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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128121
Dutch Sport Park
Sparks Spanks 'em
35+: 1. Doug Foro (Kaw); 2. Bogdan Skornog (Hon); 3. Kem
Tenbrink (Hon).
40+: 1. Jeffrey Beerbower {Yam); 2. Donie! Ott (Hon); 3. Scott
Shane: (Yam); 4. ~ Kluga (Hen); 5. Tony WIIUams (Yem).
5(1+: 1. Roger Lewis (Yam).
By BART NEWMAN
BLOOMINGDALE, MI, AUG. 4
A crowd of 225 racers from Districts 14 and
15 made their way to Dutch Sport Park for the
Sagfnaw PowerSports weekend, and no aocc
(7 - 11) rider proved to be faster than Matt
Sparks.
In moto one, Sparks timed the starting
gate perfectly, nabbing the holeshot just
ahead of Cody Davis, Derek Johnson, Chance
Dell, Ivan Hays and the rest of the 1a-rider
field. Sparks and Davis set off at a blistering
pace, quickly putting some time between
themselves and the race for third between
Dell, Johnson and Hays. As the race progressed, Sparks began to pull out a lead, and
Davis, try as he might, could not close the
gap. While the two leaders dueled out front,
the race for third was heating up between
Johnson and Dell, who had made some time
on Hays in the sandy section. By lap three,
front·runners Sparks and Davis were about 14
seconds ahead of the race for third between
Johnson and Dell. With the white flag out,
Sparks made a small bobble, giving Davis the
opportunity to close the gap considerably, but
it was too little too late. Sparks took the moto
win. Davis was second. Johnson was able to
hold off the last-lap charge of Dell, and Hays
motored home in fifth.
In moto two, Davis used an inside gate to
beat all comers off the line, and then, in tum
one, he came handlebar to handlebar with
Sparks, who preferred the outside starting
position. The outside line proved to be the one
to have, as Sparks' momentum pushed him
past Davis and into the lead before tum two.
Once in the lead, Sparks went to work building a lead that neither Davis nor anybody else
could close. Davis pushed hard to stay on
Sparks' pace, but it was to no avail. Sparks
was on it and he wasn't going to be denied.
Davis rode well in second, even as Dell began
to close the gap on him after getting around
Johnson. who had held the advantage in the
early stages of the moto. At the white flag,
Sparks was ahead by about six seconds. Then
Davis made the mistake of pulling off the
track, allowing Dell to move into second, with
Johnson third and Hays fourth. Davis pulled
back on track a distant fifth. Sparks took the
win and the overall. Dell took advantage of
Davis' mistake to claim second overall. Johnson was still pushing hard to improve his
third-place position but came up short at the
end, while Hays was fourth and a dejected
Davis rounded out the top five.
The improvements that Dutch Sport Park
has made to the track and the facility have not
gone unnoticed by the riders, as the riders
keep coming and the crowds keep growing.
Results
AUTO (H) SHAFT, I. Ky~ .