Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128122
o B c After a two-month break. the Grand National Cross Country Series resumed with the John Penton GNCC in Millfield, Ohio, September .9. Fred Andrews (Kaw) scored the win, followed by series points leader Rodney Smith (Suz), Third overall went to Jason Raines (Kaw). followed by Randy Hawkins (Yam) and Barry Hawk Jr. (Yam). 8 o o o o o o Out of 54 starting teams, Mike Healey's IMS Honda XR650R-mounted squad scored the overall and Open Pro-class win at the third annual IMS/Dirt Bike 24 Hours of Glen Helen at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, September 8-9. The four-rider team, made up of Mike Healey, Tim Staab. and Steve and Joe Hengeveld. completed a total of 65 laps around the 10-mile racecourse, topping the next-best team of 125/250cc Expert-class winners. Nick Pearson, Earl Esiderio, Brian Cunningham. Dennis Gallagher, Phillip Zieger and Dave Jenson, completing 63 laps, The KTM:mounted team of Larry Roeseler, Tom Webb, Robb Mesecher, Paul Thede. Keith O'Neal and Paul Krause finished third overall and took the Over 30 Sportsman/Expert-class win, The team also completed 63 laps. Other class winners included the Yamaha YZ250F-mounted team of Brian Beach. Geoff Sanborn, Kris Keeper, Gerald Leighton, David Martinez and Allan La Framboise, who topped the 251 cc Open Expert division (61 laps). The top Sportsman team was 8 8 o o o 8 o o o o o o made up of Jeremy Hoening. James Jongkind. Steven Howe, David Potter. Brad Liettle and Chris Blaise (57 laps). Five riders entered the Ironman (solo) class, and Yamaha-mounted Larry Johnson came away with the win. completing the most laps at 31. Gary Taylor finished second with 27 laps accumulated, Last year's overall winners, Ty Davis' Montclair Yamaha team, only managed to put in 10 laps before having a counters haft bearing go out on the bike. Unlike the Sportsman and Expert classes. the Pro classes are not allowed to use a backup bike, Team Cycle News got in on the action this year. The KTM 400 E/XCmounted team - made up of Paul Carruthers, Scott Rousseau, Chris Jonnum, Steve Bobrofsky, Lance McRoberts and Kit Palmer - competed and even finished. The team survived 49 laps to finish out the race 30th overall and sixth in the Over 30 Sportsman/Expert class. o J o o o c c o o o o Kelly Smith (KTM) topped the opening round of the AMA Fall Classic/East- ern Four-Stroke MX Nationals by Yamaha, held at Budds Creek MX Park on September 9, Smith. the defending series champion. finished 1-1 in the 8 o Four-Stroke Pro class, followed by KTM riders Clark Stiles. who went 2-2. and Jeff Gibson, .who went 4-3 on the day, Stiles fought back to take the 250cc o 2 SEPTEMBER 19. 2001 • cue A/Pro win with a solid 1-1 ride, followed by Kevin Crine (Hon), who went 3-3 for second overall. Smith (2-5) finished third overall. Paul Veracka (Kaw) took the 125cc A/Pro win with 2-1 moto finishes, Crine was second overall (4-3), followed by Jim Neese (Hus). who finished 6-2. Jeff Fredette (Kaw) took the overall win at round five of the Parts Unlimited Championship Off-Road Series in Neilsville, Wisconsin. on September 9, Eight-time National Enduro Champion Dick Burleson (KTM) took second. Finishing third was Adam McKillip (Yam), followed by Cr.aig Holasek (Hus) and Kyle Nelson (KTM). With just one round left in the series. Fredette leads Joey Ambersini by six points. 93-87. Terry Poovey tRW strengthened his hold on the Formula USA Pro Singles championship lead by emerging on top of a four-rider battle in the main event at the Portland International Speedway half mile in Portland, Oregon, on September 8, Second went to Dan Stanley (ATK) , with Davey Durelle (Suz) third and Bryan Smith (Rtx) fourth. With four rounds remaining in the l1-race championship, Poovey leads HarleyDavidson's Jennifer Snyder by 66 points, 226-160. Snyder, third in her heat race. was seventh in the main, Jeff Thomas (Hon) ran his 540ccclass winning streak to three with an unbeatable first run at round 12 of the AMA National Championship Hillclimb Series at the Bushkill Valley Motorcycle Club's fall event. Thomas outran 800cc points leader Tiger Strank (Kaw) for his second straight Bushkill win. Dave Watson (Hon) finished third. just four weeks after suffering life-threatening injuries in a motocross crash. Strank (Yam) came back to set the day's fastest time on his second run in the 800cc class to add to his series points lead over Thomas (Yam) who finished fourth, Round 11 winner Bobby Templeton (H-D) took second, ahead of Tim Frazier (H-D). Though the details remain to be