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GFI Racing South Winter Series
Round 2: Glen Helen Raceway Park
ADouble Dose from the Doctor
Suzuki-mounted Austin Prescott
cleaned up in the 80cc Novice class
with a perfect 1-1 day. Brad Turner
showed some good speed as he
climbed his way toward the front of
the pack in both rounds, going 3-2
for second overall. Matt Elliott (2-3),
Hollis Lusk (4-5) and Corey Pennington (8-4) rounded out the top five in
the huge class.
CN
STORY AND PHOTOS
By
GREG ROBERTSON
SAN BERNARDINO, CA, JAN. 21
ulti-time four-stroke World
Champion and Vet World Champion "Doctor" Doug Dubach once
again proved he's still got what it
takes to run with today's up-andcoming young Pro riders as he aced
both the 125cc and 250cc Pro classes at round two of the GFI
Racing/Goat Eyewear/Pro Circuit/
Klotz/Fox-backed Winter Series.
Nearly 500 riders tackled the
National track at Glen Helen Raceway, making for a full day of racing,
and in the true GFI Racing spirit, the
second round of motos didn't have
their laps cut down, resulting in the
final race of the day being completed
just prior to headlights being
required.
YZ426F-mounted Dubach exited
the first tum with the holeshot in the
20-minute, one-shot 250cc Pro moto,
ahead of Billy Laninovich, Chris
Wheeler, Yossy Atsuta and the rest of
the field. Laninovich slipped past
Dubach on the opening lap, but
Dubach stayed glued to his back
fender. The two front-runners started
to inch away from the pack in what
would turn out to be a moto-Iong duel
for the lead. Dubach hounded Laninovich for nine laps before keeping
the throttle pinned off a downhill
dropaway jump to take the lead.
Laninovich matched Dubach move
for move for a couple of circuits
before Dubach opened up a slight
gap just before the checkers.
Atsuta and Wheeler traded third
place back and forth, with Atsuta
holding him off at the line. After a
midpack start, Turbo Reif fought his
way up into a fifth-place finish, ahead
ofTy Kady.
The 20-minute, one-shot 125cc
Pro contest was somewhat of a duplicate of the 250s, with Dubach and
Laninovich battling over the lead
ahead of everyone else. On his
Dubach Racing Development/White
Brothers-backed YZ250F, the "Doctor" eventually put about four seconds on Laninovich by the time the
13-lap race was completed. Laninovich placed second on his
NCY /Banks Racing/FMF/Varner/
TMR/Troy Lee Designs-sponsored
YZ125, a safe distance ahead of
Wheeler. R.J. Thompson finished
fourth, ahead of Mertens, Reif and
Sean O'Connor.
Jeff Eide emerged with the first
250cc Intermediate moto holeshot
aboard his Mid Cities/Answer/Up
Front Designs-backed Honda and led
every lap for the win. Donnie Gritton
M
&Ien Helea Raceway Park
San Hem.nIIno, CDlifomla
Results: Janllllry 21, 2001 [Round 21
(Above) Billy Lanlnovlch (32) and Doug
Dubach (4) were this close for most of
the 250cc Pro mota at the second
round of the OR Racing South Winter
Series. Dubach made the pass for the
win.
(Left) Mike Davis (46) helcl off Clinton
Pierce (124) for the 125cc Novice
second-moto win and the overall.
(Below! Michael LaPaglia (31) grabs
the first Supermini moto holeshot over
Cale Wallace (9X), Daryl Ecklund (12X)
and eventual winner Mike Ales.1 at
Olen Helen Raceway Park In San
Bemardlno, Callfomla.
kept Eide honest throughout the moto
for a close second-place finish. Richie
Owens came from out of the top 10
for a fast-closing third at the checkers, over Brad Schultz and Josh Stice.
Joshua Hansen, who went down in
turn one in moto one and had to fight
his way up to a 13th-place finish,
more than made up for it with a wireto-wire romp in moto two. Gritton
kept Hansen in his sights, which was
all he needed to do to collect the
overall with consistent 2-2 rides. Eide
ran with the front-runners to go 1-3
for second overall, topping Stice (54) and Owens (3-6).
Owens absconded with the
holeshot in the first 125cc Intermediate moto, only to go down on lap one
and have to start all over again from
20th place. Tim Weigand, Gritton and
Hansen went at it over the lead, with
Hansen holding off Weigand at the
line for the win. Gritton, Jesse Casillas and Stice followed, with Owens
charging his way back to sixth.
Eide got the holeshot in round two,
but within a handful of turns, the
YZ250F-mounted Stice was out front
and totally dominating the moto.
Hansen overcame a 15th-place start
to finish fourth, which was good
enough for the overall. Stice's secondmoto win gave him second overall,
over Casillas (4-3) and Owens (6-2).
Mike Davis kept Larry Reese Jr. at
bay to take a hard-fought 125cc
Novice first-moto win. Michael
LaPaglia sliced his way up through
the full gate of riders to earn third,
ahead of Ryan McCoweli and Bruce
Prochnaus.
Chase Meineke, Davis and Clinton
Pierce went at it over the lead in
round two, with Meineke going down
and Davis taking the win and the
overall as well. LaPaglia finished a
close fifth, behind Brandon Kerr,
which was good enough for second
overall. Reese got buried in traffic
and could only manage eighth, placing him third in the standings, behind
Kerr (6-4) and Pierce (10-2).
Bobby Romero split moto wins
with Andrew Petrie for the eocc Intermediate-class win. Petrie kept
Romero at bay for the first-moto win,
with Romero making a last-lap pass
on Petrie in round two to secure the
overall. Sean Borkenhagen (3-5)
edged out Michael Parker (6-3) for
third.
a
U
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• _
n
50 STK (4·6): 1. Daniel Paluzzi (Cob); 2. Carlo.
Don (Cob); 3. Doniel Overton; 4. Paul Nelson (Cob):
5. Dillon Trotter (Cob).
50 STK (7.8): 1. David Meade (Cob); 2. Bryce
Stewart (Cob); 3. Bryen Briley (Cob); 4. Dylan
Schmole (Cob); 5. Jared Thinger (Cob).
50 OPEN: 1. Dakota Gerner (Cob); 2. Nick
PllIluzzi (COb\; 3. DllIvid Mellide (Cob); 4. Dylan
Schmole (Cob: 5. Jared Thinger (Cob).
60 FIT: 1. DllIne LllIndreth (Kew); 2. DllIniel
Overton (Cob); 3. Ashton lemickow (KllIw); 4. RYllin
GllIlvez (KllIw); 5. Dillon Trotter (KllIW!.
60 BEG: 1. GllIrrick Noble (KTM ; 2. Trlllvis Baker
(KTM); 3. Kruz Griffith (Kalil); 4. Michael Voyle. Jr.
(Kaw): 5. Bubba McQuinn (Kalil).
60 NOV: 1. Mike Meade (Kalil); 2. Topher Ingol.
(KTM); 3. Brett Downey (Kaw); 4. Nick Peluzzl
(KTM); 5. Marcus Carrillo (Kaw).
60 OPEN: 1. Jeff AIes.i (KTM); 2. Trevor Rie.
(KTM): 3. Jake Canada (Kalil): 4. Mike Meade (Kalil);
$. Scott Noble (Kalil).
80 Frr: I. W.. Marl