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CMC Golden State Nationals, South Round 1: Glen Helen Raceway Park (Left) Jesse Casillas topped the 125cc and 250cc Pro classes at the CMC Golden State Nationals South opener. (Right) Mike Alessi scored a rare triple victory, winning the aocc (12-13), aocc Open and Supennini classes in San Bernardino, California. (Below) Casillas (75) leads the 125cc Pros off the Glen Helen Raceway Park start, followed by Evan Laughridge (109), Joshua Hansen (2041, Dustin Nelson (63) and the rest of the pack. STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOHN BETHEA SAN BERNARDINO, CA, JAN. 6 esse Casillas and Mike Alessi dominated in truly awesome style at the CMC South's opening event in the 26th annual FMF Golden State Nationals, against more than 600 riders who converged on Glen Helen Raceway Park for a one-day, twotrack program. Riding the NCY/Troy Lee Designs Yamaha, Casillas sped to victories in the 125cc and 250cc Pro contests, easily making him the top cash winner of the day, while Alessi scored with a rare triple-victory performance. In both 125cc Pro rounds, the TLDsponsored Casillas emerged the winner. The race for second was between Yamaha rider Sean Hamblin and Suzuki jockey Evan Laughridge. Hamblin scored heavily in the first round, hanging close to Casillas most of the way, but Laughridge, riding for American Suzuki and FMF, used a runner-up finish in the tie-breaking second moto to secure the number-two spot in the pay line - the same spot he held behind Casillas in the 250cc event. In that class, Casillas saw his Glen Helen moto-win streak end at seven when he crashed by himself just in front of the announcer's tower late in the second moto, dumping himself to third. Prior to that, he had won three motos on this day and four the previous weekend at the Pro-Am championships here. American Honda's Spud Walters (who won the Over 25 Pro contest on this day) won the second moto, but his overall hopes had been dashed in the initial event when he, too, crashed, and finished only 13th. By sheer weight of trophies won, the Alessi brothers stole the Sportsman n o 38 JANUARY 23, 2002' eye I part of the show. Mike's most impressive ace came in the 80cc Supermini contest when he won his qualifier and then led from start to finish in the contingency main. In the field of 32, Jarred "Jet" Browne rode his SpyfWest Coast KX to an early second, but he was dumped back to third when Joshua Grant took over on lap three and held second to the end. Earlier in the aftemoon, Grant had scored a victory in the 80cc (14-16) class aboard the same Honda of Houston CR. Mike's second overall win came against the 80cc Open field of 29 foes, when he won both rounds. In each, Team Suzuki/Chaparral/Varner rider Chris Nihan held the runner-up spot while fending off the challenges of Mike's younger brother Jeff, back in third. It was the second time that Nihan had to settle for second, as he had previously watched Grant win the 80cc (14-16) contest. The Alessi brothers then swept the top two spots in the 80cc (12-13) events. Mike and Jeff placed first and second in each moto against the three dozen entries. In each, Michael La Paglia rode the Pro Circuit/U.S. Suzuki to third, with Kawasaki jockey Browne fourth. The sixth Alessi trophy went to Jeff, as he collected third place in the 125cc Junior contingency main, a race easily bested by Yamaha rider A.J. Steinbach. Yamaha-mounted Ricky Parks took over second in this main when Josh La Fountaine dumped his Suzuki on the third lap while running second, leaving him out of the hunt. Honda of Houston's Sean Collier was another two-class winner, taking the 250cc Intermediate victory in both motos in the field of 38 - the n e _ s e exact number of gates on the Glen Helen start line (hence, no split divisions). In both, Thousand Oaks Kawasaki rider Richie Owens crossed the line second, ahead of Pro Circuit/Suzuki's Dylan Lord. Collier's other victory sparked some bitter feeling, which was aired over the public-address system after the second Schoolboy moto. Collier had taken second in the first moto, with Thor/909 Yamaha rider Jimmy Nelson the winner. Their fight was picked up again