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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127996
Ryan rails the Rollercoaster
at Shelby Supercross
By Barbara Williams
Photos by Loren William
SHELBY, NC, MAY 2
Jonathan Ryan took top honors in the Junior
Mini class at round one of the Rollercoaster Racing Tour Supercross Series, in a nail biter of a
race with Chris Osborne. Ryan's Rick's
Cycfe/Ternosel-b.lcked Suzuki led the first two
laps, but then a bobble allowed Suzuki of Gastonia's Osborne to take over the lead. Screaming
into the last turn nose to tail with Osborne, Ryan
suddenly saw an opening. Slick as Charlie's
Soap, Jonathan made the pass and took the win
by a mere bike length.
Nearly 300 riders participated in the opener
at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds. The large
number of entrants forced split races in severn I
classes, lengthening the program some, but
everyone raced the prescribed number of laps,
and racing sillJ ended well before midnight.
Jonathan Ryan was one of the beneficiaries'
of that action, as the Junior Mini division had
originally been scheduled to rWl with the Stiper
Mini division. As things turned out, both classes
ran by themselves. Ryan and Osborne headed
the field on the start of their Juni.or Mini qualifier, setting the pace for Steven Houser, Justin
Hopson, Jessie Carney and late arrival Tyler
Clark, who had no opportunity to practice.
Osborne slipped into the lead after the first lap
and gave Ryan some good moves to watch - and
learn from. Houser finished third, Hopson
fourth and Oark fifth - before he endoed on the
finish tine. As there was no real damage done,
Tyler returned to his pits to get ready for the
Junior Mini main.
When the gate dropped for the Junior Mini
main event, Ryan leaped out front early and
looked good to stay in the lead unW he dropped
the Suzuki in the last turn of lap three. Osborne
was quick to fill the gap, and the two had
stretched out enough of a lead on the Test of the
field that Ryan managed to remount without
losing more than one position.
Ryan spent the rest of the Tace pushing
Osborne, challenging, watching for an opening;
and .finally, on the very last tum, he forced the
leader to go just a little too wide. That was
enough for Jonathan, who rocketed into the
point position with 50 feet to go to the checkers.
Chris answered with a vicious twist of his
own throttle, coming within a bike length of a
repass to take runner-up.
Results
50 (4-6): 1. Cody Robbins (Cob); 2. Tres Waldrop (KTM); 3.
Dakota Matthews (Cob); 4. Trevor Barrell