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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Deschutes County Expo Center: Scott Allen (57), Sean Light (25), Brandon Sheffel (21) and Ryan Thompson (101) mix it up in a battle for third place in Saturday's 125cc Junior main event at the Northwest Supercross Championship in Redmond, Oregon. Northwest Supercross Championship Deschutes County Expo Center Amateurs Invade RedmondSX By CLAY liGHT REDMOND, OR. JAN. 26-27 ore than 300 Amateur riders from five Western states converged at the new Deschutes County Fairgrounds for the inaugural Northwest Supercross Championship, held inside the massive Expo Center Arena in Redmond. Among those to leave their mark at the two-day event were Cobra-mounted Brad Frace. Ryan Huege and Rochelle Neimann, who topped the Pee Wee, 125cc Junior and Women's divisions, respectively, each night, in front of crowds of 2500 (on Friday) and 5000 • (on Saturday). Frace flew to impressive victories in the Pee Wee class. On Friday night, Frace walloped the competition in the dual-moto format with runaway wins ahead of KTM-mounted Mitchell Newton and Polini pilot Dylan Stone. The following evening, qualifiers were used to trim the field of 23 riders to 17 for a single 10-lap main event, which Frace handily topped. ahead of Stone and Jeremy Steward. The Mini Open class featured several heavy hitters. but it was a pair of KTM riders who netted the wins. Local rider Rhett Johnson scored a win on Friday night. ahead of Travis Quesenberry and Eathyn Wilson. but Johnson's streak ended there. as Gared Steinke made an appearance on Saturday and trounced the competition in a double-moto romp. Trailing Steinke in the overall category were Johnson (4-2) and Derek May (5-3). Hometown rider Will Wallace also had a successful weekend. The M 48 FEBRUARV 21.2001 • "" U a Kawasaki rider contested two classes; the 125cc and 250cc Intermediate events. although Wallace only netted one win each night. Wallace's first of two overall wins came on Friday night. scoring a pair of moto wins in the 250cc Intermediate class. In moto one. Wallace had KTM rider Rory Sullivan and Suzuki-mounted Califomian Dana Drake to contend with. although in moto two both Sullivan and Drake crashed and gave Wallace some breathing room. Honda-mounted Tyler Fick was the cream of the crop in Friday's 125cc Intermediate class. The diminutive speedster' used a 1-1 tally to top Wallace (3-2), James Hamilton (5-3) and Sullivan (2-9). Fick's weekend ended prematurely, though. as a crash on Saturday ended the former Mini speedster's chances of a sweep and left him with a possibly broken arm. This attributed greatly to Wallace's Saturday night win in the class. Wallace and Sullivan exchanged moto wins. with Wallace taking advantage of a poor start on Sullivan's part to net a 2-1 win, ahead of Sullivan (1-2), Hamilton (3-3), Justin Jensen (5-4) and Drake (4-6). The largest class was the 125cc Junior class, with 23 entries both nights. Huege was the dominant rider both evenings, continuing his reign of terror in the class. Huege, Brandon Scheffel and Ryan Thompson filled the top three positions on Friday night, ahead of David Schenk and Adam Metzler. but on Saturday it was all Huege. He darted ahead of Metzler and Kawasaki rider Sean Light in n _ .... • e Saturday's 17-rider final and then vanished. leaving a huge five-way squabble for second between Metzler - who held a lock on the position to the finish - and Eric Turner. Schenk. Jake Gump, Light and Thompson. with Tumer grasping third at the end of the lO-lap final. Washington's Ame Heitman. a former AMA National Pro, won three of four motos on the weekend in the Veterans Over 30 class. Hettman dominated both Friday night motos, ahead of Rich Blanchette, but Hettman. who won the first moto on Saturday, was a no-show for moto two and Duane Romero filled the void, taking the win ahead of Bipper Clark (2-3) and local rider Patrick Brown (5-2). Yamaha-mounted Rochelle Neimann, ranked number 17 nationally in the Women's Motocross League. decimated the competition en route to her overall wins on both evenings in the Women's class. However. the first moto on Friday didn't go well for the Portland, Oregon, rider. as she placed