Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

and even throwing in a few of his signature close calls to keep the crowd amped. On the third go-around, Pastrana closed in by tripling into a rhythm section, then pushed Ramsey out in a turn to take the lead. Though he hit the Tuff Blocks, Ramsey recovered and set out after Pastrana, but he lost ground when he almost crashed over the same jump that Pastrana had used to catch him. A miscue that forced him to single the finish-line double only compounded the problem. "The whole time, I was trying really hard - too hard," Ramsey said. "I was making mistakes." By the midway point of the I5-lapper, gaps had developed between Pastrana, Ramsey and Brown (the other heat-race winner), and the battle over fourth between Yamaha of Troy's Nick Wey, Pro Circuit/Kawasaki/SplitFire's Tallon Vohland and KTM Red Bull's Brock Sellards was another few seconds back. Despite the lack of pressure, Pastrana continued to commit errors, but Ramsey made a few of his own. And less than three laps from the end, one of them bit him. "I landed [from a jump], and caught the edge of a rut that shot me off the track and into the Tuff Blocks," said Ramsey, who was overtaken by Brown while he remounted. "I got going pretty quick, but I couldn't get back on the track. I had to go down the whole section beside it." "I couldn't hear that thumper behind me, so I figured something had happened," Pastrana said. "Then I saw him off to the side of the track as 1 went over the triple. 1 really like Nate, but 1 had to sigh a big sigh of relief. I could relax a little bit." "I saw him pull back on the track, and I figured maybe he went into the pits to get something to drink," joked Brown. Ramsey tried desperately to get back by Brown, to the extent that he nearly went down again in the whoops on the penultimate lap, he had to settle for a close third. With a huge cushion, Pastrana cruised to the finish, wheelieing down the final straight and pulling a rodeo over the finish-line triple. "I was definitely having fun out there, over the last jump," Pastrana laughed. "Everybody kind of makes fun of me because I like to do tricks." "I've been at [Ricky] Carmichael's for two weeks," said Brown, 28. "I just want to thank him for letting me ride. Hopefully, 1 can do even better in Daytona." "I made a lot of mistakes out there," Ramsey said. "I was pushing pretty hard. 1wanted to race him ever since the first race ... He was riding really good, and 1was just trying a little too hard tonight." (RIght) Mike Brown won his heat race and then took second In the rnaln, hanging on to second In the points chase Just three ahead of Pastrana. (Below right) Nathan Ramsey continues to lead the points In the 125cc East after finishing third In the rnaln. He got his third holeshot in as many races, and ran strong for the first few laps before getting passed by Pastrana. A crash past the halfway point dropped him to third behind Mike Brown. Wey got his way in the fight over fourth, with Vohland and Sellards last week's runner-up - follOWing behind. "I actually pulled the holeshot," Sellards said. "I just watched it on the video. I just let off in the first turn. I had a bike-length going into the first turn, and I got hit by Brown and a couple of guys. I don't know what I was thinking; I need to charge that first turn harder. [Then] 1just followed too much." Suzuki's