Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Motocross 28th annual NMA World Mini Grand Prix What it's all about: The 28th annual NMA World Mini Grand Prix, held at las Vegas Speedway, attracted the top amateur and mini racers in the United States and from several foreign countries. The best of the best raced these identically prepared KTM 65s in the prestigious Race of Champions. Mike Alessi 'was the winner. (Left) James Stewart made his mark as one of the top young up-and-comers in the sport, as he bagged three class wins, including the hotly contested Supermini division. By Tony Alessi LAS VEGAS, NY, APR. 7-11 ~ ;:: CL cr: 32 eam Green-backed James Stewart and junior teammate Mike Alessi were among the nation's most elite ama teur motocrossers after the dynamic duo scored a combined seven mihibike-class championships during the 28th annual running of the NMA World Mini Grand Prix at Las Vegas Speedway. IT While most school-age boys spent Easter vacation chewing on candy and messing with video games, the team of Stewart and Alessi had another thought in mind, and that was to become the nation's most dominant minicycle racers. Stewart took home a total of three class victories: the 80cc (12-13) Stock and (1213) Modified divisions, and the allencompassing Supermini division. Alessi earned an impressive four class titles, ral- lying to wins in both the 60cc (9-11) Stock and (9-11) Modified classes, the 80cc (711) Modified class and the prestigious Race of Champions event. Over 2300 other entrants converged on the Las Vegas facility from 50 different states and several foreign countries, including Japan, Canada, Costa Rica, Argentina, Brazil, France, Australia, Mexico and Italy. "This year's event is the biggest World Mini ever," said NMA founder Ron Henricksen. "We have 62 different races and 22 runoff rounds." For Stewart, his three dass championships served notice to the competition that he is a definite contender for the title as the nation's number-one minicycle racer. Stewart found some redemption after a less-than-perfect season opener in Texas by recording a convincing win over GNC Champion Jimmy Nelson in the Stock (12-13) class. Stewart performed a repeat in the Modified 02-13) class, topping Las Vegas hotshoe Kyle Partridge, who was runner-up in front of Teddy Maier, Daryl Ecklund and Sean Collier. Perhaps Stewart's most impressive win came in the Supermini class runoff, in which he shot down many of the older 14- to 16-year-old racers aboard his Terry Varner-tuned FMF KX1oo. Team Suzuki/R&D racer Shane Bess put up the most resistance, but-his best was not enough to hold back th.e charging Stewart, who muscled his way into the lead and held on for the moto.and the overall victory. Heavy favorite Mike Blose of Arizona finished in the top three but felt he was blocked the entire race by Bess. "Every time 1 tried to get around Bess, he would cut me off or move over on me," Blose said. "That kind of racing gets old after a while." Alessi added four more championships to his ever-growing list of victories, with his fifth World Mini title in as many years. The Team Green/ Fox/R&D-backed racer ran away with each and every moto of the 60cc (9-11) Stock and Modified divisions, but he found the racing much closer in the 80cc (7-11) Modified division. Florida's Davi Millsaps and his neighbor Kyle Chisolm kept high pressure on Alessi for the duration of the runoff, but in the end, Alessi kept his composure for the victory. Millsaps rebounded in the 80cc Stock (7-11) division aboard his Performance Engineering/No Fear-backed Suzuki and outbattled Kyle Chisolm for the overall win. Millsaps' lap times in the 80cc Stock (7-11) class were among the fastest of all the 80cc classes during the weeklong event. Team Suzuki's Gene Stull made the trek from Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, a worthwhile venture despite the fact that he was missing his race engine. "Our race engine was lost in the mail," Stull said. "We have to race with our stock engines this week because there is no telling where our other motor is. Sinc~ they didn't insure it or anything, it can't be traced." Stull made it all work out anyway . with a victory in the 80cc Modified (1416) class, topping Thousand Oaks- . backed Mike Blose. "My dad forgot to tell me who 1 had . to beat," Blose said. "1 didn't realize Stull finished second in his heat race, so 1 just followed him, thinking 1 had the championship won." Team Pro Circuit's Dylan Lord scored top honors in the 80cc (14-16) Stock class after Blose recorded a DNF with a clogged carburetor and Shane Bess went off the race track and hi t a

• Cover