Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

CMRA Championship Series Round 3: Oak Hill Raceway STORY AND PHOTOS BY SHAN MOORE HENDERSON, TX, APR. 12·13 irst-year CMRA Expert Michael Sanchez of Austin, Texas, and CMRA veteran and defending series champ Troy Green combined to take seven Expert sprint-race wins, collecting the bulk of the purse and Yamaha contingency money offered at round three of the CMRA Championship Series in Henderson, Texas. When all was said and done, Green walked away with $6000 for his efforts, while Sanchez added more than $2500 to his bank account. "Being in the back sucks!" exclaimed the Yamaha-mounted Green after a thrilling come-frombehind ride to take the Middleweight Superb ike Expert-class win. Green had been relegated to a fourth-row start after missing the opening Middleweight Superb ike round of the year, and as if that weren't bad enough, he didn't even get a good start from there! The Dallas resident almost jumped the start and was feathering the clutch when the flag flew, putting him somewhere slightly better than midpack when the 22rider field jetted through turn one. Up front, YZF-R6-mounted Sanchez had gotten one of his numerous holeshots of the day, and he was closely followed throughout lap one by Craig Montgomery, on a similar mount. While Sanchez and Montgomery were making time out front, Green was carefully working his way through traffic. "There were a lot of new guys further back that I've never raced with before - there's some new Experts this year," said Green. "I was comfortable racing with them, but I just didn't know exactly what they were gonna do, so I took it easy goin' by the first two or three." F 68 MAY 7, 2003' cue I ... (Above) Defending CMRA champ Troy Green (1) pocketed more than $6000 at Oak Hill Raceway, site of round three of the CMRA Championship Series. (Above right) First-year Expert Michael Sanchez is proving that he's no f1ash-in-the-pan. In the meantime, the two leaders had gotten locked into a battle that would see them separate themselves from the rest of the pack, forcing Green to step up his pace. "I was counting laps in my head and somehow lost track," Green added. "I thought I was running out of time, so 1went has hard as I could." After almost pitching it away twice on lap three (or "lap four," by his count), Green found his rhythm and proceeded to make a run at the leaders. On (the real) lap four, Green made an inside move on Montgomery at the School House turn, turn seven, and made it stick, and then immediately started to size up Sanchez. "Mike was riding really well, and we were fairly even in a lot of places," said Green. "I could get him a little bit on the brakes, but not enough to go by." In turn four, Sanchez went a little wide and Green saw his opportunity, but he decided to follow for a lap before making a move. On lap six, Sanchez went wide again, and Green went through. "I tried to keep it clean and tight," said Green. "We didn't touch, but it was close." Montgomery had been watching the battle up front from his thirdplace