Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

m Own Race: 125cc 11 @~ Billy Laninovich 11 @@ Craig Anderson 5th "I got a bad start out there, and I need the points," Red Bull KTM's Laninovich said. "I went up as far as I could. I had everything down pretty good. The whoops before the triple, I was having a little hard time with those. But J think if I can just get a start, then I can podium." 11 th "I didn't get off to the best of starts," Boost Mobile/yamahafTroy Racing's Anderson said. "I had cased a triple in practice and kind of hurt my jaw and my wrist. No excuses, though. I just wasn't fast enough, and I've got to get faster. These guys are just fast!" ~@ year-old California native raced his ass off once again to make a good finish out of a bad start. Along the way, he would once again test his relationships with Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki/Chevy Trucks teamsters Sorby and Matt Walker. By lap two, Sorby ran second, ahead of MotoworidRacing.com Suzuki's David Pingree, while Walker battled with Preston and Red Bull KTM's Josh Woods - the Michigander who was enjoying his best main-event start of the season. Walker managed to briefly overtake Pingree by using the left split section while Woods, Pingree and Preston went to the right, but Pingree fought his way back through one of the rhythm sections. Then Woods used his height to good advantage, as he sped past both Walker and Pingree in the whoops to take over the third spot. Preston passed Walker cleanly a lap later, but it took him until lap eight to overtake Woods after the two swapped back and forth in the long whoop section before the triple jump along the right-field line. Preston then had to work to catch Sorby, and it took him another four laps to catch the Frenchman. The pass was cemented when Sorby came up seriously short over the firstbase triple just before home plate. He somehow saved it, but Preston scooted by for second, which he would hold to the finish. Although he admitted that he isn't as angry at the Pro Circuit team has he was, he also realized that the Anaheim II and San Francisco incidents have seriously hurt his chances at a repeat title. "Yeah it did," Preston said. "I just had some bad luck. You can't always have good luck. But it's all over, and nobody took me out tonight, so I'm happy. I'm kind of over it [Anaheim II and San Francisco] now, although I know that when I ride with Walker, I'll still need to look over my shoulder. I've noticed that the way Sorby has been riding that he seems to have cleaned his act up a little bit, but I'm still watching for Matt. I just wish I could get a start and run with Bubba, you know? That would be a good time. But I didn't, and next weekend is a new weekend, so we'll see what happens then. I'm really happy with way that I rode." Sorby was basically unchallenged for third place; the Frenchman earned his first podium finish of the year. "It's my first podium and my second holeshot," Sorby said. "It was a good race for me tonight. I got a good start, and I stayed second for, I think, 10 laps. Then Travis passed me, and [alsol the KTM guy, Woods, I think. But I'm more confident now. I'm going to train hard this week." As for the bad blood between himself and Preston, Sorby reiterated his position. "It's very done," he said. "I'm sorry for Travis and for the fans." What was not yet done by lap 12, however, was the battle for fourth place, as Woods appeared to be doing a good job of holding off Walker, Pingree, SoBe Suzuki's Sean Hamblin, and Red Bull KTM's Billy Laninovich - these last two riders moved forward as they battled it out for the fifth spot. The complexion changed when Woods cartwheeled in the whoop section. Instead of a topfive finish, he wound up 18th. "I think that I'm learning every week," Woods said philosophically. "I got a decent start this week, and I was battling with some of the guys up front. I had worked my way into a good position, and maybe I just let that get to me, and I made some mistakes. I made a big one right there at the end. I think I just came in there [the whoopsl with a little too much steam, and I missed one and dropped the front wheel and ended up going over the handlebars really hard. I'm just happy to get through it still walking and talking, and I feel like I'll be okay for next weekend." Walker inherited fourth, and it appeared as though Hamblin would hold down fifth until Laninovich aced him off the last corner to take the position away. "I didn't get tired at all, but me and Billy definitely had a good battle going the last six or seven laps," Hamblin said. "Billy is definitely riding great. You can't take anything away from him. I think he might be a little better supercross rider than I am. I hope I can finish on the podium before we head into our nice sevenweek break. I hope that we can just keep the ball rolling in Dallas and Utah and then head into the Nation- Danny Smith 011 David Pingree @@ Josh Hansen 10th "Nothing too exciting, I just went down in the whoops," SoBe Suzuki's Smith said. "I was just going along and collided with another guy. It was just a bad result. I just have to go on to next week." 7th "My season has just pretty much sucked so far, so any good result is definitely a positive for me," MotoworldRacing.com Suzuki's Pingree said. "I got tired right at the end, and two guys slipped by me right at the end, but I still rode better than I have been riding. My starts have been great, and the bike is so fast and working good. I've just been having trouble getting it together upstairs, but hopefully this is a step in the right direction." 