Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

ed with a no-hander -Iander. Brown cruised in for second , with Langston, and S uzu ki teammates Danny S m ith and Thain rounding out the top five. Pastran a summ ed up th e day by saying, "Ali i could have asked for tod ay would have been a little more rain. I'm rea l gla d to be back home. Thanks to the fans for cheering me on." eN (Left) Mike B rown rebou nded afte r getting banged up the p revio u s week. He w ent 2-7 for second overall. (Right) Rodrlg Th a in rode well ag a in, finishing third ov e rall. High Point Raceway Mount Morris, Pennsylvania Results: May Z7, ZOOl moto scores , bu t his teammate Em esto Fonseca almost had a great da y. After a brilliant first m oto in which he fin ish ed t hi rd , th is year's 125c c Westem Regional Su percross Champion , Fonseca , looked to have yet another strong third - or fourth -place finish in the bag when his bike qu it run ning with only two laps rema ining in the second moto! This was the second week in a row that the bik e shut down on him, a nd fortunately, the bike qu it directly in front of his mechanic Kenny Germa in. The reason for the failure was not qu ite clea r at the end of the da y, but a disappointed Fons e ca wa s still c o urt eo u s and upb eat about his 3-29 , 1 1th pla ce -ove rall ride . "I gu es s it was just more bad luck: Fonseca sa id of his second- mote DNF. "I got off to two great starts a nd rode well in the mud, though I didn't really expect to. It's a bummer th at I d idn 't finis h th e second motos this wee k or last week, but the good thing about it is that I'm healthy an d I'll be at the next race. I'll just keep working ha rd and try to make up some ground. " Pr o C ircui t /Spl itFire /K awa s a k i's Bobby Bonds was 12 th, (8- 15). with KTM' s Br o c k Sellards , Am so il/ Dr. Ma rten's S t e v e Bon iface , Team Gree n/Pro Circuit's Josh Woods and 3 D/ E-Z-Wid er's Keith Johnson rounding out the to p 16. The riders will now take a weekend and two full weeks off before the South wic k race on J une 10 . Lan gsto n ha s sa id befo re, and he said ag a in at High Point tha t, "I will win Southwick. " MOTO ONE Langston stood with his hand in the air on the line as severa l KTM mechan ics c hecked out the bike. After a few minutes, Lang ston jumped on and was ready to go . Fonseca grabbed the sta rt aboard his YZ250F with Suzuki -mounted Narita , Moto XXX's Michael Brandes, a nd Kelly Smith following close ly. Pastrana wa s only a few bikes back, but Langston was well down the field. Bot h Narita and Pastrana got by Fonsec a on the opening lap. Brandes had gone do wn while battling with the fron t -runners , and La ngston was ba ck in 19th . The two S uzuki pilots pu lled a b it o f a gap on t h e field up front and Narita wa s o n fire and was a ctua lly gaini ng t im e on t he c urren t c ha mp Pastra na in the opening laps . Fonse ca still rode in third with Amsoil/Dr. Martens' Branden Jesseman , Sm ith , Tha in and Ward tra iling . On the fifth of 15 laps , Nar ita nearly had a five -second le a d ove r Pas trana . That was the biggest inte rva l he would get before Pastrana turned on the afterbumers and s et back out a fte r the numbe r-982 Suzuki of Na rita 's . Pastrana closed ba c k in , and a lap la t er mad e th e pa s s fo r th e lea d through the finish -l ine rh ythm sec tion. Narita followed clo se ly for a sev eral laps , an d when everybody tho ug ht that he woul d fade , he d id the ex act opposite , surp ris ing th e c rowd . Nar ita closed b ac k in , an d with th ree laps rema ining , he m ade a pa s s b a c k on Pastran a fo r the lead . Pa s tra na the n made a slig ht bobble , bu t he did not let Narita get a way. With th e two -lap board out, Narita still had the lead and people wer e s ta rting to believe. With the wh ite flag wavi ng, Narita wa s s