Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

EA SportsiAMA Western Regional 125cc Supercross Series The Shark Plano Honda team finally had some good luck, with Travis Elliott making the podium in third. Travis Preston pulled off a big win In the 125cc main and Is now the new series leader with one round to go. By KIT PALMER PHOTOS BY STEVE BRUHN IRVING, TX, APR. 20 c::;:;;)t]ow quickly things can change. -Vi.f7ln just one bizarre race, Travis Preston went from a 10-point deficit to a 10-point lead in the Western Regional 125cc Supercross Series points standings, and he could not have done it at a better time - with just one more round left to go. In Dallas, young phenom James Stewart Jr. came into Texas Stadium with a fairly safe points lead over Preston, and after winning his earlier heat race - some 11 seconds faster than Matt Walker's winning time in the previous heat - Stewart looked to be in good shape to extend his series lead going into the final round next week in Salt Lake City. But the 125cc main event proved to be disastrous for Stewart. It kicked off with a bad start, which was followed by a crash during the first lap, and he ended up completing the first lap in dead last. Still, this isn't usually such a big deal for Stewart, as he has proven several times that he's capable of coming up through the pack to win, or at least make the podium. And things looked to be no different this time, as Stewart indeed mounted his customary charge to the front. By the 13th lap, the Chevy Trucks Kawasaki rider had worked his way up to fifth and was challenging for fourth when his nightmare began. In one lap, Stewart crashed three times - in three successive turns - and saw his title hopes all but vanish. He ended up a disastrous 16th, and to make matters worse for him, Preston won. So, instead of going into the final round with a comfortable lead, Stewart is now the chaser with some serious catching up to do. For Preston, the night was perfect, and it was by no means an accident that he won. On the Amsoil/Dr. Martens/Journeys/Factory Connection Honda CR125, Preston was very fast and would have likely still won had Stewart not melted down on that one lap. After all, he had led all but the first two laps and was well ahead of Stewart when the Kawasaki rider exploded. Finishing a strong second, even after falling a couple of times, was Preston's teammate Chris Gosselaar, who had an outstanding ride at Dallas. Shark/Plano Honda's Travis Elliott, who led at one point, made it a Honda sweep by finishing a well-deserved third. Rounding out the top five were Pro Circuit/Kawasaki/Chevy Trucks riders Matt Walker and Eric Sorby. MAIN Justin Buckelew pulled the holeshot on his MotoworldRacing.com Suzuki RM 125, but Yamaha rider Chase Reed, from Lone Grove, Oklahoma, qUickly took over the lead. After that lap, it was Reed leading the way, followed by Buckelew (who would steadily slip back and finish 12th), Elliott, Gosselaar and Preston. Stewart gated poorly and then crashed over a triple jump on the first lap and completed that lap in last place. But that would not last for long, nor would Reed's lead. On the second lap, Reed went down, got up in third and eventually pulled off the track, clutching his arm. When Reed crashed, Elliott inherited the lead, but that wouldn't last long, either. That's because Preston had blitzed through the pack, and he eventually caught and passed Elliott on the third lap. At the same time, Gosselaar was regrouping in eighth after crashing over a difficult triple jump. Boost Mobile/Yamaha/Troy Racing's Ivan Tedesco was on the gas as well, after starting off in eighth. Tedesco soon had control of third, making the top running-order at the halfway point: Preston, Elliott, Tedesco and Gosselaar, who had caught back up. By this point, things had settled down a bit up front, and everyone's attention had turned to Stewart, who was now running in ninth, soon to be eighth, seventh, sixth... On the 11th lap, Stewart put his Kawasaki into fifth and started challenging Tedesco, who had just gotten passed by Gosselaar, for fourth. On the 13th lap, Stewart