Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Southeast Cross Country Shootout: Rod Stuckey (6), P.A. Allen (2) and Shad Ricketts (1) were the first off the start at round seven of the Mid-South Championship Winter Hare Scrambles Series. but Josh McLevy won the triple-sanctioned event In Maplesville. Alabama. SERAlSETRAIMid-South Championship Winter Hare sera bles Series Round 7: Triple-Sanctioned Southeast Cross Co ntry Shootout The McLevy Maneuver By DEBBIE ALLEN MAPLESVILLE, AL, JAN. 21 R ound seven of the AMA/Pirelli Tires/Moose/Parts Unlimited/ White Brothers-sponsored Mid-South Championship Winter Hare Scramble Series was held in Maplesville, Alabama. The Perry Mountain Motorcycle Club promoted the triple-sanctioned event for 314 SERA, SETRA and MSWS riders. and SETRA riders claimed top honors for the Southeast Cross Country Shootout. Josh McLevy topped all and won with a minute lead on second-placed Rod Stuckey. "The track was awesomel" said McLevy. "I thought it would be muddy. but it was a straight-out blast!" Off the start. McLevy was in 11 th place. and he took his time manipulating his way into the lead. "The first guys were breaking in the trail." he said. At the start, Stuckey and MidSouth riders P.A. Allen and Shad Ricketts pulled away from the AA class. Stuckey reached the corner first. and Allen tucked to the inside and rounded the turn a bike length ahead. Mike Sampson squeezed into third and Ricketts followed. Sixteen AA competitors disappeared on an old fire road. and shortly thereafter Allen blew a couple of turns and dropped back to 11 th place. while Stuckey, Ricketts and Sampson battled out front. "Shad. Sampson and I had a good three-man freight train going through 42 FEBRUARY f 4, 2001 • a U a I e the woods," said Team Green/Moto Sports fnc./Moose/Pirelli/DH I-supported Stuckey. "We passed each other three or four times. and we stayed like that until McLevy came out of nowhere." On the first lap, Stuckey entered the score tent first, and McLevy maneuvered his bike into second. Ricketts was in third, and Sampson dropped back to sixth place. During the second lap, McLevy passed Stuckey, but his lead did not last long. McLevy made a mistake going up a hill, and Stuckey moved back into first place. "I saw Rod for most of the day," said RER Motor City/Spector Oil/Scott/DP Brakesrrsubaki-backed McLevy. Throughout the race, both riders stayed fairly close to one another until the last lap. "Then the lappers seriously came into play," said Stuckey. "They would work in my favor one time and work in McLevy's favor the next time." On the last lap. Stuckey got tangled with a lapped rider and lost some time trying to get untangled. At that point, Stuckey lost his chance for first place overall. Out of the 16 riders in AA class, McLevy won with a minute lead and claimed the fastest lap time of 31:50. Stuckey and Mike McCrea followed in second and third place, while Sampson and Joey Ambrosini came in fourth and fifth. During the last lap, McCrea thought Sampson encounn __ s tered the same kind of predicament with lapped riders. The Bloomington Power Sports/IMS/Renthalrrwin Airsponsored McCrea was directly behind Sampson when the lappers created a nice diversion for McCrea. "We got in lapped traffic, and he [Sampson] tried to go to the left; the lappers moved in his way and opened up a line for me," said McCrea. who currently holds third place overall in MSWS points. However. Sampson had a different version of events. Sampson barely made it to the score tent after McCrea passed him. He said that he started having trouble on the third lap. "First, my rear brake went out," he reported. "On the last lap, I nearly lost my tire because the wheel bearings went out. By the end of the race, my hub was stressed, bubbled and cracked. Luckily, I made it to the finish." Ambrosini placed fifth overall. but he also had his share of problems. Ambrosini said he was going up a hill that had a steep wall of roots alongside it. "I slammed into the roots and my bike fell," Ambrosini recounted. "I landed on top of my bike and bruised my back so bad that I couldn't sit down for the rest of the race. I laid there for a while. but it does no good to lay on the ground." The Perry Mountain Motorcycle Club laid out a challenging course using 12 1/2 miles. SETRA Vet B rider Jeff Davenport sa id it was a great course. "We were dreading it because of last year's mud run," he admitted, "but it was actually kind of nice." In all, SETRA had 13 winners, MSWS had nine. and SERA had three. The SETRA winner of the 200cc B class came in first - without his gear. He forgot it at home. but he borrowed some gear from and was able to ride. eN """' MauntlIin Me .....Iesville......... 