Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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(Left) Brian Carroll (53) takes the holeshot en route to the Four-Stroke class victory. (Right) Steffy Bau claimed the Women's Championship. (Below) Jason Lawrence (3) topped the 85cc Stock (12-13) class over Ryan V1l1opoto (17) and Justin Sipes. Mertens, 17, who is backed by Troy Lee Designs, FMF, Independent Race Suspension and Powerhouse Yamaha. "[Josh) Summey got by me and I couldn't ride very good anymore. I was messing up in the ruts, so I'm just glad I came out with the championship. I'm pretty stoked about the whole week. I had hurt my shoulder at Ponca and wasn't even going to ride, but I toughed it out and did the best I could. "My whole life I've been overshadowed by Ryan [Morais] and then lately Billy [Laninovich, who was absent from Loretta Lynn's with a wrist injury]," added Mertens. "I think this will prove that I do have the talent and that I can run with those guys." Honda-mounted Turbo Reif finished second overall, while the last spot on the podium went to South Carolina's Summey. "I got third the first moto and then ,just got a terrible start the second , moto and was back in 30th or something," said Team Green/Pro-Circuit/Thor-backed Summey of the middle race that cost him a shot at the title. "The last moto I put in a good ride, but it was just too late to do me much good." In the 125cc A Pro Sport class, Colorado's Andrew Short scored the class championship with a solid 2-21 score aboard his Team Green Kawasaki. Short took advantage of some miscues by Yamaha-mounted Ryan Morais, ,,:,hich included the 42nd and final gate selection for the opening moto, which all but assured not getting the holeshot, and suffering a flat rear tire while leading the final moto. "When 1 was in the Schoolboy class here a couple of years ago, I :drew number 42 and actually holeshot from the far outside, so I ; didn't think it would be too bad," said NCY/No Fear/Scott-backed Morais of the start. "But this time it was kind of muddy out there and I came out about 30th, then I pushed too hard to get to the front, got tired and let Andrew [Short] back by me. I'm trying my hardest and I wish I would have won. I'm really happy to be top three in both classes." Short got the win by beating Team Green teammate Joshua Woods in the final moto. Woods had the lead, but one small crash in the infield ended his bid for the win. "One mental error cost me big time in that race," said ProC i rc uit/HJC / Aplinesta rs- bac ked Woods, who hails from Michigan and splits time racing in America and Canada. "I let my front wheel get out over a rut and it cost me. The track is extremely rough, almost like a pro National. I liked it a lot, but it cost me today." "I've been trying really hard and I finally did what I expected and got the win," said Thor/Scott/Twisted/ Dunlop-backed Short. "I made a mistake last year and hurt myself early in the week, so I worked off of that as my motivation for the race this year. I've been here five years and I've always come close to winning, and now it's sweet that it finally happened." Oklahoma's Chase Reed, the winner of the first moto, placed third overall aboard his Suzuki. Woods got the better of Short in the 250/0pen Pro Sport class, racking up a 1-1-2 tally to claim the title. Short ran second with a 6-2-1, followed by California's Jeff Northrop and Massachusetts' Paul Veracka. In the Senior Minicycle classes, the cream of the crop was Broc Hepler Championship. Alessi delivered with a 1-2-1 ride, but not until he withstood a serious threat by Team Green's Kyle Chisholm for the title. Chisholm won the second moto to set up a final-moto showdown with Alessi, but the Yamaha rider took the start and never looked back in racking up his fifth-career AMA Amateur National title. The Thousand Oaks Yamaha/Fox/ Sm ith/Etn ies/ Pro - C i rc'lJ it - ba c ked Alessi was knocked out of the 85cc Stock (12-13) class when he was DQ'd for outside assistance after his motorcycle seized in the mud. Enter New Jersey Kawasaki rider Jason Lawrence, who scored the class win with a smart 1-1-5 effort to win his first major 85cc title. Lawrence took the first two motos and then rode wisely in the last to take the title over Washington's Ryan Villopoto and Kentucky's Justin Sipes. Millsaps did manage to take the final moto win to salvage what turned out to be an otherwise terrible week for the five-time Loretta Lynn's winner from Florida. Young Joshua Hill, third to Alessi and Chisholm in the 85cc Modified (9- 13) class, took the measure of the 85cc Stock (7-11) class for his thirdcareer Loretta Lynn's title. Hill went 2-2-1 for the victory over Jeff Alessi, who took the first-moto win. "I really like the track here because it's got deep berms and ruts, kind of like back home at Washougal," said Team Green/ProCircuit/Shoei/Castrol-backed Hill, who just turned 12 the week before the race. "I really wanted to win this title because last year I had 'Pink Eye' and couldn't race, so this kind of makes up for last time." Hill got a break when one of the ruts claimed the rear-brake pedal of the younger Alessi, who opened some eyes with some fine riders of his own. In the 65cc Stock (10-11) class, Florida KTM rider Ricky Renner picked up the win with a 2- 1-2 score to better first-moto winner Austin Stroupe (1-3-4) and Jimmy Nelson, as expected. The two riders were teammates on Team USA at the recent FIM Junior Cup and are expected to lead the next fast group of 125cc amateur pilots. Hepler topped the 85cc (14-15) Modified class with a solid 1- I-I score ahead of Nelson and Maryland's Nick Evennou. "I got a real good gate pick and it got me the holeshot, so I just went as fast as 1 could for the first couple of laps," said Cernic's Racing/Shift/ Boyesen/Suzuki-backed Hepler. "I just rode smooth and tried to not make any mistakes. The last moto was nice and rough, big deep ruts my style of racing. I got some good starts, rode the ruts real well and came out with the championship." FMF /Thor/Varner Motorsportsbacked Nelson came out firing in the 105cc Super Mini class with 1-1-3 scores. He bettered Kyle Chisholm and Iowa's Teddy Maier for the class championship. "I'm getting way too big for this 80!" laughed Nelson, who looks like he would be much more comfortable on a 125cc motorcycle. "But I stuck with it all year long for my sponsors and I'm just ready to move up. I can't wait until I get on a 125; I'm going to give it everything I have there, too." When Suzuki's Davi Millsaps showed up in Tennessee with a twisted knee that he suffered at the Mini Cup in Spain, it left longtime rival Mike Alessi from California with a clear shot at the 85cc Modified (9-13) cue I e n e vv s • AUGUST 29, 2001 37