Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

(Left) David Pearson (shown) and Brian Brown challenged for the lead but a flat tire put an end to that. They still recovered to finish third overall, second Open Pro. (Right) Shane Esposito suffered through an arm injury and a punctured radiator, but he and partner Destry Abbott still managed to finish fourth overall, third Open Pro, and retain the series points lead. (Below) Ohio's Chuck Woodford chases Mike Healey around one of the many rocky sidehills. Healey and partner Danny Cooper DNF'ed, while Woodford and Fred Andrews finished seventh overall, fifth Open Pro. place physically after the first loop on the FMF/Answer/GPR KTM 525 MXC that he shared with Joey Lanza. Unofficially, that put them into the lead on corrected time. However, while chasing the Honda, Lanza clipped a bush and broke the hydraulic hose on the clutch. "He came in, we took the tank off, changed the line and got going again," Caselli said. "I don't know; we were about 10th or something. We were just kind of catching up all day long." The Caselli/Lanza team would end up fifth overall, fourth in class. As the race moved into the middle stages, the Honda team continued to lead while a pair of Kawasakis moved up intent on salvaging honor for the race's title sponsor. The top three teams had a clear gap on the field, but the distinctive revvy blast of a small blue thumper signaled a new player on the scene, as Nick Pearson showed no signs of rust despite several months away from racing. "I didn't ride there at the end of the year too much after I broke my jaw, and about a month ago, I started riding again," he said. "I mean, the Pearsons always do good in Laughlin, so 1 figured I'd better come down and give it a whirl. I was thinking, actually, about riding solo, then Jeff Fegert asked me to ride with him. I rode 60 miles, then he rode 20, then I rode 40." On his choice of machines, Pearson said, "I figured it'd wear me out a little less than the 450 or even a 250cc two-stroke. "After the first lap, I guess we came in fourth overall, and I think we were running third on time. I knew we were close to the front, but I knew I had to ride a lot, so 1 was just going to see how it came down to the end. If we had a chance at the overall, I was going to go for it, but Johnny and Steve were too far out ahead. We just cruised and got second so it's good." The two Team Green bikes started on the same line, the last row of the Open Pros. Esposito got the early jump out front, but Brown sneaked past shortly into the race. "I was actually riding really good off the start for once this year," Brown said. While running second halfway through the race and only six miles into his loop, however, Brown's rear tire went flat. "I had bad experiences a few years ago with a flat," Brown said, "so I just slowed down, got it back in, changed the tire, gave the bike to Dave, and he brought it in." A stick through a radiator stopped the Abbott/Esposito team's charge toward the front, and it cost the team about 10 minutes to repair the damage. After falling and noticing coolant spilling out, Esposito limped the rest of his loop to the pits in second gear. "I'd rather finish third or fourth than DNF," he said. Earlier, a stick speared Esposito's left arm, which also hindered him a bit. "My third loop, I rode decent; I think I lost 40 seconds so it wasn't that bad. I thought