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/128156
Costa Mesa Speedway: Josh Larsen won the SCratch main event at the season opener in Costa Mesa, California. goal is not to be last. It came down to Faria and Castro and the most exciting race of the night. It came down to the distance between turn four and the finish line, and in a photo finish, it was Faria by an eyelash. Shaun Harmatiuk was the lowyardage rider, on the 20, for the Handicap main. DiFrancesco, Castro, Bast and McConnell shared the 40. Larsen, Hicks and Faria were on the 50. The first casualty was Hicks, who was unable to make the call. The first try at a go saw Harmatiuk, Bast and McConnell get tangled up in turn one. Everyone was able to restart. Harmatiuk held on to the lead for one lap, and then Castro and Bast made it a "Speedway sandwich" as they took him on each side. Harmatiuk went down and could only watch as the field went by. Castro, with new sponsors, has some strong-running equipment, and no one was going to catch him once he got the lead. Bast did try, and McConnell was working the inside line, but they had to settle for second and third. Larsen and DiFrancesco rounded out the field. Faria went out early with mechanical problems. Joe Jones and Brandi McElroy won the Sidecar contest, while John Stunkard and Michael Novatril won the Support and Support B mains, respectively. eN Costa Mea s,eetIw~ Costa Mea, c.llfl1rnia1 Resa/b: Ib, 4, 2DD2 SCR: 1. Josh Lersen (Jaw); 2. Chris Menchester (OM); 3. Rendy DIFrllncesco (Jaw); 4. Bert Bllst (Jow); 5. Shown McConnell (GM). HDCP; I. Ed Co.tro (GM); 2. Bolt Bo.t (Jow); 3. Shawn McConnell (OM); 4. Josh u.rsen (Jew); 5. Rendy DiFrancesco (Jew). SOeR: I. Joe Jones/Brllndi McElroy (K8W): 2. S. Cole/C. 500.. (Yom); 3. D. Jone./C. Jones (Yom); 4. J. Herr/M. Fonmine (Yam). SUP: I. John Stunkard (Jaw); 2. Phillip Williams (Wes); 3. Rick Valdez (Jaw): 4. Paul Hitchcock (Jow); 5. Rudy U1urer (We.). SUP B: 1. Michoel Novotril (Jow); 2. Mike Boyle (Jow); 3. Brton Hunt (Jow); 4. Don Wen.loff (Jow); 5. Clul Gazafy (JlIW). In moto two, Buntain pulled the holeshot again, with the Joneses, D.C. and Kyle, running two and three. Then D.C. and Kyle bobbled in the infield, with Kyle getting the worse of it and dropping back to seventh. Second was David Koontz, followed by D.C., Richardson, Kevin Thomas and Bulliner. Then, as the pack came back to the north side, Koontz went down in the corner and gathered up Thomas and BuJliner. This gave some spots back to Kyle Jones. Then Kyle kept sticking a wheel under Richardson, who was after D.C. As the pack received the white flag, Richardson moved by D.C. Then Kyle got the inside position coming onto the back section and passed D.C. for third. Buntain held on for the win and overall. Second went to Richardson, followed by Kyle Jones, D.C. Jones, Robinson and Ryan McPeters. In the first Supermini moto, Buddi Bruner took the inside line to the first turn and came out with the lead. Higgins sat in second, followed by Douglas French, Austin White and Bill MacMaster. Higgins came underneath Bruner, catching the leader by surprise, because when Bruner tried to turn into the comer, his front wheel hit the side of Higgins' and Bruner high-sided. White was in second after passing French in the whoops, followed by MacMaster and Joseph Barbiers. On the next lap, Bruner passed three riders to get into sixth. Then Bruner passed Barbiers in the infield. Bruner went by French for third through the whoop section. A threeway battle erupted for sixth between Barbiers, Alex Haag and Jeremy Williamson as the white flag came out. Then Haag bobbled in the infield, letting Williamson by. Higgins took the moto win, gapping White and Bruner. French was a lonely fourth, followed by MacMaster, Barbi- ers, Williamson, Haag and Daniel Huddleston. Bruner cleared the pack in the second-moto start. Huddleston came out of the start turn in second. with White and Higgins in pursuit. Then White went by Huddleston after the whoops for second. Higgins passed Huddleston as the pack came by the finish line. Jeremy Johnson sat in fifth after starting ninth. Johnson had the inside position on the step-up jump just before the whoops and passed Huddleston for fourth. On lap three, the Thor/Giesley-sponsored Higgins tightened up the space between himself and White. Then, on the back section, Higgins passed White in the air over the step-up. White tried to cut back and use the inside line through the whoops, but Higgins was at the next corner before White. Bruner held on for the moto win, with Higgins in second and White third. Johnson held on for fourth, trailed by Huddleston, Williamson and Barbiers. In the first 250 Pro moto, Michael Blose jumped out in front of Justin Myers, Bryan Clevenger, Mike Roth and McMullen. It took several laps for McMullen to pass Roth for fourth. Then McMullen went by Myers in the infield section for third. Clevenger was McMullen's next victim. But by the time McMullen went into second, Blose was too far ahead for him to catch. Blose finished first, followed by McMullen, Clevenger, Myers and Roth. In moto two, Blose was again out in front and pulling away. McMullen passed Roth by lap two and was in striking distance when something let go. Blose came to a stop just coming out of the infield on lap three. A broken chain was the culprit. "I feel bummed that I won because of Blose's bike breaking," said the MTR/Axo/Bell-sponsored CMC Copperstate Classic Motocross Series Round 4: Arizona State Fairgrounds Buntain's BannerDay STORY AND PHOTO BY ROBERT VAN DAMME PHOENIX, AZ, MAY 4 ohn Buntain - also known as "Digger" - went 2- 1 and took the overall in the 125cc Junior class at round four of the CMC Copperstate Classic series, presented by Mel Clayton Ford, AEO, Gordy's, PJ1, Triple AAA Van & Truck and FMF. Buntain timed the gate and got the holeshot in each moto. Then the FMF/909/Sidi-sponsored Buntain had to hold off his adversaries, such as the Jones family and Adam Richardson, to garner the j 54 MAY 29, 2002' c u e I • overall. In other action, Clay Higgins once again doubled up by winning the 85cc (14-16) and the Supermini classes. Two-time series winner Pat McMullen tried for a three-peat in the 250cc Pro class and, after receiving a Suzuki 125, McMullen tried the tiddler class also. "The 250s are my class," said McMullen. "I tried to race the 125 but it just wore me out." Buntain pulled the holeshot but was passed by Kyle Jones within the first lap. Jones held on for the moto win over Buntain, Richardson, Ryan Robinson and Cory Bulliner. n • _ s Arizona State Fairgrounds: John "Digger" Buntain went 2-1 for first overall in the 125cc Junior class at round four of the CMC Copperstate Classic Motocross Series in Phoenix, Arizona.