Ben Riddle put in a good ride for seventh, and former Western Regional rider Greg Schnell - competing for no points - was eighth on his Motoworldracing.com/Answer Yamaha. The top 10 were filled out by Matt Walker and Plano Honda/MSR's Travis Elliott. eN Reed (5uz); 15. Joseph Oehlhof (Yam); 16. Thomas Hormaster (Yam); 17. Jason Fink (KTM); 18. Ryan Clark (Yam); 19. Bobby Bonds (Kaw); 20. Paul Currie (Hon); 21. Erick Vallejo (Kaw); 22. Sellards (51); 6. Travis Elliot (39): 7. Kelly 5mith (38): 8. Matt Walker (34); 9. (TIE) Tallon Vohland/Ryan Clark (30): 12. Ben Riddle (26); 13. Chris Gosselaar (Hus); 14. Erick Vallejo (19); 15. Joseph Oehlhof (18); 16. Charles Dunaway (17): 17. Bobby Bonds (13): 18. (TIE) Paul Currie/Thomas Hofmaster (12): 20. Chase Reed (11). Christopher Gosselaar (Hus). Time: 13 min., 41.820 sec. Margin of Vktory: 15.650 sec. Wanner's Average. Lap: .54.788 sec. AMAlEA 5PORTS 125« EASTERN REGIONAL SOPERCROSS SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 3 of 7 rounds): 1. Nathan Ramsey (67/1 win); 2. Michael Brown (60); 3. Travis Pastrana (57/2 wins); 4. Nicllola. Wey (56); 5. Brock Upcoming Rounds: Round 4 - Daytona, Florida, March 10 Round 5 - Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 17 Supenlame New Orleans, Louisiana Results; Man:h 3, 2001 HEAT 1 (6 laps, 1-9 transfer): 1. Mike Brown (Kaw); 2. Tallon Vohland (Kew); 3. Trevis Elliott (Hon); 4. Ben Riddle (5uz); 5. Ryan Clark (Yam); 6. Thomes Hofmllster (Yam): 7. Kelly Smith (KTM); 8. Nicholes Wey (Yam); 9. Jason Fink (KTM); 10. Bobby Bonds (Kaw); 11. Keith Johnson (Yam): 12. Charles Dunaway (5uz); 13. Barry Carsten (5uz); 14. Eric Kowalik (Hon); 15. Teylor Watts (Yam): 16. Mi<:heel CampbeJl (Yam); 17. Travis Crowell (Kaw); 18. David Hill (5uz); 19. Mark Wundrack (Yam): 20. Andy Harrington (Yam). Time: 5 min., 38.630 s~. HEAT 2 (6 laps, 1·9 transfer): I. Travis Pa.trana (5uz); 2. Nathan Ramsey (Yam); 3. Brock Sellards (KTM): 4. Christopher Gosselaar (Hus); 5. Paul Currie (Hon); 6. Joseph Oehlhof (Yam); 7. Malt Walker (Hon): 8. Erick Vallejo (Kew); 9. Johnny Marley (Hon); 10. Greg Schnen (Yam): 11. Damien Plotts (Hus); 12. Chase Reed (Suz): 13. Thomas Kelley (5uz); 14. Jonathan Shimp (Yam); 15. Tommy Harrison (Yam): 16. Paul Kissig (Suz); 17. Ronnie Ramiscal (Hon); 18. Brian Mason (Kew); 19. Jason Hyde (Yllm); 20. Antonio Balbi Jr. (Hon). Time: 5 min., 25.500 sec. LCQ (4 laps, 1-4 transfer): I. Oreg Schnell (Yam): 2. Bobby Bonds (Kaw); 3. Chase Reed (5uz): 4. Charlie Dunaway (Suz); 5. Damicn Piotts (Hus): 6. David Hill (Suz): 7. Taylor Watts (Yam); 8. Thomas Kelley (5uz): 9. Barry Carsten (5uz); 10. Eric Kowalik (Hon); 11. Paul Kissig (Suz); 12. Micheel Campbell (Yam); 13. Travis Crowell (Kaw); 14. Antonio Balbi Jr. (Hon); 15. Keith Johnson (Yam); 16. Andy Harrington (Y(lm): 17. Ronnie RamiscaJ (Hon); 18. Tommy Harrison (Yem); 19. Jonathan Shimp (Yem); 20. Brien Mason (Kaw); 21. Jason Hyde (Yam); 22. Mark Wundrack (Yam). Time: 3 min.. 50.090 sec. MAIN (15 laps): 1. Trevis Pastrane (Suz); 2. Micheel Brown (Kew); 3. Nathan Ramsey (Yam); 4. Nicholes Wey (Yem); 5. Tellon Vohland (Kaw); 6. Brock Sellards (KTM); 7. Ben Riddle (Suz); 8. Greg Schnell (Yam); 9. Matt Walker (Hon); 10. Trevis Elliott (Han); 11. Johnny Marley (Hon): 12. Kelly 5mith (KTM); 13. Charles Dunaway (5uz): 14. Chase cue I e n e vv s MARCH 14,2001 13

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