Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMAIASMA Series Round 4: Arroyo Seca Raceway Hostetler Hot First Time Out By DR. BOB DEMING, NM, SEPT. 9 rroyo Seco was blessed with perfect conditions - temperatures in the mid-80s with a slight breeze - for the penultimate round of the AMA/ ASMA Series. In the Open Beginner race, Bob Dillow from EI Paso, Texas, grabbed the holeshot on his Mr. Motorcyclesponsored Honda CBR600. First-time racer Jim Hostetler, on Geir Arne Nilsen's Yamaha R6, didn't take long to figure things out, passing Dillow on the second of the five laps. Hostetler pulled away and had a half-lap lead before taking the checkered flag. Dillow hung on for second after a racelong dogfight with Jason Burcynski, on his Honda CBR600. Fred Swenson, on his Mesilla Valley Pro Sound Music [, Ughting Yamaha Rl, held off Tucson's Rob Filar on his beautiful 250cc Aprilia. Rounding out the field was Armando Marez from Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. In the Vintage race, Peter "The Professor" Bonner grabbed the holeshot on his NCR 750 Ducati and never looked back. Bonner took the win with a huge lead over Arizona's Kurt Hoel on his Honda thumper. Arizona's Dave Ramsey placed third on his very fast Yamaha RD350. In Open Superbike, Roger Heemsbergen found that he had some competition, in the form of Todd Costley from Gallup, New Mexico. This was Heemsbergen's seventh Arroyo Seco race this year, and he wasn't going to let Costley spoil his perfect record. Both Heemsbergen and Costley were piloting Yamaha Rls. Western Paint [, Body/Motorcycles Unlimited/Pit Bull Motorcycle Stands-backed Heemsbergen prevailed over Costley for his seventh win of the season. Sammy Richards brought his Mr. Motorcycle-sponsored Yamaha R6 home third. Tony Silvera came out from the San Fernando Valley in California to finish fourth on a Grand Prix Kawasaki. In Formula 40, Bonner grabbed the holeshot and looked to be the big wiener, but Hostetler worked his way up from a fifth-place start to third by lap two and second on lap four. Hostetler finally passed Bonner on the white-flag lap to take the win. Bonner tried to retake the lead but ran off the track and dropped back to finish fourth. Tony Luketich, on a Ducati sponsored by Professional Plumbing in Tucson, Arizona, was A happy to finish in second, with Dillow right behind him. This was Hostetler's first day racing, and he had already won two races. 500cc Superbike was combined with 600cc Superbike. Greg Talbot brought his beautiful, rare Belgarde Yamaha SRZ500 thumper over from Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, New Mexico. This thumper is a production unit in Italy! Talbot easily won the 500cc class. Costley ran off and hid from the rest of the 600s on his Yamaha R6. James "Gentleman Jim" Massey from Albuquerque brought his Suzuki GSX-R600 home in second, followed by Ray Thornton from Edgewood, New Mexico. The 600cc points leader, Sammy Richards, ran off the track on the first lap and could only work his way back up to fourth. Southwest Thunder ran combined with Formula Two. James McKay came through the field to finish first overall and first in Formula Two. Bonner led McKay on every lap except the last and finished second overall and first in Southwest Thunder, which is for four-strokes only, up to three cylinders. Talbot finished third overall - and, as his Yamaha thumper qualifies for both Southwest Thunder and Formula Two, we'll say he finished second in both classes. Kurt Hole finished fourth overall, and Will Johnston finished fifth on his Honda Chicken Hawk. In what seemed like deja vu from the 600c Superbike race, once again Costley grabbed the holeshot in the 750cc Superbike race and ran away. Massey again came in second, with Thornton third again. The final sprint race of the day was Formula One. Once again, Costley gave Heemsbergen some competition for the first couple of laps. These two Yamaha Rl racers pulled away from the rest of the field. Costley couldn't keep the pace that Heemsbergen was setting, so he backed off and soon found himself in another battle with Richards. Riding his R6, Richards would catch up to Costley in every corner, and Costley, on his R1, would pull out a few bike lengths on every straightaway, making it a great race for second place. However, Costley just had too much horsepower, and he nipped Richard's 600 at the finish line. Andrew Trace brought his Suzuki GSX-R750 in fourth. Massey finished his day with fifth. Swenson (Yam); 5. Rob Filar (Apr). VlriT: 1. Peter Bonner (Duc); 2. Kurt Hoel (Hon); 3. Dave Ramsey (Yam). 500 S/BK: 1. Greg Talbot (Yam). 