I was riding slower than that. "We got around Brian and David in the pits at the end of the first lap, and the Honda was 40 seconds in front of us, I think," Esposito said. "When I went down, I'd caught up, and Brian was about 15-20 seconds behind me. I was just getting up, and he was coming by. So we were all right there. Honda had some good luck. I congratulate them." The defending series champs would finish fourth overall, third in class. "We're still leading in points so that's the big thing," Abbott said. "We just need to stay consistent. The next race is Adelanto, [and] I think Shane and I will do good there." eN 35+ EX: J. Ron A. Purvines/Steve Pankas/Donald R. Tussing (KTM). 40+ EX: I. Gary Jones/Ron Lawson (GG); 2. Kevin Olen/Jody Partain (KTM); 3. Mark Davidge/Jeff Phillips/Paul Skeary (KTM). 50+ EX: t. Boyd Abbott/Rob Beggs/Eugene Brown (Kaw); 2. Dan Ragland/Larry Ragland (Yam); 3. Bob Cunningham/Jim McCain/Olen Webb. IRONMAN EX: 1. Bryan Bruning (Yam); 2. Rick Daniel (KTM); 3. Kirk Stephensen (Kaw). OPEN AM: 1. Derik Bielke/Jeremy Smeltzer (KTM); 2. Kenneth G. Durr Jr./Wayne Vogler/Chris Wacker (KTM); 3. Chris Schildgen/Ned Svesse Andrews/Chuck Woodford (Kaw). 250 PRO: 1. Jeff Fegert/Nick Pearson (Yam): 2. Jacob L. Phillips/Wade Phillips (KTM); 3. Bryan Folks/Brent Harden (KTM); 4. Justin Deschamps/Jason Orndorff (KTM); 5. Matt Berault/Mark Miller (Yam). 125 PRO: 1. Matt Burroughs/Brent Manfred (Hus); 2. Brett Daugherty/Kenneth Lee Miller (Suz); 3. Jeff Dillon/Matt Sales (Kaw). 4/STRK PRO: l. Clint Braun/David Fry (Yam); 2. Matt Gosnell/Tim Schraft (Yam); 3. Daryl Folks/Paul Krause (KTM); 4. Bert Bradford/Rob (KTM). 250 AM: 1. Brian Bradford/Jevan Weeks (KTM); 2. Jeffrey LOYll/Frllnk Russell; 3. Jesse Fragoso/Ricky L. Oropeza (Yam). 125 AM: 1. Kris Nelson/Mason Partain (KTM); 2. Jesse Canepa/Brennan Stewart (Kaw); 3. Jeff Maginn/Ryan Miller/Jason Stevens (Han). 4/STRK AM: 1. Glenn Warren/Jason Warren/Robert Werren (KTM). 30+ AM: 1. Doug Dliniels/Eric Durr/Lance Durr (Yam); 2. Scott Pfeiffer/Jim Stott (Han); 3. John Martensen/Chad Ragland (Hon). 35+ AM.: 1. Mike Allsup/Tim Clark (Yam); 2. Kent BagnelljWarren Mitchell/Charlie Setchell (Yam). 40+ AM: 1. Andy Allsup/Ernie Allsup/Darrell Phillips (KTM): 5. Ed De.n/Sonny Morgon (Hon). 30+ PRO: 1. Scott Glimp!Tom E. Willis (KTM): 2. Mike Mitchell/Jason Weeks (KTM). 40+ PRO: 1. Tad Goimarac/Jon Lee (KTM). OPEN EX: 1. Jason Ingersoll/Erik Wolfe (Han); 2. Nick Fain/Josh Wilson/Shawn Wilson (Hon); 3. Kurt Hintz/Chuck MacBumey (C-A). 250 EX: 1. Jason Alusi/Sean Berryman; 2. Cole Cates/Ryan Kritsch (Hon); 3. Wes Green/Justin Wray (Yom). 4/STRK EX: 1. Curtis Moon/Scott Morris (Yam); 2. Dugan Uekert/Mike Whitman/Anthony Zastro (KTM): 3. Scott McNew/Kelly Yoncey (KTM). Ekbom (KTM): 2. John Korell/Bill PoUotto (Yom): 3. 30+ EX: J. Mark Goelz/Brett Hoffman (Han); 2. Todd Griswold/Mike Moyer/Michael Paige Nobles (Han); 3. Earl Desiderio/Duane Schwab. Broaderip (Hon); 3. Troy Walker (KTM). Mark Barlow/David Gale/Brett R. Leer (Kaw). IRONMAN AM: 1. Kyle Krouse (Yom): 2. C. Poul BRIEFLY••• Of the 97 teams that started the race. 90 finished. In the Ironman categories. 26 of the 30 starters finished. Two-time and defending AMA National Hare Scrambles Champion Fred Andrews disputed the notion that Laughlin' s hare scrambles is tight and technical. "I figure the only thing they know about tight and technical is when you downshift into fourth gear. it must be tight!" the Ohio resident and former GNCC champ quipped. "The Team Green bosses suckered Chuck Woodford and me into it. 