Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

AMA U .S.Mega Series, Round 10 By Ste ve and Peggy Corlee WYrHEVILLE, VA, JULY 11 ' he United Stat es Mega Series ca me to th e beau tiful Pro Spo rt faci lity in Wytheville, Virg inia, for ro und 10. More than 350 rid ers turned out for a w eek end of g rea t racin g at one of th e mos t challengi ng ou tdoor facilities in the Sou thea st. TIle track's natural layout and big hill s a lwa ys ma ke for g rea t racin g, a nd th is year's Virg inia State Champions h ip rac e was ma de ev en tougher as rain set in at the end of Sa turday's practice ses sion and contin ue d into the night, making Sun day's prac tice an d first set of . motos a very slick proposition. In B-c1ass ac tion, Tea m Green's Ben Riddle co nti n ued h is win ning w ays, shoo ting ah ead at a pace unma tched by his fello w B-c1ass rider s and fas t enough ' to enable him to pass severa l of the ' Pro riders who ga ted ahea d of th e B class in . a staggered-sta rt fonnat. Riddle easily won bo th motos of the 250 B d ivision . His anticipated sw eep of bo th classes wa s foiled , however, by a bri llian t rid e by Suzuki-mou nted Daniel Tes h in the firs t 125cc mot o. Riddle a p plied trem endou s pr essu re to Tesh to try to make the pass, but Tesh held on, rid ing mistake-free to the first mot o wi n, fo llowed by Rid dl e, Suzu ki riders Dou g Earls a n d Casey Barnes, and KTM-m ounted Jose ph P rat her. Wh en th e ga te d ropped for the second 125cc moto, it wa s obvious that Rid dl e wa s taking no chances . H e quickly pulled an insurmountabl e lead , followed by Tesh and Team Green's Jos h Summey.Tesh made a va liant effo rt, but a trip ove r th e bars toward th e end of the m oto dropped him to third, behind Summey. Riddle took the ov erall in the class, followed by Tesh, Summey, Aaron Stancil and Jackson Vick . Axo's Kevin Walker continued his domination of th e United States AMA M ega Series . Although Walker wa s abl e to take overall wins in both the 125 and 250cc Pro classes, his wins did no t come ea si ly , as North Carolina's Jim N eese and Jim Chester to o k turns ke epin g Walker hon est all day long . As th e first 250 Pro moto started , Florida's Jarrett Tipping took the lead, with Walker, Chester and Virginia ' s Jared Black in to w . Neese was bu ried midpack . At th e end of the first lap, Wal ker d isplaced Tip ping and began to p u ll away form the pack, w hile Neese began his m arch toward the front. By the end of the third lap, Walker had a fiv esecond lead and Neese had moved int o second place, where he would finish the moto. Walker won, with Neese second, followed by Tip ping, Ches ter an d Black. As the rid ers lined u p for the seco nd moto, the d rizzle had stopped and the track ha d dried somewhat, allowing lap times in all clas ses to decrease d ramatically. Walker put his big four-stroke int o the lead from the drop of the gate, and was n ever headed. He wa s followed hom e by C hester, Neese, Tip pi ng and Black. Wa lker to o k th e overa ll, with Neese ta kin g ru n ne r-u p hono rs, followed by Chester, Tip ping and Black. While the 125cc Pro class featured virtually th e sa me lineu p as the 250s , the res u lts were no t the same. Neese had bee n forced to rid e a borrowed bike in the 250cc contest, but he was on his very own 125, a n d p erhaps th e fa m il ia r se tup enabled him to conce ntra te rather than compensate. He