Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

at least some fancy riding. By the time the riders had reached that point, they were fairly spr.ead out, though some spectators were surprised to find themselves in the middle of the action with riders all around them. Brown was the first to drop over the edge and, as he made his way through the draw, Davis appeared on the four-stroke Yamaha, having come around the left side of a group of spectators that were now trapped in the middle. No sooner had Davis found his place in front of Brown than Abbott appeared, barely taking the holeshot as they neared the opening in the fence that would take them onto the course. With Esposito and a hundred other motorcycles close behind, they headed south and east into the first loop. The order at the front would change little by the end of the first 25-mile section, as Brown emerged from the desert first, followed closely by Abbott, Davis and Esposito. The pits were busy, and then the leaders were gone, racing toward Hemingway Butte, 3D miles to the west. Reno's Shane Esposito pushing his 5DDcc Kawasaki hard, and overtook Davis in the last couple miles of the first loop. Davis chose not to take on gas at this point, preferring instead to put some time back on Esposito. This may have been a mistake, as he would run out before the next gas, losing valuable time while he dumped his spare quart in and got the thumper restarted. Though passing opportunities were scarce, Russ Pearson, who went down after colliding with another rider on the bomb run, worked his way up to 1Dth by the· end of the loop. "Luckily, the bike wasn't dinged up that bad: he said. "I fired it up and just spent the first lap picking off people." Brown left the first pit in front, with Abbott close behind. By the time they reached the second pit and made the turn onto the last 3D-mile loop, the pair had a four-minute lead on the rest of field. Abbott's only hope was that Brown would make a mistake something that would give him the opportunity he needed to take back the lead. That chance would never materialize, and he settled for second. When the Team Green/Moose/ Alpinestars/FMF/Smith/Works Connection/F&L/Scott/Bel- Ray/Dunlopsponsored Brown came in with Abbott from the final section and reached the fence near the finish area, they still had a significant lead on the rest of the field. With Brown in the lead, they came to a corner marked with course ribbons, but reportedly no arrows. They could see the pits, where the finish was located, but were unsure of which way to go. Pointed down a road by people standing there, they followed the ribbons that took them back through the pits. "Brian and I were coming in and we didn't know where to go, and the guy is pointing us this way [down pit row]: Abbott said. "As we're riding, we're both looking at each other, like, 'This isn't right.'" The finish-check workers were just as surprised. Abbott asked if they should go back out and ride the trail around the outside of the pits but, by then, the check workers had already finished them, and they were told not to go back out. People were quickly sent to the problem corner to make sure the remaining riders weren't sent the wrong way as well. Though no protests were filed, rumors ran through the pits for the rest of the day and into Tuesday afternoon, when a conference call between the event referee and the AMA confirmed that the original results would stand. Minutes after the snafu, Esposito appeared, making it a Kawasaki sweep. He was followed by Davis, Grider, Pearson and Trussardi. CN (Above) Shane Esposito is continuing hIs translUon to the big-bore machines. Round two saw him third overall, completing a podium sweep by Team Green Off-Road. (Left) Montclair Yamaha's Ty Davis rode well all day in Idaho, but his VZ426F just didn't have the speed of his bigger twostroke rivals. He finished fourth overall, first non-Kawasaki, and moved into third in the points standings. Rabbit C.... 100 MulJlb" ld8ho Results: April 1, ZOOl O/A: J. Brian Brown (Kaw); 2. Destry Abbott (Kew); 3. Shane Esposito (KlIw); 4. Ty Davis (Yam); 5. Andy Grider (Kew); 6. Russ Pe8rson (Vern); 7. Luell Trussardi (TM); 8. Kurt CZlselli (Yam); 9. Eric Griffith (Kaw); 10. Greg Zitterkopf (VOR); I J. Paul Krause (KTM); 12. Morgan Crawford (Kaw); 13. Joy Skinner (Yam): 14. Kenon Walch (Kaw); 15. Matt Gosnen (Vam): 16. K.C. Bogue (KTM); 17. Taber Murphy (Hon); 18. Wes MacMillen (Kaw); 19. Sonny Morgan (KTM); 20. Steve Ha~r (Yam). OPEN A: I. Brian Brown (Kaw); 2. Destry Abbott (Kaw): 3. Shane Esposito (Kaw): 4. Ty Davis (Vam): 5. Andy Grider (Kew). 