till in contro l, but Pa st ra na wa s closi ng ba c k in aga in. Go ing down the start- straight downhill , Pastrana grabbed an ex tra handful of throttle and made a n aggressive pass , and was back in the lead with less than a lap to go . Na rita ho unded Pastrana throughout the entire lap , but it was not enough. Pastrana crossed the finish for his first moto win of the year, and he ce le b ra t e d with a heel-clicker. Narita took the checkers with a fist in the air . Fonseca held on for a d ista nt but -solid thi rd w ith Smith , T h a in , Ward , Brown and Bonds rounding out the top eight. "Ma n , I didn't t h ink that thos e J a p a ne se guys new how to ride in the mud : Pastrana said err Narita 's ride . "He was on the g a s a nd rod e a ph e nomenal race ." M OTOTWO Fonseca had th e jump, but Narita s ne a ked ins ide through turn one and grabbed the holeshot in the second moto . He b e c a m e the first 125 c c rider to actually holeshot a moto this year. (Four-strokes have grabbed the ot her five .) Fo nseca , Brown and Pa s trana followed th e aggressive Japan ese rider through turn two . Na rita led th e first lap , but Pa s tra na got by Narita for th e lea d on the second la p when Na rita bobble d in a corner. Bro wn closed in, and th e three rode in tandem for a few laps before Narita started slowing . As he c a m e across the finish on the fifth la p , he was obviously disappointed and hit his handlebar. S omething wa s wro ng with h is RM and he rode for a nother two laps , but he was los ing posi ti on s rap id ly. E ventual ly . h e pulle d off the track. By the sixth lap , Pastrana had a three -second le a d over Brown. Fon seca wa s in t h ird, w it h Lan g s t o n doi ng mu c h bette r th is ti m e o u t in fourth . Danny Smith, KTM's Sellards , Tha in and Scott Shea k follow ed. Pa st rana g a in ed s om e m o r e ground on Brown during th e ne xt fe w la p s , a n d Langston was h ound in g Fonse ca for thi rd . A lap later, Langston made th e pass on Fon s ec a up a hill for third. In th e fina l laps , Pastran a wa s some 12 s econd s ah e ad of Br own . Fonsec a was st ill hanging w it h Langston, but as Fons eca came by t h e m e ch an ic s a re a with o nly two lap s remai ning , his b ike qu it. His mechanic , and several other Yamaha mechanics, looked it over for a wh ile before a d eje c t e d Fon s e ca started walking ba ck to the pits by himself. Pastrana took his second m ot o win of the da y and the year, a nd ce le bra t - 125 MOTO 1 (3 0 m inut e s plu s t wo lap s) : 1. Travi s Pastrana (Su z) : 2 . Aki t a N er tte (Suz); 3 . Emesto Fonseca (Yam); 4 . Kell y Smith (KTM) ; 5. ROOrig Thain (SU1); 6 . La rry Ward (Yam); 7. Mike Brown (Kaw); B. Bobby Bonds (Kaw ); 9. Scott Sheek (Hon ); 10 . Gran t La ng ston (KTM ) ; II . N ick Wey (Kaw); 12 . Kei th J ohnson (Yam ); 13 . J osh Woo ds ( Kew ) ; 14 . Da nny Smi th (S Ul); 15 . Shane Watts (KTM) ; 16. Rand y Valade (Hon); 17. Steve Boniface ( Ho n) ; 18 . J us ti n Bu c k el e w { Yarn}: 19 . Brock Sellards (KTM ); 20 . Damon Huffm an (Yam) ; 21. Ben Riddl e (Suz); 22 . Ivan Tedesco (Hon ) ; 23. Nath an Ramsey (Yam) ; 24 . Matt Walk er (Hon) : 25. Barry Carsten (Suz) ; 26. Davi d Pingr ee (KTM) : 27 . J oe Oeh lhof (Yam); 28 . Dave Oett el (Yam) ; 29. Joh nny Martey ( Hon ); 30 . Dav ey Yezek (Yam) ; 3 1. Nathan M ill er ( Han) ; 32 . J ason Fin k ( Yam ); 33 . Th om a s K elley ( Su z) ; 3 4 . M i chae l Brandes ( Ya m) ; 35. Ch ris topher Go ssel aar ( Hu s) ; 36. Ja mes McNeill (Hon) ; 37 . Chr is Wh it craft (Suz); 38 . Chad Sanner (Ya m ) ; 39 . T y son Ha d sell ( Yam): 40. Br and en Jessema n (Han ). 