Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

35th Annual Ford Mammoth Mountain Motocrossa McGrath's Bud Light team manager Larry Brooks finished a solid fifth overall In Thursday's Vet Pro event. (Suz): 3. Cole Siebler (Suz); 4. Micky Griffin (Yam): 5. Andy Bakken (Vam). 250 PRO: I. Jeremy McGrath (Vam); 2. Andrew Short (Suz); 3. Sean Hamblin (Suz); 4. Evan Laughridge (Suz); 5. TIm Weigand (Hon); 6. Doug Dubach (Vam); 7. Ty Davi. (Vam); 8. Paul Carpenter (Hon); 9. Jesse Casillas (Yam); 10. Nathan Tieamey (Suz). OPEN JR: 1. Charlie Hartzell (Hon); 2. Paul Cortez (Hon); 3. Kevin Urquhart (Hon); 4. Randy Commans (Yam); 5. Matt Ferrato (Hon). OPEN INT: 1. Josh Stice (Hon); 2. Steven Haughelstine (Yam); 3. J.J. Pecsok (Hon): 4. Corey Murphy (Hon): 5. Adam Miller (Vam). OPEN PRO: 1. Doug Dubach (Vam); 2. Paul Carpenter (Hon); 3. Riehle Owens (Kaw); 4. Tim Weigand (Hon): 5. Ty Davis (Vam); 6. Dustin Nelson (Yam); 7. Billy Mercier (Hon); 8. Kenny Lash (Hon); 9. Nathan Woods (Vam); 10. Rory Sullivan (KTM). VET JR: 1. Scott Mumford (Vam); 2. Cory Binn. (YtJlm); 3. Matt FerrlJto (Hon); 4. DtJln Casner (Hon); 5. Philip Carter (YtJlm). ground beef at the end of the moto. Owens rounded out the top five. "He's an amazing rider," Laughridge said of McGrath. "I loved dicing with him and following his lines - he's so smooth. Natural." 250cc PRO Each of the two favorites among the fans, McGrath and Hamblin, won his heat race by a very large margin, so anticipation was high for the main event. McGrath got off to a tremendous start, leading the pack up the hill with a huge holeshot. Davis was second, with Walters and Dubach in pursuit. Hamblin's bike bogged off the line and he was forced to charge through the pack on the first lap. By the end of lap one, McGrath had already put three seconds on Davis, but Hamblin had qUickly moved to third, right on Davis' tail. Walters, Dubach, Laughridge, Weigand and MotoworldRacing.com/ Suzuki's Andrew Short rounded out the top eight. Dubach started to fall back with goggle problems and then began moving back through the field with no tear-offs. He eventually got permanently stuck behind Weigand. "Dude, that was probably the hardest battle I've ever had so far in my short career," Weigand said. "It was fun, though. I had a lot of fun battling back and forth with Dubach. It's always fun to come out and battle it out with veterans like that. He showed me a wheel a couple times, but he never got by me - in front." "Well, it wasn't as hard for me, because I was waiting on him," Dubach said. "It's always fun racing, but sometimes I get a little angry because I've got to go to work Monday morning, and these guys will take every chance they can. So, I'm a little too nice, but I guess that's the way I'm still riding at 39 - not taking too big of chances." Hamblin made short work of Davis to move into second, but McGrath already had a five-second lead in 26 JULV 17. 