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/128177
-- -.-. - Kawasaki Motocross Race of Champions _ .notoe·ross - .~~_ ~~ -J .~~_, Ezra Lusk (11) came from behind to win both 250cc Pro/Expert motos at the Kawasaki Race 01 Champions. through the second moto and onto the podium. The first moto had an early battle between two Team Green speedsters - namely Californian Trent Pugmire and Ohio's Justin Weeks. Weeks nailed the holeshot, with Pugmire glued to his back fender. Their pace allowed them to pull away from the pack, and Weeks, who had been triple-tripling a tricky whoops section in the back, held on to the lead. Eventually, however, that tricky move through the whoops caught up with him, and by about the midway point he went down doing it, remounting in fourth. Pugmire had clear sailing from there, while Weeks eventually caught back up for second, nipping another Team Green rider - Brad Kiester - at the finish. It wasn't but two turns from the start straight in moto two that both Pugmire and Weeks took themselves out of contention when the rough track caught them by surprise. They both pogoed off the face of a huge step-up they'd been clearing, crashing ..... --. ........ sandy race that has come to be known as The KROC. This year, though, only one of the superstars would put down hot laps during racing. Stewart was unable to compete due to a gnarly practice crash Sunday morning, which left him limping - but not seriously injured and out of commission. STORY AND PHOTOS BY JEFF KARDAS ENGUSHTOWN, NJ, OCT. 5-6 tr earn Chevy Trucks/Kawasaki's Ezra Lusk and Escondido Cycle Center's Joshua Woods were the big winners at this, the 26th annual Kawasaki Race of Champions. Raceway Park MX in Englishtown, New Jersey, once again played host for this classic season-ending finale, which has had quite a history. Billy Ules, Mickey Kessler, Jeff Ward, Ron Lechien, and most recently Lusk and James Stewart Jr. have all made the trek up to the superb, tough and 'l. ......Irtng ride In the 12Scc ProlEllpert event. He fell In the ftnt tum but stili CIIught up to win. SATURDAY Some of the most notable performances of the weekend were seen in the Mini classes - and probably the most notable rider among those was Team Green local Jason Lawrence. Lawrence, who tears up the competi- trict 6 competitor Nick Evennou in the OCTOBER 23. 2002' Illl U Illl I _ n __ • Weeks suffered a broken arm in the crash, while Pugmire walked away apparently unhurt. Kiester had no such trouble, though, taking the moto Supermini and 85cc (14-15) classes, Lawrence was unstoppable. Four great starts led to four perfect motos and two big trophies. His performances made him the favorite going into Sunday's Top Gun Minicycle Shootout. In 65cc (10-11) racing, only two of 30 hard and ending the moto with DNFs. tion In the Raceway Park region on a regular basis, did more of the same Saturday. Facing off against fellow Dis- and overall wins. In a precursor of things to come Sunday, Josh Woods came out the overall winner in the highly competitive College boy (16-24) class with 2-1 moto scores. Team Green's Ryan Sipes, coming off a perfect three- the three pre-race favorites made it moto sweep in the 250cc B class at