moved into the lead on the second lap of the first mo to and held on to win, ah ead of Walker, Chester, Tipping and KTM-moun ted Richard Pra ther. In th e second m oto, Wa lker absconded with the holeshot but , as in the first moto, N ee se was a ble to gai n the lead, and it III • 60 (7~91 : 1. Zlch Osborne (KThf); 2 Austin Stroupe (laM) ; 3. Broc Tickl e (KTM); 4. Tyler Bright (KTM); 5. Steven Houser (K.lw). bO (10- 11): 1. Ta ylor Reilly (Kaw): 2 Doug Adams (Ka w ); 3. Mike Oliver (Kaw b 4. Allen Tibbs (Kaw): 5. (Above) Ben Ridd le (41) rod e to victory in both th e 125cc Band 250cc B classes at round 10 of the U.S. Mega Series in Wytheville, Virginia. (Left) Jimmy Neese makes panca kes while keeping wi nner Kevin Walker honest, plac ing second In 250cc Pro action. looked as though he was a sure bet for the win, as Walker was riding hard but stead ily losing gro und . Near the end of the m oto, Neese slowed and then stopped, a victim of machine failure. This allow ed Walke r to take the moto wi n as well as th e' overa ll fo r th e day, with Chester, Pra ther, Tipping and Virginia's Tim Hodock rounding out the top five. Walker al so led Nee se , Chester, Prather and Hodock home in the Over 25 A cla ss, wh ich featured a lineup almost identical to that of the Pro classes. Action in the mini classes was fast and furious, as the you ngsters showed that they cou ld han dle the track conditions as well as the m ore-experienced rid er s . Two-mote sweeps we re the order of the day, as Su zuki-mounted Steven Shoa f swep t the 80cc 02-13) class, Hond a mounted Blake Hovis d id likewise in the 80cc (14-15) class, and South Carolina 's Jake Griffis took the SOcc (7-11) victory. In 60cc action, KTM -mou nted Zach Osborne swept the 7- to 9-yea r-old division, and Taylor Reilly too k the 10- to 11-year-ol d division ho nors . The 50cc classes were won b y Ian Tr ettel in the 4- to 6-year-o ld di visi on , and Cody Robbins in th e Sh aft grou p. The 80 D cl a ss w a s w on b y Yamaha rid er Jeffrey Coates. In tile Vet divisions, the strongest rid er of the day w as Pro-Tel's Roger Arnold, who is a sponsor of Pro rider [im Neese. Arnold provided N eese with his own bike for the 250cc Pro class . The setu p that served Neese so well also enabled Arnold to wi n the Over 40 and Over 35 classes in a co n vin ci ng manner, sweepin g both motos in both classes. Virginia' s Freddie Lawson w on th e Ov er 25 B class, and fou r-stroke rider Steve Lewis took th e hon ors in the Masters clas s. Other class winne rs included Brandon Simpso n in the 250cc D class, Joey Correll in th e 125cc D class, and Ad am Overcash, w ho too k both th e Schoolboy and Unlimited Amateurs victories . CIII Pro Sport Facility Wytheville, Virginia Resu lts: Ju ly 11, 1999 (Round 10) 50 S HAFT: 1. Cody Rob bin s (Yam); 2. Colton Renaker (Yam); 3. Damo~ Goin {Yam); 4. Trevor Barrett (Ya m); 5 . Gavin Trett el (Ya m) . 50 (4-;;): 1. Ian Trett el (Cob); 2. Cody Rob bins (Yam ); 3. Du stin Chandler (Co b); 4. Colton Ren ak er (Cob); 5. Da mo n Hambri ght (Cob). 50 (7-8 ): 1. Les Smith (Co b); 2. D.J. Ellis (Co b) ; 3. Ta yl or Fu trell (Cob); 4. Benjamin Dento n (Co b); 5 . Patrick Johnson (KTM). Robby Sanders (Kaw) . 80 (7-11): 1. Ja ke G riffis (Hen) : 2. Chri s Osborne (Suz ); 3. Zach Osborne (KTM); 4. Davin Prieto (Su z): 5. Austin Stroupe (KTM). .80 (12 -13 ): 1. S teven Shoaf (Su z ): 2. Do ug las Thomason (Ka w): 3. Blake Arrowood (H on); 4. Stephen Housema n (Kaw ); 5. Brvan Walker (Yam ). 