2002 • cue. e hand by the time Hamblin got a clear track. It didn't seem to matter, though, as McGrath just added to his lead as Hamblin was maybe trying too hard. "I'd close up, but I was riding so hard that I'd make little mistakes, and he'd just kind of inch away and inch away," Hamblin said. By lap seven, Hamblin had company in the form of Short, on Short's favorite track. "I didn't know if I could catch that guy [Hamblin], being so far back in the beginning, but I reeled him in and we had a good battle going," Short said. "We battled for a couple laps; we were going at it. He's one of my friends, so he's good to race with." Short got around Hamblin with two laps to go and, even though Hamblin didn't let him just run away with second, Short was clearly the faster of the two at that point in the race. "I've been getting bad starts all week," Short said. "I felt good. I love this place. I keep coming back. I really like the track, and I felt good. I know the lines because I've been here a bunch, and if it wasn't for my starts. I'd be up there. I don't know if I could beat Jeremy, but I'd at least like to be up there - see some of his lines, at least." In the 250cc main, nobody saw McGrath's lines, as he won by nearly 15 seconds, cruising. In the race that some said McGrath may not win, he put in his most dominant ride of the weekend. "That's exactly why, too," McGrath responded. "This morning, some kid told me, 'Hey, Hamblin signed up.' I'm like, 'Cool, I hope he's in my heat race.' I mean, I felt awesome today. I felt better than Thursday. I was real loose, relaxed, put my head down, and I wasn't going to have any of the talk. I was going away and they weren't going to see me, and that's it! That's how it was." eN Ma....oth Maunblln M _ MuI-'h Ubs, C8lifamUi .....Ib: J.... 27-30, 2102 MINI 65: 1. Michael Hell (Kew); 2. Trevor Reis (KTM); 3. Trent Pugmire (Kew); 4. BllIke Wharton (Kaw); 5. Colton Bailey (Kaw). I'IlNI (9-11): 1. Nico Izzy (Suz): 2. Trey Canard n _ _ OS (Kew); 3. Trent Pugmire (Kew): 4. Blake Wherton (Kew); 5. Donnie Kearney (Suz). MINI (12-13): 1. Mike Ale..1(Han): 2. Ryan Villopoto (Yam); 3. Jerred Browne (Kew); 4. Michael LaPaglia (Suz); 5. Roben Memoli (Vam). I'IlNI (14-15): I. Joshua Grant (Hon): 2. Mitchell Dougherty (Kaw); 3. Trevor Monks (Suz); 4. Chris Nihan (Suz); 5. Justin Keeney (KaIN). S/MlNI: 1. Mike Alessi (Hon); 2. Joshua Grant (Hon); 3. Justin Keeney (Kaw); 4. Mitchell Dougherty (Kaw); 5. Ryan ViliopolD (Vam). 125 JR: I. Michael LaPaglia (Suz); 2. Devin Sullivan (KTM); 3. Ryan Reina (Yam); 4. Dennis Ewing (Suz): 5. Brett Rotha. (Vam). 125 INT: I. Kyle Partridge (Suz); 2. BlOC Hepler VET INT: 1. Lance Johnson (Yam); 2. Cole G~ (Suz); 3. Duane Benner (Hon); 4. Ryan Johnson (Hon): 5. David Antilllon (Vam). VET PRO: I. Jeremy McGrath (Vam): 2. Ty Davis (Yam); 3. Rich Taylor (Hon); 4. DtJlvid Barrett (Suz); 5. Larry Brooks (Vam); 6. Billy Mercier (Hon); 7. Billy Frank (Hon): 8. Derek Natvig (Kaw): 9. Bill Sauro (Han); 10. Tod Sclacqua (Hon). SR JR: l. Steve Matlock (YtJlm); 2. Ken Miller (BAD): 3. Danny Lawhorn (Hon): 4. William Carlson (Vam); 5. Nick Voung (Hon). SR INT: 1. Jeffery Haase (YtJlm); 2. Bernard Unhassobiscay (Vam); 3. Rob Healy (Vam); 4. Rod Richardson (Vam); 5. Don Bluy (Vam). SR PRO: I. Dave Coupe (Hon): 2. Thomas (Suz); 3. Donnie Weber (Suz); 4. Deryl ECklund Carson (Kaw); 3. Ed Guajardo (Hon); 4. Donald 125 PRO: 1. Jeremy McGrath (Yam); 2. Evan Franklin (Vam); 5. Jeff Watts (Hon). MSTR: I. Bob Hershey (Hon): 2. Tom White (Yam): 3. Lee Johnson (Vam); 4. Bill Maxim (Kaw); (Hon): 5. DavKl Gassin (Vam). Laughridge (Suz); 3. Tim Weigand (Hon): 4. Jeff Northrop (Kaw); 5. Richie Owens (Kaw); 6. Dustin Neison (Yam); 7. Joshua Han.en (Vam): 8. Jonathan Shimp (Yern); 9. Michael Young (Yam); 10. Ty Davis (Vam). 