Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

200 C: I. Casey Hinkel (KTM); 2. Joson Tongay (KTM); 3. Mark Green (KTM); 4. Josh Morgon (KTM); 5. Francis Awerkamp (KTM). 4-STRK B: 1. Jeff Kuechenmeister (Vern); 2. Relph Gerding (Yam); 3. Nick Crewford (Yam); 4. Mike Rozier (Vam); 5. Gary Pilant (Han). VET: 1. Jon Simons (Hus); 2. Kevin Ruckdeschell (KTM); 3. Neal Soenksen (KTM); 4. Elston Moo", (Yam); 5. Wade HaJJ (Vam). SR; 1. Steve Crews (Kaw); 2. Tom Eidam (SOl); 3. John Newberry (KTM); 4. Ron Hackman (Vam); 5. Bronce Srruth (Vam). S/SR; 1. William Gulley (Vam); 2. Frank Leivan (Vam); 3. Rick Whelove (KTM); 4. Roger Lajoie (KTM); 5. Tony &hlader (Han). W/ilN; 1. Donna Moo", (KTM); 2. Michele Eidom (KTM); 3. Cindy Nelson (Han). JR: 1. Brad Taylor (KeIN): 2. Petrick Myers (Kew); 3. Travis McWhorter (Kew); 4. Ryan Portell (Kaw); 5. Jeremy Hansen (Kaw). BEG: 1. Andrew Smith (Hon); 2. Troy McFall (Yam); 3. Hershel Thompson (Kew); 4. Jason Lajoie (Kaw); 5. Brent Wolters (Hon). Portland Pro-Am Portland Trail Riders Clubgrounds It Went Nick's Wey BY BART NEWMAN PORTLAND, MI, SEPT. 9 hree years ago, Michigan Pro rider Matt Maximoff was crying on Tom Bloom's shoulder about the fact that there were no big-money races at which local pros could make a buck. With that in mind, and with a request from Mott's Children's Hospital for Bloom Roofmg System's annual $5000 charity donation sitting on his desk at work, Bloom had an idea: How 'about a District 14 MX $5000 Pro-purse charity race? After a quick call to the Portland Trail Riders, the Mott's Children's Hospital Pro-Am Benefit Race was born. Three years and more than $30,000 in donations later, and with the cooperation of all the motocross promoters in Michigan's AMA District 14, the Portland Trail Riders aligned with the Clayton Memorial Foundation to run a race to benefit injured racers. With a $500 Pro purse, many of the Midwest's fast Pros made their way to Portland, Michigan, to take a shot at the big money up for grabs in the 125cc and 250cc Pro classes. In the first 250cc Pro moto, Todd Stewart led the fast pack around turn one to claim the $250 in holeshot cash put up by the PTR. Stewart's lead was short-lived, though, as Matt Walker and Nick Wey got around Stewart and out of his big eR's roost. When the riders reappeared from the Outback, Walker was out front, followed by Wey, Randy Valade, Jason McDonald, Mitch Sluder and David Gaylord. This order remained the same for the first two laps. By lap four, Walker and Wey had pulled out a I2-second lead over Valade, and the race was now about fourth, with McDonald, Sluder and a fast-charging Josh Woods all wanting it. By halfway, it became clear that Walker or Wey would take the moto win, as they had pulled out a 20-plussecond lead on the battle for third between Valade and Woods. McDonald controlled fifth aboard his TechCare Suspension RM, with Jamie Brockman, Brad Kress, Gaylord, Sluder and Jeff Curry locking up the top 10 spots. Lap eight of the 10·lap moto proved to be pivotal, as Wey T Missouri Hare Scrambles Championship: Steve Leivan returned to his usual modus operandi in Sedalia, winning the 12th round of the series. "When I got back on track, 1couldn't see anyone ahead of me," explained Leivan. "I know that the points situation is really close for a lot of the guys right now, so I slowed the pace and tried to get everyone bunched up again. I didn't want anyone to throwaway their race right there." While this may have seemed like a good plan at the time, what Leivan didn't know was that Shaw had opened up such a lead that the rest of the riders were unable to even catch a glimpse of his dust. Shaw's margin over Leivan was 43 seconds after lap one, and Leivan was shocked to read his pit board and discover that he wasn't the leader. Forrester had taken advantage of the earlier mix-up and hooked up with Leivan and he, too, found out it was time to pick up the pace. For