Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128208
CCS Sprint Series Round 1: Firebird Raceway East Firebird Raceway East Chandler, Arizona Results: March 15-16, 2003 (Round 11 Rain Reins In CCS SW Opener By MICHAEL Ross CHANDLER, AZ, MAR. 15-16 The season opener for the Southwest region of the CCS Sprint Series was nearly a washout. A new schedule for 2003 sawall of the Sprint races moved to Sunday, and. as it turned out, only seven races could be run before a sudden, violent thunderstorm dumped enough rain on Firebird that it literally became a lake. The pits were inundated, and parts of the 1.20-mile Firebird East track were under water. This was the first time in 15 years that a race has been rained out at Firebird. Race director Randy Stem ca lied a riders' meeting shortly after the Heavyweight Superbike race was red-flagged before it even started to tell the racers that road-race manager Kevin Elliott made the call that racing was unsafe and had to be scrubbed. Stem went on to explain that Suzuki Cup contingency money would still be available at the next scheduled race at Firebird on April 12. In order to make room for the remaining 11 races to be run at the next event, Stem promised that the Phillips Lockhart Track Riders track day would be canceied. Despite the inclement weather on Sunday, Saturday featured three exciting 3D-minute events. In two of them, current CCS numberone plate holder Brian Long and iocal hero Mark Ledesma went head to head with magazine editor Nick lenatsch. GT Ughts was the first race of the day, and Long took the first of many holeshots on the weekend. Long handjly won with a 3.2-second lead. After a quick pit stop, Long was back on track for the start of the GTU race. Long took the lead and tried to pull away, this time with Nick Moore and Mark Ledesma trying to catch him. Ledesma, on the CBR600F4i, found his way past Moore and then Long on lap six. The North Valley Honda technician was turning slightly quicker laps than Long, and he began to ease away despite heavy lapped traffic, but the finishing order was anything but set. By halfway, Ledesma was out front by two seconds over Long, who had three seconds on Matt Hartlieb. Sanders was fourth; Moore was closing. Unfortunately, Moore nearly fell off his bike when his foot slipped off the inside footpeg in tum 10 and he ran off the track, forcing Corey Sarros to take to the dirt to avoid him. This allowed lenatsch to take fifth. As the laps started to wind down, Ledesma led Long, followed by Hartlieb and Sanders. lenatsch held down fifth, two seconds ahead of Jason Catching, who was catching lenatsch. In fact, Catching had been trailing lenatsch for nearly the entire race, and he even made a pass in traffic, but lenatsch eventually took fifth. Catching had to settle for sixth. On the last lap, Ledesma's bike suddenly stopped running just past the start/finish line. He managed to get it restarted, but not before Long, Hartlieb and Sanders got past. Initially, Ledesma reported that he had run out of gas, but on Sunday he realized that the "tip-over" switch had come loose and was cutting off the ignition. In the GTO race, Long took another holeshot. Ledesma stalled his ex-Erion 954 and got away dead last after a bump-start from a comer worker. Long led lenatsch, Eric Anderson, Scott Jensen, Todd Costly, Sarros and Joe Dawson. The order stayed the same for two laps, but Jensen was headed for the front. He passed Anderson for second and then lenatsch on the next lap. One lap later, Jensen took the lead. Although Jensen was out front, the spectators were watching Ledesma. He sliced through traffic, and by halfway he was third, behind lenatsch. He passed lenatsch with 10 minutes to go and started to pull away, but he wasn't putting a dent in Jensen's lead. With two laps left, lenatsch passed Ledesma back to take second. Jensen took the win, followed by lenatsch, Ledesma and Sanders. "I got arm pump pretty good," said Jensen, all smiles after the race, "but I got out front and just tried to be consistent. I got into two lappers in turn three, and we rubbed elbows and knees, but I just kept pushing the front hard. I gotta say I like my Pirellis. The front was sliding, but it would come back [from the slide]." Sunday dawned with heavy overcast, and rain was forecast, but the racing started on a dry track. Five races later, as the Heavyweight Superbike class gridded up, the rain came down. The starter was waiting for the first wave to clear turn one before he flagged off the second wave, but it soon became apparent that he couldn't see turn one in the heavy downpour. The race was red-flagged, and everyone sought shelter from the torrential downpour. Flrebird Raceway East: Mark Ledesma is en route to a Middleweight Superbike win at the CCS Sprint Series opener in Chandler, Arizona_ 78 APRIL 9,2003' c u e I ... neVIl's M/W S/BK AM: I. Jon Blaylock (Hon): 2. Rodney Sherman (Yam); 3. John Wehrli (Yam); 4. Brad Hendry (SUI): 5. Joseph