in the second race, resulting in an on-track squabble that began with them just yelling at each other but escalated to take-out attempts by each of them. Nelson's failed one was answered seconds later when Collier's succeeded, sending Nelson down. Collier won, Nelson recovered to record a third-place finish (which was still enough for second overall), but the two took jabs at each other over the loudspea kers when interviewed from trackside. The fact that they vented their anger over the PA might have prevented the ire from spilling over into the pits. Collier, by the way, lost a bid at a triple when he could only claim fourth place in the 125cc Intermediate contingency main - an event won by Lord over Suzuki jockey Derek Costella, but only after a race-long fight that went in Lord's favor on the last lap. Collier, who had won his qualifier, started in third place, but a mishap on the second lap dropped him to eighth. He could only climb to fourth, behind Kawasaki jockey Teddy Maier, by the time the checkered flag appeared. eN Glen Helen Raceway Park San Bernardino, California Results: January 6, 2002 [Round 1) P/W BEG: 1. Skyler Hawkins (KTM); 2. Matthew Evans (KTM); 3. Zach Warnock (KTM). P/W (4-6): 1. Matthew BlscegHa (Cob); 2. Tommy Krause (Pol); 3. Luke PastelI (Cob). P/W (7-8): 1. Cody Thomas (Cob); 2. Carlos Don (Cob); 3. Max Anstle (Cob). 60 BEG: 1. Brennan Towle (Kaw); 2. Dakota Tedder (KlIw); 3. Christopher GZlumer (Kaw). 60 (0-8): 1. Max Anstle (KTM); 2. Ty Keenom (Kaw); 3. Jordan Bocker (Kaw). 60 (9-11): L Trent Pugmire (Kaw); 2. Colton Baily (Kaw); 3. Jake Canada (Kaw). 80 BEG CONT M.AIN: 1. Taylor Kellstrom (Yam); 2. 2ack Doty (Hon); 3. Todd Sewell (Kaw). 80 BEG TROPHY MAIN: 1. Justin Pischke (Yam); 2. Chasen Tedder (Kaw); 3. Christopher Ruiz (Yam). 80 (7-11) CONT MAIN; 1. Trent Pugmire (Kaw); 2. Cole Seely (Suz); 3. Chad Gores (Suz). 80 (7ยท1l) TROPHY MAIN: 1. C.J. Jenson (Yam); 2. Myles Tedder (Yam); 3. Dylan Crower (Yam). 80 (12-13): 1. Mike Alessi (Hon); 2. Jeff Alessi (Hon); 3. Michael La Paglia (Suz). 80 (14-16): 1. Joshua Grant (Hon); 2. Chris Nihan (Suz); 3. Andrew Petrie (Kaw). 80 OPEN: 1. Mike Alessi (Hon); 2. Chris Nihan (Suz); 3. Jeff Alessi (Hon). 80S/MINI: 1. Mike Alessi (Hon); 2. Joshua Grant (Hon); 3. Jarred Browne (Kaw). 125 SCHBY: 1. Sean Collier (Hon); 2. Jimmy Nelson (Yam); 3. Darryl Eckland (Hon). 125 BEG CONT MAIN: 1. Brett DIManno (Yam); 2. Brian Davis (Yam); 3. Joey Bray (KTM). 125 BEG TROPHY MAIN: I. Chad DeCarlo (Suz); 2. Joey Messana (Yam); 3. Shane Wilson (Yam). l25 JR CONT MAIN; 1. A.J. Steinbach (Yam); 2. Ricky Parks (Yam); 3. Jeff Alessi (Hon). 125 JR TROPHY MAIN: 1. Brett Klien (Hon); 2. Michael Parker (Hon); 3. Blake Runestad (Yam). 125 INT CONT MAIN: 1. Dylan Lord (Suz); 2. Steven Haughelstine (Yam); 3. Teddy Maier (Kaw). 1251NTTROPHY MAIN; 1. Josh Stice (Hon); 2. Patrick Terry (Yam). 125 PRO: 1. Jesse Casillas (Yam); 2. Evan Laughridge (Suz); 3. Sean Hamblin (Yam). 250 JR: 1. Jeff Ashmore (Yam); 2. Matt Hall (Hon); 3. Matthew Williams (Yam). 250 INT: 1. Sean Collier (Han); 2. Richie Owens (Kaw); 3. Dylan Lord (Suz). 250 PRO: 1. Jesse Casillas (Yam); 2. Evan Laughridge (Suz); 3. Dustin Nelson (Yam). 250 BEG: 1. Jason Tarrant (Yam): 2. Ryan Babcock (Yam); 3. Mike Modray. 500 A.M: 1. Scott Roegner (Yam); 2. Jason Dolla5 (Yam); 3. Jon Hall (Hon). WMN: 1. Bonnie Warch (Hon); 2. Tanya Elbers (Suz); 3. Elizabeth Bash (Yam). 25+ AM: 1. Mark Howell (Yam); 2. Ryan Doty (Yam); 3. Todd Snider (Yam). 25+ PRO: 1. Spud Walters (Hon); 2. Frankie McCono (Yam); 3. Travis Marks (Yam). 25+ MSTR: I. Todd Mitchell (Suz); 2. Joey Rodriguez (Suz); 3. Don Bisceglia (Suz). VET BEG: 1. Vince Kitchen (Yam); 2. Jeff Montgomery (Hon); 3. Mike McKray (Kaw). VET JR: I. Manuel Del Campo (Suz); 2. Kirk Lewis (Yam); 3. Eric Brust (Yam). VET INT: I. Scott McCollough (Hon); 2. Steve Nelson (Suz); 3. Mark Howell (Yam). VET PRO: I. Mark Moscrop (Han); 2. Mat Bateman (Yam): 3. Shawn Hybarger (Yam). VET MSTR: 1. Todd Mitchell (Suz); 2. Jon Zahrt (Suz); 3. Don Bisceglia (Suz). orr AM: 1. Tony Schuler (Yam); 2. Kirk Lewis (Yam); 3. Bernard Unhassobiscay (Yam). OIT MSTR: 1. Mark Moscrop (Hon); 2. Clayton Blood (Han); 3. Steve Piattoni (Han).