attempted a questionable block-pass on Tedesco and the two riders came together, with both going Chris Gosselaa. was super-tast at Dallas, but a couple of mistakes cost him. He still finished second. down. Out of frustration, Tedesco slapped the back of Stewart's helmet as they rushed to remount. Stewart had just gotten back on his bike and was still gathering his thoughts in the next turn when he fell down for a second time (third all-together). Stewart got back up and, in the very next turn, ran his front wheel high and over the berm and fell down again, this one costing him many positions as he got trapped under his bike. Stewart ended up finishing 16th. Meanwhile, Preston managed to stay ahead of a closing Gosselaar, arguably the fastest rider on the track, to take his second win of the year by 3.460 seconds over his friend Gosselaar. "It was good," Preston said of his race. "I got a decent start, rode aggressive at the beginning, and it worked out good. I just rode a smart race. "At first, I didn't know what was going on [behind me]," Preston said. "I was just charging, and then, out of the comer of my eye, I saw a Kawi down I kind of thought it was Stewart. Then, toward the end, I saw him in the corner before the finish, and he was stuck under his bike. I was lapping him, so 1 knew he had a bad race. That sucks, and I really feel bad for him." Stewart was unavailable for comment after the race, but according to Stewart's mechanic, Jeremy Albrecht, a damaged rear disc brake from the get-together with Tedesco might have contributed to Stewart's next two crashes. "He [Stewart] said that he went into the next turn, and when he went to use the back brake, there was nothing there," Albrecht said. "Down the next straight, he pumped up the brake and thought he got it back, but when he went into the next turn, it [the rear brake] wasn't there again. He said he was so tired at that point that he had a difficult time getting the bike off of him. We think that the caliper got twisted or something, cue I ... which caused it to not work there for a little while. Otherwise, there was no damage to the brake, no bent disc, but there were gouges in the disc." Taking the checkered flag in third for his first podium of the year was Shark/Plano Honda's Elliott. "The whole team has had a bunch of bad luck this year, and it is good to go and do this for the team's home and get a podium, finally," Elliott said. "I got a good start tonight, finally; I have been struggling with starts. I rode a good race, but I was a little tight, a little nervous on my first time up there. It was a breakthrough for me, a good stepping stone. I will try and work on a win now." Walker worked his way up from 11 th to finish fourth, followed by Sorby and Tedesco. Seventh place went to Arenacross Champion Josh Demuth. CN Texss SllIdium Irving, TelUlS Results: April 20, 2002 [Ruund 7 of 81 125 HEAT 1 (6 laps. 1-6 transfer): 1. Matt WlIIlker (KllW); 2. Justin Buckelew (Suz); 3. Travis Preston (Hon); 4. Ivan Tedesco (Vern); 5. Josh Woods (SUZ~; 6. Johnny Merley (Hon); 7. Crllig Decker (Vam ; 8. Keith R. Johnson (Vem); 9. Adllm Mennenga ( on); 10. Jonethen Shimp (Yam~, 11. Danny Smith (SUI); 12. Iseieh Johnson (SUI; 13. DlIvid Pingree (KIM~' 14. Brandon Morgen t}- onl; 15. Colt Humphrey SUI); 16. Troy Adllms (Vem ; 17. Shllne Bess (Suz; 18'. Danny Cllrlson (Suz); 1 . Daniel Blelr (Vem); 2 . Steve Mertens (Hus). Time of Race: 5:22.030 125 HEAT 2 (6 laps, 1-6 transfer): 1. Jemes Stewllrt Jr. tKaw); 2. Andrew Short (SUI); 3. Chris Gosselaar (Hon); 4. RY~1n Clark (Vem); 5. Kevin Johnson (Yam); 6. THlvis Elliott (Hon); 7. Joseph Oehlhof (Yem/; 8. Tyson Hedsell (Yem); 9. Chllse Reed (Y8rn); O. Brock Sellerds (KTM); 11. Erick V8IJejo (Suz); 12. Turbo Reif (Suz); 13. R:ene Tercero Reyes (Yllm); 14. Tim Weigand tHan); 15. Josh Demuth (Yam); 16. Eric Sorby (K:ew); 17. Cesey Lytle (Yom): 18. Michoel Koch (Yom); 19. Whispem Smith (Yom); 20. Chod Cook (Yom). TIme ol Race: 1. 5:31. 140 125 lCQ (4 laps, 1-4 lronsfer): 1. Josh Demuth (Yom); 2. Dovld Pln9ree (KTM); 3. Eric Solby' (!

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