Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

25+: I. Brandon Milstead (Suz); 2. Philip Tinstman (SUI); 3. Joey Rodriguez (SUI); 4. Gary Trachy (Han); 5. James McKay (Kaw). VET 30+: 1. Billy Frank; 2. Terry Fowler (Yam); 3. Joey Rodriguez (Suz); 4. Gary Trachy (Han); 5. Phil Dowell (Han). VET 35+: 1. Phil Dowell (Han); 2. Bernard Unhassobiscay (Yl:Im); 3. Roger Saenz (Yam); 4. Mark Moserap (Han); 5. Kirk Lewis (Yam). SR 40+: 1. Clayton Blood (Hon); 2. Bernard Unhassobiscay (Yam); 3. Kirk Lewis (Yam); 4. Ralph Collins (Kaw); 5. Mark Hesse (Yam). MSTR 45+: 1. Chip Howell (KTM); 2. Jef Harriott (Kaw). Speed Stick National Amateur Arenacross KX 65cc Invitational Final Rounds: Tacoma Dome Steinke Storms Back at Tacoma By CLAY LIGHT TACOMA, WA, MAR. 22-24 regon's Gared Steinke rebounded from a poor showing on Friday night to top the podium at the final round of the Speed Stick National Arenacross KX 65cc Invitational Series, held at the Tacoma Dome. Home-state rider Andy Richards hammered the competition on Friday night, while on Saturday, in front of a crowd of 8500, Steinke stormed back to demolish the competition, much as he had earlier at the Oakland, California, and Portland, Oregon, rounds. Richards and Steinke battled throughout the first of two KX 65cc quaiifiers on Friday, with the win going to Richards, who was the only rider to navigate the bike-engulfing whoops without difficulty. Californian Brian Foster rode a race similar to that of Richards to win the second qualifier, which took the top five directly to the final. Four riders netted transfers from the last-chance qualifier to the elite 14-rider final, although, judging from the start, it was unclear if four riders would finish. Eighteen riders funneled into turn one, but by the time the pack hit the whoop sectiDn, only two of those riders were still on two wheels, while the rest of the pack was logjammed in the heavily rutted whoops. Alaska's Cam Crawford, who made the trek from North Pole, Alaska, was one of the two to break free from the chaos, and he scored a convincing win to join the finalists. The three riders behind him also qualified. Foster darted out of the gate to lead the final, followed by Richards and Steinke, and from the get-go, the race was shaping up into a three-way battle between the three fastest qualifiers. However, Steinke, who has been so successful in previous rounds, failed to correctly navigate the whoops, and Indiana's Dian Klinger, one of only several riders to contest the entire series, filled the spot vacated by Steinke. California's Foster also had his share of problems, and Klinger moved into second, although catching Richards was out of the question, as he had built up too great a lead. Richards finished second, followed by Tyler Holweger, another of the multitude of Evergreen State riders on hand. Michael Foster finished fourth, while Steinke's forward surge, after O 70 APRIL 17,2002 • cue. e losing nearly half a lap, earned the Salem, Oregon, resident fifth at the finish. Foster, Richards and Klinger ran in the top three positions in the first of two KX 65cc Invitational qualifiers on Saturday, and the three held a lock on those positions to the finish for direct transfers, as did the fourth- and fifth-place finishers, Kyle Garman and Holweger. Steinke grabbed the lead in heat two, but the KX rider triggered a massive pileup when he stalled while leading. Idaho's Houston Keane got through the bottleneck to take a lead he wouldn't relinquish, while Steinke stormed through the field of riders to finish an amazing second at the finish. Kansan Brian Dooley won the LCQ to join the lineup for the final. Steinke grabbed the lead at the start of the KX 65cc main event and held the point from start to finish. Foster was right on Steinke's rear wheel until Steinke broke free in the later stages and padded his lead to as much as a three-second advantage on the Californian. Richards, the previous night's winner, ran a solid third to again land a podium position, ahead of Crawford, Dooley, Michael Foster, Washington's Rook Jewel, and Klinger, who had one of her poorer showings of the series, with an eighth-place finish. On Sunday, riders from 16 states as far away as Illinois and Texas were on hand for the conclusion of the series. There were many impressive performers on the day, but it was Californian Justin Posey who achieved the pinnacle of success with a pair of wins on the day. The