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CMC Copperstate Classic Motocross Championships Round 1: Thrasher/and Motocross Park Clay Higgins topped the 85cc (14-161. Supennini and 125cc Junior classes at the opening round of the CMC Copperstate Classic Motocross Championships. STORV AND PHOTOS BV ROBERT VAN DAMME GLENDALE, AZ, FEB. 2 lay Higgins dogged the competition like a Doberman Pinscher and came away with three overall wins and a second at the first round of the CMC Copperstate Classic Moto-cross Championships, presented by Franklin [, Associates, FMF and Bent Clothing. The Pro Circ uit/Thor/Pit/ N -Sty Ie/Be nt- sponsored Higgins took the overall victories in the 85cc (14-16), Supermini and 125cc Junior classes. Ryan Robinson grabbed the lead in the first 125cc Junior moto, followed by Steve Schwartz, Kyle Jones, Higgins and Ryan Nasser. Jones took the faster outside line in tum three and went around Schwartz for third. By lap two, Robinson was 10 bikelengths clear of the pack. Then, on the third go-around, Higgins passed Schwartz on the start straight for third. Jones went wide after the finish-line jump, and Higgins went underneath for second. tion, the pass was deemed legal. Higgins went on for the win, while Robinson held off Jones for second. Fourth went to Schwartz. Then came Nasser, D.C. Jones, Kyle Strippleman and Mike NagaI. That was the second race of the day, and by race five the CMC officials had corrected that section with hay bales and banners. Kyle Jones took the lead as the pack came around turn one for the "Jones went outside in the turn," recounted Higgins. "Then he dove inside, and I went from the inside to the outside and kind of cut him off." It then took one lap for Higgins to close the gap to Robinson. On lap four, Higgins carried so much momentum on the Bent Hill that he jumped down the hill from five bikelengths back right to Robinson's rear wheel. On the last lap, Higgins surprised Robinson by jumping farther on the side hill section, landing on the side that goes down into The Pit. The move was considered questionable by some participants, as it carried Higgins (and other riders in different classes) over the outside of a berm that was determined later to be off the course. This allowed Higgins to cut out the turn on the side hill. Since there were no banners or hay bales there to determine the course direc- second moto. Schwartz was second, followed by Nagai and Derrick Geiser. Then, as the pack came down Bent Hill, Robinson was fourth, and then came Higgins, Rocky Colasocco, Geiser and Strippleman. On the next go-around, Higgins passed Robinson for fourth. Higgins nabbed third from Nagai as the two approached the first turn. Nasser moved by Geiser and Colasocco for seventh. On lap four, Higgins started wide on Schwartz and then cut to the inside on the righthander and moved into second. Robinson went by Nagai for fourth on the start straight. Kyle went on to win the moto, followed by Higgins, Schwartz, Robinson, Nagai, Strippleman and Nasser. At the start of the first Supermini moto, the Wharton brothers - Blake and Tyler, who had made the trek from Texas - led the field of 32 C 42 FEBRUARY 19, 2003' cue competitor, Bryan Ehrman, in both 250cc motos. Bryan Allen battled with Jeremy Scism in the opening laps of both motos of the 250cc Pros to garner the overall. eN Thrasherland Motocross Park Glendale, Arizona Results: February 2, 2003 (Round 11 I .. ne""s entrants. Higgins sat in third, followed by Austin White, Taylor Roberts, Buddi Bruner and Josh Coleman. On the second lap, Higgins passed Tyler on the west side for second. Then Tyler and White battled for several laps until White made the pass just before the side hill. In lapped traffic, Blake pulled away from Higgins to take the moto win. Third went to White, with Tyler in the next slot. Roberts, Bruner, Coleman, Jeremy Williamson, Daniel Huddleston and Steven Stultz rounded out the top 10. Blake was once again out in front in the second moto, followed by Tyler and Higgins. Higgins made quick work of Tyler as they came off the tabletop jump. Then, just before the end of lap two, Higgins broke late into the corner coming down