Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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Fast Fridays Annual Backwards Event Fast Fridays Speedway Northern Cup Motocross Series Round 7: Pine Ridge Raceway Sidecars Invade Fast Fridays Surprises at Pine Ridge By M. SOBER AUBURN, CA, JULY 5 The New Zealand/American Sidecars made the trek up from Southern California for their annual Fast Fridays visit and left the packedhouse crowd shouting for more after their Wild~West main-event show saw nearly the entire field strewn to the four corners of the track and infield. Teammates Dan Jones and Chris Jones were the eventual winners after early leaders Scott Cole and Chris Sears over· corrected coming out of turn four on the second lap and spun their Yamaha into the infield, scattering sponsor signs and infield workers alike. After the event, the passenger of the Jones Brothers Racing team, Chris Jones, summed up the feeling of the Sidecar riders. "Man, we just love coming here to race in Auburn," he enthused. "The track is just perfect, and the crowd - well, the crowd is just outstandingl We get treated so well, we feel like big stars up here," After their second heat of the night, PJ Designs Racing passenger Scott McEloy was transported to the hospital after his Kawasaki flipped and left him lying on the track with a broken collarbone. So what was the crazy Sidecar racer's response when asked about his injury as he was stretchered off the track? "Oh, I'm okay," he said. "That's the cool thing about bones: They heel up quick." Several Sidecar participants talked of expanding their Northern California season beyond the typical once-yearly visit. In the annual Backwards Speedway event, Paul Orlandi outdistanced Vance Felicio to take home the coveted clockwise trophy. Just one week after seeing four riders from the 50-yard line make the Handicap main event, the night's busiest race did itself one better as all five back-yardage veterans made it through to the premier event. Bart Bast, Bobby Hedden, Scott Brant, Chris Manchester and visiting British League regular Billy Janniro were stacked side by side across turn four, while former Junior Champion Eric Car· rillo shuffled for decent starting traction just 10 short yards in front of the freight train. Carrillo got a decent start but Janniro blew off the back line and was right behind Carrillo as the pack slid through the first tums. By the time the rumbling field completed one revolution, Janniro had the lead and was gone aboard his SECO-sponsored Jawa. Once Bast and Brant passed under Carrillo on laps two and three, respectively, and then Hedden fell in tum one on the second lap while trying to go around the outside, the finishing order was a done deal. Janniro had his win, Bast was second, Brant a close third, Carrillo held on to fourth, and Manchester found no room to negotiate and garnered fifth, ahead of a very dusty Hedden. In the Scratch main, Manchester found a lot more room to run and capitalized on his inside starting·position draw to take his second Scratch victory of the season. "Everyone drew for position before I got out there tonight, but they left me the pole position in the can, and I just couldn't iet that go to waste," said a grinning Manchester after he led the entire race from start to finish. Bast, who started from lane two and was second in both main events, stayed close to Manny the whole way but came up a bikelength short at the winner's stripe. Auburn resident Tommy Hedden, making a somewhat rare but popular visit to the night's final event, pulled off a better·than·decent start from lane four but had nowhere to go with the entire field inside of him in tum two and ended his evening's work in fourth place, behind brother Bobby. Lee Sharp took home the Division Three trophy, and Richard "Magic" Christian won his first Division Two main after being moved up from Division Three the week prior. Current Junior National Speedway Champion T.J. Fowler showed visiting So Cal rider Justin Boyle the way to the checkered flag in the Youth Division One finale, while the other Junior trophies went to Bruce Bast and Ronnie Woodsford. Fast Fridays Speedway Auburn, California Results: July 5. 