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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128180
my Own Race Chuck Woodford "I didn't get a very good start. I kicked my bike and forgot to put it in gear," he said, ·Iaughing at himself. "So I [started} it and about went over the handlebars because it didn't take off when I let the clutch out. It was awesome; the desert's a lot of fun. I think it'll help me out in the GNCCs as well because if you get used to the speeds that you go out here, when you get to a GNCC - the ones that are kind of fast and everybody's like, 'Man, it's fast out therel' - it'll feel like nothing." Joey Lanza Going into the series finale with the 125cc championship up for grabs, KTM racers Joey Lanza and David Rees knew that whoever ended up beating the other would take the prize. "We started on opposite ends of the start line. I never really saw [Rees} all day," Lanza said, "so I guess I got a better start. The bike was good, the pit was good, everything was good. He's a good rider so I got lucky today just to pull it off. I think 1 beat him [in the final standings] by five points. It was tight!" Ty Davis After clinching the series championship - his third· at the next-to-Iast round two weeks before, Ty Davis really didn't have to ride the finale but, of course, did anyway. After working up to second place midway through the race, he said, "I got pretty close to [Ieader[ Russ [Pearson] at one point going across a valley; I was in his dust a little bit. I rode fast, but at the same pace he did." Davis decided to settle for second. Joel' Lanza never saw 125cc-elass rival David Rees and trumped him for the series' class championship with an outstanding seventh overall. Next year, Lanza plans to move to the Open class for the NatIonals in order to do better overall - a difficult task on 125s. Andy Grider After finishing fifth, Grider recounted, "I didn't get tQe start I wanted - I think I was running 20th or something at the bomb - but a bunch of guys got lost just after the first check. I passed six guys or something. I got a couple more [later}. Shane Esposito crashed, so I got by him. I just kind of picked it up and ended up sixth coming into the pits [at the end of the first loop]. Then my energy level just dropped when I left the pits. I just went, 'Oh wow, I'm not going to be able to make this loop!'· He survived, though, finishing fifth. up finishing sixth overall, first 250.) trated the whole way. The bike worked awesome, and I just had fun. They had a good course out there not these stupid valleys with whoops and stuff. It was like Laughlin [Neva- Though weak from catching a cold from his daughter earlier in the week, he showed nothing but strength in pushing the big XR at race pace near help, either. "Today, it was very hard to ride da's hare scrambles put on by Best In The Desert] almost. It was so much fun; you had to pick lines, it was virgin, looking for ribbon. I was real while I was sick," Grider explained. "[But] I think the course was so well laid out that it' would've been hard impressed; they spent some time here, not like some of these [races] down here.· eN even if I wasn't sick. It was awesome racing today; I just loved the course.· 1111's NI: N8IianIII ip Hare & Hound Series Lucrene Velley. Celifomil 8usults: OetDblr 27. 2002 the front of the pack. Smacking a foot against a rock early on didn't a.'...... But the day undoubtedly belonged to Pearson. O/A: t. Russell Pe8rson pushed hard all day," he said after finishing. "I kept thinking that somebody could catch me if I just slack off . or make a mistake, so I just concen- ridden a D-37 race the day before as a tune-up, Woodford ended up crashing and breaking his throttle hand in a pile of rocks - though he still ended up third on both days. With his broken hand, Woodford could only grip the throttle with his thumb and two inner fingers; using the front brake (Below) What's worse, smacking your foot on a rock or riding while sick? Andy Grider had the joy of tackling both problems simultaneous'" but persevered for fifth overall on the day and sixth in final series points. was out of the question. Grider rounded out the top five, securing the position less than a mile from the finish when Zimmerman ran out of gas. (Zimmerman would end 2. Ty Davis (Kaw): 5. Andy Grider (Hon); 6. Robbie Zimmennan (Yam): 7. Joey Lenza (KTM); 8. Mike Childress (Hon); 9. Bred McNew (Kaw); 10. Paul Shafer (Kaw). AMA NATIONAl. CHAMPIONSHIP HARE & HOQND FINAl. SERIES POINTS STANDINGS,!. Ty Devis (165/3 wins); 2. Russell Pearson (156/2 wins); 3. Devid Peerson (111); 4. Destry Abbott (105/1 win); 5. Brien Brown (102/2 win.); 6. Andy Grider (90); 7. Teber Murphy (79); 8. Rob Zimmermen (79); 9. Bred McNew (64); 10. Kurt Ceselli (60). "I don't know where I put the time on them. I just got the holeshot and (Above) A flat rear tire about 15 miles later after this photo was taken forced Destry Abbott to back off the pace a bit, though he stili broke lots of spokes. The defending series champ ended up fourth for the day " and the year. (Y~m); (Yem); 3. Chuck Woodford (Kew); 4. Destry Abbott BRIEFLY••• The course at the 100's MC National Finale was popular among the riders, to say the least. Members of the 100's MC. however. reported being infonned by the AMA that they may not hold a 2003 National on their traditional late·October date. The reason? Ifd be too close to the ISDE. which will run from November 3-8. 2003. Holding it iater would not be an option. as the AMA wishes to have all series finished before then, so the only alternative would be hosting the National earlier in the year. Honda's Steve Hengeveld found himself at a disadvantage early in the race· and it wasn't because he was riding a CRF450R. It was because that 450 lost the end of its shift lever when he bounced off a rock about five miles into the race. making it extremely difficult to change gears. While running about 10th early on the second loop, he also suffered brake problems, so he called it a day. After winning the 125cc championship with his seventh·overall finish· the best he's done all year . Joey Lanza plans to ride the Open class next year on KTM 450s and 525s. He'lI still ride 250s and 200s in the Big Six GP series. as well as selected WORCS races. Though he was riding his one and only '03 VZ450F. Russeil Pearson borrowed the suspen· sion from brother Nick's '02 VZ426F. After spending most of his Yamaha career racing 250s in the Nationals. Russ looks forward to riding the 450 more. citing the good power and the fact that he's pulled consecutive holeshots on the new bike. Paul Krause didn't have the best of days. Early on the first loop he dropped his KTM thumper while it was running hombly. Upon picking it up. he saw it leaking copious amounts of fuel and quickly sunnised he wouldn't be able to finish, so he zoomed back to the pits. found someone with a spare tank and put that one on his bike. By the time he'd finished the swap and reached the start. the Beginner wave had just started. Taber Murphy raced a CRF450R instead of his usual XR650R as • an experiment.· After a 12th overall. he said, "' still prefer the 650 for here. but I think the 450 will be the ticket in Utah and Idaho.' Though he ran out of gas and had to settle for sixth place~Rob Zimmerman did end up first 250cc rider. With Russell Pearson clinching the 250cc·c1ass championship earlier in the series with a perfect run before switching to the 450, Zimmennan claimed a solid second in the final 250cc points. In addition to winning the overall series title. Tl' I:favis ended up with a perfect score in taking the Vet·c1ass championship over Idaho's Brad McNew. II's believed to be the first time a Vet has taken the overall. cue I • n e vv s NOVEMBER 1 3, 2002 59