600 S/BK: 1. Todd Costley (Yam): 2. James Massey (Suz); 3. Ray Thornton (Hon); 4. Sammy Richards (Yam): 5. Bob Dillow (Hon). 750 S/BK: 1. Todd Costley (Yam): 2. James Massey (Suz); 3. RllY Thornton (Hon); 4. Tony Luketich (Due): 5. Bob Dillow (Yam). OPEN S/BK: 1. Roger Heemsbergen (Y8m); 2. Todd Costley (Yam); 3. Sllmmy Rich8rds (Y8m); 4. Tony Silvera (K8w); 5. Rob Sneddon (Y8m). 5/W THNDR: 1. Peter Bonner (Due); 2. Greg T81bot (Yam); 3. Kurt Hoel (Hon); 4. Will Johnston (Hon). F-t: 1. Roger Heemsbergen (Y8m); 2. Todd Costley (Yam); 3. Sammy Richards (Y8m); 4. Andrew Trace (Suz); 5. J8mes Massey (Suz). F-2: t. James McKey (Y8m): 2. Greg Talbot (Yam): 3. Kurt Hoel (Hon): 4. Dave Ramsey (Yam): 5. Rob Filar (Apr). F·40: 1. James Hostetler (Yam); 2. Tony Luketich (Due); 3. Bob Dillow (Hon); 4. Peter Bonner (Due): 5. Fred Swenson (Yam). ENDUR: 1. Tony Silvera (Kaw); 2. Bob Dillow (Hon); 3. Jason Burcynski (Suz); 4. Peter Bonner (Due); 5. Fred SwensonlTroy Gammill ,(Yam). The last event of the day was the half-hour Endurance race. Tony Silvera made his trip from California worthwhile by taking home a trophy after dominating this race. Silvera rode flawlessly on his Grand Prix Kawasaki. Dillow and Burcynski went at it for the entire 30 minutes. Burcynski thought for sure that Dillow would get tired, but "Ironman" Dillow never opened the door. Dillow finished second, with Burcynski in third on Barbara Fox's Suzuki GSX-R. Anay. Sec:a Racoway Deming, New Mexico Results: September 9, 2001 lRaund 4 .f 51 600 BEG: 1. James Hostetler (Y8m); 2. Bob Dillow (Hon); 3. Jason Burcynski (Suz); 4. Fred Fall Warm-Up Series Round 4: Thundercross Molorsports Park Sprague Pegs It The Youth (16-24) class began with a charge from Riley Hall, who took the holeshot - but not for long, as Elliott Cook took first over the infield table, with William Hill and Mike Wolford in tow. Hall, unable to keep his bike vertical, went down on the second lap, giving second to Hill, with Wolford close behind. Samuel Fiorina charged in to take third from Wolford, and then tried numerous times to pass Hill - but it was to no avail, as Fiorina had to pull off the track with bike issues. By that time, most racers had gone through their tear-offs and had taken their goggles off, including Cook, who was able to stay up and hold on to first over the finish. In the second moto, the holeshot went to Wolford, with Hall close behind. With the motos cut down to two laps at this point due to the rain, staying upright was the key. Hall was able to pass Wolford and then hold first to the checkers. Hildebrand came in second, which helped to give him the overall win with a 4-2 tally. Suzuki jockey Blake Koch showed everyone how to get the holeshot in By DIANA TAGGART OKEECHOBEE, FL, SEPT. 10 he final round of the inaugural Fall Warm-Up Series started out wet and ended up very close to a mud bog, as it had rained heavily the day prior to the event and again after intermission. During the first motos, riders were dealing with the mud left from the previous day's rain, while the second motos were held on a flooded track. The second set of motos were cut down to two or three laps, depending on the size of the bike. Often, the outcome of the second moto depended simply on who could stay upright. During one 65cc moto, one of the rider's parents yelled out from ·the stands, "He's down, he's swimming, he can't find his bike!" The track had dried out fairly well after practice for the first moto of the Pee Wee Stock (4-6) and (7-9) classes. Justin Morgan took the holeshot, with Anthony Vitella close behind. Morgan began to pull the rest of the pack, looking like he in control of the lead. Spencer Sprague passed Vitella and set his sights on Morgan. By the fourth lap, Sprague had succeeded in his quest for first in the 7- to 9-yearold division; at the same time, Vitella retained the lead in the 4- to 6-yearold class for the win. The second moto began with Vitella grabbing the holeshot, with Hunter Baker and Tommy O'Neill close on his tail. O'Neill passed Baker over the infield tabletop. Vitella went down in a mud puddle and O'Neill took the lead over the whoops, keeping it to the finish. Sprague once again easily held the lead for the 51cc (7-9) class with a 1-1 for the overall, and Baker retained the overall with a 2-2 tally in the 51 cc (4-6) division. T cue I _ Thundercross Motorsports Park: Spencer Sprague kept it upright in the mud to take the overall 51cc (7-9) victory with a 1-1 tally at the final round of the Fall Warm-Up Series in Okeechobee, Florida. n _ _. • OCTOBER 24, 200t 75

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