Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Cycle News 2001 02 21

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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Northwest Supercross Championship Deschutes County Expo Center (3-3), Graves (5-4) and Storm (4-7) rounded out the top five overall. "I think the outcome would've been different if I hadn't missed a shift," said Smail. "I couldn't get over the big jump, and that gave Davis some breathing room. He rode a STORY AND PHOTOS BY CLAY liGHT REDMOND, OR, JAN. 26-27 amaha-mounted Washingtonian Lance Smail led a contingent of Professional riders from allover the West Coast with his string of dominating 125 and 250cc Pro-class wins on Friday night at the new Deschutes County Expo Center. He returned the following evening to card a 250cc Pro-class win as well as a secondplace finish in the 125cc Pro class. Lured by a $10,000 Pro purse, riders came from as far away as Southern California and Canada, but none were as impressive as Smail, who topped seven of the eight motos he entered, losing only the second 125cc Pro moto on Saturday night to Suzuki rider Scott Davis from Yuba City, California. Smail pocketed more than $3000 for his weekend's work in central Oregon. Points were tabulated on each evening in order to determine an overall winner, with Smail netting a perfect score of 100 (25 points per moto win) on Friday night. Smail overcame poor starts in the first set of motos in both classes. In the first 125cc Pro moto, Davis nabbed the lead at the start and held it for 10 laps. Smail charged through traffic to catch and finally pass Davis for the win with five laps remaining. Davis then maintained second to the finish, ahead of Honda-mounted Jeffrey Pestana, Oregon's Tony Graves and Washingtonian J. Whipple. Moto two was pretty much the same story: Davis grabbed the lead at the drop of the gate, although this time Smail emerged the leader five laps into the 15-lap moto and remained there to nab his first overall win of the evening. Davis finished second and second overall, ahead of Pestana (3-3), Graves (4-4) and Whipple (5-5) in the 16-rider field. Oregonians Mike Storm, Don Bisceglia and Ryan Huffman were the front three at the unleashing of the first 250ccc Pro moto, but Storm held the point while both Bisceglia and Huffman were bumped out of their positions. Smail and Husaberg USA's Ryan Terlecki moved into second and third and pushed Storm to the limits for 10 laps. Storm yielded a lap later but netted third at moto's end, behind Smail and Terlecki. Whipple, Pestana and Graves rounded out the top six. Smail held a comfortable lead in moto two over Terlecki to cap off his Friday night Pro-class sweep, while Terlecki's consistent 2-2 perfor- Y 46 FEBRUARY 21, 2001 • cue good ride, though." Things got better for Smail in the 250cc Pro class; he went on a double-moto romp. Smail's closest competition on Friday night, Terlecki, seized up the factory Husaberg during practice and spent the rest of the night aboard a stock KTM. HusabergjKTM sales manager Chuck IAbove) Lance Smail won nearty every moto he contested, posting overall wins in the 125CC and 250Cc Pro classes on Friday night at the Northwest Supercross Championship in Redmond, Oregon. On Saturday, Sma-I finished second overall to Scott Davis in the 125cc Pro class, but he won both 250Cc Pro motos to clinch the overall cha...pionship. mances earned the Silverton, Oregon, rider second overall, ahead of Pestana (5-3), Whipple (4-4) and Storm (3-7). Davis badly wanted to improve upon his Friday night results and landed the holeshot in the first 125ccc Pro moto on Saturday night, in front a near-capacity crowd of 5000, but Davis' shot at redemption came to an early end when Oregon's Matt Williams crashed. Davis got a break on the restart, as he duplicated his start and ran ahead of the field, although Smail, who greatly improved upon his start, stuffed a wheel underneath Davis to take a lead the Federal Way, Washington, rider