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AMI District 37 Desert Championship Series Round 2: Desert MC Hare & Hound Grierson 'Grinds One Out! BY KANDY THORNTON Creek County Fairgrounds Indoor Arena: Bret Sowders was the 250cc Pro-class winner at the Oklahoma Indoor Arena Race Series' third round in Kellyville. Oklahoma Indoor Arena Race Series Round 3: Creek County Fairgrounds Indoor Arena Sowders,Cartwright Conquer The Creek Randall ended up in a heap in the first turn. Ellingsworth led the restart, but steady Jerry Post reeled in the Honda rider and slid his Yamaha single underneath the startled Ellingsworth for the lead and the win. Brewster rebounded to finish third, adding to his class points lead. Randall came in fourth, keeping his second·place standing intact by a single point over Washburn, who had an off day and finished seventh. In the Vintage class, heat-race winner Charles Frazier skidded his immaculate Yamaha TI500 to yet another Creek County victory in the main event. Mike Newton finished second, Derek Marlow was third, and Speedy Amett placed fourth. Charles holds a substantial lead in the class points standings over Amett and Newton. Claremore, Oklahoma's Russ Marlin got his first Mad Dog Mini Pro win in a hard-fought contest with heat-race winner "Mad Dog" Mike Bauer. The two competitors swapped the position - and some tire rubber - several times, but the younger rider prevailed on this day. Bauer settled for second, just ahead of Jeff Bostic and Randy King. The consistent Russ now leads the points standings by a mere four points over Randy. Long-tow Johnny Johnson got the jump on the field in the Open Pro final. Sowders slipped past the Texan and looked poised for a win until hard-riding Jerry Cartwright, a stablemate of Sowders' on Orbin Adams·tuned equipment. slipped around Sowders' Honda and was gone. Sowders salvaged second to keep his points lead intact, while Johnson hung on to third on the tight track. Ryan looked good for a fourth-place finish. while Russ finished fifth to jump into a tie for second in the points standjngs. By DAN MAHONY KELLYVILLE, OK, JAN. 19 Yahoo Racing put on a rare Sunday afternoon race for round three of the Oklahoma Indoor Arena Race Series, and a good crowd showed up despite the chilly weather. A nice little bunch of Pee Wee 50cc competitors made their folks' toils worthwhile with a great showing in their main event. Colton "'Cash" Cameron. looking good after a can· vincing heat-race win, took the lead at the start of the feature, but fellow Tulsan Kinser Nayler ran the youngster down and passed him for the lead and the win on the final lap. Cameron held on for second, over Chance Rudolph, Alex Noah and Chase Mayor. Aaron Gillette had problems and finished sixth but still added to his point lead. Jesse "The Jet" Frazier jumped to the front of the Pee Wee 51cc-100cc final, but a determined Dalton Marlin rode the wheels off his Honda 80 and chased Frazier down. On the last lap, Marlin put a big-league pass on the leader to take the win. Austin Medrano finished third. Frazier still holds a five-point lead in the standings going into round four. Mounds, Oklahoma's Hunter King, smarting after losing a close heat race to Tye Kyles, got the holeshot and never looked back while winning the eocc division. The two rivals are more than 30 points ahead of anyone else in the standings. with King holding the top spot at the moment by four points. Kasey Kyles rode his Honda to a third-place finish. Jeff Brewster padded his points lead with another win in the 125cc-250cc feature. The