2002 SCR: 1. Chris ManChester (Jaw); 2. Bart Bast (Jaw); 3. Bobby Hedden (OM); 4. Tommy Hedden (Jaw). HDCP: I. Billy Jannlro (JllW); 2. Bart Bast (Jaw); 3. Scott Brant (Jaw); 4. ErIc Carrillo (Jaw); 5. Chris Manchester (Jaw). SDCR: 1. Dan Jones/Chris Jones (Yam): 2. Mike Gilmour/Jeff Mallory (Kaw); 3. Jeff Medberry/Bob Dent (Han). D·2: 1. Richard Christian (Wes); 2. Robert Mellor (JllW); 3. George Snodgrass (JllW). D·3: 1. Let Sharp (Jaw): 2. Dennis Chllndler (Wes); 3. Richard Gutzke lJaw). D·l JR: J. T.J. Fowler (JllW): 2. Justin Boyle (Jaw); 3. Mark Carrillo (Jaw). D·2 JR: 1. Bruce Bast (Wes); 2. Rickey Wells (Jaw). 0·3 JR: 1. Ronny Woodsford (Wes); 2. Tori Hubbard (Hon). Fast Fridays Speedway: Scratch maln-event winner Chris Manchester leads Bart Bast (1). Bobby Hedden (63) and Tommy Hedden (40) In Auburn, California. 70 AUGUST 7. 2002' c u e I • n e _ os By PETE EMME ATHELSTANE, WI, JULY 6 Local hotshoe Craig Wallace jumped out of the gate first in the opening 125cc B moto at round seven of the Northern Cup Motocross Series. Wallace held the lead until Yamaha rider Todd Grube dived to the inside and into the lead on the second turn. Grube got a little loose going over the second rhythm section, with Wallace right on his tail. Jake LaCount kept the leaders within striking distance on the first lap. As they entered the valley, Grube held a two-bikelength lead over Wallace, with laCount an equai distance back, Hard-charging Ryan Ehlenbach was working through the pack to move into fourth as they shot down into the valley and over the triple. Wallace took a soil sample in the back sand·wash section, giving up the lead to Grube, with LaCount very close by. Grube, not known for his sand-riding ability, found himself at the helm, with his YZ screaming through every berm. Grube seemed to pull strong with his Yamaha, while LaCount's Kawasaki was lagging. Wallace had remount· ed in the back of the pack. laCount was mounting a charge, but it too little too late, as Grube held on for the win. LaCount took second, and Ehlenbach tallied third. Wallace ended up 16th. Ehtenbach took the second-moto holeshot on his thumper, ahead of Grube. Chad Herman got into third right behind the leaders. Wallace took a few spots away and moved into third, ahead of Herman, when they hit the switchbacks. Grube and Ehlenbach engaged in a heated battle for the next few laps until Grube bobbled over the last double and had to check up, singling it. That allowed Ehlenbach some breathing room to move ahead of the pack. Wallace was haul1ng through the back section and he caught up to Grube over the doubles in the valley. He pulled ahead of Grube for second and was not finished there. On the final lap, Wallace caught Ehlenbach by surprise on the last comer and took over the lead on the final stretch to the finish line. Grube heid on to third and, with 1-3 scores, he garnered the overall - his first in the 125cc B class at Pine Ridge Raceway. Ehlenbach rode to second overall with 4-2 scores. Jacob Daul ran 5-4 for third. Jake LaCount did not finish the moto, which was disappointing after his second place in the first mota. Wallace ended up In seventh via 16-1 tallies. Brae Powers made the trip to the north woods to contest the 125cc C