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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128153
Raceway Parte Rookie Pro rider Charlie Ellis gets sideways en route to an eventual third overall in the 125cc AlPro class at the season opener in Englishtown, New Jersey. Raceway Park Season Opener Raceway Park Dengler Opens It Up off. I've got CDT Racing, Cooper's Powersports, Trapani's, Kessler Pro Suspension, and Bel-Ray backing me this year." Moto two looked like a carbon copy of moto one, with Ellis and Rostien again blasting up the "Plunge" in first and second. Jim Cook, Truex and Zupko rounded the top five. Rostien made the pass within a lap and set sail. Two laps into the race, Dengler sped into third, ahead of Zupko. A lap later, Dengler dispatched Ellis and set after the fleet Rostien. Dengler charged every inch of track and within two laps he caught him. Dengler made his last pass stick, taking the moto win and the overall for the day. Rostien, Ellis and Zupko followed him in the race and the overall standings. Chris Hunter followed them home in fifth and took fifth overall as well. "They definitely had a good pace I just kept pushing, and the only way to prevail is give it a hundred percent," said Dengler, who was then asked if he might contest any Nationals this year. "I just had a baby boy, Hunter Joseph, and he keeps me busy a lot, so I think I am going to stay local and win as much as I can and maybe go national next year." Keeping their little rivalry going in the Over 40 A/Pro class, Jerry Seip nailed the holeshot, with his nemesis, Mickey Kessler, a hair behind on a booming Honda CRf450. Gary Turner, Rich Rossiter and Ed Szulecki (a Raceway Park pioneer from the '70s) tucked in behind the two legends. Seip and Kessler immediately BY MICHAEL JAMES EN(ilJ5HTOVVN,NJ,~. 17 he days preceding Raceway Park's opening-day race had temperatures in the mid-50s. When Sunday rolled around, the skies grew dark and threatening. This didn't stop more than 400 moto-starved racers from showing up to do battle on the Richie Zupko/Rich Schmidt-designed track. Joel Dengler dominated the 125cc A/Pro class, and Brian Carroll did the same in Over 25 A competition. Mickey Kessler won both Over 40A motos over Jerry Seip and Gary Tumer to take the overall win. first-year Pro Charlie E1Us nailed the first 125cc A/Pro start, followed by Dennis Agar, Lee Rostien, Jay Truex and Richie Zupko. Half a lap into it, Rostlen made his move and got up into second, behind Ellis. Meanwhile, Dengler was on a tear toward the front, and he got up into third by lap two. Truex had his hands full with Zupko, and Dengler made the pass on both of them and slid into third. On lap three, Rostien closed to within a few bike lengths of Ellis, and the race was on! Dengler gained ground on the leaders and after a lap he got to within striking distance. Dengler passed the surprised Rostien, who tucked in behind. A half-lap later, Dengler passed Ellis, who was also zapped by Rostien. At the checkers, it was Dengler, Rostien, Ellis, Zupko and Agar. "I had to work for it," said Dengler. "I got [these younger) guys... all over me, but in the end, experience paid T 44 MAY 8, 2002' cue • • n • _ s dropped the rest of the pack like the seasoned Pros they are. Seip made up his time over the god-awfully huge back-section double, and Kessler made it up elsewhere, but the two were never further apart than three bike lengths. Kessler and Seip swapped leads several times until the later stages of the race, when Kessler came back to the front section in the lead. Chris Van Note also moved up, into fourth. At the checkers, it was Kessler, Seip, Turner, Van Note and Rossiter. "Ahh, I stalled it," said a visibly disappointed Seip. "I caught back up but couldn't pass him." Moto two started with another Seip holeshot, with Kessler hounding him from the drop of the gate. Turner, Rossiter and Szulecki ran in the same order as in moto one. Kessler and Seip swapped leads again, but this time Kessler seemed the dominant one. Three-quarters of the way through the moto, Seip led Kessler going into the back section. Only Kessler came