Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

CCE Regional Arenacross Series First Union Arena Neese Notable at First Union By JIM P. SANDERSON Sovereign Bank Arena: Bolton, England's James Mann enjoys the spotlight after winning the main event in Trenton, New Jersey, and wrapping up the 27th annual World Cup ICE Speedway Championship by a wide points margin. World Cup ICE Speedway Championship Series Round &: Sovereign Bank Arena Mann Crowned King at Sovereign Finale By GARy DENSFORD TRENTON, NJ, FEB. 21 The final round of the 27th annual World Cup ICE Speedway Championship Series was ready to take place at the beautiful Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey, but first, two hours before the event's start time, the first-ever ICE Pit Pass Party was held. It was a big success, with 400 excited race fans taking part in getting to know the stars of World Championship ICE Speedway and learning some details about the specialized machines they ride. For a full hour, there was a whole lot of hand shaking, photo taking and autograph signing taking place. As the lights went up and a large crowd joined the early Pit Partygoers in taking their seats, the racing began. Riders competed in a series of heat races, scored by points. The first heat saw North Carolina's Paul Normandin take a hard spill in the first turn that ended his hopes for the night. He was only shaken up, but his Jawa was terminal. Bolton, England's James "Mad Dog" Mann, the current WC points leader, went on to win that particular event. Other heat-race winners of the night were New Yorker Craig Estelle, Nevada's Bill Hermant, and the 2003 Bob Hetrick Memorial Sportsman Award recipient, England's Will Beverage. With all the points tallied from the night's preliminary racing, the big race was set and ready to go. Six riders lined up for the final main event of the season to compete for six laps. On the outside of the second row was Hermant, inside of him was New York's Rick DeHart, and Beverage lined up on the inside of the back row. Ten yards ahead, lined up on the outside of the front row, was 16-year-old rookie sensation Chris Strong from New York, next to him was Estelle, and Mann lined up on the pole. The racers rolled in and staged. Official starter Patrick "Pork Chop" Myers liked what he saw and released the gate, and they were off! Mann took the early lead from the start and through turns one and two. The competition was fierce just behind him. as Beverage blew by Strong to take away third place. As second-placed Estelle tried to chase down Mann, Beverage had his sights set on Estelle. "Wild" Will chased down Estelle and on lap three went for the pass: He went in under Estelle as they entered the first tum. The two riders were wheel to wheel mjdway through the tum when Estelle suddenly lost it and was sent out high into the crash pads. The race continued, while the fallen Estelle quickly got up and out of harm's way. Mann was consistently stretching his lead, while Beverage tried his hardest to catch him. Behind the two leaders, a good battle was going on for the third and final podium position between the youngest rider in the event, Strong, and the oldest, Hermant, at age 50. While the older veteran gave it a good shot, youthful ambition won the brass ring on this night. Mann continued to pull away to win his fifth straight main event, thus placing a huge exclamation point on his great World Championship season! Second place went to Beverage, Strong held on for third, Hermant was fourth, DeHart was fifth, and Estelle was scored sixth. In his third ICE season, Mann won his first World Championship with a dominating performance. He won five of the seven main events he contested, winning the overall World Championship by a very comfortable final points margin. At just 19 years of age, "Mad Dog" may have many more championships in his future. He now returns to England to compete for the Somerset and Mildenhall speedway teams. This was the first-ever ICE Speedway Championship event to be held in New Jersey, and it was a big hit. Refiecting back on last year's World Championship Series, this year has to be considered an impressive season especially considering the state of the economy, and the fact that much of the season was run under the threat of terrorism. The credit for this success goes to all the great race fans and special supporters. ICE's 28th Championship season will begin next January. Many special events around the country are being planned, including the inaugural World Championship Open. This long-anticipated event is set for the first weekend in February at the brand-new Orleans Arena in the most famous city in the world, Las Vegas. Nevada! The efforts of all the race fans, supporters, racers and staff who continue to make this all possible are much appreciated, as are those of the men and women in our armed forces. Stay safe, and see you