class, which had 27 riders on the l1ne. Powers took the first-mota win, charging through the sand, riding like he was in the A class. Karlin Weise rode hard for second, and Paul Tilque took third. Powers powered his Suzuki to the first tum and took the early lead in moto two, Weise blitzed through the pack to catch Powers on the last lap. Weise tried desperately to get around Powers and showed him a wheel a few times.on the last two laps. Knowing that Weise was now on his tail, Powers began to make a few mistakes with a few turns left before the white-flag lap. Powers had overjumped the spectator plateau and went too wide in the left-hander, allowing Weise to dive inside. Powers' Suzuki seemed to buckle In the thick sand, creating some headshake, and Weise took over the lead. Weise held it on strong all the way to the finish. He aimost lost it over the spectator jump, swapping hard off the end, but he straightened it out and took the checkers. Weise got the overall via 2-1 scores, sur· prising the rest of the fieid. Powers settled for second overall with 1-3 scores. Tilque stayed consistent with 3-2 scores for third. Tabatha Miller made a return to NCS racing with a pair of moto wins in the Women's class. Ryan Nystrom rode to perfect wins in the Pee Wee Junior class, as did series points leader Nathan laPorte in the Pee Wee Senior class. Chase Nystrom cracked the throttle open on his KTM to win the Mini 65 division. Robert Loire put on a riding clinic in the Mini Senior 80cc and 125cc Junior classes, acing both motos. Jason Mathie showed how it's done in the sand in the Sportsmen class. Eric Derlein made up a few points in the Vet B Over 30 class. Tim Miller mopped up in the over-thehill Over 40 Senior division. Mel Piontek is beginning to sound like a broken record in the Over 50 class. Jesse Zambon dominated the 125cc A class. and Greg Utter did likewise in the 250cc C novice division. Nielsen moved ahead in the Open class, and Shawn O'Brien cruised to victories on his 500 in the Vintage class. Pine Ridge Raceway Athelstane, Wisconsin Results: July 6. 2002 (Round 71 P/W JR: 1. Ryan Nystrom; 2. Randy Lego; 3. Colton Greaves: 4. Cody Steuck: 5. Joe Gomez. P/W SR; 1. Nathan LaPorte: 2. Hunter Nystrom; 3. Phelan Still· mlln; 4. Brody Breittman; 5. Jacob Kotchon. MINI 65: 1. Chase Nystrom: 2. Richard Trllcy: 3. Ben Peterson; 4. lach Turner. 5. Zach Coons. MINI JR 80: 1. Zach Coons: 2. Shane Turner; 3. Scott McConnell: 4. Cody Ciszewski: 5. Chase Nystrom. fl\lNI SR 80: 1. Robert Loire; 2. Cody Sokolik; 3. Jesse FTIlsset· to: 4. Brian Collins: 5. Nick Weiss. 125 JR: 1. Robert Loire; 2. Jesse Frassetto; 3. Adllm Hickman: 4. Brian Collins; 5. Andy Ueders. 125 A: 1. Jesse Zambon; 2. MIltt Maier; 3. Dustin KeuntJes; 4. Jeremy Hackbllrth: 5. Joshua Brehm. 125 B: I. Todd Grube; 2. Rylln Ehlenbach: 3. Jacob Daul: 4. Matt MrllZ; 5. Jesse Allen. 125 CD-I: \. Kllrlin Weise; 2. Broc Powers; 3. Paul nlque: 4. Justin Schwam: 5. Jason Beran. 125 C 0-2: 1. lach Baln; 2. Stanley Nooyen; 3. Andy Ueders; 4. RIchard Gouge; 5. John McConville. 250 A: I. Jesse ambon; 2. MIltt MIlier. 3. Jeremy Hackbllrth; 4. Alan Jonas; 5. Charles Cisler. 250 B: 1. Jacob LaCount: 2. Cody Wills; 3. Jason Mllthle; 4. Jason Conrad: 5. Kenny Soulier. 250 C: 1. Greg Utter; 2. Paul TUque: 3. Chad Kruse: 4. Cory Augustine; 5. Todd Everad. SPTSMI"t A: 1. Jeremy Hackbllrth; 2. ErIc Weise; 3. Scott Stam· m: 4. Matt MIlier. 5. Jeremiah Johnson. SPTS/'llJ't: I. Jason MIlth.ie: 2. Jllson Conrlld; 3. Ryan Ehlenbach: 4. Kenny Soulier. 5. Todd Grube. Pine Ridge Raceway: Alan Jonas absconds with the lead In the Masters Over 25 class en route to the overall win at round seven of the Northern Cup Motocross series In Athelstane, Wisconsin.