Philbrook (Hon). M/W S/BK EX: 1. Mark Ledesmll (Hen); 2. Brian Long (Suz): 3. Joseph Ollwson (Suz); 4. Nick Moore: (Suz); 5. Jason Catching (Yam). U/l S/SPT AM: I. Matthew Bollmlln (Doc): 2. Jon Blaylock (Hen); 3. David Ye5kl (Yllm): 4. Shawn Poole (Yllm): 5. Rodney Shermlln (Yllm). l/W GP AM: I. WlIIlllm Busche (Yam): 2. Robert Gre:sens (Apr); 3. Mike Haaren (SOl); 4. MllUhew Buck (SOl); 5. Scott Vorreyer (Hon). l/W GP EX: I. Nick lenatsch (Suz): 2. Brian long (Suz): 3. Andre: Castanos (Suz): 4. Rylln Meskimen (Suz); 5. Jason Catching (S",). M/W GP A.M.: I. Shllwn Poole (Yam); 2. John Wehrli (Yam): 3. Billy Barr (Suz); 4. Kyle Sc:ou (Suz); 5. Trisl:an Schoenwald (Hen). M/W GP EX: 1. Scott Wilcox (Hon): 2. Brian long (Sol); 3. Nick Moore (Suz); 4. Terry Embury (Kaw): 5. Thomas Westfall (Suz). GP Seil..; 1. Jon Schendel (Yam): 2. John Barr (Yam): 3. William Dale Whelan (Yam). S/SGl: 1. Ollvld AJexllnder (Muzl: 2. Branden Yoder (Yam); 3. Elaine Seasly (Ml,lt). ULTRA l/W SPTSMN: l. Rick el1lmeT (Kaw). M/W SPTSMN AM: 1. Robert Gresen! (Apr); 2. Andy Finn (Kew). M/W SPTSMN EX: I. Brian Bertlow (Apr); 2. Charles Coyle (Kew): 3. Mlchllel Ross (Hon): 4. Dave Ramsey (Vern). F·4Q..vI: I. Thomas Tatcsilm (SUI): 2. Kenny Dallas (Yam); 3. Eric Ebert (Suz); 4. Joe Jackson (Suz). F·40 EX: I. Peter Spilger (Due); 2. Brion Long (Suz); 3. Roddy Cooper (Yam); 4. Rick Stratton (Hon); 5. J8lTle! Davis (Kllw). GTO AM: 1. Matthew Bollman (Due); 2. Robert Home (Kewl; 3. Robert Sneddon (Yam): 4. Shawn HlIrris (Su:); 5. James Joyce (Yam). GTO EX: I. Scott Jensen (Suz); 2. Nick lenlllsc:h (Sut): 3. MtIrk Ledesma (Hon): 4. Devid Sanders (Hon); 5. Eric Andel"5Ofl (Sull. GTU AlII: I. Rodney Shemuin (Yam): 2. Jon Blaylock (Hon): 3. Billy BaIT (8Ul); 4. Kyle Scott (SUl): 5. John Wehrli (Yam). OTO EX: 1. Brian Long (Suz); 2. Mlltthew Hartlieb (SUI): 3. DllVld Sanders (SUI): 4. Mllrk Ledesmll (Hon): 5. Nick lenlltsch (Vam). GT LIGHTS AM: I. Jonllthlln D. Schendel (Vam); 2. Mike Haaren (Suz): 3. Robert Gre:sens (Apr): 4. Scott Vorre:yer (Hen): 5. Brian Bernard (Suz). aT UOHTS EX: 1. Brllln Long (Sut): 2. Rylln Meskimen (Suz); 3. Scott WIICOlC (SUI); 4. Jon Schendel (Yllm): 5. Brian Bartlow (Apr). Riders' Spring Shootout Series Round 4: Riverside MX Orange Crush: KTMs Level Riverside By HUGH GATUN NEWTON, AL, MAR. 2 After the consecutive rainouts and a break for the Atlanta Supercross, the second annual Riders' Spring Shootout Series got rolling again at Riverside MX, site of round four. Riders from four states and Canada were on hand. Rounds two and three of the Cycle Nation/Bulldog Cycle/Circle B Contractingsponsored series will be made up by rain dates. KTM riders made a strong showing, with 4D total entries and 11 class victories. Canadian Justin Thompson and Cairo, Georgia's Brad Johnson led the way with two wins apiece. Florida Motorsports-backed Jason Swain was nearly as productive, with a win and a second-place finish. The Sports Center's Cole Boutwell led the first 125cc Money/125cc B mota, followed by Thompson, Canada's Fred Roy, and Cody Johnson. Thompson put immediate pressure on Boutwell and passed him over the finishline tabletop at the end of lap one. The top two were the only ones to clear the new triple jump. Another Canadian, Jay Thompson, moved to fourth and closed on Roy at the finish. Justin slowly pulled away from a determined Boutwell for the win. Swain placed fifth, and Clay Downing picked up sixth when Cody Johnson went down in an Sturn. With daylight beginning to fade, Justin nailed the start of race two. Boutwell passed both Roy and Cody for second. Justin remained in full control to the finish. Downing moved his YZI25 up a notch to fifth. In the first 250cc Money/250cc Brace, Buck Hartzog got the holeshot but went wide in the first turn. Both Justin and Roy went underneath him. Swain moved to third, and Hartzog dropped out with mechanical trouble. Guy Santucci held fourth. On lap three, Roy stepped off his Honda in the S section, and Swain took second. Justin ran his machine wide open through the sweepers and won by half a lap. Swain lowsided on the last go-around. and Roy reclaimed second. Justin gated first in race two. Roy nailed turn two and got by Swain for second. He chased Justin the entire distance but was unable to close the gap. Swain stayed ahead of Santucci for third. Making a strong return from serious injury, Cycle Nation rider Clint Stagner absconded with the holeshot in the first 250cc C mota, ahead of RM-mounted Landon Carter and Jeremy Richard. KTM riders Taylor Reynolds and Chad Earl motored past Richard on lap two. At the halfway point, Stagner held back a vigorous challenge from Carter and appeared to have the win wrapped up - but he stalled his YZ450 on the final lap and handed the victory to Carter. Riverside MX: Jason Swain was a key player in the KTM onslaught in Newton, Alabama, which Included 40 entries and 11 class victories. Swain topped the 250cc B class and placed second in Over 30 competition_