wouldn't relinquish. Pestana ran second for many laps until Davis passed him and set out after Smail. Smail, though, held a comfortable lead to the finish for the win, ahead of Davis, Pestana, Graves and Suzuki rider Billy Jurevich. Things went Davis' way in moto two, as he took the lead at the drop of the gate. Smail was buried midpack, and he spent much of the 15lap race forging his way forward before slashing into Davis' lead. After catching Pestana, Smail then closed in on Davis at an alarming rate. With a lap remaining, Smail, who had cut Davis' lead to three bike lengths, missed a shift and couldn't clear the big 70-foot triple, and Davis darted away to victory ahead of Smail, Graves, Whipple, Jurevich and Storm. This ended Smail's chances of a perfect weekend; with his 1-2 placings, he trailed Davis (2-1). Pestana I e ne"",s a poor start; he spent the rest of the moto working ",s way through the field befo: e eventually finishing sixth, trailing Smail, Pestana, Whipple, Terlecki and Graves Whipple, who In recent years has made a name for h,mseJI contesting the Canadian National Motocross Series, vaulted ahead of the field in moto two. but his lead was a brief one, as a lap later Smail scooted into the point and then padded that lead with each circuit, with Whipple in tow. Another Washmgton rider, Greg Crater, posted a superb ride while in a battle for third between himself, Pestana, Davis and Terlecki. Pestana bailed off while running third, opening up the door for both Davis and Terlecki to improve upon their positions late in the moto. Davis went one step further by nabbing Whipple late in the moto to net second to Smail, the overall winner on a 1-1 score ahead ot consistent Whipple (3-3), Davis (6-2), Terlecki (4-4) and Graves (5-6) Smail's 1-. and 1 2 placings overall earned him the Northwest Supercross Championship, ahead of Davis, IAbove) Califomian Scott Davis was the only rider to beat Smail all weekend. Davis trailed Smail in the first 125ccc Pro moto on Saturday but came back to win moto two and take the overall victory in front of a crowd of 5000 at the Deschutes County Expo Center. (Right) Oregon's Ryan Terlecki finished second overall to Smail on Friday night but had problems with his factory Husaberg on Saturday and used a borrowed KTM to finish fourth overall, behind Smail, J. Whipple and Davis In the 250Ccc Pro class. (Belo¥,! Another Califomlan, Jeff Pestana, compiled consistent finishes all weekend, including three top- . three-overall finishes. Whipple, Pestana and Graves at the inaugural event, which also featured a half-time air show by the Californiabased SMP jump team. CN Deschutes Counly Expo Center Redmond, Oregon Results: January 26-27; 2001 Friday Sun did some fast phone work, and shortly afterward a freshly uncrated KTM 250 SX arrived and was put at Terlecki's disposal. Smail managed to slingshot into the lead in moto one, followed by Pestana, Whipple, Storm and Terlecki, while Davis was busy overcoming ------ 125 PRO: 1 Lana Smail (Yam): 2. Scott. D8vis (Suz); 3. Jeffrey PesulOB (Han): 4 Tony Grllves (Yam); 5. J. WhIpple (Kaw); 6 Greg Crater (Hon); 7. M;ke Storm (Hon) B. ~elth Kadell (Hon); 9. Ryan Huffman (Yllm): 10. Billy Ju~vich (Suz) 250 PRO: 1 Lllnce f,~ulJl (Yem); 2. Ryen Terlecki (Hbg); 3. Jeffrey PestzHlll (Han); 4. J. WhIpple (Kaw); 5. Mike Storm (Hon); 6. Tony Graves (Vam); 7. Billy Jurev;ch 'SUl): B. J.R. Vielle (Suz); 9. Gre9 Crater (Hon); 10 Don Bisce91ia (Hon). Saturday 125 PRO: 1 Scott Devls (Suz): 2. Lcnce Smail (Yam); 3. Jeffrey Pestene (Hon); 4. Tony Graves (Vam); 5. Mike Storm (Hon); 6. J. Whipple (Kaw); 7. Billy Jurevich (Suz); B. Keith Kadell (Hon): 9. Tyier Kllvaney (Yam); 10. Greg Crater (Han). 250 PRO; 1. Lance Small (Vam); 2. J. Wh;pple (Kaw); 3. Scott Davie. uz}; 4. Ryan Terlecki (KTM); 5. Tony Graves (Yam), 6. reg Crater (Han); 7. Jeffrey Pestana (Hon). B. "like Storm (Hon); 9. Don B;sceglia (Hon); 10. Billy Jurevlch (Suz).

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