80 (14 -15): 1. BI';ke Hovis (H o n ); 2 . Z achary Kutschenko (SU7.); 3. Brando n Ourbeck (Yam); 4. Phillip williams (Ka w ): 5. Josh Copelan d (Suz) . 80 D: 1. Je ffrey Coates (Ya m); 2. Brian Hatch er (Suz ); 3. Sha yne Jo rdan (Kaw); 4. Jus tin w alker ISuz): 5. j erem y A lliso n tSuz ). S iM JNJ : 1. Blake H o v is (Ho n) ; 2. Do u gl a s Tho mason (Kaw): 3. Jake Griffis IHo n): 4. Steven. Shoaf (Suz) ; 5. Chris Osborne ISuz). Ul l AM: 1. Ada m Overcas h (Hon): 2 Sco tty Hill (Yam); 3. Wes ley McCoy (Ver); 4. Shane Hager (Kaw): 5. Michael Robinson (Suz) . SOIBY (12-15): 1. Adam Overcash IHo n): 2 Jos h ua Su m mey IKa w) : 3. Aa ron S ta nc il (Ya m) ; 4. Bra d le y Robertson (Yam); 5. Jos h Montgomery (Yam). 125 Al PRO : 1. Kevin Wal ker (Yam); 2. Jim Ches ter (502); 3. Richa rd Pra ther (KTM); 4. Jar rett Tip ping (Suz); 5. Tim Hod ock (502) . 125 B: 1. Ben Ridd le (Kaw ): 2. Da niel Tes h (502 ); 3. Jo shua S ummey ( Kaw): 4. Aa ron S tancil (Ya m) ; 5. jackso n Vick (H on ). 125 C: 1. Ja cob Saylo r (Kaw) : 2. Steve n Durick (Ya m) ; 3. Jason Tu cke r (S uz); 4. Brad ley Robertson (Yam); 5. Jamie Hainer (Kaw ) . 125 D : 1. Joey Correll (Yam); 2. Bobb y Pra ter (Su z ); 3. Jeremy Crookshanks (Kaw): 4, To mm y Le (Suz): 5. e R.]. Davi s (5 02). 250 Al P RO: 1. Kev in Walker (Yam); 2. Jim N eese (Yam ); 3. Jim Ches te r (Suz ); 4. Jarr ett Tipping (502) ; 5. jered Black (Yam) . 250 8 : 1. Ben Rid d le (Kaw); 2. Dani el Tes h (Suz ); 3. Do ug Earfs ISuz): 4. Josep h Prather (Yam); 5. Ca se y Barnes (So2). 250 C: 1. Ja cob Saylo r (Ka w ); 2. Ti mothy Elr od (K.1w) ; 3. Matt Greene (Kaw): 4. Chris Murphy (Yam); 5. Michael Mead or (Yam) . 250 D : 1. Bra nd on Sim pson (Su z): 2. C h risto pher Mu nse y (Ya m ); 3. William Joh nso n (Ya m) ; 4. C h ris Franklin IKa w ): 5. Mich ael Potts. 4~ STRK: 1. Joseph Prat her (Yam); 2. Albe rt McCoy (Suz) ; 3. Wesley McCoy (Ver); 4. Kevin Bla lock (Yam) ; 5. Jam es Coin (KTM). U/ l C/D : 1. Terre ll Colli ns (S ux); 2. C h a r les Meadows (s uz); 3. Matt Lee (KTM ); 4. Chris M urphy (Yam); 5. Tracv Bradshaw (Ho n). 25+ A: 1. kevin Walker (Yam) ; 2. Jim N eese (Yam ); 3. Jim Ch ester (Suz) ; 4. Richard Prat her (KTM); 5. Tim Hod nck (Suz). 25+ B: 1. Fred d ie Lawson (Hen): 2. Jimm y Pitcock ' (s uz); 3. Mark Muncy (Sua): 4. Da vid Tucke r (Suz ): 5. Thomas Jen nin gs (Su z}. 25+ C: 1. Steven Durick (Yam); 2. Timo thy Elrod {Ka w}; 3. Kyl e G ran t (Ya m) ; 4. Kyle Sho un (Hon ): 5 . Kenneth Taylor (Ya m). 3 0+ A: 1. La rry Spar ks (Suz): 2. Kevi n Bla lock (Yam); 3. Alan Alford II (Suz); 4. Tod d Baisden (Suz); 5. Ricky Joyce IHus) . 3 0+ B: 1. Jimmy Pit cock (Suz): 2. David Tucke r . (Suz ); 3, Thomas Jenning. ..(502); 4. Stev en Lewis (Yam ); 5. Brian Sta nle y IKa w ). 30+ C: 1. Tim oth y Ca mp (s U7.); 2. Ch ad Viers (Yam); 3. Ky le G ra nt (Yam); 4. Johnny G ibso n (Su z ): 5. Lee Ma rtin (Yam ). 35+: 1. Rog er Arnold (Yam ); 2 Greg Price (H a n); 3. james Coin (KT'M); 4. Ma rk Durbeck (Ya m ); 5. Russell Cullman (Hon). 40+ : 1. Ro g e r A rn o ld (Ya m); 2. W ill iam Ba gby (H e n) : 3. Larry Trimnal Jr . (Ya m); 4. Jo h nny G ibson (SU2); 5. Ted Sh ortridge (Suz ). 48+: 1. Steven Lewis (Yam); 2. Cary Baisd en (Suz ); 3. Johnny Gibso n (Suz) ; 4. Byro n Ha ger (Ho n): 5. Steve C orlee (Su z). 'Il 1 " !Ii IIIiii en en en 33

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