250 A: 1. Russ Pearson (Yam); 2. Kurt Caselli (Vern): 3. Eric Griffith (Kaw); 4. Morgan Crawford (Kaw): 5. Jay Skinner (Yam). 125 A: 1. eley Hawks (KTM): 2. Clint Braun (Yom): 3. David Rees (KTM): 4. Chris Moos (Kaw); 5. Jacob Cornett (Kaw). VET A: I. Luca Trussardi (TM); 2. Steve Harper (Yom); 3. Ron Wehr (Yam): 4. Brian Beth (Hon): 5. David Wilson (KTM). SR A: 1. Terry Kyle (Hon); 2. William PerkIns (KTM); 3, John Didier KTM); 4. Wyott Foss (Vom); 5. Edward Ux (Yam). S/SR A; 1. Jerry Allen (Vam): 2. Howard Larsen (Yam). 4-S A: 1. Greg Zillerkopf {VORl; 2. Matt Gosnell (Yam); Taber Murphy (Hon); 4. Mike Baxter (Yam); 5. Rob Chastain (KTM). WOM A: 1. Kelly Yancey (Kaw); 2. Heather Wilson (Kaw); 3. Rebecca Gillet (Kaw); 4. Ellen Kerstein (KTM); 5. Luana Canfield (Kaw). MINI A: 1. Ben Corwin (Hon); 2. Courtney Williams (K8W): 3. Kyle Wyman (Yam). OPEN B: 1. Michael Roemer (Kaw); 2. Jim Aguirre (Kaw); 3. Steve Henderson (Hon). 250 B: 1. Ian McPherson (Hon); 2. Nick Alosi (Ka:w); 3. Cameron Brewer (Kaw). 125 B: 1. Sean Patrick (Hon); 2. David Kamo (Yom); 3. Andrew Poe (Yam). BRIEFLY. •• --:_-:::-~':_....... Former champ Ty Davis had a good day. but just wasn't able /" best the big Kawasakis. -The first loop was a lot of fun twisty and Sand washes and stuff.·· he said. "The second loop was a lot of washes and stuff. It was nasty whoops. They should have come back and done the first loop twice," The race was tough on Pearsons. Russ Pearson (right) crashed on the bomb run and ran out of gas near the end of the last loop. getting help from nearby spectators. who gave him some gas from their bike. His cousin David broke a foot peg in the whoops, eventually dropping out. This is Shane Esposito·s first year on the big-bore. and he was slowed on the second lap when his front number plate fell off and became jammed in his front wheel. He regained a place lost to Kurt Caselli when Caselli had to change a wheel and, after leaving the last pit behind Davis, was able to get in front of him when they both missed a corner (Davis having gone further before discovering the error). VET B: 1. Curt Korte (Kaw); 2. Jim Curzon (Vam): 3. Scott Main (Vam). SR B: 1. Kevin Bise (KTM); 2. Richard Sanderson (Kaw); 3. Calvin Yamamoto (KTMl. S/SR B: 1. Chris Kerstein (Hbg): 2. John Streigh (Hon): 3. Tom Dale (Hbg). MSTR B: 1. Morris Edwards (KTM); 2. William Sea", (Suz). 4-S B: I. Shane Blakely (Vam): 2. Allan laFramboise (Yam); 3. Corey Lee (Yam). MINI B: 1. Kyle Joiner (Yam); 2. Jeff Jensen (Kaw); 3. Kark Rigel (Kaw). BI'IBR: I. Mike Kelly (Suz): 2. Todd Gillespie (Hon); 3. Bill Groy (Vom). BEG C: I. Mark Cerowski (Kaw); 2. Bill Bryan (Yam); 3. Martin Flores (Kaw). SPTMN: 1. Mike Norton (Kaw); 2. Eric Grieger (KTM); 3. John Aiton (G-G). MINI WOM: 1. Kaitlin Smith (Yam): 2. Ashley Italian Luca Trussardi. at seventh overall, topped the Vet A class on his TM. and also posted the best overall National Hant & Hound finish of his career. -I love the track." said the always upbeat Trussardi. -It was a very, very good. tough race. " Longtime desert racer Greg Zi"erkopf (right. with helmeted Paul Krause) took the Four-Stroke win on a Patriot VOR, despite having raced relatively little over the last few years. "I was a bit timid at the start - probably 40 places back by the end of the bomb,he said. He found his old form, though, working his way into the top 20 by the first gas and finishing 10th overall. Yea",ly (Hon). In the increasingly competitive Women's AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HARE & HOUND SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 2 of 8 rounds): 1. (TIE) Destry Abbott (1 win)! Brian Brown (55/1 win): 3, Ty Davis (39); 4. Shane Esposito (35); 5. Andy Grider (32); 6. Kurt Caselli (31); 7. Russell Pearson (30); 8. Erik Griffith (23); 9. Luca Trussardi (20): 10. JeffCapt(G-G). class, Kelly Yancey rode her Kawasaki 125 Upcoming Rounds: Round 3 - Johnson VaIe-I, california, April 22, 2001 to the class win and 49th overall. She was able to get around runner-up Heather Wilson late on the first lap, Wilson finished right behind her in 50th overall on another Kawasaki. Wilson. who won the first round, was upbeat about the event. "It was awesome." she said. "I had so much fun: apparently nobody else liked It. but I loved it. I like that light, technical. nasty stuk" Rebecca Gillet. also on a Kawasaki. was close behind in 56th overall. Round 4 - Jericho, Utah, April 28, 2001 cue. _ n __ S • APRIL 18. 2001 25

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