disclosed. it appears that the return of motocross riding and racing in Orange County. California. may be short-lived. Saddleback Motorsports Park, which hosted its grand opening over Labor Day Weekend, is facing resistance from county officials, according to manager Brad Etter. and has been shut down for the time being. Etter was reluctant to proVide details, saying only that - the county is threatening - for lack of a better word - to shut us down while they check out a couple of things." The closure forced the relocation of the September 9 CMC TransCal MX opener, which was scheduled to take place at Saddleback, to Competition Park in San Jacinto. California, Although some pundits have already sounded the death knell for the park, Etter has remained positive. "The lake and the water district are 110 percent behind us on this, and we think we can get through it," Etter said, "We' re confident that we can deal with these issues, and we think it's nothing more than a misunderstanding, We don't think the problem is that major." Etter and his group will continue to update their Web site. and they will also Australia's Jason Crump put in an a stunning performance to win the Pentel Grand Prix of Poland in Bydgos2c2, Poland. on September 8, The 25-year-old pushed the current leader of the series, Sweden's Tony Rickardsson. Into second place, with Rickardsson's fellow countryman Mikael Karlsson third, Over 25,000 fans packed the Polonla stadium to witness Crump's awesome triumph and see him take top spot on the rostrum for the first time this season. "It feels fantastic to finally win a Grand Prix," Crump said. "Everything went right for me. The track was great, just like the tracks I used to ride in Australia, and suited me tonight. My aim now js to make the World Championship rostrum for the first time in my career." There was disappointment for Polish favorite Tomas2 Gollob, who went Into the Grand Prix just 11 points behind Rickardsson but saw his World Championship dream vanish after scoring just eight points. Crump's win and Gollob's poor performance means that Rlckardsson only needs a handful of points at the final Grand Prix in Stockholm to capture his fourth World Championship crown, "Tonight was the hardest Grand Prix this year for me," Rickardsson said. "I was struggling big time, I didn't have the best setup and rode both my bikes. It was a big relief to reach the final tonight and come second to Jason. It will be a long three weeks until Sweden, but I'm going to try and keep the momentum going and try and win In Stockholm." Billy Hamill continued his quest for a top-eight automatic qualifying place with a determined ride in the A Final, though he fmished in last place. The result puts him in sixth position overall. but things are not going as weU for Greg Hancock, who ran last in the consolation final and now stands in 15th place with just one round to go (Sweden. September 28th). Only the top 10 in points go straight into next year's GP. The rest have to go to the gruelling GP Challenge. - John Hipkiss keep Cycle News updated on any new information as it pertains to the facility, The latest word was that the county would meet on September 10 to determine whether or not the operation had stayed within the bounds of its conditional use permit. For more infomnation, see saddlebackmx,com, The AMA has released information on its establishment of the Will Davis Fami· Iy Trust Fund, all proceeds from which will go to Davis' widow, Rhonda, and 8-year-old son. Cole. According to the AMA's press release, "through; cooperation with the Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association (lMDA), this fund and others are off to a great start; during the August 31 to September 2 weekend of dirt track racing at Springfield, illinois, a total of $41,000 was donated to the trust fund, However, that's only a, start, and all of us here at AMA Pro Racing urge every motorcyclist to participate by sending a donation to; The Will Davis Family Trust Fund. c/o AMA Pro Racing. 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickering- I ton, OH 43147-8273. Motorcycling is a , great sport and a wonderful pastime. I activities that build deep friendships, , Thank you in advance for sharing your care and coneem for the Davis family, ' OutSide of the AMA fund, the family and friends of the late Will Davis have set' up a fund, The information for that fund is as follows: Will Davis Memorial Fund.• c/o Wachovia Bank. 301 E, Ash St.. Goldsboro. NC 27533. Attention: J, Collins. The AMA, prompted by inquiries from a number of its members. has asked I