125 MOTO 2 (3 0 min utes plu s two laps): 1. Travis Pastrana (Suz): 2. Mike Brown (Kaw): 3. Grant La ngston ( KTM) ; 4. Dann y Smi th (Suz); 5. Rodri g Th ain (SU1); 6. Broc k Sellards (KTM); 7. Scott Sheek (Hon) ; 8. Larry Ward ( Yam) ; 9 . Kelly Smith (KTM); 10. Steve Boniface (Han) ; II. Nick Wey (Yam) ; 12. Nathan Ram sey (Yam ) ; 13 . Branden Jessema n ( Hon) ; 14 . J osh Woo ds ( Kaw) ; 15 . Bobby Bonds ( Kaw); 16 . Keith Johnson ( Yam) ; 17. Ben Riddle (Suz); 18. Justin Buckele... (Yam); 19. David Pingr~ ( KT M) ; 20. M ;chael Brand es ( Yam); 21. Dam on Huffman (Yam) ; 22. Ivan Ted esco (Han) ; 23 . Randy Valad e ( Ha n) ; 24 . Davey Yezek ( Yam); 25 . Joe Oehlhof ( Yam ); 26 . Jason Fink ( Yam); 27 . Dav e Oertel (Yam); 28 . James McNeill (Han); 29. Emesto Fonseca (Yam ); 30 . Chad Sanner (Yam ) : 31. Matt Walker (Hon) ; 3 2. Christo pher Whitcraft (Suz»; 33. Barry Carsten (SU1) ; 34 . Jo hnny Marie y ( Hon); 35 . Ak ira Nante (Suz) ; 3 6 . Ty son Had sell ( Yam ); 37. Thoma s Kelle y (Suz) ; 38 . Nathan Mill er ( Hon) ; 39 . Christopher Go ssel e er ( Hus) ; 40 . Shane Watts (KTM ). 125 O /A : 1. Tr a vi s Pastrana (Suz); 2 . Mike B rown ( K a w) : 3 . Rodri g Thain ( Su z): 4 . Gran Langston (KTM); 5 . Kelly Smith (KT M) ; 6 . Larry Ward (Yam) ; 7. Scott Sheek (Hon); 8 . Danny Smith (Suz): 9 . Ak ira Nar ita (Suz); 10. Nick Wey (Yam) ; 11. Eme sto Fonseca (Yam) ; 12. Bobby Bond s (Ka w) ; 13. Brock Sellards (KTM ); 14. Steve Bonifa ce (Hon); 15. Josh Woods ( Kaw) ; 16. Keith Johnson (Yam ); 17. Nat han Ram sey (Yam) ; 18. Branden Jesse m an (Han) ; 19. J ustin Buck elew (Yam) ; 20 . Shane Watts ( KT M ); 21. Rand y Valade ( Hon ); 22 . Ben Ridd le (Suz); 23 . David Pingree (KTM ); 24. Micha el Brandes (Yam ); 25 . Damon Huffman (Yam) . AMA CHEVY TRUCKS 125« U.S. MOTOCRO SS CHA M PI O N S H I P SER I ES POINTS STAN DINC (A fte r 3 of 12 rou nd s): 1. Grant Le nqston (13 1{2 w ins) ; 2 . T ravis Pastrana (122/1) : 3 . Mike Bro wn (80) ; 4. ROOdg Thain (7 8) ; 5. Danny Smith (68 ); 6. Larry Ward (65) ; 7. Em esto Fonseca (63) ; 8 . (TIE) Ke lly Smith/Brock Sella rds (6 2) ; 10. Scott Sheak (60 ); 11. Dam on Hullman (55); 12. Nick Wey (52); 13 . Nathan Ramsey (47); 14. Kei th J ohn son (45); 15. Bobb y Bond s (43) ; 16. Da vid Pingree (33); 17. (TIE) Justi n Buck elew/G reg Schneli (29 ); 19. Steve Bonifa ce (26) ; 20 . Branden Jesseman (24). Upcoming Rounds: Round 4 - Southw Massachusetts. J une 10 ick, Round 5 - Budds Creek. Maryland, June 17 The story of the day was Akira Narita, the Japanese rider who nearly beat Travis Pastrana in the first 125cc mota and was running up front in the second mota when his bike failed. Narita is a Japanese National rider who has competed in the states many times before, usually in the 250cc class. Team Suzuki hired Narita for this year's outdoor National Series. Team manager Roger Decoster said that Narita will ride a total of nine U.S. Nationals that don't conflict with the Japanese Nationals. Narita sta rted last week at Hangtown where he was greeted with some bad luck, but with the wet and tacky cond itions at High Point. Narita's ta lent became much more apparent. Narita went 2-35 in the two 125cc motos. He gated well both times out and truly battled straight-up with Pastrana in mota one . passi ng the National champ a few times before Pastrana got the upper hand. In moto two, Narita grabbed the holeshot and was having another awesome ride going before his bike gave up seve ral laps in. He was clea rly disa ppointed of his mota- two result, but he was pumped of his first-mota ride. In broken English, Narita said, "It sometimes rains in Japan, so I like the mud." "He was absolutely flying out there: Pastrana said. "They call him Banzai over there and now I see why. My mechanic kept writing 'Catch Kamikaze' on the pitboard and I was trying. He was going wide open out there. When he got the start in the second mota , and I saw him up there. I was like. 'Oh no. not aga in.' He rode well today." cue I .. n .. _ S • J UN E 6 , 2001 13

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