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AMA/Women's Motocross League Ladies International Motocross Cup By Gregory K. Corns Photos by Dawn Winczewski MILLIKEN, CO, APR. 17 ive-time Italian Women's Motocross C~arnpion Stefy Bau made her presence felt as she triumphantly claimed both 125cc and 250cc Pro overalls en route to being crowned the 1999 Ladies International Cup Champion at the AMA/Women's Motocross League Ladies International Motocross Cup at the Two Rivers Racing facility on the Leahy Family Farm. With 17 of the world's finest female motocrossers set to do battle, the gate dropped on the impressive field for the first 125cc Pro-class moto and Team Green / Pro Circuit/Fox-sponsored Kristy Shealy secured the holeshot. Shelly Kann, the defending Ladies International Cup Champion, trailed in second, with ew Zealand's Tania Satchwell in third. Kann emerged from the whoops on lap two in third as she gave the second position up to Satchwell, who remained only two seconds off the leader's pace. Florida State Champion Angie Keuntjes held down fourth, with Bau, Longview Motorsports/TMR/lnsane Terrain-backed Traci Flemming, Canada's Candace English and Planet Honda's Nikki Harris following at the midpoint of the moto. Railing the big, back-of-the-track left-hand sweeper, Satchwell put the moves on Shealy for the lead. Kann then fell victim to Bau, but not before dicing back and forth for position. On the pipe, Bau blazed past Shealy in the whoops and set her sights on the leader. Unfortunately for Bau, Satchwell maintained a three-second margin aboard her Highland Kawasaki/Thor/Oakley-backed ride for a comfortable cushion at the checkers. Bau and Shealy followed, as Kann, Harris and Flemming came across the finish line only seconds apart. F 44 "r just couldn't seem to find my rhythm through the whoops," said a visibly winded Kann after the moto. ''I'd get Stefy in the back section and then she'd get me back in the whoops. Also, coming from Washington (which is) at sea level, this altitude is something else." With another 20 minutes plus two laps ahead of them, Kuentjes landed the second 125cc Pro-class holeshot, with Shealy, Satchwell, Bau and Harris following. Satchwell'hit the dirt in the whoops, as Bau haunted Shealy for second. Harris was next to bobble in the whoops, allowing Kann and Sweden's Marie Karlsson to move into fourth and fifth, respectively. A blanket could have been thrown over the top three, as Shealy got past Kuentjes. Bau quickly followed and proceeded to pressure Shealy for the lead. Satchwell mounted a comeback as she passed Kann for fifth over the finish-line jump and Kuentjes for fourth in the whoops. With four laps remaining, Bau emerged in first and managed to pull out a four-second lead at the checkers for the overall aboard her Crossroad Power-sports/Pro Action-sponsored Kawasaki. Satchwell climbed up to third with a last-lap pass on Karlsson, for second overall. Shealy's 3-2 finishes earned her third overall on tlle day. Kann came in sixth for fourth overall, and Karlsson held on to fourth for fifth overall. In 250cc Pro-class action, Flemming emerged from turn one with the lead and was followed by Girl Gear/Ohio Motor Sport/Pro Action-supported Tiffany Reed. Reed quickly regained her position but was relegated to fifth as Bau, Kann and former World Vet Champion Bonnie Warch got by. Fleming held on to a three-second lead for the first half of the moto until Bau steadily began to reel in the leader. Bau made her move on Flenling for the lead a lap shy of the halfway point as the two went bar to bar through the whoops. Bau proceeded to pullout a three-second lead to secure the win over Flemming and