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/128008
Loretta Lynn's Ranch Motocross AMA AMATEUR NA TIONAL MX CHAMPIONSHIPS HURRICANE MILLS, TN, AUG. 2-7 isi ng ama te ur motocross s tars Travis Pastra na and James Stewar t Jr. shared the bulk of the attention at the 18th annua l AMA Amateu r National Motocross Championship Finals at Loretta Lvnn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Ten'nessee. Each rider cla imed a pair of a tional titles to eme rge fro m a field of more than 1200 rid ers as the crea m of America' s 1999 amateur racing crop. , Pastrana, a 15-year-old Suzuki pilot fr om Annapolis, Ma ry land, too k the m easure of the 125cc A a nd 250cc A classes in Tennessee, winning five of six moto s and makin g a lasting impression at what was his last major amateur race before turnin g pro in October. "It's like a dream come tru e to come here for my last ama teu r race and ride so well," said the American Suzuki / Cernic's Racing Fox/Scott / Alpinestarsbacked rider. "1 d idn't have a good first 12Scc A mot o against Justin (Buckelew), but I knew wha t 1 had to do after that ge t good starts! After that 1 pre tty m uch ro de m y own races an d tr ied to enjoy myself ou t there." As for the jaw-drop ping-fast Stewa rt, he con tinued to gai n accolades as one of the fastes t minicycle racers of all time, even though he is only 13. The Winter Haven, Florida, resident, who is backed by Team Green, FMF, Fox, Oakley and Capitol Cycles, ra cked up a p erfect score throughout the five days of racin g at Loretta Ly nn 's, clinching the 85cc Stock 02-13) champio nship a nd the 85cc Modified (9- 13) title. St ewart ' s domination caused many to draw compa riso ns of him to such past mi nicycle legends a s Geo rge Ho lla nd , Budd y A n tu ne z, Brian Swink a nd Rick y Ca rmic hael. "1 was real comfo rtable comi ng into the race th is year and I wasn 't rea lly nervous or an ything." said Stewart after his sixth and sevent h titles here. "1 knew a lot of fast guys would be here, but I ju s t tried to go ou t and ride m y ow n race ." Stewart was trailed by the Suzukis of Broc Hepler and Bryan Johnson Jr. in the 85cc Stock 02-1 3) class, and the Hondas of Shane Lusk and Ted dy Maier in the 85cc (9-13) Modified class . Other top perform e rs du ring the week we re Kentucky's Ben Riddle, Tenllessee playg rou nd legend Kevin Walker,. and Novice rider Jerem y Du rrett of Texas. The 16-year-old Riddle wo n five ou t of six mot os in clinching both the 125cc B Mod ified a nd 250cc / O pe n B Mo dified ti tles. The Yamaha YZ400:Ii m ou n t ed Wa lker, w ho sa t out las t year 's cha m pionships wi th a brok en !II wrist, rolled to mota wins all six times !!Ii !Iii out on the track in the Four-Stroke class III and the Junior (25+) division. And the relatively unknown Durr ett, competing ~ in h is fi rs t-ever AMA Na tio na l - a ~ Nov ice- class requi r em ent a t Lo retta Q Lynn' s - earned the 125cc C Stock and Modifi ed titl e s a boa r d a Kawa s ak i g: . 1 <125. 0 ~ A w ild w eek of 125 and 250cc Pro u> Spo r t ra cin g saw Ca lifo rnia's Billy ~ Payne (125ce) and Oh io's Dam ien Plotts ~ (250/0 pen) each edge out a win. The g> other Intermediat e wi nners were Sea n < Hamblin 0 25 cc B S tock) a nd Chase 24 Reed (250/ Open B Stock). : o I .- :! • ~ '0 • • 'I( ; , " ~ 'iI>i',1" " ~ Other not abl e wi nne rs included rising minicycle stars Gavin Gracyk (Super Mini 105), Sha ne Bess (85cc Mod 14-15), Co lt Hu m phrey (85cc Stock 14-15), Davy Millsa ps (85cc Stock 7-11), Mike Alessi (65cc Stock 10-11) and Joshua Hill (65cc Stock 7-9). The top School boy pilo ts in 125cc ra cing we re fell ow Californians , • .