Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMA Lake Whitney Spring National Lake Whitney MX Park STORY By KAT SPANN AND THE BECKSTER PHOTOS BY CONNIE JOHNSON WHITNEY, TX, MAR. 7-11 'llames "Bubba" Stewart Jr. was put J)to the test in his first official outing of 2001, and he passed that test with flying colors. At the 6th Annual AMA Lake Whitney Spring National, Stewart added four more titles to his already long list of accomplishments, as he recorded wins in the 125cc Stock and Modified Schoolboy (1215) classes, and the 125cc Stock and Modified B events, winning seven out of eight motos along the way on his Team Green Kawasakis. The weather in Texas for the past year has been feast or famine. The drought of 2000 has clearly been erased from the board due to a phenomenally wet winter that has area lakes and reservoirs at peak levels. The Whitney event did not escape unscathed when Mother Nature whipped into the hill country and pounded the area midway through the first day of the event on Thursday, postponing the races until Friday afternoon. Once the event got underway, the near 1200 entered riders settled into the swing of things, only to end the event with another thunderstorm. Fortunately, only the last few classes had to ride in the heavier part of the prelude to a bigger storm. The first moto of the 125cc (1215) Modified ran after the first storm hit on opening day, making for muddy racing conditions. Florida's Bryan Johnson got the holeshot with Michigan's Nick Adams second. "I saw Adams get around Johnson and I was still in third," Stewart said. "Then I went down in the woods and lost three spots, but I worked back to third." Only one more moto was ran after their race before the program was cancelled for the remainder of the day. Stewart came back in the second moto Saturday afternoon. "I didn't get the holeshot," he said. "But 1was in the top three." By the end of the first lap, Stewart was in second behind Florida's John- (Above) James Stewar1won four tities at the Lake Whitney Spring National. (Left) Bryan Emig (3) leads Chad Wollaston (259). (Right) Billy Lanlnovlch (32) leads Chad Watts (21), Shane Bess (34) and the rest of the 125cc Pros. 36 MARCH 28, 2001 • ." U ." • • n e ..... s son, and Stewart passed him passed at the start of lap two. "I had a pretty good lead, good enough to kind of watch what was going on behind '!'e between Bryan Johnson and Nick Adams," Stewart said. "That's when Nick seized his motor coming down the big 01' downhill. " Stewart's 3-1 locked up the win over Johnson's 2-2, while New Yorker, Ryan Mills, rounded out third overall with a 5-4. Johnson and Stewart raced again in the 125cc (12·15) Stock class, with Johnson grabbing the holeshot in front of Tommy Hahn of Kansas. Stewart got around Hahn and chased Johnson into the second lap before he passed for the lead. Johnson held fast to second, followed by Nathan Davenport, of Mississippi. The second moto saw Johnson take yet another holeshot in front of Stewart, but Stewart was quick to pass him and immediately set a blistering pace. Nick Adams gated well and finished third. Johnson said afterward, "I've always been a pretty good starter, but James is a great rider. I've always looked up to James since he was on Pee Wees. Now, I'm trying to catch and beat him because he's the fastest guy that's ever been around." The players changed somewhat in the 125cc B Stock and Modified with the final moto gates shaved down·by division qualifiers. Donnie McGourty, of Florida, took the holeshot in the first division of the B Modified, but Stewart passed him during the first lap. Steven Bennett, of New Mexico, grabbed the holeshot in the second division, but Penl)sylvania's Gene Stull dove in under him in the second turn to take the lead. Stewart went on to take the win, followed by Brian Gray and McGourty, but a broken clutch lever in his division race prevented Gray from doing well and he had to settle for 18th overall. Gray found better success in the 125cc B Stock class, finishing 2-2 behind Stewart's 1-1, while Nick Adams pulled out an 4-3 for third and Michael Blose, of Arizona, a 3-4 for fourth. Donnie McGourty took the holeshot in the first 125cc Collegeboy (16-24) moto, saying, "I felt the heat the whole moto." "I got an okay start," said Jesse Casillas. "I found an opening in the

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