out. Seip had fallen and tweaked his ankle badly enough to pull out of the race. The final order at the flag was Kessler, Turner, Rossiter, Van Note and Szulecki, and they were the top five overall winners as well. "( felt good, [but] what happened to Jerry?" asked Kessler, who was then informed that Seip had fallen and been injured. "It don't feel good to win that way. It feels good to win at Raceway Park again. The bike is neat; it's like riding an Open bike from back in the day - it's a handful." eN 1IKelny ..... Englis"-", New Jersey Results: MardI 11, ZDOZ 65 (7-9): I. T. DiStefano (Kaw); 2. T. Wozny (Kaw); 3. M. Mackeprang (Kaw). 65 (10-11): 1. D. Kerola (Kaw); 2. M. Hodge KTM; 3. B. Werner (Kaw). 80 (10·11): 1. B. Wallace (Kaw); 2. J. Mann (502); 3. R. Going (Suz). 80 (12-13): 1. M. Gesso (Suz); 2. T. Wonski (Yam); 3. T. Murphy (Suz). 80 (14·15): 1. P. Morrocco (Kaw); 2. M. Tippin (502); 3. T. Jamison (Kaw). S/I'IINI: J. P. Morrocco (Kaw); 2. P. Devlin (Suz); 3. T. Murphy (502). 125 PRO/A: 1. Joel Dengler (Hon); 2. Lee Rostien (Yam); 3. Charlie Ellis (Suz); 4. Richie Zupko (Yom); 5. Pete Jllztremski (Vern). 125 B: 1. R. O'Laughlin (Suz); 2. S. Syzmd (Yam); 3. K. Roge.. (Yam). 125 C: 1. J. Boehler (Suz): 2. J. Festenstine (Kaw); 3. A. Sigismondi (502). 250 PRO/A: I. Brien Cllrroll (Yam): 2. Lee Rostien (Yllm): 3. Joel Dengler (Hon); 4. Pete Jartremski (Yam): 5. Jim Kapium (Hon). 250 B: 1. S. Hunter (Yam); 2. D. Bona (502); 3. E. Lecier (502). 250 C: 1. J. Hess (Hon); 2. A. FrisceUa (Hon); 3. D. WaU (Hon). SCHBY 125: 1. S. Hunter (Yam); 2. A. Fontana (Yam); 3. R. O'Laughlin (Yam). CLGBY: 1. S. Kellerher (Han); 2. C. Hunter (Yam); 3. P. Comellas (Hon). 25+ A: 1. Brian Carroll (Yam); 2. Lee Rostien (Yam); 3. Jim Kapitan (Hon). 25. B: 1. D. Born (502); 2. S. Nicke~n (Hon) 3. J. FodOl' (Hon). 30. A: 1. Brian Carroll (Yam); 2. Jim Kapita (Hon); 3. Jim Mcilvaine (Suz). 30. 8: 1. S. Nickerson (Han); 2. W. Powers (Yam); 3. A. Venderosa (Yam). 30. C: 1. R. Brown (Hon); 2. A. /llino (Hon); 3. G. KOI<: (Hon). 4O.A: 1. Mickey Kes5ler (Hon); 2. Gary Turner KTM; 3. Rich Rossiter (Yam). 40. S/SR: 1. B. Krysa (Hon); 2. A. Watkins (Hon); 3. S. Hess (Hon). Soutlleastem Motocross Series Rou d 4: County Line MX Mission: Impossible But Not for Boutwell BY HUGH GATLIN FCH]NTAJN,FL,~. 24 ynn Haven, florida's Cole Boutwell accepted the challenge of competing in four classes at County Line MX and turned in a record-setting effort. The Sports Center/Answer/Pro Taper rider swept all eight motos of the 80cc B, Superrruni, Youth and 125cc B classes. The event was the make-up race for the rained-out fourth round at Coupty L Une. In all four Mini heats, Boutwell held back coming off the line and chased down the leaders on his YZ85. Pensacola Motor Sports' Patrick Buell got the holeshot in the first Supermini race, ahead of Derrick Miller. On lap one, Miller took the point, only to have Boutwell shoot past at the end of the whoops. Boutwell stretched his lead to the finish. Destyn Patera placed second, ahead of Buell. Patera led race two, over Buell and Corey Byrd. Boutwell moved into third in the stadium section, then got by Buell over a tabletop. He took the lead from Patera at the end of lap one. The top three repeated their moto-one finishes. Buell rocketed into the lead in the first 12-rider 80cc B/C moto. Patera passed for first over a tabletop. Boutwell sliced through the field and took the lead in the stadium section. With Patera alone in second, Hondamounted Daniel Morrell closed on Buell for third. Boutwell posted a 15-second win over Patera and Buell. Morrell's charge stalled and he was a fading fourth. Ozark, Alabama's Josh Wynn pulled the second-moto holeshot, over Miller and Buell. Boutwell gated seventh but was out front by the end of lap one. Patera came out on top of a five-rider battle for second. Buell picked up another third. Boutwell made his highly anticipated 125cc debut in the Youth and 125cc B classes. In an intense first combined 16-29/Youth moto, Boutwell passed early leader Rodney Allen up the elevator jump. Lee Spann also went by Allen on lap one. Next, Spann used the power of his