Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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TOYOTA Official T r u c k of G len Helen 4th Annual le a d in g b y 35 p o int s foll o win g h e r re cent wi n in Memphi s , but H in es qu ickly closed the gap by qualifying in the numb e r o ne s lo t fo r th e n inth straight race and setting a new NHRA elapsed-time record for the second time in th e las t three events. Hines enter ed Sunday' s elimina tions just 14 points, or the equivalent of one elimination round, out of the lead . The two appeared to be head ed for ano ther final ro u nd showd own, bu t neither ad va nced past th e semifina ls. Aft er running a career-be s t 7.20 a t over 188 mph in he r ro und- two win over Larry Cook, Seeling was a favorite to reach the final, bu t she du m ped the clu tch .002 of a second too soo n agai nst Mullen in the semifinals an d red-lighted . H in e s, who rode hi s Ea g le O ne Suzuki to a blis terin g 7.15 in the ope ning round , had a sho t to take ov er the lead, bu t he got off to a late start agains t Schu ltz and trailed the Su noco rid er to the finis h line despite a quicke r elapsed time, 7.23 to a 7.25. As a result, Seeling will en ter the final eve nt of the seas on in Pomona, Ca lifo rnia, lead in g by just 14 points, se tting the stage for one of th e most d ram atic finis hes in the history of the series. Hines rem ains hop efu l that he can retain the title. "We came in here wi th a plan to pick up one round, and we d id that by setting th e record," Hi nes said . "1 wish 1 co uld have won th e race , bu t things d on 't always work ou t. I'm ge tting used to bein g in seco nd place because it gives m e so meth ing to shoot fo r . Now I' m going to a track [Pom ona Raceway] that has been good to me the last couple of years. 1 just hope it will be for one more champio nshi p." Like Mu llen, Schultz was also runnin g so me of th e best n u mbers of his career in Houston . The veteran qua lified fifth wi t h a 7.25 , a nd d owned Gre g Und erd a hl in ro u nd one with a 7.2l. After s topping the Star Suzuki of new ly cro w ne d P ro Star cha m p and r ecent Memphis finalist Fred Collis in round two, 7.25 to 7.32, Schultz down ed Hines to reach the final. Ba s ed o n h is ex per ie n ce, Schu ltz shou ld h ave been a hea vy favorite to stop Mullen, but during his fina l round burnou t, h is ig n iti o n b ox misfi re d . Sch u ltz staged his wou nded bike anyway, and then left too soon, tu rni ng on th e red-light. He likely wo uld n't ha ve won anyway, as his bike fell silent an d rolled to a stop just off the starting line. "We scrambled to see if we could figu re ou t the probl em af ter the burnou t, but we didn' t find it," Schultz said . "I didn' t know what to expec t. I d id n't ge t a good burnou t. I wa s amp ed u p and w he n I saw th e yellow lig h t, I let th e clutch ou t and red-light ed . We had been ru nn ing bette r than they we re all weekend and I felt we just needed to make a run . T he way thi ngs wo rk for me, though , that never happens." For Mu llen, who be came the s ixth d ifferent winner in 13 races this seaso n, bea ting the si x-time N HRA cha mp in the final wa s almost too mu ch to take . "W h e n I w as g ro w in g up raci ng, Dav e Sc h u lt z was always m y id o l, " Mullen said. "I tried to buil d the way I approac h raci ng arou n d ho w he had d one it for years. He is a cha m pio n in every sense of the word , and to get my eN first wi n against hi m is an honoL" US JI ...,. Eilnrt --=- p resents Last Race of PRO/AM CHAMPIONSHIP Warm up for t he 2000 AMA .~ . • ~ ~ the Century sx~...~.... .. ~. ,-=...a.;:a.::iiI.I~"'.:a.I Pro Purse to exceed $20 ,000 P r o R a c e on S u nday , D ece mber 1 8th , 1 8 8 8 b y Inv itatio n O n ly ! ..-----------... Invit e e s inclu d e M cGrath , F e rry , & more Round #2 Southwest Amateur Championsh'ps The A mateur race consist s of t h r e e d ifferent t y pes o f m o t orc y cl e r a c in g : S t a d iu mcro s s , G ra n d P r ix & Motocro s s ••• r-~ T here w ill be a n A M A Amateu r Champ ion in each cl a s s and in d iv id u a l w inners for eac h day . S uperc r o s s Track - A ll A m a teu r c lasses ( Motocross on Nat io n a l Track - A ll A mat e u r c lasses ( Sunday, December 19) P r a ctic e starts at 1 2 pm 24 Hour Information Line 909-880-3090 www.glenhelen.com $ 7,0 00 Gates Fee $ 1000 $ 1500 $ 1500 FRE E ( Sat urday, December 18) Grand P r ix (4 5 M inutes) & t he 1 25 / 2 5 0 P r o S h o o t O ut • 8 am - 2 50/ openl4St r o k e s all sk ill le v e ls • 8 a m - 80c c/60c cIWo m e n a ll s k ill leve l • 1 0 a m- a ll 1 2 5 c c - 1 1 a m - S e n ior s N e t s/.Jr. V e t s all s k ill le v e ls over S p e c ia l AM A Amateur Championsh ip T r o p h y in each c la s s $ 1000 Pro Event Plus, prizes totaling per b ik e-Open p r actice Thur sday p er per s on p e r day for S u n d a y for b oth days for c h ild r e n 5 & u nder f o r 6 - 12 y r s Gates Open Thrusday, O ec. 16 O pen pra cti ce 8 am - 2 pm G ate close at 1 0 pm Friday , Oec . 17 6 am - 10 prn Saturday, Oec. 1 a 6 am S u nday, Oec . 19 6 am Gate closes 10 pm each night ( Racer's Entry Fees) $60 00 $80 00 $35 00 $ 1 5 00 P re -Entry-thre e days P o s t E n t r ie s - t h r e e days per class , p e r day for pee wee each day I ;7H=tC/ i ~: e E E , BILa:S ,..~ "9~ --~~ ~PEP~isc V!!HlIf RllCETmI "".'_#1#6'" craaaa YAMAHA ~..ull'id,". J:;7 ~ = --~~ ~ a> '" '" ,.: ~ Houst on Raceway Park Baytown, Texas Results : October 28-31 , 1999 PRO STOCK FINAL: 1. To ny Mulle n (Suz) 7.24. 184.09; 2. Dan> Sch ultz (Suz) 7.46, 183.32. Upcoming Round: Round 14 · Pomona, Califomia, November 1,., 4 ~ iii .J:J E a> > o Z 15