the hill and tucked inside of Blake, taking the lead. Williamson passed Coleman in the second corner for fifth. Then Higgins turned the tables on Blake and used lapped traffic to pull clear of him. Bruner tried several times to pass Tyler, with no success. Higgins took the win. Then came Blake and Tyler, followed by Bruner, Williamson and Coleman. Paul Pearcy doubled up by taking the overall win in the 125cc and 250cc Intermediate classes. Pearcy was challenged by Chris Blose in the second 125cc moto. Blose led for the first half of the race, but Pearcy methodically closed the gap and passed him on the start straight. Pearcy pulled away from his nearest P/W BEG: I. Ethon Geyer (KTM); 2. Johnny Garcia (KTM); 3. John Humphrey (Pol); 4. Hunter Jones (Hon); 5. Lacey Thorpe (KTM). P/W (4-6): 1. Chauncy Mathis (Cob); 2. Datton Sneed (Cob); 3. Jon Ames (KTM); 4. Carlos Arenas (Cob); 5. Erick Eckstein (Hus). P/W (7·8): I. Cody Thomos (Cob); 2. Jocob Fox (Cob); 3. Corey Markh8m (Cob): 4. Hayden Vance (Cob); 5. William Renville (Cob). P/W OPEN: l. Corey Markham (Cob); 2. William Renville (Cob): 3. Cody Thomlls (Cob); 4. Vincent Taylor (Cob); 5. Carlos Arenas (Cob). 65 BEG: I. Andrew Campogno (KTM); 2. Alec Vllnce (KllW); 3. Colton Chapp (KllW); 4. Dekota Cornelius (Kaw); 5. Conner Reeves (KllW). 65 (0-8): 1. Cody McElroy (KTM); 2. Cody Thomas (Kaw); 3. Russell Longo (KTM); 4. Austin Wells (KllW); 5. &i1ey Bruner (KllW). 65 (9- t t): I. Blllke Wherton (KllW); 2. Cole Martinez (KllW); 3. Austin Burns (KllW); 4. Kohl Hopper (KTM); 5. Alex Dunch (Kaw). 65 OPEN: I. Blake Wharton (Kaw); 2. Dillon Huddleston (Kaw); 3. Austin Bums (Kaw); 4. Cory Porter (Suz); 5. Kohl Hopper (KTM). 65 BEG: 1. Seth Anderson (KllW); 2. VIncent Vaccaro (Hon); 3. Dllniel Leigh (Hon); 4. Troy Shelton (Yam); 5. lack Anderson (KllW). 85 (7·11): I. Blake Wharton (Kaw); 2. Brodie Prather (Kaw); 3. Cole Martinez (Suz); 4. Dillon HuddJeston (Kaw); 5. Austin Bums (KllW). 85 (12·13): 1. Tyler Wharton (Kow); 2. Taylor Roberts (Hon); 3. Buddi Bruner (Kaw); 4. Jeremy Williamson (Kew); 5. Dougl"s French (Yllm). 85 (14· t 6): l. ClllY Higgins (KllW); 2. Austin White (Yem); 3. Ryne Hess (Hon); 4. Dllniel Huddleston (Kaw); 5. Tyler Uttiefield (Suz). S/MINI: 1. Clay Higgins (Kew); 2. Blake Whllrton (Kaw); 3. Tyler Whllrton (Kew); 4. Buddi Bruner (KllW); 5. Austin White (Yam). 125 BEG: I. Eric Ivarsson (Han); 2. Thomas Benge (Yllm); 3. Wesley Geyer (Hon); 4. Shllwn Riordan (Suz); 5. Henry Tover (Yam). 125 JR: I. Clay Higgins (Kaw); 2. Kyle Jones (Kaw): 3. Ryan Robinson (Yam); 4. Steve SChWllrtz (KllW); 5. Ryan Nasser (Y8m). 125 INT: 1. Paul Pearcy (Kaw): 2. Chris Blose (KTM); 3. Bryan Ehrman (Kaw); 4. Derek Vusovich (Hon). 125 SCHBV (12·16): I. Chris Blose (KTM); 2. Clay Higgins (Kaw); 3. Ryen Robinson (Yam): 4. Kyle Jones (Kaw); 5. Alex Haag (Han). 125 PRO: 1. Jeremy Scism (Y8m). 250 BEG: I. Lee Hertz (Vam): 2. Shawn Sheble (Yam); 3. Josh Gamble (Suz); 4. Tr8vis Mullins (Hon); 5. Jason Lusk (Han). 250 JR: 1. Steve Schwartz (Ke..... ); 2. Sh8un Robert (Han); 3. D.C. Jones (Yam); 4. J8mes Buchanan (Hon); 5. Derek Allen (Yllm). 250 INT: 1. Paul Pellrcy (Kaw); 2. Bryan Ehrman (Kaw); 3. Josh Wligner (Yam); 4. Korey W8hlmlln (Hon); 5. James Bellinger (Kaw). 250 PRO: I. Brylin Allen (Hon); 2. Jeremy Scism (Yam); 3. Jason McTygue (Hon); 4. Brllndon Schlensig (Hon). 25+ AM: 1. Shllun Robert (Han); 2. JlImes Bellinger (Kaw); 3. Robert Willillms (Hon); 4. Julilln Santa Cruz (Yam); 5. Tommy Chllp.ll (Yam). 30 ... BEG: I. Eric Draper (Hon); 2. Bill Shugg (Kaw); 3. Pliul Robertson (Yllm); 4. Jason Lusk (Hon); 5. Jeff Ramsey (Vam). 30+ JR: 1. Kelly Olson (Suz); 2. Mike Lynch (Yam); 3. Steve Price (Yam); 4. Kevin Gorski (Hon); 5. Wally Brown (Hon). 30+ TNT: 1. Sh8un Robert (Han); 2. Mlirk Marshall (Vam); 3. Andy Brown (Hon). 40+ AM: I. Kevin Gorski (Han): 2. Dennis McKnight (Hon); 3. Jeremy Smith (Y"m): 4. Steve Areas (Hon); 5. Raymond Puhr (YlIm). 40. MSTR: 1. John Imbriale (KTM). B/BK OPEN: 1. Bryan Ehrman (Kaw); 2. Brandon Schlensig (Hon); 3. Derek Vusovich (Hon); 4. Derrick Brennan (Yam). Paul Pearcy won four out of four motos in the 125cc and 250cc Intennediate classes in Glendale, Arizona.