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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(Above) Arizona's own Destry Abbott couldn't quite break into the top three, finishing fourth overall. (Right) Kurt Caselli flew his KTM to sixth overall. (Below) Suzuki's lone soldier in the WORCS series Robert Naughton rounded out the top five. who had been ill the whole weekend, got by Pearson early and tried to shake him; however, Pearson wasn't going away. "I figured that the old man would get tired, being sick and all, and I'd reel him back in, so I decided to tuck in behind him," Pearson said. Unfortunately for Pearson, Davis was not going to budge and pulled out a comfortable lead - for the time being. While Davis was out in front, Pearson suddenly had Smail to deal with. Smail was on a bullet train to the front, first passing Pearson, then setting his sights on Davis, whom he would eventually pass. "I didn't get that great of a start, so I was happy to be able to move up and take the lead," Smail said. "This sort of racing is right up my alley, so I was having fun." The three Yamaha riders put a lot of distance between themselves and fourth-place Abbott. Abbott got a midpack start and had to play catch-up. "By the time I got up to fourth, those guys were gone," Abbott said. "So I had to just ride smooth and salvage as many points as possible; they were flying today." Suzuki-mounted Robert Naughton was in fifth for most of the day, and that's where he would finish. With Team Suzuki Off-Road pulling out of this year's series, which includes last year's champion Kiedrowski, Naughton is Suzuki's lone representative in this year's WORCS series. The challenging course, combined with dusty conditions, made passing difficult, which resulted in a field that became spread out. Woods, who ran in fourth for most of the day, couldn't maintain the pace the leaders were setting and began to fade. He was running fast all day but simply wore out, still finishing a respectable njnth. KTM teammates Caselli, Brian cue I e Garrahan and former GNCC champ Watts battled throughout the day, swapping places almost every lap, until Caselli was finally able to put some distance on his fellow KTM riders. Watts had the most drama of anyone on the day. "My race started spot on, until the first turn, where Smail used me as a berm to slow himself, because he was coming in too hot," Watts said. "I went from a fantastic start to 65th out of 65 in 2.2 seconds. Oh well, that's all part of the game, I guess. I'm just happy with a finish." Watts, who had moved into fourth with two laps to go, had some problems with his bike, which forced him into the pits for some repairs, ending any chance he had for a podium finish. Meanwhile, out in front, Davis and Pearson picked up their paces and were both able to get past Smail. Pearson, who had the fastest lap time of the day, was unable to catch Davis and settled for second. Smail held on for third, while Abbott and Naughton rounded out the top five. Ty Davis was so ill after the race that he was unable to attend the awards presentation. eN Canyon Off-Road Parte Peoria, Arizona Results: January 12, 2003 [Round 1 of 61 O/A: I. Ty Davis (Yam): 2. Russ Pearson (Yam); 3. Lance Smail (Yam): 4. Destry Abbott (Kaw): 5. Robert Naughton (Suz); 6. Kurt Caselli (KTM): 7. Brian Garrahan (KTM); 8. Johnny Campbell (Han); 9. Nathan Woods (Yam); 10. David Pearson (Kaw): 11. Shane Watts (KTM). n e _ 50 • JANUARY 22.2003 15