Yamaha Motqr Corporation/Pro Action/Foxsponsored Kann. Bau launched off the line with a decisive lead in moto two and continued her dominance by running flag to flag for the win, but not without a charge from Kann. As Bau and Kann checked out from the field and Fleming held down third, a battle for fourth developed between Warch and Kawasaki-mounted Kimberly Pravda. Kann's 3-2 finishes earned her second overall, and Fleming collected third. Warch held on for fOurtll overall as Pravda had problems and did not finish, which allowed Tek Crete/Pro Source/Sidewinder-sponsored Jessica Snyder to claim fifth overall with a 5-5 performance. To put Bau's speed into perspective, there were a handful of support classes run in. conjunction with the Ladies International Cup, and local Colorado Pro Bobby Fitch ran lap times, on average, of 2:20 in the Oren Pro Support class for a 1-1 overall, and Bau ran, on average, lap times of 2:27 during her motos. Equally impressive, this was Bau's first time ever on a 250cc machine. Colorado's Ashley Boham dominated moto one in Ladies Amateur competition but slipped to fourth in moto two, and it was anyone's race between the top three front-runners as Kawasaki contenders Jackie Hudson, Erica Cook and Kristi Myers battled for position. Boham's 1-4 finish earned her third overall, and she also ran 2-2 for second overall in the Ladies Mini class. Hudson earned the overall in the Amateur class, and Myers went 1-1 for the overall victory in the Mini class. Other overall-victory medal holders included Colorado's Angela Jagiello in the Ladies Novice class and Dawn Winczewski in the Ladies Veteran Prof Amateur class. A special class featuring Ladies Legends was run, in (Above) Italian Stefy Bau made her debut in the 250cc Pro class, sweeping both motos during the Ladles International Motocross Cup in Milliken, Colorado. Bau swept the 125cc Pro class with two moto wins as well. (Above left) Kristy Shealy (11) grabs the holeshotln the first 125cc Pro moto, ahead of Shelly Kann (1) and Tania Satchwell (7). Bau (77) came from fifth to win the moto. which former United States Women'~ Motocross Team member Nadine Holbert, from Texas, bested Carey Steiner for the overall win. "My sister Didi turns 15 years old today, and I'd like to dedicate my performance today to her for her birthday," exclaimed an exuberant Bau at the end of the day. _ Two Rivers Racing Milliken, Colorado Results: April 17,J999 WMLOas5eS MINI: 1. Kristi Myers (Yam); 2. Ashley Baham (Han); 3. Cara Chada (Kaw); 4. Kelly Longwell (Yam); 5. Jessye Davis (Kaw). US PRO: 1. Stefy Bau (Kaw); 2. Tania Satchwell (Kaw); 3. Kristy Shealy (Kaw); 4. Shelly KaIU1 (Yam); 5. Marie Karlsson (Yam). 2SO PRO,!. Stefy Sau (Kaw); 2. Shelly Kann (Yam); 3. Tracy Heming (Yam); 4. Bonnie Warch (Yam); 5. Jessica Snyder (Kaw). AM: 1. Jackie Hudson (}(aw); 2. Erica Cook (Kaw); 3. Ashley Baham (Han); 4. Kristi Myers (Kaw); 5. Trisha May (Yam). NOV: 1. Angela Jagiello (Han); 2. Kelly Spring (Yam); 3. Naheed Irani (Suz); 4. Tracy Tuscano (Yam); S. Dominica Keller (Hon). VET PRO/AM: 1. Dawn Winczewski (Yam); 2. Cheryl Steel (Yam); 3. Taunje Stites (Yam); 4. Carole F'anks (Yam). LEGENDS: 1. Nadine Holbert (Kaw); 2. Carey Stiner (Suz). Support Oasses OPEN PRO: 1. Bobby Fitch (Yam); 2. Darrell Miller (Kaw); 3. Dustin Kuc!'_Uies (Yam); 4. Justin Riddle' (Yam); 5. Jim Harostica (Ron). OPEN AM: 1. Kyle Williams (K..1W); 2. Sean Lynch (Kaw); 3. Chad Strothcide (Han); 4, Dale Winczewski (Yarn). OPEN NOV: 1. Robert Finocchario (Kaw); 2. Samuel Schall (Hon); 3. Frank Ruff (Han); 4. Robert Chada (Kaw); 5. Jennifer Squire (Yam). OPEN VET: 1, Matt Schlingman (Hon); 2. Pat Leahy (C-G); 3. C'egory C;bson (KTM).