position and saw his chance as well, following Green through on the inside. "Sanchez is a hard guy to get around," said Montgomery of the n e vv s pass. "I was watching those two guys, and they were slowing each other up, and I wasn't sure if I could hang or not. Sure enough, when they got hooked up, Sanchez got a little wide, and that was my opportunity." In the end, Green took the hardfought win, followed by Montgomery and Sanchez. YZF-R6 rider Chris Headley of Dallas followed in fourth place. Garland's Jeremy Keller, also on a YZF-R6, was fifth. Besides the purse money offered by series sponsors Tulsa Cycle Supply and Shogun Motorsports, Yamaha offered $2000, $500 and $300 to the top three places in the Unlimited Grand Prix Expert, Middleweight Supersport Expert and Middleweight Grand Prix Expert classes, which prompted several riders, including Sanchez, to borrow Yamahas to take advantage of the chance to win additional cash. eN Oak Hill Raceway Henderson, Texas Results: April 12-13, 2003 [Round 3J L/W GP AM: I. Scott Beckley (Su,); 2. Nick Tlldlock (Hon); 3. Dwayne Sowell (Suz): 4. Mike Wright (Yam): 5. Dirk Anderson (Suz). L/W GP EX: 1. Ryan Andrews (Apr); 2. Robert Bradlaw (Suz); 3. Eric Fait (Suz); 4. Jason Pirtle (Suz); 5. Tyler McDonllld (Hon). M/W GP AM: I. Mark Delano (Suz); 2. Jimmy Smithwick (Yam): 3. Noah Reese (Hon); 4. Ken Ervin (Hon); 5. Brendan Findl11Y (Suz). M/W GP EX: 1. Michael Sanchez (Suz); 2. Chris Headley (Yam); 3. Craig Montgomery (Yam); 4. Phillip Lawlis (SOl); 5. Harry Tomlinson (Yam). all GP AM: I. Mark Delano (Suz); 2. Brendan Findlay (Suz); 3. Wade Hoak (Suz); 4. Michael Rochester (Yam); 5. Bryan West (Suz). all GP EX: 1. Troy Green (Yam); 2. Michael Sanchez (Suz); 3. Dustin Meador (Yam); 4. Crllig Montgomery (Yam); 5. Marcus McBain (Suz). SGl GP: 1. Ryan Andrews (Apr); 2. Tyler McDonald (Han); 3. Nick Tlidiock (Han); 4. Jesse Johnson (Han); 5. Emmett Dibble (Han). L/W S/BK AM.: 1. Jeremy Helms (Suz); 2. Scott Beckley (Suz); 3. Dwayne Sowell (Suz); 4. Dirk Anderson (Suz); 5. Michael Ray Lawlis (Suz). l/W S/BK EX: 1. Jason Pirtle (Suz); 2. Eric Fait (Suz); 3. Scott Levine (Suz); 4. Mark Perritte (Suz); 5. Luther Lowman (Due). M./W S/BK AM.: 1. Mark Delano (Suz); 2. Kevin Mays (Yam); 3. Bryan West (Suz); 4. John Sblendorio (Yam): 5. Nate Weber (Suz). M./W S/BK EX: 1. Troy Green (Yern); 2. Craig Montgomery (Yam); 3. Michael Sanchez (Yam); 4. Chris Headley (Yam); 5. Jeremy Keller (Yam). H/W S/BK AM.: 1. Kevin Mays (Yam); 2. Mark Delano (Suz); 3. Jason Peterson (Yam); 4. Wade Pruetz (Suz); 5. Shane Adair (Yam). H/W S/BK EX: I. Michael Sanche, (Su,); 2. Danny Dominguez (Suz); 3. Steve Breen (Yam); 4. Ronnie Lunsford (Hon); 5. Harry Tomlinson (Yam). L/W S/SPT AM: I. Jon Lampert (Su,); 2. Jeremy Helms (Suz); 3. Dwayne Sowell (Suz); 4. Dirk Anderson (Suz); 5. Michael Ray Ulwlis (Suz). LIW S/SPT EX: I. Craig Montgomery (Su,); 2. Eric Fait (Su,): 3. PhBUp LawUs (Su,): 4. A.C. Freeman Jr. (Suz); 5. Mark Perritte (SOl). M/W S/SPT AM.: I. John Sblendorio (Yam); 2. Shane Adair (Yam); 3. Kevin Mays (YlIm); 4. Nate Weber (Su,); 5. Wade Hoak (Su,). M/W S/SPT EX: I. Michael Sanche, (Yam); 2. Chris Headley (Yam); 3. Craig Montgomery (Yam); 4. Jeremy Keller (Yam; 5. Phillip lllwlis (Suz). H/W S/SPT AM: I. Joseph McCamish (Yam); 2. Bryan West (Suz); 3. Wade Hoak (Suz); 4. Wade Pruetz (Suz); 5. Kevin Mays (Yam). H/W S/SPT EX: 1. Michael Sanchez (Suz); 2. Dustin Meador (Yam); 3. Jeremy Keller (Yam); 4. Danny Dominguez (Suz); 5. Ronnie Lunsford (Hon). U/L S/SPT AM: I. Mark Delano (Su,); 2. Billy Young (Suz); 3. Nate Weber (Suz); 4. Jimmy Smithwick (Yam); 5. Kevin Mays (Yam). O/l S/SPT EX: 1. Troy Green (Yi!:lm); 2. Michael Sanchez (Suz); 3. Dustin Meador (Yam); 4. Heath Small (Yam); 5. Ronnie Lunsford (Hon). ULTRA/LT SPTSMN: I. Tyler McDonald (Yam): 2. Jay Deaton (Mor); 3. Jack Giesecke (Kaw). L/W SPTSMN AM: 1. Eric Hickling; 2. Thomas Martin Gaspard (Kaw); 3. PhJllip W. Connor (Yam); 4. Tryg Westby (SUl). L/W SPTSMN EX: 1. Randy White (Hon); 2. Ryan Andrews (Yam); 3. Laroy Montgomery; 4. Bubba Russo (Yam); 5. Scott Fisher. M./W SPTSMN AM: 1. Michael Humphries (Apr); 2. Miki Espiritu (Apr); 3. Greg LeClair (Apr). M/W SPTSM.N EX: 1. Jesse Davis (YlIm); 2. Randy White (Hon); 3. Laroy Montgomery; 4. Robert Bradlaw (Yam): 5. Todd Swearingen (Apr). S/SGL: 1. Randy White (Hon); 2. Laroy Montgomery; 3. David Eubanks (YlIm); 4. J. Scott King (Rot). S/TW AM.: 1. Kevin Eggert (Hon); 2. Michael Nellis (Hon); 3. Steve lllsker (Due): 4. Jon Weems (Suz); 5. Jeremy Helms (Suz). S/TW EX: 1. Ronnie Lunsford (Hon): 2. Ty Stranger-Thorsen (Suz); 3. Todd Thompson (Hon); 4. Tim Haas (Hon); 5. Jason Pirtle (Suz). F·40 AM.: 1. Shane Adair (Yam); 2. Michael Nellis (Hon); 3. Kevin Eggert (Hon); 4. Michael Hamric (Yam); 5. Thomas Gathright (Hon). F·40 EX: 1. Ronnie Lunsford (Han); 2. Scott Crews (Apr): 3. Scott Levine (Suz); 4. Jim Anderson (Due); 5. Billy Click (Hon). L/W MINI AM: I. Will Gruy (Yam); 2. Dirk Anderson (Yam); 3. Alex Humphries (Yam). L/W MINI EX: I. David Wilson (Yam); 2. Pat Brown (Yam). M/W MINI: I. Anthony Smith (Hon); 2. J. Scott King (Han); 3. Daniel Browning (Yam); 4. Richllrd Eads (Yam); 5. Dlivid Wilson (Hon). H/W MINI: I. Tyler McDonlild (Yam); 2. Jack Giesecke (Kaw); 3. Jay Deaton (Mor). LIW S/MINI: I. Nick Lee; 2. Laura Black (Apr); 3. James Ellds (Yam); 4. Marcus Dorsey (Yam). M/W elSC: I. Luther Lowmlln (Due); 2. Michael Chiniewicz (Suz). H/W ClSC: I. Randy White (Hon); 2. Keith Hertell (Suz); 3. Charles Christine (Hon); 4. Justin Sonnen (Hon): 5. Todd Smith (Yam). THNDRBK AM: 1. Jeremy Helms (Suz); 2. Todd Smith (YlIm); 3. Michllel RlIY Lawlis (Suz); 4. Blake Rudy; 5. Jon Weems (Suz). THNDRBK EX: 1. Eric Fait (SUI); 2. Keith Hertel1 (Suz): 3. A.C. Freeman Jr. (SUI): 4. Keith Martin (Su,). MOTARD: 1. Barry Nichols (Han); 2. Ed Burk (Hon). S/MOTARD: l. Jesse Di!:lvis (Yi!:lm); 2. Eric Fait (Suz); 3. Ryan Andrews (Yam); 4. Li!:lroy Montgomery; 5. David Eubanks (Yam). VINT: 1. Peter Pohlman (Tri); 2. Wiley Clark (Yam); 3. Anthony Wagner (Hon). S/VINT: I. Wiley Clark (Yam).

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