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/128179
Sacramento Raceway Park
GraHunder
Thunders to Two
By ADAM HANSEL
SACRAMENTO, CA, OCT. 11
On a calm, chilly night at Sacramento Raceway Park, the 50cc (7-8) pack raced into tum
one in their first moto and bunched up. Troy
Graffunder avoided a pileup and ended up
with the holeshot. Justin Brown followed
closely. Graffunder and Brown qUickly began
to stretch out a sizable lead. However, Ryan
Alexander found his way around Austin
Thompson for third and started to make it a
three-way battle.
in the back stretch, Brown pulled even with
Graffunder but couldn't make it stick. This
pattern continued throughout the first lap.
Graffunder took all the right lines to hold on to
first all the way to the whoops. Showing some
strength in the whoops, he extended his lead
to a comfortable two seconds. Alexander used
the whoops to catch and pass Brown for
second.
Up front, Graffunder was flying. On a single, he kept it pinned and caught some massive air, not even bobbling on the flat landing.
He wasn't giving anyone a chance to catch
him in this race.
The battles behind him were heating up,
though. Ryan Kelley passed Brown for fourth.
Thompson moved up with amazing speed
behind Alexander. Running wheel to wheel
coming into a large double, somehow Thompson launched the gap on his little machine,
going over Alexander's head for second place.
Graffunder took the win, followed by Thompson and Alexander.
The second moto started with Graffunder
getting his second holeshot. Thompson settled
into second right behind him. Alexander and
Kelley rounded out the top four. Kelley tried
for the inside move over the table-double
combination jump, but Alexander slammed
the door emphatically. Again Kelley tried the
inside, this time on the back stretch, blowing
by Alexander to take third. He ran too hot into
the next turn and Alexander easily turned
inside him to recapture the spot. With a little
momentum, Alexander found himself dose
enough to pressure Thompson.
Meanwhile, Graffunder was making a
statement. stretching another lead on the
pack: At the end of the first lap, it was two
seconds again. Thompson, Alexander and
Kelley charged through the whoops, wheel to
wheel to wheel. All three riders were giving
all they had. Over the table-double combination, Alexander got tough and caught huge
air but hit hard coming down and couldn't
finish the bid for second, and he actually lost a
little ground.
With the moto winding down, Thompson
inched up on the leader, Graffunder, trying to
give himself a shot at a last-second pass.
Alexander got into the mix, moving up to
challenge Thompson again. They charged
through the whoops, all very close. Any bobbie from any rider would have iost him a position. They crossed in quick succession, one,
two, three, four! Graffunder took the doublemoto win, followed by Thompson, AJexander
and Kelley.
The participation of thjs week's sponsors Roseville KTM, Capital Yamaha, RPS Suspen-
sion, Goodtimes Motorsports. and Racer's Pit
40+ BEO: I. Ste:Vf; Bennett 2. R~ Clrna: 3. Merlin ~; 4.
Nell Desmet; 5. J1m Moe.
40. NOV: I. Tommy Brackens: 2. Doug Rice: 3. Frank Showers.
40+ INT.: I. Jim BreneiRn; 2. 8m. Eckert; 3. Jeff Ciorman; 4.
Jerry Tucker; 5. Paul McGourty.
Cedar Raceway Park
LIMITED EDITION MOTORCYCLE ART BY
HARRY MILLER
~~Isle
Mehr Makes a Move
By DICK GOODWIN
CEDAR CITY, UT, SEPT. 28-29
Cedar City, Utah, received some much-need·
ed rain, in the form of several downpours
during the races at the opening rounds of the
Club MX Fall Motocross Series, transforming
the track into a wet and muddy challenge
for all.
Racing in the combined 250cc NovicejVet
contest, St. George, Utah's Spencer Mehr
showed what he's made of, splashing to
double victories in the 250cc Novice class
on Sunday.
Over 30 intermediate fast guy Chris Champlin paddled off with the race-one holeshot,
with Over 30 Novice Patrick Packer and
250cc entry Jack Doyle in his wake. Early
speed was being demonstrated by Henderson,
Nevada, traveler Charles Wright, who ripped
and clawed his way into second on the first
lap. Out in front, Champlin was keeping the
hammer down as Mehr was on the move, battling through to second on lap two. Champlin
was on cruise control and Mehr had a lock on
second while Brian Fowler and Cody Larsen
were in a wild brawl for third. Champlin and
Mehr went one-two. Fowler's fall gave Larsen
third, ahead of Wright.
Fowler struck first in moto two, blasting
out in front of Packer, who took a corner soil
sample, and Mehr. First-mota winner Cham.
plin was charging in third until an off-track
safari dropped him to last. Mehr now put on
the move that would guarantee him the 250cc
overall, passing Fowler in the back section to
win the race. Larsen came on late in the race
to get by Fowler and lay claim to second overall. besting Fowler and Yamaha·mounted
Allen Oldroyd in the final results.
Also racing in the rain on Sunday were the
125cc classes. Suzuki star Kyle Partridge, a
threat to win wherever he goes, bagged the
holeshot, with up-and-coming KTM star Devin
Sullivan hot on his heels. Novice Fowler stuck
his nose in, and newly minted Intermediate
Zac Humphries rounded out the top four. Partridge and Sullivan stayed close and opened a
lead on Humphries, who had fought his way
into third, and the rest of the field. Partridge
turned up the heat, cruising to win number
one, while Sullivan stayed solidly in second.
Humphries, with a big lead of his own, would
lead Fowler and Ryan Mehr through the tape,
as the field spread out at the end.
Partridge didn't come to the line for race
two, giving Sullivan the opportunity to lead
Humphries and the pack through the first tum.
Sullivan put the hammer down and built a lead
on the field on the first lap. Humphries was
racing in second, far ahead of Fowler and
Mehr, who were dicing for the Novice lead.
Sullivan took an easy second-moto win, and
the overall 125cc Intermediate crown, over
Humphries. Fowler's double-mota wins
ensured him the 125cc Novice crown, leading
Mehr, Justin Hunt and Tony Esposito in the
o£ Man"
Series
~ Kalauch -20'X 30"
Helmut foUl and Wolfgang Kaluch on board lI1e URS
SIdecar at the 1967 10M IT
r----------------,z
Shop· is greatly appreciated.
~
Results
iii
!.DLJ3!JgQfl§. - 18"x 20~
~
~
Irv Rhodes on ltle 1929 KRTT
Ve10cene al!he 1930 ioM n.
~
50 YAA/SUZ:. I. Ryan Fulton; 2. Marcus Nims: 3. Ty~ Nuckton:
4. KayU Moon!; 5. Tommy Oates.
SO HON [).l: 1. Cody Kirby: 2. Michael Wal~: 3. Rl!:id Sny~
4. Blain Craft; 5. Matthew Goc:hkoa.
SO HON 0-2: 1. Nito Ambriz: 2. Jonah Locks: 3. Ryan Smith: 4.
An<>-ew Oliphant; 5. Phoenixlnlgua
50 (4·6) BEG.: I. Ryan Kelly; 2. Dmck Silva: 3. Heather John.
son; 5. RIdty DeCartL
50 (7.B) BElL I. T..,. ~ 2. ""'"" Thompoon: 3. Ryan
........nder, •. Ryon K"~: 5. J