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GNC International MX Finals
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Mosier Valley USA
LP°..!!!.'2:E.~
125cc Open-class wins during the
25th annual running of the GNC Inter·
national Motocross Finals, held at
Mosier Valley USA.
This year's event drew some 1500
entrants from 46 different states and
three different countries, up about
300 from last year's race. Thunderstorms delayed track and facility
preparation and postponed practice
until the first day of racing.
Like his predecessors, which
include Travis Pastrana, Justin Buckelew and Ricky Carmichael, "Bubba"
used the Intermediate class as a
benchmark during the season's first of
seven Amateur Nationals to gauge his
progress aboard larger equipment.
"It's like deja vu," said Craig Martin, Team Green's Amateur race
coordinator. "In 1996, when Ricky
[Carmichael) moved up to the 125cc
bikes, he was faster than the Pros like Stewart - and displayed the same
dominance. It's all still up in the air
right now but, after his performance
this week, we expect to see him riding the A class and Schoolboy classes the rema inde.r of the year."
So just how fast is Stewart anyway? In most of the races, Bubba's
lap times were as fast or faster than
the winning Pro riders', but his riding,
unlike Carmichael, appeared a little
less polished (even though he won
every moto of every class in which he
competed).
"Well, I feel good for only my
fourth race on the bike," Stewart said.
"I actually started riding the 125 after
Loretta Lynn's last year. Then I dislo-
STORY AND PHOTOS By TONY ALESSI
MOSIER VALlEY, IX, MAR. 15-18
nream Green's James Stewart
.~ stepped up from the 80cc ranks
to the 125cc Intermediate division,
and the results were all too familiar
after he posted a perfect eight out of
eight moto wins on his way to the
125cc Stock and Modified Intermediate, 125cc Schoolboy (12-15) and
(Top) Team
Green's James
Stewart showed
the competition
his back all
weekend, as he
won all eight
motos he entered
en route to the
125cc Stock and
Modified
Intennediate,
125cc Schoolboy
(12-15) and 125cc
Open-elass
championships.
(Left) Kawasakimounted Jeff
Northrop (99)
raced hard to take
the 125cc Expert
championship,
fighting off the
likes of Turbo Reif
(3) on his way to
the overall victory.
32
APRIL 4, 2001 •
cue
•
e
n
•
_
lIS
Turbo Relf ran away with
the 250cc Expert
.,...
championship and ra'!;tI'P
front In the 125cc Expert
class until problems
dropped him to flfth overall.
