Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

CMC Trans Cal Series, Pacific Northwest Region Round 1: Albany Motorsports Park J:gach, $ick Oyick atJlIlbany (Left) Ryan Leach won both 250cc Pro motos at the TransCal opener In Albany, Oregon. He also won the Open Pro class. (Right) Byron Young (555), Jared Wood (413) and Matt WIlson (516) mix it up in the first Supermini mota at Alban Motorsports Park. Young won. STORY AND PHOTOS BY CLAY LIGHT ALBANY, OR, SEPT. 1 regonians Ryan Leach and Tyler Fick showcased their exceptionally fast riding skills at the opening round of the CMC Trans-Cal National Series at Albany Motorsports Park, picking up the 250cc and 125cc Proclass wins, respectively. The Hondamounted Fick aced both 125cc Pro motos to garner the top money, while Leach used a similar tally to top the competitive 250cc Pro class. Riders from four states were on hand; however, of the large number of riders drawn to Albany for the Labor Day Weekend event, there were only a handful of riders who were double-class winners on the day. While several others came close, only Chris Alldredge, Bradley Hillman, Byron Young, Mitchell Robbins, Chip Chapman and Leach reached the pinnacle of success at the contingency-paying event. Honda-mounted Byron Young, who made the trek from his home on the California/Oregon border, was impressive, posting the aocc (12-13) and Supermini-class wins in a rare Albany appearance. Young won all four motos he contested, although he did have tough competition from Yamaha-mounted Matt Wilson in several of those motos. Although Wilson was the lone rider in the aocc (14-16) class, he did give Young all he could handle in the first combined contest. Fast-starting Jared Wood jumped out in front of the first aocc moto, but the diminutive 10-year-old's lead would be short-lived, as both Wilson and Young dropped the former 60cc speedster to third. Wilson did a creditable job of holding off one of Oregon's fastest aocc jockeys for much of the race, but Young eventually worked past the Yamaha rider to take the lead late in the moto. Young, Wil- O son and Wood - who finished first, second and third - were all individual class winners; Californian Curtis Sweezey and Oregon's Blake Anglen filled out the top five. Moto two was much the same, as Young darted to the head of the pack on the opening lap and retained the position to the finish to garner his first of two overall wins on the day. Wilson again trailed Young and won the aocc (14-16) class overall, with Wood's dual third-place finishes nabbing the Keizer, Oregon, resident the aocc (7 -11) class win. Kawasaki rider Ajay Olinger trailed the trio at the finish, but it was Sweezey garnering second overall in the competitive aocc (12-13) class, followed by Olinger (4-2), Anglen (3-6) and Aaron McClinton (7-4). Drew Mitchell, Tyler McClinton, Travis McClinton and Grant Hall followed Wood in the aocc (7-11) class. Another of the young up-and-coming riders on hand, Washington's Josh Hill, was also impressive. Best known as one of the country's top a5cc riders, Hill made his 125cc class debut a successful one, posting an overall win in the Before The Hill Intermediate class and also finishing second to KTM rider Pete Sannan in the 125cc Intermediate class. However, according to his dad, Monte, Hill is still quite a bit away from a full-time pursuit of contesting the big-bike classes. Fick posted a runaway win in the first combined 125cc Pro/Intermediate moto, putting a sizable lead on Yamaha-mounted Jesse Bath, a seasoned 125cc National veteran who's just coming off the injury list. Fick finalized a double-moto romp by also winning moto two, leading Bath and Devin Watson overall. Oregonians Ryan Huege and Sannan developed a great battle in the Intermediate portion, although Huege took a hard tumble and Sannan won. Hill won moto two, but a crash-induced thirdplace finish in moto one handed Sannan (1-2) the overall win, followed Hill, Ryan Thompson (2-4), Washington's Lars Trulson (4-3) and Californian Aaron DeSilva (5-5). While Leach handily won both 250cc Pro motos, Bath deserved a great deal of credit after putting in a phenomenal performance in moto one. Bath and Fick battled throughout the first moto until Fick put a wheel under Bath and both riders went down. This gave Leach the lead, although Bath came from way back to catch his Herb's Cycletown teammate and kept the pressure on Leach to the finish. Bath was the only rider on the day to clear the massive 90foot double (and he made up a great deal of time in doing so). Bath also trailed the highiy heralded Leach to the finish in moto two, greatly boosting the part-time 125cc National rider's confidence after a string of bad injuries this past year. Fick finished third in both outings to finalize an impressive day for the SMP-backed rider from Portland. In the adjoined Intermediate class, Huege's string of bad luck all day ended with his moto-two victory. cue' • n However, Thompson (1-2) won overall, followed by Trulson (2-3), Huege (5-1), Nick Foister (3-4), and another of the multitude of Washington riders, Dale Ainslie. Arguably Washington's top B rider, Ainslie was riding with torn knee ligaments and soldiered on to 4-5 finishes. CN Albany Motorsports Parll Albany, Dragon Results: September I, 2002 (Round 1] PIW (4-6): 1. Chris Alldrodg. (Cob): 2. Domon Berton (KTM); 3. Cameron Cunnlnghllm (Pol). P/W (7-8): 1. Nosh Bloylock gCOb): 2. Poyton Osbom. (I

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