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Carolina Motorsports Park: Marco Martinez ralls tum four en route to running away with
the points lead at the CCS Regional event In Kershaw, South Carolina.
CCS Regional Event
Carolina Motorsports Parte
Martinez on a
Mission
Bv
sport, finished third in Unlimited
Supersport, Lightweight Grand Prix
and Lightweight Superbike races; fmished fourth in the Supertwins race;
and finished ninth in Middleweight
Superbike. Martinez said he "could
not live without" his crew chief,
Richard Shannon.
The Cycle Sports Center/Legal
Racing/K&P Racing·backed Hooper
won the GTO, Formula 40, Middleweight Grand Prix, Unlimited
Supersport, Heavyweight Supersport,
and Middleweight Superbike races,
and finished third in Heavyweight
Superbike and fourth in the GTU.
Expert Dave Mclntyre and Amateurs Jeffrey McKinney and Gregory
Elstad each had three victories.
Dilligaf Motorcycle Company/GMD
Computrack/X-treme Photography by
Christopher-backed Mcintyre beat
Martinez in the Heavyweight Superbike, Unlimited Supersport, and
Heavyweight Supersport events; finished second in the GTO and Unlimited Grand Prix; and placed fourth in
the GTU, Middleweight Grand Prix
and Middleweight Supersport races.
Elstad won the GT Lights, lightweight Superb ike and Lightweight
Supersport races.
Like Martinez, McKinney also
raced in an astonishing 14 events and
finished 11 of those in the top 10. In
many of his combined races, he ran
up front with the top Expert riders. He
Jed the entire pack in the Middleweight Sportsman event and won
that event as well as the Supertwins
and Ughtweight Grand Prix contests,
and finished second in Formula 40,
fourth in Lightweight Superbike, fifth
in Lightweight Supers port and GT
Lights, sixth in Heavyweight Super-
liSA THEOBALD
KERSHAW,SC,NOV.~5
arco Martinez came to Carolina
Motorsports Park on a mission to
earn enough points to hold on to his
number·one plate next year. At the
end of the weekend, he had accumulated a tota I of 883 points, putting
him in the lead for the points race in
the Florida region by 32 points. He
not only won the most exciting race
of the event, the Unlimited Grand
Prix, he was the event's biggest
Expert winner overall, finishing in the
top lOin a staggering 14 races,
including six wins.
In addition to his ZX-9, GSX-R750
and R6, Martinez borrowed an SV650
from fellow Floridian Andy Berry to
boost his points standing during the
two-day event. Before the race,
Shane Prieto was a shoo-in to earn
next season's number-one plate with
a whopping 801-point lead, so the
outcome of Martinez' mission surprised even Martinez.
"I knew I was going to be close,
but I didn't know I would pass him:
Martinez said. "Now, I'm going to do
all I can to defend it!"
There were several multiple winners during the event, including a tie
for first overa II between two Florida
riders. Martinez and Amateur James
Hooper each went home with six first·
place finishes.
The Powers ports/Mr. Fix-It/Dunlop/Keyes Realty/Dad-sponsored
Martinez also won the GTU, GTO,
Middleweight Grand Prix, Middleweight Supersport and Ughtweight
Supersport events; finished second in
Heavyweight Superbike, Heavyweight
Sportsman and Heavyweight Super-
M
48
JANUARY 10, 2001
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cue
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bike, seventh in Middleweight Grand
Prix, 10th in the GTO, 13th in Heavyweight Supersport, 18th in GTU, and
20th in Middleweight Supersport.
Martinez and McIntyre battled in
seven races altogether, turning the
event into a war between the two
Florida riders. Martinez was the victor
in Saturday's round of events, winning his first three races. On Sunday,
the two ran wheel to wheel again. In
the Unlimited Grand Prix, Martinez
had run his best lap times (in the low
1:38s) on his R6. but he decided to
use his ZX-9 for the horsepower
advantage over Mcintyre's GSX·
R750. Mclntyre had been the weekend's holeshot king, and he got the
jump off the line one more time, fol·
lowed by Martinez and Ed Morgan's
Fredricktown Yamaha-sponsored R6
in a three-rider breakaway. At
halfway, Martinez claimed the lead,
but McIntyre was back out front on
the next lap. Martinez closed the gap
and tried to pass on the outside of
turn one on the final lap. He wasn't
able to make it stick, and the two jet·
ted through turn three side by side.
Mclntyre was able to hold him back
until the final turn. While trying to
protect the inside line, he missed a
gear, got wheel hop and overshot the
turn, allowing Martinez to slip underneath him. Martinez pulled out the
power in the final sprint down the
front straight to take the checkers.