Yamaha-mounted Brewster, who is undefeated in this class for the Yahoo series, passed Randall Gillette on the second circuit to again capture the checkers. Wichita's Phil Cheatum finished third to secure fourth in the points tally, behind Brewster, Randall, and Dylan Marlin, who ended up a disappointing fifth on this day. Jeff Kerns finished an improving fourth. Bethany, Oklahoma's Bret Sowders added to his point lead in the 250cc Pro class with little competition from Ryan Cheatum. The ever-enthusiastic Open Amateur pilots provided the fans with their own brand of "crash £, burn" throughout the day. Kevin Ellingsworth finally won his heat race. but only after crashing with Ian Washburn and Brewster and necessitating a restart. When the green light flashed for the final, Brewster and 62 FEBRUARY 26, 2003' cue I JOHNSON VALLEY, CA, JAN. 26 Desert Me is famous for putting on one of the toughest races on the AMA District 37 Desert Series calendar, and its course for 2003 lived up to its legendary status. While the first loop was a desert teaser with fast sections and sand dunes, the second loop contained all of Desert MC's trademarks. This 40-mile section was full of clutch-burning, rubber-melting and radiator-boiling uphills that had most likely never been traversed .by either man or beast. Anthony Grierson and Ryan Abbatoye waged an epic battle in the 250cc Amateur class. The win was determined by a split· second decision out on the course. There were two ways to the finish line: straight down a gnarly waterfall into a sand wash, or a longer alternate that wound around the hills and into the sand wash. Abbatoye's Team Green/GS3/ RG3 Kawasaki was in the lead at the split. and he headed down the waterfall. "There were bodies and bikes everywhere," said Abbatoye. "It really slowed me down, trying to dodge everything." Meanwhile. Grierson, on his Cycle Ser· vice/Renthal/Spectro-backed Yamaha, went for the altemate_ "I took the altemate because I already had a rear flat and didn't know if I could manage any more hills," Grierson said. "This race was all about who could hang on the longest." Grierson pulled in ahead of Abbatoye at the finish in the third overall Amateur position and first in the 250cc class. Joey Blanton had another spectacular finish aboard his CRF450R, taking his second overall win on the Amateur line in as many races. "The first loop was rough and fast - I was dicing with Abbatoye on the first loop but pulled away after the pits," noted Blanton. "The second loop was the toughest loop I have ever raced!" Another Amateur rider who found himself making a tough decision at the split was Ken Hansing. He and Craig Cannon were swapping the lead in the Senior (Over 40) 250cc class for most of the first loop. "There were so many people down on the hills that I swallowed my pride and took the alternate to stay out of the dust," Hansing said. "I want to thank the Rovers for the awe· some pit that helped me win my class today." Top overall Novice honors went to Z Racing KTM jockey Chris Hernandez, who was finally able to make his way past Matt Kiemey and his Zip-Ty/Acme-sponsored Yamaha about 10 miles from the finish. "I crashed on this off·camber section two or three miles before the finish." said Hernan· dez. "I thought Kierney would catch me." The rocky course had taken its toll, and Kierney was having his own problems that prevented him from making a charge past Hernandez. "I clipped a rock, and my bike started overheating," noted Kiemey. "I didn't want to push the bike past its limits." Kiemey had to settle for the second