourths of the main event, only to fall and hand the lead and the win to Myers. . "I can't believe l won," said an amazed Myers. 'Winning three in a row is great. I'm stoked." With only one round remaining in the series, it looks like the 1998 Series' champ, Walters, will again go home with the number-one plate. Chris Knox came into Vancouver with more total points, but with each rider's lowestscoring race dropped, Walters becomes the leader and Knox drops to second. Knox had a dismal night in Vancouver, finishing eighth, and wa tched his chances of winning the title slip away. Californian Chris Ridgway also had a terrible night in Vancouver. Coming into the race already injured, Ridgway was just looking to collect points and stay in the battle for the second through fourth spots with Knox and KIM rider Mark Roop. Ridgway was nursing a foot injury that made it painful for him to walk, let alone ride. To make matters worse, he era hed in the main event after tangling with another rider. Ridgway reportedly suffered a broken leg and twea ked knee and also reinjured his already-damaged ankle. Fourteen riders made up the field in Vancouver, and all were grouped in a smgle heat race. The loose track surface proved to be a nightmare for the riders, with baseball- to bowling-ball-sized rocks mixed in with the dirt. Myers had it figured ou t, and he rocketed off the S line to lead the field around turn one on the first lap of the heat, with Walters, Ridgway and Jay Whi.pple in tow. The fi,s't couple of laps saw Myers leading, with Walters glued to the back fender of Myers' Yamaha. Walters made his move near the halfway point of the six-lap heat, sliding by Myers for the top spot. Once in front, Walters never looked back and rolled to the win. Myers finished second, while Whi.pple nailed down third. Ridgway rode to a conservative fourth, and Brett Devries rounded out the top five. At the start of the main event, Walters powered his John Ander on-tuned Yamaha to the holeshot, ahead of Myers, Whipple, Roop and Ridgway. During the first few circuits in the 15-lap main, Walters and Myers began to set up yet another battle for a main-event win, with Walters leading and Myers shadowing him. The Yamaha-mounted duo began to put distance on the pack, while disaster struck for Ridgway. He collided with another rider in a tight comer and fell. Ridgway remained trapped under his bike for a couple of laps while the medics and track crew aided him. With Walters and Myers out front, a battle for third heated up between Whipple and Devries, who was on the move after a rnidpack start. The two riders put on a grea t show as they ran nose to tail for several laps, with Devries eventually getting the upper hand and taking over third. Just when Walters looked to have the main-event victory in his back pocket, lapped traffic slowed up the leaders; Walters was forced off his line through an infield section of whoops and he went down. "1 was trying to get around some lappers and I hit the bare concrete along the side of the track," said Walters. "It just shot me straight into the barriers and bam! I went down. It sucks." Yet again, Myers was able to take advantage of Walters' horrible luck to take over the lead, as he motored through the last four laps to collect hi.s third straight main-event victory. Walters remounted in time to hold on to the runner-up spot, while Devries held off Whipple for third and Rob Flagler rounded out the top five. Filling out the top 10 slots were Troy Kalina, Tony Fuller, Knox, lone Canadian Oliver Benek, and John Beal. "This is great - we can always use the money," said a pumped Myers. "It's too bad Spud went down. I'll take the win, but I'm just stoked we went one-two. I'm not out here to win the chiW'lpion hip, I'm here to help the White Brothers team, and we finished onetwo." CIf "I U.S. Off-Road Championship Series Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Results: March 20, 1999 (Round 9 of 10) I O/A: 1. Scott Myers (Yam); 2. Brian Wiliters (Yam); 3. Brett Devries (Yam); 4. Jay Whipple (Yam); 5. Rob Plagler (Yam); 6. Troy Knlina (Yam); 7. Tony Fuller (Yom); 8. Chris Knox U-lbg); 9. Oliver acnclc (Yom); 10. John Beal (Yam); 11. Mark Roop (KTM); 12. Ryan Detrick (Yam); 13. Mark Bonnell; 14. Chris Ridgway (Yom). PACE U.S. OFF-ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES POINT STANDlNGS (After 9 of 10 rou.nds. with lowest score dropped): 1. Brian Walters (937); 2. Chris Knox (885); 3. Chris Ridgway (881); 4. Mark Roop (853); 5. Scott Myers (706); 6. Mark Bonnell (572); 7. Troy Kalina (533); 8. Todd Downs (457); 9. Keith Guiden (404); 10. Ryan Detrick (332). III S ~ Q 23