Martinez completed his mission at
Carolina and is now Florida's current
points leader - and he plans to keep
his number-one plate. However,
Shane Prieto is planning to reclaim
his points lead at the last race of the
season at Homestead Motorsports
Complex in December. Though it's
possible they will negotiate a "gentleman's agreement" to run only in their
regular classes, each rider has stated
that he is ready, willing and able to
have a bike ready to run in every
class - if the other plans to do the
same.
I:N
CareliM MotarspDrts Pan
Jlenhaw, South CaroD...
llesults: NDvember 4-5, 20BO
EX GT UGHTs: 1. Jeff M;tchell (V.m); 2. C. Kyle
Ray (Yam); 3. Sebastian Oi Pinto (Suz); 4. Romeo
C.relli (5uz); 5. Steven 5hool (V.m).
AM GT UGHTS: 1. Gregory Elstod (Suz); 2. John
KUlras (Hon); 3. Rich.rd Herrington II (Suz); 4. Kev;n
McCoy (5uz); 5. Jeffrey McKinney (Due).
EX GTO: 1. M,ereo Martinez (Yam): 2. Edward
Morgzln (Yam); 3. Robert Nigl (Duc); 4. David
Mcintyre (5uz); 5. Christopher Cummings (V.m).
AM GTU: 1. Sean Morris (Yam); 2. Jon Tyus
(Yam); 3. Chuck Bannon (Yam); 4. James Hooper
(Y.m); 5. Brad Wilson (V.m).
M/W SPTSMN: 1. Jeffrey McKinney (Duc); 2.
Steven 5houl (V.m); 3. Robert Kesler (K.w); 4.
~Charfes Easterling (Y"m).
EX GTO: 1. Marco Martinez (Kaw); 2. David
Mcintyre (guz); 3. Terry Evans (Suz); 4. Edward
Morg.n (Vam); 5. Andrew Nelson (Hon).
AM GTO: 1. James Hooper (Yam); 2. Tony
Woody (Su.); 3. P.t Mooney Jr. (Su.); 4. O.vid
Henderson (Hon): 5. Chuck Bannon (V.m).
EX F-40: 1. Leon Eddins III (V.m); 2. Joe Bason
(Kaw); 3. Skip Wilson (Kaw); 4. James Graham
(Suz); 5. Richard Marencin (Hon).
AM F·40: 1. James Hooper (Yam); 2. Jeffrey
McKinney (Due); 3. Daniel Boutellier (Suz).
EX M/W GP: I. Marco Martinez (Yam); 2. Robert
Nigl (Due); 3. Edward Morgon (Yam); 4. Devid
Mcintyre (5Ul); 5. Gregory F.lell. (V.m).
AM M/W GP: 1. J.mes Hooper (Vam); 2. David
Gouin (Yam); 3. Daniel Bryant (SUl): 4. Miehlllel
Hensley (Yam); 5. David Henderson (Han).
H/W SPTSMN: I. 5eb.stian 0; Pinto (5Ul); 2.
Marco MZlrtinez (SUl); 3. John Costa (Bue); 4.
Romeo C.relli (5uz); 5. Scott Nelson (Suz).
S/SGL: 1. Trent Thom.s (Mu.); 2. R;ch.rd
Herrington (Hon); 3. Stoney Turner (Muz); 4. Jorge
Corbato (Hon); 5. Pterre Lacasse (MUl).
EX H/W S/Bt{; 1. D.vid Mcintyre (5uz); 2. M.rco
Martinez (guz); 3. Terry EVZlns (guz); 4. EdwZlrd
Morg.n (Y.m); 5. Jim P;hokken (Suz).
AM H/W SIBK: 1. O.vid Gouin (Vam); 2. Pat
Mooney Jr. (Suz); 3. J.mes Hooper (5uz); 4. Tony
Woody (5uz); 5. Stephen W.II.ce (5uz).
EX S(TW: 1. Robert N;gl (Duc); 2. Bud Lawter
(Hon): 3. Philippe Kostezer (SUl); 4. Marco Martinez
(SOl); 5. Sebasti.n Di P;nto (Suz).
AM S(TW: 1. Jeffrey McKinney (Due).
I./W SPTSMN: I. Todd Ross (Gu.); 2. Steven
Shoul (YZlm); 3. Trent Thomas (MUl): 4. Richard
Herrington (Hon); 5. Pierre Lac.... (Muz).
GP SOL: 1. Barrett Long (V.m); 2. John KI.r.s
(Hon); 3. Rich.rd Morencin (Hon): 4. Scott Brooks
(Hon); 5. Joseph Greene (Hon).
EX