1leslIJts: Jan.-y 21. Z081 [lIooInd 11 O/A; 1. Joshuo McLevy (Hon); 2. Rod Stuck.y (Kew); 3. Mike McCree (Kew); 4. Mike Sampson (KTM); 5. Joey Ambro.ini (G·G); 6. Chod Fromon (KTM); 7. John R.ntschl.r (Suz); 8. Mitch McCre. (KTM); g. Nothon Knight (G-G); 10. Horv.y Whitok.r (Kow). AA: 1. Josh McLevy (Hon); 2. Rod Stuckey (KllW); 3. Mike McCrea (Ke ...): 4. Mike Slimpson (KTM); 5. Joey Ambro.ini (G·G). 250/0PEN A; 1. John Rentschl.r (Suz); 2. Mitch McRee (KTM); 3. Dustin Gibson (Su.); 4. Chris Hicks (KTM); 5. Bioi, Jockson (Hon). 200 A: 1. Dovid Croin (G-G): 2. Cloy Hedg.poth (KTM); 3. J.r.my Ketchum (KTM); 4. Zoch Ivey; 5. Mark K.II.y (Yom). 4·STRK A: 1. Harvey Whitaker (Ke..... ); 2. Clint Robinson (Suz); 3. Marty Michels (KTM); 4. M.ark Hutchinson (SUl); 5. Ollvid Munsrud (Yam). VET A: 1. Steve Henson (KTM); 2. Jack &i1ey (Yom); 3. Mark Guy (Yom); 4. Gregg Gogi.n (KTM): 5. Mark Wood (Hon). SR A: 1. Scott Martin (KlIw); 2. Robert Kirchner (Su.); 3. Dwight Rudd.r (Hon); 4. John Monning (GG); 5. Mork Ho.boch (KTM). MSTR; I. Jim Ford; 2. Rich Pott.r.on (KTM); 3. GI.nn Brock (KTM); 4. Gory Nichol. (G-G): 5. Jock Burt (KTM). S/SR; 1. Fronk Scho.nb.ck (Yom); 2. B.nny Weathers (KTM); 3. David Heath (Hon); 4. Mark Hudson (ATK). 250 B: 1. Rod Ciuemetl (502); 2. Jason Jennings (Kew); 3. Ed Boardwine (Kew); 4. Joel Gibsoo (Kow); 5. Kimboll Cloyton (Su.). 4-STRK B; 1. D.on Gr.w. (KTM); 2. Willi. Grohom (Yom): 3. Brondon Freemon (KTM); 4. John Rowling (Yom); 5. Chri. Clark (Yom). OPEN B: 1. Scott Arm.trong (KTM); 2. Gr.g Wolk.r (G-G); 3. Rog.r Littl. (Yom); 4. Robert Jocks (Hon); 5. Jess Robertson (KTM). 200 B; I. Ru ••• 11 Bobbitt (G·G); 2. Bryon Henson (KTM); 3. Heath Robinson (Kaw); 4. Kip Hayni. (Yom); 5. BuddY Wyott (Hon). VET B: 1. Greg Elrod (Kew); 2. Ruel Jones (Yam); 3. Darren Payne (Yam); 4. Jeff Devenport (Suz); 5. T.rry Robells (KTM). SR B; I. AIon Martin; 2. Jerry Co.tJeman (Kow); 3. Clint Johnson; 4. Steve Futo (Hus); 5. Pete Buzz.1Ii (Suz). S/SR B; I. Leon Pork.r (Yom); 2. John Gil•• (KTM); 3. Don Ry. (Ko",); 4. Mark Evon. (Hus); 5. Johnny C,oft (KTM). OPEN C: 1. G.rold Greshom (Hon); 2. TIm K.lly (Hon); 3. Chris Col.mon (Yom); 4. Andy Whitworth (KTM); 5. Chori•• Johnson (KTM). 250 c: I. Gory Corri.r (Su.); 2. P.J. Short (Suz); 3. Jerry Lawrence (KlIw); 4. Eric Meeks (Suz); 5. Chris GOrrell (Hon). 200 C: 1. Chories Joghob (KTM); 2. Mik. Culwell (KTM); 3. Mik. Homilton (Kow); 4. Scott Swindl•. 4-5TR.K C: 1. Andy Street (Kaw); 2. John Dovi. (Yam): 3. Mork Wim.ott (Yom): 4. Joson MiII.r (Su.); 5. T.rry Ru.s.1I (Hon). VET C: 1. Brook Berker (KTM); 2. Mike Sylvester (Su.); 3. Greg Bronnon (Kow); 4. J.ff Hollond (Hon): 5. Brlldley Barber (Yam). SR C: J. Gary Overton (KTM); 2. Steve Middl.brook (Yom); 3. H.rb Col.mon (KTM); 4. John Kom (Yom); 5. T.rry Bu.h (Suz). BEG 2·STRK; 1. J •••• Aldrldg. (Hon); 2. Micha.1 Aultmon (Kow); 3. Kevin Burch.1 (KTM); 4. Holly Jones (Yam); 5. Jonathan Casey (Yem). BEG 4·STRK: 1. Derek McCormick; 2. Duweyne Arnold (Yom); 3. Jo.y D.blonc (Yom): 4. Chod Poindexter (Yam); 5. Adem Greshem (Hon). JR: 1. J.ff Pork. (G-G); 2. K.vin O·Donn.1I (Yom); 3. Shonnon W.lch (KTM); 4. St.v.n Borber (Yom); 5. o..vld McCool (Kow). WM1"t: 1. Vlrginie Harrison (SUI); 2. Carolyn Rowley (Suz). SIC Pro Circuit Winter Series Round 2: Mills Road Motocross ParI! Childers Takes Checkers at Winter Series Opener By BRIAN COMEAU HOUSTON, TX. JAN. 21 hen weather forced the cancellation of the first round of the STC Pro Circuit Winter Series, originally scheduled for January 14 at Highlands Motocross Park, everybody was more than ready to get the series started the next weekend. Nearly 400 entrants came out to start things off with a bang at Mills Road Motocross W Park. The weather was still a little unpredictable, with brief showers throughout the day. Kyle Phenix took the holeshot in the first 250cc Novice moto, with Thomas Wilson, Gas Brothers Racing's Bernie Fischbach, and Brad Cooksey right there_ Cooksey passed Fischbach to take over third. and Highlands Kawasaki/Axo/Renthalbacked KX250 rider Randy Childers came out of the pack to take fourth.

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