Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

GFI California Fall Series North, Round1 By Jim & Valerie Enos • Photographs by Joe Gonzalez HOLUSTER, CA,SEPT. 5 ore than 500 riders packed the AMP-p repped Hollis ter Hills GP track for an exciting holiay weekend of racin g at round one of the 1999 GFJ California Fall Series. And as it wa s the Lab or Day holid a y, Jeff Pesta na and Brett Racine each pu t their work ethic to the test and snagg ed overall wins. Th e best race of th e d ay was th e 250cc Pro class, in w hic h Pestana and Ra c ine b attl ed fie rce lv in b oth mot e s, Pestana claimed the victory with a 1-2 score, while Racine had an easier tim e on th e 125, earning a perfect 1-1 score to secure the 125cc Pro-class win. Factory conting ency was up for g rabs from Yamaha, Suz u ki and Kawasaki, as were valuable se ries points to determine the champions of the five-race series. Track condi tions were ide al, and the AMP cre w add ed a few cha nges that ma y hav e ca ug h t many r egulars o ff guard. A long wh oop section was added immediately after the first tum, right in front of the main spectator area. Also, the track was run in a clockwise directi on . The first 250cc Pro ra ce got under wa y with the Cla w so n Motorsports / O'Neal / A-Ride-backed Pestana leading . the field into th e first tight left-hand turn . Pe s tana s k ip ped through the whoop section with precision as Harold Hageman and Danny Paladino followed . Racine had a mid pack start but wa s into third by the end of lap one. Pestana had taken the opportuni ty to gain som e valu able time on Ra cine, but th a t quickly dimini shed as Raci ne se t a blistering pace th a t h ad hi m on Pestana 's rea r w heel midway thro ugh the second lap. Meanwhil e, Suz u ki- mo u n ted Hageman', well off the pace of the front-ru nning du o, held down third , while Paladino, And y Bonyer and [errod FIsher were locked in a battle for fourth . Bonyer, backed by Fox Racing, made hi s wa y aro und Paladino. Up front, Racine continued houndin g Pestana lap after lap, looking for any adv antage. Pestana appeared to have the edge in the back section of the track, while Racine look ed fast er in the front section, especially the whoops. On lap four, Racine outbraked Pestana in the tum before the wh oops , and as the du o e n te re d th e w hoops, Racine appeared to ha ve the edge. Surprisingly, to the delight of the crowd, Pestana didn't give up, and the seasoned veteran blasted thro ugh the wh oops, pu shing Racine to the outside and regainin g the lead. On the ensuing lap, Racine mad e ano ther determined charge throu gh the whoop section and this time both riders came out side by side, nearly taking each other out on the sma ll step-u p jum p th at followed. As they ap proached the "Elevator" u phill, still side by side, they disa ppeared from view on the ensui ng rig ht- hander and Pesta na eme rged, but Ra ci n e wa s nowhere in sight. After falling and being passed by Bonyer and Hag ema n, Racine picked his bike up and got under way bu t was una ble to gai n any gro und . Pestana M took the win, followed by Bonyer, Hageman, Racine and FIsher. "I think Brett (Racine) hit my rear tire on top of th e hill, and th a t may h ave caused him to go d own ," said Pestana. " It su re wa s a fun moto, though." Kawasa ki Team Green /Fox / Pro Circu it's Racine was in good sp irits. "I had a really good race going an d I was looking ahead of Jeff (Pesta na) on top of the hill," he explained . "My fron t end washed ou t of the rut and d ow n I we nt. I reall y want to thank Go d , and my parents for bein g here tod ay." Moto two wa s a carbo n cop y of moto one , excep t th is tim e th e tabl es were tu rned , as Racine go t the holesh ot and had a determined Pestana hot on his tail. Both rid ers kep t it on two w hee ls and w ere ne v er m ore th an a b ik e le ng th ap a rt th e en tire moto. Every lap was intense, as th e duo pulled a hu ge lead over Bonyer, wh o held a com fortable th ird, while Fish er, aboard his Suz u ki, was in fourth, trying to shake loose from Ha geman. As the race came to a close, Pest an a tri ed to mak e a white-flag-l ap pass on Racine on the downhill d oubl e. Both ride rs ca me in to the left-band er sid e by sid e, but Racine had the ins id e line as Pestan a went high on the berm and nearlv went over. Racine crossed the finish lin~ just ahead of Pestana. Fisher made his way around Bony er for third, and Hageman rounded ou t the top five. "I got a good start in this moto and just kept focusing ahead," Racine said . "He (Pestana) was on my butt the whole moto and I was trying to take his lines away." Pesta na, d esp ite a seco nd- p lace finish, got the overall win and was pleas ed with his rid e. "I ro d e r eal agg ress ive and w a s p ressing more