250 JR: 1. _hael LaPaglia (Suz); 2. Jeff AI...i (Hon); 3. Devin SuUivan (KTM); 4. Victor Sheldon (Yam); 5. Ryan Reina (Yam). 250 INT: 1. BlOC Hepler (Suz); 2. Derek Costella 5. Terry Davis (Yam). WMN AM: I. Elizabeth Bash (Vam); 2. Tanya Elbers (Suz); 3. Kayla Olson (Suz); 4. Jamie Pamintuan (Suz); 5. Tiffany Hottman (Yam). WMN PRO: 1. Jessica Patterson (Kaw); 2. Jacqueline Hudson (Hon); 3. Sheena Patterson (Suz); 4. Kelly Vancey (KTM); 5. Aubriana Dunn (Kaw). BRIEFLY••• Doug Dubach had more than his fair share of incidentai bike problems at Mammoth. DUring the second Vet Pro moto on Thursday. he was pushed wide at the bottom of the downhill and hit from behind. bending the end of his pipe (rightJ. Then. during Friday's Open Pro contest. he rode the last few laps of the second moto with his rear-brake pedal nearly on top of his foolpeg. The pedal had gotten tweaked when Dubach got too close to a section of snowfence thai borders the track in places. The Mammoth Motocross was apparently an unlucky event if it was your birthday. Spud Waiters tumed 29 on the day of the Open Pro event, and he crashed out of the lead in the first moto. only to finish a close fourth. Then he crashed out of moto two. Dubach turned 39(1) on Sunday. and he crashed out of the 250cc heat race and then experienced technical difficulties with his tear-offs. which prevented him from having a successful 250cc main. Montclair Yamaha off·reader Ty Davis had an interesting take on his chances in the ultracompetltive 125cc Pro class on Saturday: 'I wish no one would recognize me tomorrow. because the 125cc class is just psychotic. I don't know why I do it. but I guess I might as well do what I can do against these young guys. If Dubach don't ride. I'll probably be the oldest guy in the 125cc class. Or the most stupidest guy. I'm old·school. You race with a guy, you're rubbin·. but this new breed of young guys just take each other out, and I'm not used to that game yet. But I can take people out if I have to. ' The day before the 250cc event. SoSe Suzuki's Sean Hamblin got the green light from Roger DeCoster to go ahead and race the Mammoth Motocross. Hamblin had been on the mountain for practice anyway when he got the notice. Instead of his normal factory-spec race bike. though. Hamblin rode his practice bike to third in the 250cc main. Joining Davis from the off-road contingent racing moto' at Mammoth were his teammate Russ Pearson. KTM's Kurt Caselli and Kelly Yancey. When asked about people' s tendency to doubt him repeatedly. Jeremy McGrath said: 'Carmichael's obviously on another level than Hamblin. I should beat Hamblin. You know what I mean7 All I say is. I go out there and give 100 percent every time. and whatever happens. hap· pens. Obviously. I work hard and try and beat Carmichael and every other guy. you know what I mean? And I have for years. And this season was kind of a weird one. but I'm going to continue to work and come back next year.' When it was brought up that it seems like every year since 1993 someone has come up with an excuse as to why he can't win the next title. McGrath remarked: 'That's all right. I've got all those titles. Every time they did that. I seem to have won.'

• Cover