next year! WILKES-BARRE, PA, FEB. 28 Husqvarna's Jim Neese of Greensboro, North Carolina, topped both the 125cc and 250cc Pro/Expert-class podiums at the WilkesBarre round of Clear Channel Entertainment's Regional Arena-cross series at the First Union Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Friday night. Neese currently leads the regional series points chase. . In preliminary qualifying. Neese won the second 125cc Pro/Expert heat race and transferred directly to the 125cc main, but things were a little harder in the 250cc heat race; he finished fourth and had to go to the 250cc semi. Neese got the holes hot in the 250cc Pro/Expert semi and went to the checkered flag unchallenged for another easy win. Team Green Kawasaki's Matt Barnes took the runner-up spot on the 125cc Pro/Expert podium. Suzuki pilot Mike Katin of East Sparta, Ohio, finished third in both the 125cc and 250cc Pro/Expert main events. Rossini Racing Products' Ty Wallace earned runner-up honors in the 250cc Pro/Expert main. Crossroad Powersports/RRP·backed local rider Damien Plotts, AMA National number 46, won both the Extreme Jump-Off contest and the fast and furious Dash For Cash but had some bad luck in the 125cc and 250cc Pro/Expert mains, where he finished seventh in both. Plotts was running third in the 125cc main when he caught RRP teammate Wallace in second and went for the block-pass following the huge Dunlop Catapult, but instead of making the pass, the two came together, and both went down. Plotts had more bad luck in the 250cc main. Plotts nailed the holeshot aboard the big Honda thumper and led for three laps until Neese managed to get by for the lead. Plotts took his time and closed the gap on Neese and went for the pass on lap eight of the 14-lap 250cc main event. The pass was successful, and Plotts took the point position, but on the following lap, disaster reared its ugly head again: As Plotts exited the rhythm section, his hand came off the bars, and he went down. Plotts soldiered on to a seventhplace finish. Neese got his Husky off the gate ahead of the pack and nailed the holeshot in the 125cc three-second advantage over Wallace. Plotts used a textbook block-pass at the exit of the rhythm section to take third from Chester, who was relegated to fourth. Barnes passed Katin for fifth. The top five remained unchanged until lap seven, when Barnes caught and passed Chester for fourth. On the following lap, Plotts caught Wallace and went for the block·pass following the Dunlop Catapult, but the two came together and both went down, giving Neese an easy 125cc main-event win. Rounding out the top five were Barnes, Katin, Chester and Jamie Bird. Plotts got his booming Honda thumper off the start ahead of the pack and rounded the first tum of the 250cc Pro/Expert main event with the early lead. Trailing him were Neese, Wallace, Katin, Bird and Barnes. On lap three, Neese managed to get around Plotts for the point. Plotts was relegated to the runner-up position. Wallace was holding his own in third, while Barnes was on the move and was now fourth, dropping Katin to fifth. The top five remained unchanged for the next five laps. On lap eight, Plotts closed the gap on Neese and made the pass for the lead. Neese dropped to second. On the very next lap, Plotts lost control of the big thumper exiting the rhythm section and went down, giving Neese the lead. Wallace inherited second. Barnes was third, Katin fourth and Bird fifth. Neese had plenty of room after Plotts crashed, ensuring him the 250cc main-event win. Rounding out the top five were Wallace, Kalin, Barnes and Chester. First Union Arena Wilkes~Barre, Pennsylvania Results: February 28, 2003 50 (7-8); 1. Brett Cooper (KTM): 2. Bobby Upya'nek (KTM); 3. Dylan Wolfe (Cob): 4. Stephen Buss (KTM): 5. Brandon Innes (Cob). 6S (7-11): I. Jesse Kuzbyt (KTM): 2. Benjamin Rio (KlIw): 3. Aaron Mulhern (KTM); 4. Jonathan Dlinieis (KlIw); 5. Justin Maylbth (Kaw). 65 (12.15); 1. Davey Fraser (Suz); 2. Marshall Hurd (Sm); 3. Shllne Burnett (Suz); 4. Uoyd Wlldoner (Yam); 5. WlIlter Bleich (Hon). 125 NOV: I. Chris Deleo (Yam): 2. Robert Stanton (Kaw): 3. Dan Leclair (Han); 4. Jim Ide (KTM): 5. Michael Pagano (Yam). 125 INT: 1. David Sterritl (KTM): 2. Chris Macan (Yam): 3. Shewn Clilabrese (Yem); 4. Donny Buchter (KlIw): 5. Roger Hummer (Han). 125 PRO/EX: J. Jim Neese (Hus); 2. Matt Barnes (KlIw); 3. Mike Katin (Suz); 4. Jim Chester (Suz): 5. Jamie Bird (Yam). 250 NOV: l. Glen Barillo (Han); 2. Kirk Jacobs (Hon); 3. John Sc:hafJt (Kaw); 4. Aaron Wegerski (Hon): 5. Joseph Liparela (Yam). 250 INT: 1. David Sterritt (Yam): 2. Joseph Savitsky (Suz): 3. Frank Hughes (Yam): 4. Chris RlIdvllnyl (Yam): 5. Roger Hummer (Han). 250 PRO/EX: 1. Jim Neese (Hus); 2. Ty Wallace (Hon): 3. Mike Katln (Sut): 4. Matt Barnes (Kaw); 5. Jim Chester (Suz). JUMP-OFF: 1. Dlimien Plotts (Han): 2. M

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