overall Amateur position and second in the Open Amateur class. Desert MC National Hare & Hound Johnson Valley, California Results: January 26, 2003 (Round 21 a/A: I. Russell P~arson (Yam): 2. Destry Abbott (Kaw): 3. Brilln Brown (KllW): 4. Ty Davis (Yam); 5. Stev~ Hengeveld (Hon): 6. Andy G~ (Hon): 7. David Pearson (Kaw); 8. Paul Shafer (Kaw): 9. M.lk~ Childress (Kaw): 10. Rob Phillips (KTM). OPEN EX: 1. Russell Peanon (Yam); 2. Destry Abbott (Killw); 3. Brown (Kaw): 4. Steve Hengev~1d (Hon); 5. Andy Grider (Hon). Z50 EX: I. Rob Zimmerman (Yam); 2. luke Dodson (Suz); 3. Kevin Parks (Yam); 4. Nicholas Blais (Hon): 5. K.C. Bogue (Kaw). 4-STRK EX: I. Paul Krause (KTM); 2. Joey Lanza (KTM); 3. Christoph~r Blais (Hon); 4. Quinn Cody (Hon); 5. W~s MacMillon (Yillm). 0·200 EX; 1. David R~ (KTM): 2. Kendall NOrTnilln (Hon); 3. Roger Neth (Kaw): 4. Jared Henderson (KTM): 5. Cole Cates (KTM). MINI EX; 1. Jamie Lanza (Kaw); 2. Nick Hamill (Yam). WI'\N EX: 1. K~JIy Yencey (KTM). VET OPEN EX.: 1. Ty Davis (Yam): 2. Paul Shafer (Kaw): 3. Brdl. Hoffmlln (Hon); 4. Larry Oliver (Kaw); 5. Lest~r I..ehlgh (Hon). VET Z50 EX: 1. Sean Bradley (Yam); 2. Kelly HOI (Yam); 3. Morgen Pierce (Kaw); 4. Brett Ri~ (Yam). SR OPEN EX: I. Tom Shivers (KTM); 2. Mike Korenwinder (KTM); 3. Stt!:'Ve Fry (Han): 4. Eric Anderson (Hon); 5. William Pl!OOns (KTM). SR 250 EX: I. K~vin Hasten (Yam); 2. MIlrtin B1ail (Hon): 3. Dillvid Gntham (Yam); 4. Steve Argubfight (Kaw). MAG OPE1"I EX: I. Boddy Bosh (taM); 2. Dal~ Parriott (taM); 3. Jim McCartney (KTM); 4. Art Donoho (KTM): 5. T.V. Holm~s (KTM). MAG 250 EX: 1. Keith Jon~s (GG): 2. Larry Kleinschmidt (Yam): 3. Ken Bunting (Kaw); 4. K~rry Chartier (Yam); 5. Phil Whit~ (Hon). S/SR: 1. Art Moore (KTM); 2. AI Guzman (Killw); 3. Nom Gaig~r (Yillm); 4. Roy Walson (KTM); 5. Jon Lehoum (Yom). OPEl'l AM: 1. Joey Blanton (Hen); 2. Roland Buch~r (KTM); 3. Richie Wohlers (Hon): 4. Gary Bos~mer (Kaw); 5. Darrell Amllng (Kllw). 250 A,.,: I. Anthony Grierson (Yllm); 2. Ryan Abbatoy~ (Kaw); 3. M3tt Hili (Kaw); 4. Duone Quale (Kow); 5. Matthew Z.llng (Yom). 4·STRK AM: I. Greg McGrath (Yam): 2. Nicholll!! Balderas (Yam): 3. Brian Melsh~imer (Hon); 4. Troy Walker (KTM): 5. Matt W~lch (Hon). MIMI AJ'iI.: 1. Ryan Purdy (Vllm). WMN AM: I. Susana Jones (KTM): 2. Aml~ Mann (Kaw); 3. Stacy Doerkson (SUl). VET OPEN AM: I. Travis Epperson (KTM); 2. John Frederlck (KTM): 3. Eric DeCook (Hon): 4. Barry Van Fossan (Yllm); 5. Tom Jllckson (Hon). VET 250 AM: 1. Greg Morrison (SUI); 2. Kevin Bentley (Hen): 3. Charles Bentley (Yam). Bnan Creek County Fairgrounds Indoor Arena Kellyville, Oklahoma Results: January 19. 2003 (Round 31 P/W 50: 1. Kinser Nayler; 2. Colton Cam~ron: 3. Chanc~ Rudolph: 4. Alell Noah: 5. Chase Mayor. P/W 51·100: I. Dalton Mllrlln; 2. J~sse Frllzler, 3. Austln Medrllno. 80: 1. Hunter King: 2. Tye Kyles; 3. Kasey Kyles. 125-250: 1. Jeff Brewster: 2. Randall Gillette: 3. Phil Ch~atum: 4. Jeff Kerns: 5. Dylan Marlin. 250 PRO: I. Bret Sowders; 2. Ryan Ch~atum. VINT: I. Charles Frazier. 2. Mike N~WtOfl; 3. Derek Marlow: 4. Kedrin Arnett: 5. Mike Muehlhausen. MAD DOG M.INI OPEN: 1. Russell Marlin: 2. Mike Bauer; 3. Jeff Bostic: 4. Randy King; 5. Jerry Cartwright. OPEN AM: 1. Jerry Post; 2. K~vin Ellingsworth; 3. Jeff Brewster: 4. Randall GIU~tle; 5. Jeff Kerns. OPEN PRO: I. Jerry Cartwright: 2. Bret Sowd~rs; 3. Johnny Johnson: 4. RYilln Cheilltum: 5. Russell Marlin. e n e _ s Desert MC Hare & Hound: Anthony Grierson topped the 250Cc Amateur class at round two of the AMA District 37 Desert Championship Series in Johnson Valley, California.