8th "I can't ask for anything more," Anderson's teammate Hansen said. "I haven't gotten the greatest starts, but I put on a good charge tonight. I think if I put this kind of charge on with getting a good start, then, for sure. I believe I can get on the podium. Once I get a start, I'll be able to open up some eyes for sure." Lacey (Yam); 10. Danny Smith (Suz): 1 J. Craig Anderson (Yam): 12. Akira NariUl (Suz); 13. Pascol Leuret (KTM); 14. Shane Bess (Suz); 15. Tyler EVllns (Suz): 16. Travis EJliott (Yam); 17. Tommy Harrison (Suz): 18. Josh Woods (KTM); 19. Andrew Short (Suz): 20. Troy Adams (Yam); 21. Christopher Gossetallr (Hon): 22. Bryan McGavran (Suz). Race Time: 14 min., 59.434 sec . .Margin of Victory: 21.509 sec. AMA 125cc WESTERN REGIONAL SOPER CROSS SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 5 of 8 rounds): I. James Stewart Jr. (122/4 wins); 2. Trllvis Preston (94/1 win); 3. Billy lllninovich (77); 4. (TIE) Andrew Short (74)/Matt Walker (74); 6. Christopher Gosselaar (65); 7. Danny Smith (61); 8. Eric Sorby (59); 9. Sean HambHn (50); 10. Josh Hansen (49); II. David Pingree (43): 12. Craig Anderson (42); 13. Tiger Lacey (39); 14. Josh Woods (37): 15. (TIE): Kevin Johnson (27)/Steve Mertens (27); 17. (TIE) Travis Elliott (22)/Turbo Reif (22)/Akira Narita (22)rryler Evans (22). als, where I can surprise everybody on a 125 instead of a 250." Pingree finished seventh, with Hansen eighth, CRS Team Safety Yamaha's Tiger Lacey ninth and SoBe Suzuki's Danny Smith 10th. But just like Preston, none of them were close to Stewart, who stated afterward that he felt certain he would not be winning a 125cc race at Anaheim again any time soon. "Next time I ride Anaheim, it will probably be on a 250: Stewart said. "I'm just looking forward to moving up, and we'll eN just see what happens then." Upcoming Rounds: Round 6 - San Diego. California, February 8 Round 7 - Dallas, Texas, April 12 Edison International Field Anaheim, California Results: February 1, Z003 (Round 5 of 81 Eric Sorby had a falrty uneventful race, which earned him third and a spot on the 125cc podium. HEAT 1 (6 laps, 1-9 transfer): I. Danny Smith (Suz); 2. Travis Preston (Hon): 3. Josh Woods (KTM); 4. Seen Hamblin (Suz); 5. Craig Anderson (YlIm); 6. Tyler Evans (Suz); 7. Matt Walker (Kaw): 8. Akins NlSritll (Suz); 9. Travis Elliott (Yam); 10. Pesclll Leuret (KTM): 11. Jonathan Shimp (KllW); 12. Jeremy Chaussee (Yam): 13. Justin Mace (KllW): 14. RY8n Dudek (Yam); 15. Steve Mertens (Vern): 16. Cassidy Anderson (Yam); 17. Billy Swapp (Suz): 18. Kuraudo Todll (Hon); 19. Andrew Short (Suz); 20. Michael Koch (Yam). Race TIme: 6 min., 13.276 sec. Margin of Victory: 1.371 sec. HEAT 2 (6laps, 1-9 transfer): I. James Stewart Jr. (Kaw); 2. Billy llIninovich (KTM); 3. Eric Sorby (Kaw); 4. Christopher Gosselaar (Hon); 5. Tiger Lacey (Yam); 6. David Pingree (Suz); 7. Joshua Hensen (Yam): 8. Troy Adams (Yom); 9. Shone Bess (Suz): 10. Tommy Harrison (Suz); 11. Logon Darien (Yam); 12. Bryon McGovran (Suz): 13. Ryan Abrigo (Suz); 14. Dylo" lord (Suz): 15. Scott Davis (Yam); 16. Chad Sanner (Kaw): 17. Brian McCulloch (Hon): 18. Adam Cini (Yam); 19. J. Martin Garcio (Suz); 20. Ryan Morois (Suz). Rllce Time: 5 min., 58.466 sec. Margin of Victory: 13.525 sec. LCQ (4 laps, 1-4 transfer): 1. Pascal Leuret (KTM): 2. Andrew Short (Suz); 3. Bryan McGavran (Suz): 4. Tommy Harrison (Suz); 5. Logan Darien (Yam): 6. Steve Mertens (Yam); 7. Scott Davis (Yam): 8. Jeremy Chaussee (Yllm); 9. Ryan Dudek (Yam): 10. Justin Mace (Kaw); 11. Cllssidy Anderson (Yam); 12. Billy Swapp (Suz); 13. Brian McCulloch (Hon): 14. Chad Sanner (Kaw); 15. Ryan Abrigo (Suz); 16. Jonathan Shimp (Kaw); 17. Dylan Lord (Suz): 18. Adam Cini (Yam); 19. Kuraudo Toda (Hon): 20. J. Martin Garcia (Suz): 21, Ryan Morllis (Suz); 22. Michael Koch (Yam). Race Time: 4 min., 13.117 sec. Margin of Victory: 3.426 sec. M.AIN EVENT (15 laps; 22 riders): I. James Stewart Jr. (Kaw); 2. Travis Preston (Hon); 3. Eric Sorby (Kaw); 4. Matt Walker (Kaw): 5. Billy LlIninovich (KTM): 6. Selin Hamblin (Suz); 7. David Pingree (Suz); 8. Joshua Hansen (Yam); 9. Tiger cue' e n e vv s FEBRUARY 12, 2003 13

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