and m or e as th e m ot o wo re on," said Pestana. "I almost thr ew it away on that last turn, but the bottom line is, I got the overal l." The 125cc Pro class wa s an all-Racine affai r , a lt ho ug h Yama ha of Mod es to rid er Danny Palad ino absconded with the holeshot in the first moto and led for two laps. Racine and Pest ana bo th had midpack sta rts but weaved through the field qu ickl y. By th e th ird lap, Racine had opened up a comfortable lead while Pestana appea red content in seco nd. In the battl e for third between Paladino, Fisher and Dennis Stap leton, Fisher had the most cons isten t speed. Capitaliz ing on bobbles by Paladi no a nd Stap leton, Suz uki-mou nted Fish er moved ahead to take over third. As the checkers waved, it was Racine with the win, well ahead of Pestana. FIsher held off the late charge of S taple to n, with Paladin o rounding out the top five. In moto two , Racine put his Ka ~asa ki in to th e fi rs t tu rn firs t and n e ve r looked back. Alth ough Pestana also go t a goo d s ta r t, h e just co u ldn ' t keep Ra cine in his sights and ag ai n settled in to a ru nne r-up role. Stapleton , aboard his All America n /Rock Oil / FASST / FMF-backed Suz uki, had ano the r good ba ttle goi ng , but this time wi th Hageman . The two ba ttled ove r third nearly the enti re mo to, with Sta pleton havin g th e s moothest la ps . Racine, obviously Events (Above) At the Holliste r Hill s GP tr ack, Jeff Pesta na (173) took the ove rall 250cc Pro win aft er a fi erce battle wi th Brett Racine . (Left ) Brett Racine (499) beat o ut Jeff Pestana In bo th 125cc Pro motos for the overall win at the open ing rou nd of the GFI California Fall Ser ies North . very comfo rtable on th e 125, took th e wi~ ove r Pestana, wh o was followed by Stapl eton, Hageman and Fish er. "I wa nt to thank Jesu s for keeping me safe," said Racine. "The track go t a little gnarly, with some squ are-edge stuff, and I fina lly got the whoops figured ou t. I also wa nt to thank the Azevedos; they d id a grea t job with the track toda y." CIII Ho llister Hills Hollister, Califo rnia Result s: September 5, 1999 (Round 1) Pee Wee Track • 50 P/W /JR: 1. La n d o n Cohe n (HM ); 2. Bre a nn e Mitchell (Yam ). SO14-6) STK: 1. G reg Lewis (KTM ); 2. Jerry Blake Jr. (H M); 3. Ca meron Beaubie r ILe m) : 4. Nic ko las Seo ud 1KTM) . 50 ( 7~B) STK: 1. Au stin H owell (Ctlh ); 2. Crys ta l Lay ton (KTM); 3. Par ker Smi th (KTM); 4 . Logan Co hen (HM); 5. Michael Brooks (KTM ). M ain Track 50 ( 4~ 6) ST K : 1. c .j , Barham (C o b) ; 2. Landon C o he n (f-IM ); 3. Ca m ero n Beaubier (Lem ). 50 (7-8 ) STK: 1. Aus tin Howell (Cob ); 2. 'Jo s h P h Hlips (Co b); 3. C hri stia n Stan d er s (Co b); 4. Crystal Layton (KTM) ; 5. Loga n Cohe n (H M). SO OPEN: I. Michael Flo res (Co b); 2. Crystal Layton (KTMI. . 60 FIT : 1. C ody Lam bott IKaw): 2. Keith Kn ig h t (Kaw); 3. James Vega CKT M). 60 BEG: 1. Lu ke Lay ton (KT M); 2. Cody Ja ckson ( Ka w): 3. Ma tt hew W ill iam s ( KT M); 4. Ru be n Hernandez (Kaw); 5. Bendi Seoud (Ka w ). &0 N OV : 1. Kra mer Pa tterson IKaw) : 2 Rvan Ma rtin (lYw); 3. Nicolas Baker (KTM); 4. Preston Mu ll (K.1,w); 5. Brandon Reyna (Kaw). 60 tNT: 1. Dustin Enochs (KTM); 2 M olH Spencer (Kaw) : 3. Bryce Hu ffm a n (Kaw): 4. Ty ler Freeman (Kaw]: 5. Dusti n Pipes IKaw). 80 FIT : I. J.R. Al ve r na z (Hen): 2. Zach Russel l (K.1w); 3. Casey Fren ch (Hon);~. TyIL Fren ch (Hon\; 5. 'T Steven Kev (Yam). 80 BEG 0-1: 1. Chris Wackerly (Ya m); 2. Darryl Sevi lle (Ka w) : 3. J.D. Moo re (Hon): 4. Co rey Penn ing to n (Suz) ; 5. Sea n Sto m me l (Yam). 80 BEG D-2 : 1. Ch r is La fa no (S uz); 2. Marcu s Brad sh a w (Yam); 3. Na tha n Ho llist er (Kaw); 4. Tre nt Phi ppin (Hon): S. Nic k Balsd on (Yam) . 80 NOV: 1. Justin Sanders (Ya m); 2. Race L ace y (s uz); 3 . Za c Baxter (Ya m); 4. Ju stin w oods (Ya m); 5. David Darsey (Yam) . 80 INT: 1. Charlie Mo rrison (Yam) ; 2. Vincent Blair ( Hen) : 3 . Aa ro n Di' Ciano (Yam); 4. Aaron Ber gantz (Yam); 5. Corv McDan iel (Ya m). . 80 S/ Mt'N I : 1. M ik e M a ts on (Y.1m ); 2. C h a rli e Morrison (Yam ); 3. Aaron Bergantz (Ya m); 4. Jack Van Ca m p (Ya m); S. Ia rtd Blevin s (Yam) . 125 BEG D~I : 1. Danny Sro m mel (Yam); 2. Co u rt Tiede (Yam ); 3. Joh n Wear (Hon): 4. Rick Parlett (Yam) ; 5. Davi d Blair (Su z). 125 DEG 0 ·2: 1. Da nn v H a rri s ( K.1W); 2. Ma lt Fe rna nd ez (Su z ); 3. M ich ae l Farg her IH on) : 4. Ro n Kol..trun (Kaw); 5. An thony Di Bia silio (Yam) . 125 NOV: 1. Bill y Bri g ht (Suz): 2. Jo n Re p lo g le (Ka w ): 3. Brad Betscha rt (Ya m ); 4. Mik e Ge nzo li (Suz) ; S. Robert Ha un (Yam). 125 INT: 1. Rya n Mora is (Yam); 2. Steve Mc rt en!'; (Yam); 3. Turbo Rei! (Ho n); 4. Doug Sch mi d (Hon); 5. Jaso n Sturdeva n t

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