Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Parts Unlimited World Off-Road Championship Series (West) Round 2: Glen Helen Raceway also diced with Davis for a while take a lonely second, finishing nearly a full minute ahead of Davis when all was said and done. "It was good; I mean I always want to win, but I'm pretty happy to finish second to these guys," said Russ, whose bike sounded a little worse for wear when he crossed the finish line. "I was getting a little worried because my bike was beginning to sound raspy, but I didn't know why, but probably the exhaust. I think it took a rock or something. There was about 20 minutes left, and I thought, 'Uhoh.' I was afraid something was about to break and fall off.» Davis was hoping to get a good start and run with Hughes, hoping to take advantage of Hughes' long pit stops, but a so-so start all but dashed away those hopes. Instead, Davis had to overcome an eighth-place start and spend most of the race working his way to the front. "After I got a bad start, I just told myself to ride smooth, take it easy, and I just started picking guys off," he said. At one point, Davis ran as high as second when Russ washed out and fell, but Russ passed him back when Davis pitted. (Russ had pitted the lap before.) "I started getting tired and backed it off a little," Davis said. "I didn't want to end up in the hospital again." Yamaha-mounted Lance Smail also rode well. He fought through numerous mini battles throughout the race, a couple of which involved him and Kawasaki rider Sheak. They spent many laps nose to tail; Smail broke away late in the race. Smail 18 FEBRUARY 19, 2003' cue before eventually taking fourth, finishing more than a minute behind Davis. After a strong showing, Sheak ended his day in the ambulance. Sheak was making a move on Davis for third late in the race when he reportedly overjumped a jump, crashed, and was carted off with a possible rib injury. Nathan Woods, a regular in the Four-Stroke National MX Series, rounded out the top five overall. Woods ran as high as third early in the race and ran among the leaders throughout. He and Suzuki rider Robert Naughton engaged in a fierce, last-lap duel that saw Woods get the BRIEFLY••• If it wasn't for bad luck... Shane Watts, who came into Glen Helen already a little banged up after crashing at the Hollister National Hare Scrambles a week earlier, suffered another serious injury. Walls was competing on Saturday when he went down coming out of Glen Helen's banked first tum - a very fast section of the track. Walls went down and was reportedly run over by the pack of nders. Initial reports have it that Watts broke both the tibia and fibula bones in his leg and will. once again, be out of action for quite some time. KTM' s Kurt Caselli was another member of the walking wounded at Glen Helen. Caselli was forced to sit out the race because of an injury. "Last week, at the Big 6 GP in Taft [Califomial, I crashed and tore the rotator cup in my shoulder, - Caselli said, "I'm hoping I'll be okay to ride the Adelanto GP [in two weeksl." Caselli was thinking about campaigning the entire West/East WORCS series, but the injUry could force a change in his plans. Team Honda's Johnny Campbell made his second appearance of the year in the WORCS series, Campbell, who focuses his allention on the SCORE Baja Series and the Best in the Desert Series aboard the XR650R. says he enjoys the WORCS races but probably won't ride the whole series. "We'll see," Campbell said, When asked If he plans on riding the next round at Lake Havasu, he said, "I don't know; It's the day after San Felipe [SCOREl, and that might be a little too much, especially since I've heard that Havasu was pretty rough last year." The Glen Helen round of the WORCS series was one of three rounds of the series that will be offering $5000 to the winner of the Pro class (as long as there are 40 or more riders entered). The Ocala, Florida, and Stillwater, Oklahoma, rounds are the other two. Second place pays S1200, and third place $750. The purse pays back to 15th. upper hand. "We battled the last three laps," Woods said. "We got into lappers the lappers were bad today - and he got past me twice, and I passed him back twice. It was a lot of fun." Naughton finished out the race in sixth, about 20 seconds ahead of Campbell, who was followed by Abbott, Tilley and Gurnee. eN lien Helen Raceway San Bemardine, CaJifomia Results: Febl1lary 9, 2003 [Round 2 of II PRO/SEMI PRO O/A: 1. Ryan Hughe, (KTM): 2. Russ Pearson (Yam); 3. Ty Davis (Yam): 4. Lance Smllil (Yam); 5. Nathan Woods (Yam); 6. Robert Naughton (Suz): 7. Johnny Campbell (Hon); 8. As mentioned. the Glen Helen course was basically a full-on motocross that featured very (and we mean very) lillie in the way of "off-road.' Some of the trails around the facility have been permanently and/or temporarily closed, which pretty much forced Cross Roads Adventures (CRAl - the promoters of the series - to combine Glen Helen's two main motocross tracks. which equaled out to approximately three miles per lap. "We wanted to utilize more trails but couldn't," CRA's Dave Hamel said. "We look at this as being our motocross event - after all. our series is designed to determine just who is the best all·around off-road rider. Overall, it was a good event." As motocross-y as the race was, most of the off·road specialists still seemed to enjoy the course. "Yeah, it was fun,' Russ Pearson said. "I think ~'s kind of good to have one or two motocross-style rounds. I mean, the idea is to find the best off-road guy, and I think it's a good. different aspect. Like I said, one or two are okay. but any more. I'd have to say something.• Speaking of Pearson, he figured the Glen Helen round would be a motocross. so he hooked up with Mike Healey for a one-day lesson on motocross before the Glen Helen race. "It was good," Pearson said. "I leamed a few things; we worked mostly on cornering. I was able to follow Ryan [Hughesl and Ty [Davis] for a little b~, and they carry so much momentum through the comers. I've got to work on that. " Destry Abbott (Kaw); 9. Mark TIlley (Hon); 10. Carter Gurnee (Hon); 11. Josh McLevy (Yam); 12. Ryan Dudek (Yam); 13. Brian Garrahan (KTM): 14. Derek Mahoney (Hon); 15. David Pearson (Kaw); 16. Ben (Center! Nathan Woods rode well for the entire two hours and rounded out the top five. Hale (KTM); 17. Bryce Olson (KTM); 18. Joey Lan,a (KTM); 19. John Beal (GG); 20. We' MacMillan (Yam). I (Left) Lance Small had battles with seemingly everybody on the track and was finally rewarded with fourth place. (Right) Scott Sheak was dicing with Davis for third late In the race when he crashed out. II! neVIl's

• Cover