Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128153
31 st Annual NMA World Mini Grand Prix, Presented by Hansen's Energy Drinka Las Vegas World Speed a (Left) Josh Hansen had a banner week at the Wortd Minis, winning the Stock and Modified 125cc Pro events, as well as finishing a respectable second to Ryan Mills In the 2!iOCc Stock Pro race. (Above) Rich Owens (18) and Mills (267) mix It up in the 2!iOCc Pro class. up at the track right when my moto was in pre-staging," Marshall said. "I didn't have time to think about anything, so I think I was more relaxed. I got a decent start, and Bryan [Johnson] got around me, so I just stayed smooth. I let Bryan and Josh duke it out, and then when Bryan went down I swung into second." "Once again, I had a terrible start," Mills said. "This moto was for the championship, too. I knew Hansen had the holeshot, but I couldn't get around Neels for third. He was all over the racetrack trying to take me out everywhere, so I just laid back and settled for third that time." Team Green/Thousand Oaks/Troy Lee/ Alpinestars-sponsored Richie Owens, of California, took his firstever championship in the 250cc Modified Pro class. "My first moto, I rode real good, but a little tight and got third," Owens said. "My second moto was the best one of the week. I knew I had to step it up and race more focused and harder. I put it together, and I did it! Sean Hamblin passed me down the straightaway, but I knew he 30 MAY 8. 2002' D yD' e wasn't in contention because he crashed in the first moto. So I followed him and relaxed and didn't worry about who was behind me. Ryan Mills came charging up, and I knew he was two points back, so when Sean went down, it all worked out. I tried real hard to get a championship when I was [an] Intermediate, and I didn't think I'd get one in the Pros for a while, so I'm just stoked!" Rookie Pro rider Mills won the 250cc Stock Pro contest in spite of less-than-stellar starts all week. "I knew I didn't get a good jump off the line in the first moto and I'd have to work hard the first lap, so I charged as hard as I could and ended up passing Gavin Gracyk on the last lap for the win," Mills said. "Back home in New York, all we ride is supercross in the sand, so I was good through the whoops. I got another bad sta rt in moto two, and I knew Josh [Hansen] was going for the championship because he finished second in the first moto, and he wanted it bad, like I did. He got a better start, but I was up on him on lap three, and it took me n e _ .. about three laps to get around him. I went to the outside around him over one of the jumps and looked back to show him I was there and I was a lot faster than he was on the race track." "I was second off the start," Hansen said. "Marshall got around me in the whoops, and when I got out of shape I almost crashed. You might Mike Alessi was strong In the Stock Modified 8IScc (12ยท13) ranks, )lVlrinin both cIIIss champlollShipa. He fInIahed _ d and third, reapectlveJY~1nthe Open and SUpennlnl classes.