Yamaha rider from Martinez, California, walked away with wins in the 85cc (12-15) and Supermini classes. Posey had tough competition from Washington's Tyler Egbert in both classes; Egbert finished second in both. Colorado's Travis Hodges, a member of the potent Shogun Motorsports Yamaha team, was also a two-class winner on the day. Hodges, who finished out the Speed Stick National Arenacross the night before (where he finished 14th overall in the final points standings), captured wins in the Over 25 and Over 30 classes aboard his Yamaha. In the Over 25 class, Hodges faced initial challenges from Washington A-class rider Doni Wanat, but Hodges broke free to win n e _ s Tacoma Dome: Gared Steinke (center) was the KX 65cc Invitational winner on Saturday in Tacoma, Washington. He was joined on the podium by runner-up Brian Foster (right) and third-placed Andy Richards (left). convincingly. In the Over 30 final, it was much the same: Hodges hammered the competition to lead Californian Steve Thinger to the finish. Tyson Blood and Keith Ford spent much of two main events in close quarters, with Blood topping the 250cc Intermediate class. Blood also finished ahead of Ford in the 125cc Intermediate class, but James Hamilton fended them both off for the win. eN Tacoma Dome Tacoma, Washington Results: March 22-24, 2002 (Final Rounds) Friday KX65 INVT'L: 1. Andy Richards; 2. Ohm Klinger; 3. Tyler Holweger; 4. Michael Foster; 5. Gared Steinke; 6. Dylan Summerlin; 7. Joshua Smith; 8. Brian Foster; 9. Cam Crawford; 10. Shawn Fisher. Saturday KX 65 INVT'L: 1. Gared Steinke; 2. Brian Foster; 3. Andy Richards; 4. Cam Crawford; 5. Brandon Dooley; 6. Michael Foster; 7. Rook Jewel; 8. Dian Klinger; 9. Kyle Garman; 10. Tyler Holweger. Sunday 50 (4-6): 1. Jason Doane (Cob); 2. Darion Poisson (KTM); 3. Hunter Crosby (Cob). SO (7-8): 1. Brad Frace (Cob); 2. Hayden Cordell (Cob); 3. Cody Politte (KTM). 65 (7·11): 1. Brian Foster (Kaw); 2. Gared Steinke (Kaw); 3. Brendan Dooley (Kaw). 85 (7·11): 1. Jake Anstett (Yam); 2. Brandon Dooley (Suz); 3. Nick Vansickel (SUI). 8S (12-IS): 1. Justin Posey (Yam); 2. Tyler Egbert (Yam); 3. Nick Bergley (Hon). S/MINI: 1. Justin Posey (Yam); 2. Tyler Egbert (Yam); 3. Christopher Simoni (Yam). 125 BEG: 1. David ZiefJler (Hon); 2. Tim Winter (Hon); 3. Brent Casteal (Suz). 125 NOV: 1. Dan Liedtke (Hon); 2. Michael Simpson (Kaw); 3. Randy Dobbins (Yam). 125 INT: 1. James Hamilton (Hon); 2. Tyson Blood (Hon); 3. Keith Ford (Kaw). 125 SCHBY: 1. Miles Warren (Hon); 2. Alex Wirkus (Suz); 3. Ricky Dietrich (Suz). 2S0 BEG: 1. Kory Reidhead (Hon); 2. Andy Gustefson (Suz); 3. Andy Clark (Kaw). 250 NOV: 1. Miles Warren (Han); 2. Joe Emsminger (Suz); 3. Ed Wagner (Han). 250 INT: 1. Tyson Blood (Han); 2. Keith Ford (Kaw); 3. Justin Brooks (Han). CLGBY: 1. Mike Mason (Han); 2. Brandon Bartz (Kaw); 3. James Hamilton (Han). 25+: 1. Travis Hodges (Yam); 2. Doni Wanat (Yam): 3. Randy Dobbins (Yam). 30.: 1. Travis Hodges (Yam); 2. Steve Thinger (Han); 3. David Thompson (Yam). Georgia-Alabama Championship Series Round 1: Diamond Back MX Park Garrett Loud and Clear By PAC LEWIS RESACA,GA,MAR.24 he Georgia-Alabama Championship Series kicked off at Diamond Back MX Park, and there were a lot of riders trying to make a statement in the opening round, but no one made a bolder statement than Suzuki-Yamaha of Dalton's Mike Garrett. Entering three classes - Over 25, Over 30 and Over 35 - Garrett went undefeated on the day, winning all six motos he entered. The runner-up in all three classes was Tommy Martin, who was in contention for the win and passed Garrett many times in the six motos they raced but who just wasn't in the lead at the checkers. In Over 25 racing, Chad Anderson put his T Kirk's Cycles Husqvarna in third, behind Garrett and Martin, and Shane Fenwick picked up fourth. In Over 30 competition, Chris Thomas took third with a strong performance, and Craig Greer and Bryan Wormley rounded out the top five. In Over 35 action, William Phee took third away from Bryan Wormley, with Craig Greer taking fifth. The Pro class was very competitive, but the B-class riders stole the show. Michael Graham and Josh Thompson traded wins in the 125cc AlB motos, with Graham taking the overall by winning the second moto, but both were hard-pressed to hold off the charge of the B-class riders D.C. Thomason and Dash Lyle. Thomason won the 125cc B class

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