'No high-speed stuff: nice. easy. technical. You guys will dig it.' I mean. I liked it. but. holy crap. that was fast. I had a problem. too. where at home we kind of brush stuff: well. you brush stuff here. and I have freaking prickers and thoms in me. and cactus." Chuck Woodford. who hails from Ohio and finished third at the AMA National Hare & Hound Series finale last year at Lucerne Valley. California. said he would've preferred to ride a KX500 at Laughlin. "For us. it was high-speed." the GNCC and AMA National Hare Scrambles Series contender said. "The 500. when you're in top gear. it's still got so much horsepower that it pulls. and it stays real straight. [and] it tracks real good. If we ride [Laughlin] again. I think we're going to ride a 500. " After much testing with Precision Concepts. Johnny Campbell and Steve Hengeveld opted to use a custom titanium shock spring for Laughlin. According to Bob Bell of Precision Concepts. the titanium spring is not only lighter than stock by a couple pounds. it imparts a better feel and appears to match the durability of a regular Showa coil. The battle for Over 50 Expert superiority went down to the final loop. Eugene Brown worked like mad on the nearly stock FMF/Race Tech/Dunlop KLX400 that he shared with Boyd Abbott and Rob Beggs and successfully passed the Dan Ragland/Larry Ragland team on their Pit Enterprises YZ250 just before the final pit stop. In the end. the trio on Destry Abbott's trail bike managed to beat the more famous off-road tnuck racer for the class win. Larry Ragland does. of course. only ride a couple times a year. and it's reportedly been several years since the last time he competed on two wheels. Laughlin U.S. Ha.. Scrambles laughlin, Nevada Results: January 1B, 2003 [Round 21 Laughlin was definitely a family affair for the Browns. Brian Brown's father, Eugene. was part of the winning Over 50 Expert team. while brother Chris took sixth in lronman Expert. 0/ A: 1. Johnny ClImpbell/Steve Hengeveld (Han) 3:54:37; 2. Jeff Fegert/Nick Pearson (Yam) 3:59:25: 3. Brian Brown/David Pearson (Kaw) 3:59:48; 4. Destry Abbott/Shane Esposito (Kaw) 4:01 :39; 5. Kurt. Caselli/Joey Lanza (KTM) 4:03:46; 6. Clint Braun/David Fry (KTM) 4:03:54: 7. Fred Andrews/Chuck Woodford (Kaw) 4:04: 17; 8. Jacob Clint Braun and David Fry DNF'ed the Parker 250 two weeks before. so Winning Laughlin's Four"Stroke Pro class and placing sixth overall was doubiy sweet for the pair on their Classic Door & Trim/Answer/Renthal KTM 520 MXC. "We iost an ignition at Parker. and we were ieading there. too." Braun said. "It's redemption." L. Phillips/Wode Phillips (KTM) 4,05,39: 9. Mott Gosnell/Tim Schroll (Yom) 4,09,59: 10. Doryl Folks/Poul Krouse (KTM) 4,16,21. OPEN PRO: 1. Johnny Campbell/Steve Hengeveld (Hon); 2. Brian Brown/David Pearson (Kaw); 3. Destry Abbott/Shane Esposito (KlIw); 4. Kurt Cliselli/Joey Lanza (KTM); 5. Fred Honda-mounted Jason Ingersoll and Erik Wolfe led all Experts home in winning the Open Expert class and placing 18th overall. Mike Allsup and Tim Clark won the Over 35 Amateur class and were the highest-placing yellow-plate finishers at 35th overall on their Family/IMS-sponsored Yamaha. cycle n E! "" S FEBRUARY 5, 2003 45

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