Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127991
PACE U.S. Off-Road Thunderbike Championship Series, Round 10
By Don Schneider
Photos by David Jett
SEAmE, WA, MAR. 27
pud Walters pulled off another
main-event win at the final round
of the U.S. Off-Road Thunderbike
Championship Series at the Seattle
Kingdome. The White Brothers YZ400
pilot used grea t perseverance on the
evening - as he did throughout the
series - to take the championship.
With the final main-event win, Walters captured his second straight title.
The final round started off well for
Walters, who rode the fastest heat race
earlier in the day and got the first pick
on the gate for the main. Walter's teaml11ate Scott Myer , who won the last
three main events in EI Paso, Pontiac
and Vancouver, also ripped through his
heat race, earning the second pick.
Myers and Walters lined up next to one
another for the main event on the front
row. Washington State Arenacross
Champion J. Whipple, filling in for the
fnjured Chris Ridgway, gated third,
beside Brown Brothers Racing/Maxxis
Tires-backed Robert Naughton and
Husaberg-mounted Chris Knox. To the
delight of the crowd, eight other Washington State riders made the how: Jeremiah Brown, Greg Crater, Joel Howard,
John Be.a!, Brett DeVries, Robb Mannir)g,
Leon Capps and Rob Flagler.
The series has had three different
points leaders. The first four rounds
were led by Corpus Christi Motorsports-backed Todd Downs, who had
support riders - Motoworld of El Cajon
Yamaha's Dustin Nelson and Cory
Keeney - filling in for him due to an
injury. Chris Knox took over the series
points chase after the fifth round in
Phoenix and held it until round nine,
when he finished a dismal eighth to
Walters. Coincidentally, Walters missed
the first two rounds due to injuries and
contracted Myers to be his replacement
rider. Despite missing those first two
S
(Above) Scott Myers led the main event
before falling victim to Walters.
(Right) Spud Walters wrapped up the
series championship a round earlier in
Vancouver, but with pride at stake, the
YZ400 pilot soldiered on to win the
final round.
rounds, the team of Walters and Myers
used the substitute-rider rule, to White
Brothers' advantage. PACE Motorsports
adopted a NASCAR-like rule that
allows a rider to have a replacement for.
two different rounds throughout the
series - hence Walters' championship
despite missing two rounds.
When main-event action started,
aughton was the quickest to release
the clutch, but Myers and Walters were
close by and within spitting range. As
the pack stormed down the length of the
Kingdome, looking for the sweeping
left-hand tum, Myers took his thumper
in a little hotter than usual. He carved a
'better inside line, as Naughton went to
rail the outside and Walters tucked to
the inside to follow Myers over the only
triple jump on the course. It was pure
luck that Naughton did not high-side or
take a soil sample as he slammed into
the outside power-block barrier. He
. then barely recovered in sixth place,
inches behind Whipple, Knox and
DeVries.
In the lead, Myers turned it up a
notch to roost away from a persistent
Walters. His lead went on lap after lap.
It was apparent, though, that Walters
was quicker in the whooped-out
straightaway just before the finish-line
corner. It would later prove to be the
demise of Myers' lead position.
The sight of Naughton battling for
supremacy surely caught the attention
of the announcers and the crowd of
22,523. First off, Naughton nipped at
DeVries' rear tire for four laps. He then
pulled an aggressive inside stuff pass on
the east side of the dome to grab fifth.
Meanwhile, fourth-placed Knox was
within striking distance as well. Whipple, who was in third, .had somehow
moved 10 seconds free of the battle
behind him. One more lap was all
Naughton needed to set up Knox to
move into fourth. The same whoopedout straightaway on which Myers was
losing ground to Walters was the site of
Naughton's pass on Knox. aughton
hung it wide around the final corner
and dived up the inside past the finishline tabletop and then he was on the
pipe. aughton and Knox approached
the tum-one triple jump. aughton took
his competitor wide again and Knox
had to shut it down on the outside. The
crowd stood and yelled in appreciation
of the battle royal. Naughton then put
his head down to try to catch Whipple,
but it was to no avail. DeVries went past
Knox as well to take over fourth.
With three laps remaining, Walters
had watched Myers' lines long enough.
Myers was holding his standard lines,
and Walters knew he had to either outbrake Myers somehow or use a little
more guts heading past the finish line.
Walters swung it wide, just as
Naughton had done to Knox, and he
had the momentum up the inside as
they flew down the long straight heading into tum one. Walters maneuvered
his thumper into a position that sent
Myers wide setting up for the triple
jump. The duo hit the jump simultaneously, with Walters landing first. Myers
barely landed on the track and lost a
couple of valuable seconds.
As Walters passed Myers for the
lead, Whipple held off Naughton.
DeVries looked like he had gathered a
second wind and was pounding on
Naughton's rear wheel. The white-flag
lap turned out to be the best. Walters
narrowly held off the advances of Myers
for the win. Whipple sighed in relief as
he took the final podium finish, and
Naughton squeaked qut fourth, ahead
of DeVries and a trailing Knox.
_
Seattle Kingdome
Seattle, Washington
Results: March 27, 1999 (Round 10 of 10)
MAiN: 1. Spud Walters (Yam); 2. Scott Myers
(Yam); 3. J. Whipple (Yam); 4. Robert Naughton (BBR);
5. Brett DeVries (Yam); 6. Chris Knox