the next two laps, Leivan and Forrester worked together, trying to make up time. It seemed to be an uphill battle, as Shaw was riding spectacularly. Chris Nesbitt had his Kawasaki on the gas, climbing from eighth on the first go-around to a lonely fourth spot by lap three. Although a couple of minutes back from the leaders, Nesbitt had more than three minutes separating him from the rest of the field. Shaw held a lead of just 10 seconds going into the last dash through the woods, with Forrester leading Leivan by a bike length. Leivan realized that they had finally caught Shaw and he went to work on Forrester, eventually making the pass at the end of a long field section. The Dunlop/Clarke/UFO/Flatland Rac- 78 OCTOBER 24, 2001 • cue ing/NGK-backed rider then closed in on Shaw. Leivan took his shot when Shaw took a longer line around a lapped rider .The plan backfired, however, as the lapper slowed Leivan - enough that Forrester was able to regain second. Then Forrester bobbled in a creek section and Leivan was back up to second, hot on the heels of Shaw. Then, with only a half-mile left to go, the leading duo came upon a set of four gO·degree, left-right-Ieft-right turns. A line had formed during the race that virtually eliminated the right-to-Ieft portion. With Leivan applying intense pressure, Shaw missed the line, and Leivan pinned -the throttle and took the lead. From that point on, Leivan kept it upright and charged to victory. Shaw took second, and Forrester completed the podium with a solid third. Nesbitt ended his day in fourth, while KTM 400 rider Mike Windmann rounded out the top five. CN Missouri Hare Scrambles Series Sedalia, Missouri Results: September I, 2001 (RDund 121 O/A: 1. St~ye Leivan (Yam); 2. Aaron Shaw (Yam); 3. Brandon Forrester (Kaw); 4. Chris Nesbitt (Kaw); 5. Mike Windmann (KTM); 6. Bobby Duncan (Kaw); 7. John Roth (Vam); 8. Kevin Barts (SOl); 9. Doug Stone (Hon); 10. Tl1Ivis Pilant (Hon). AA: 1. Aaron Shaw (Yam): 2. Brandon Forrester (Kaw); 3. Chris Nesbitt (Kaw); 4. Mike Windmann (KTM); 5. Bobby Duncan (Kaw). A: 1. Kevin Borts (Suz); 2. Travis Pilant (Hon); 3. Lars Valin (Hon); 4. Kreg Simons (Yam); 5. Bill Gold (KTM). OPEN B; I. David Taylor (KTM); 2. Tracy Bauman (KTM); 3. Keith Kibort (KTM); 4. Marty Smith (KTM); 5. Brad Keams (Vam). 250 B; 1. Gary Wetherell (Kaw); 2. Mark Kendall (Vom); 3. Mark Gay (KTM); 4. Gary Wolf (Suz); 5. Adam Ashcroft (KTM). 250 1, Justin Smith (Hon); 2, Sam Snider (Hus); 3. Brandon Vaughn (Kaw); 4. Marshali Sprague (Vam); 5. Karl Veith (Kaw). 200 B; 1. Zach Mabery (Han); 2. Michael Hamilton (Kaw); 3, Bob Searing (KTM): 4. Nelson'" Balr (KTM); 5. AI Hejlek (KTM). c: •• n ... S worked his magic on the front end of the Portland course to overtake Walker, quickly placing a couple of lappers into the mix and opening up a gap that Walker would not be able to close by the checkered flag. Woods also made his move on lap eight, getting by Valade to take over third. Valade held on to fourth. McDonald was fifth until two turns from the end of the race, when John Penrod swooped in to steal it away aboard his Championship Motorsports KTM 520. McDonald was sixth, with Brockman, Tommy Osmialowski and Curry rounding out the top 10. In moto two, the monster thumper of Penrod nailed the holeshot, collecting the $250 bonus that went with it. Two of the first moto's front-runners were tangled up in a mess on the ground in the first turn after Valade got upside down after losing a front wheel. Woods tried to remount his DGY Motorsports KX250, only to find it on top of Valade, and, due to a downpour, he would have to conquer a muddy track, with 33 fast riders ahead of him with a I5-second head start. Walker crossed the finish line first, with Penrod hard on Walker's Portland Trail Riders Clubgrounds: Nicholas Wey won the 250cc Pro class at the Portland Pro-Am in Portland, Michigan.

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