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Moto XXX's Nick Wey was extremely impressive in both the 250Cc main and the Shootout • he won the 250Cc main and rode a borrowed machine to fourth In the Shootout. The Team Pro Circuit/Chevy Trucks/Kawasaki duo of Walker and Bonds rounded out the top five. "I got up on Grant and stuck to him basically for the whole race: Smith said. "I'd make a mistake here and there, but then I'd close the gap back up, so I knew I was a little faster. .. "This is the reason I wanted to do this race, to kind of get warmed up and get the cobwebs out," Langston said. "I kind of struggled a little bit because I got arm pump so bad, but if I get arm pump, I don't get it the a row. Jeremy Israel started up front and was chasing O'Connor, but a fall on lap two ended his day. Nick Wey, who started around sixth on his Moto XXX Yamaha, moved around Ted Campbell on lap four for second and quickly picked up time on O'Connor out front, who was then into his 24th consecutive lap around the circuit. Wey caught O'Connor on the next lap and pressured him into the sixth for the lead, when Wey went under O'Connor in a turn and they tangled, with both almost going down. They "It was pretty hard," O'Connor understated. "I was hoping that they'd have done a little intermission to give me a little bit of a break, but it's all good training in the long run. I just wish I could've been in a little bit better shape to try and hold 'em off [in the 250cc race]." By lap 12, Wey had 20 seconds on Roy, who had moved around Campbell for second, and that's how they would finish, although Roy did begin putting a small dent in Wey's lead in the later laps. Povolny finished fourth, while O'Connor held on for fifth - and a deserved rest after 40 laps. "My bike was running really well I'm pumped: Wey said. "My bike was working excellent, but with a couple laps to go, my transmission broke, along with [getting] a flat tire. I wasn't sure if the flat tire was hitting the chain, and it made it feel like the transmission had some slop in it, but we changed the tire." both stayed up, though, and Wey completed the pass and flat left - but the collision obviously took what little wind was left out of O'Connor's sails, and he soon began dropping back. Campbell, James Povolny Jr. and CRF450R-mounted Jean-Sebastien Royall got around O'Connor by lap eight, although O'Connor held on to fifth until the finish. next race." 250cc MAIN After grabbing the holeshot in the 125cc main and racing a hard 20 laps for ninth, O'Connor used his three- or four-minute break between main events wisely and came off the start with yet another clear holeshot. "That's my claim to fame, I guess," O'Connor said. "That's like what I'm good at, I guess. Nobody understands that when the ground's wet, you can't jump out of the gate you just have to come out slow, and when you hit the dirt just go. That's all, basically, I did." All he did was outstart a whole lot of top local and national Pros twice in 125/250cc SHOOTOUT The first surprise of the Shootout was during the parade lap, when Wey was riding O'Connor's number-212 YZ250. Smith was fast all day on his VZ250F, almost winning the 125cc main and finishing second yet again In the Shootout. cue I e n e _ S • JANUARY 16, 2002 23