third to Sara Costa and Jennifer Waibel. From that point on. though, it was all Neiman. Kim Regnier and Heidi Korschgen finished second and third, respectively, to Neimann on Saturday. In the Supermini class. Hondamounted Drew Davis scored a Friday night win, but the competition was much tougher on Saturday, and Shawn Haberlock took the win, followed by Davis and Kevin Rookstool. eN ............... IIescIIutss e-.tr Expo Cam• IlnlIIt:s: ~ 21-21, 2181 Friday P/W: I. Brad Frace (Cob); 2. MItchell Newton (KTM); 3. Dylan Stone (Pol). MINI OPEl'!: I. Rhett Johnson (KTM); 2. Travis Quesenbeny (KTM); 3. Eathyn Wilson (Hon). S/M1NI: I. Drew Davis (Hon); 2. Arlie Southard (Kaw); 3. Shawn Haberlock (Kaw). 125 BEG: 1. Sherman Miller (Yam); 2. Jake White (Kaw); 3. David Foreman (Hon). 125 JR: I. Ryan Huege (Hon); 2. Brandon Sheffel (Hon); 3. Ryan Thompson (Hon). 125 INT: I. Tyler Fick (Hon); 2. Will Wallace (Kaw); 3. James Hamilton (Hon). 250 BEG: 1. Chris Thompson (Kaw); 2. Matt Emery (Hon); 3. Nick Glidewell (Kaw). 250 JR: 1. Cory John,on (Hon); 2. Tyler Fitzsimons (Yam); 3. Chad Baxter (Yam). 250 INT: I. Will Wallace (Kaw); 2. Eric Roge" (Yam); 3. Brody Baxter (Yam). VET: I. Ame Hettman (Hon); 2. Rich Blanchette (Yam); 3. Bipper Clark (Hon). WMN: I. Rochelle Neimann (Vern); 2. Jennifer Waibel (Suz); 3. Sara Cos," (Kaw). Saturday P/W: 1. Bred Frace (Cob); 2. Dylan Stone (Pol); 3. Jeremy Steward (Cob). MINI OPEN: I. Gored Steinke (KTM); 2. Rhett Johnson (KTM); 3. Derrik May (Kaw). S/MINI: 1. Shawn HllIberiock (Kaw); 2. Drew Davis (Hon); 3. Kevin Rookstool (Kaw). 125 BEQ: 1. Dllyid Foreman (Hon); 2. C.J. Baxter (Yam); 3. Jake White (Kaw). 125 JR: I. Ryan Huege (Hon); 2. Adam Metzler (Suz); 3. Eric Turner (Yam). 125 INT: 1. Will Wallace (K8W); 2. Rory Sullivlln (KTM); 3. James Hamilton (Hon). 250 BEG; I. Robert Knight (Yam); 2. Nick GIKleweIl (Kaw); 3. Chris Thompson (Kew). 250 JR: I. Allan Thompkins (Kaw); 2. Tyler Fitzsimons (Yam); 3. Chad Baxter (Yam). 250 INT: 1. Brody Baxter (Yam); 2. WiU Wallace (K.w); 3. Joe Brockway (Yam). • WMN: 1. Rochelle Neimann (Yam): 2. Kim Regnier (Yam); 3. Heidi Korschgen eKew). Wortd CUp ICE Speedway Series Round 2: Colorado Springs Wortd Arena Venegas Makes Round T1No Win Nwnber T1No By GARY DENSFORD COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, JAN. 25 large crowd was on hand at the Colorado Springs World Arena for round two of the 25th annual World Cup ICE Speedway Championship Series. Anticipation was high, as several Colorado riders were entered, including past ICE Champion Pat "The Rat" Litt from Golden. who came out of retirement for the event. To ensure the World Cup Champion is the best rider after 12 rounds of racing throughout America. the WSRA inverts the fIrst round of heat races each week based on overall accumulated championship points. This means the current points leader starts on the outside of the first heat. second in points starts in the numberthree slot, third in points in the number-two starting position, and fourth in points gets the pole in this fourman. four-lap scratch heat. Fifth through eighth in overall points start subsequently the same way in heat two, and so on through heat four. Therefore. heat one is always a bam- A burner; furthermore. it's tough to win the overall World Cup Points Championshjp, because the better you do. the harder your races get. _ Heat one certainly lived up to its billing. Current WC points leader Charlie "The Edge" Venegas lined up on the outside; next to him was Nick FaFard from Quebec, Canada. DefE!nding WC champ Anthony Barlow from England was in two. and the pole went to "Young" James Mann, the 17-year-old rookie sensation, also from England. The tape went up and the "British Bulldog,' Barlow. launched into the lead with Venegas hot on his tail. Barlow led into the second tum, where he overcooked it, lost control and crashed. Venegas seized the lead, with Mann and FaFard trying in vain to catch up. Venegas earned the big 10 championship points for winning, Mann took five points for second, FaFard earned three points, and in one of his rare racing mistakes. Barlow received one point for last. Colorado's Shawn Hurley took an early lead in heat two and raced on to a solid victory. Second went to Scot-