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/128214
(Above) Brian Brown (shown) and David Pearson rode hard but felt "off," ending up fourth overall. Campbell and Hengeveld earned $7000 for being the overall motorcycle team winners. ed again, and we went back [to second placej. I was probably about 10 seconds behind him at pit eight; I passed him in the pits, then Johnny brought 'er home." Third overall with a time of 4:35:51 belonged to the FMF/GPR/ Motorex KTM 525 MXC of Kurt Caselli and Joey Lanza, who were the fifth and final starters in the Open Pro division. "The start was really crazy," Lanza said. "It was really fast at first, then it dropped into real sketchy, high-speed rocky stuff. It was pretty scary. I caught a Yamaha [ridden by Robert Marshall] about 10 miles in. I was right behind him, and he crashed rea! big I I stopped for him for about a minute and just checked to make sure he was all right; he was fine. Then I took off." Brian Brown and David Pearson never felt like they got into the groove on their Chevy Trucks/Maxima/Dunlop KX500, finishing fourth overall (4:38:03). "It started off pretty good," former Terrible's Town winner Brown said. "I got to the first pit [in third place] and was about seven seconds down. After that, I don't know what happened. It just seemed like every time we got on the bike and switched, we just each lost time. It felt like we were going fast; it even seemed like we were hanging it out at times, and we just couldn't do it. We were just falling further and further behind. We just didn't have it today." On the other hand, Chris Blais did have it. As is his preference, the BI a is ra c i ng . com/Mid - Cities Honda/AXO-backed XR650R racer opted to tackle the entire race by himself, and he ended up winning the Four-Stroke Pro division, coming in fifth overall (4:46:07) despite losing fifth gear, though he discounted how much of a handicap that was. "About the halfway point, I guess I abused the tranny too much, and I think it bent a shift fork; I lost fifth gear," Blais said. "I couldn't use fifth, but I think that actually kept me out of trouble in some spots. Good 01' Honda - revving it out in fourth, and the thing made it." Keeping him honest was FourStroke Pro runner-up Rob Phillips who aiso soloed the distance, finishing in 4:53:43 on his ARC/Rocky Mountain M.C./Pro Cycle Sports KTM 540. "We usually race [partner] Bert Bradford's bike, but he burned his up a couple weeks ago, so I'm kind of on a mixture of his bike and another guy's bike: Phillips said. "We threw it together Thursday. We're running our original suspension, but it's just not working right. Just before the last pit I started really feeling it. It wasn't that I was so tired; it was just my hands were really starting to hurt. I couldn't hang on real tight." Morgan Crawford was another rider forced to solo yet made the best of it, winning the 250cc Pro class, placing seventh overall (4:59:06) on the IMS/RG3/Maxxis Yamaha. "My partner Gordon [Keller] a couple days ago popped his Achilles tendon," Crawford said. "It was like, 'I'm soloing.' So that's okay with me; it's no big deal. I thought it'd be longer, but it went pretty quick." "I felt guilty as hell watching him from the car," Keller said while leaning on his new crutches. Over-30-Class Pros David Warren and Tom Willis came in eighth overall (5:05:26) on their Dick's Racing/ O'Neal/Major Alarm KTM 520 MXC. "Basically, it was uneventful with no near get-offs," Willis said. "What was exciting was we did get to pass Daryl Folks pretty early in, then Paul [Krause, Folks' partner,] smoked right back by me. Got an education there!" eN Terrible's Town 250 Pehrump, Nevada Results: April 26, 2003 (Round 4] O/A: 1. Johnny Campbell/Steve Hengeveld (Han) 4:24:54; 2. Destry Abbott/Shane Esposito (Kaw) 4:28:07; 3. Kurt Caselli/Joey LanZll (KTM) 4:35:51; 4. Brian Brown/David Pellrson (KllW) 4:38:03; 5. Christopher Blais (Hon) 4:46:07; 6. Rob Phillips (KTM) 4;53A3: 7. Morgan Crawford (Yom) 4:59:06: 8. Ooryl Folks/Poul Krause (KTM) 5:05:26: 9. Oovid Warren/Tom Wiliis (KTM) 5:17:53; 10. Kirk Stephensen (Kaw) 5:21:23. OPEN PRO: 1. Johnny Campbell/Steve Hengeveld (Hon); 2. Destry Abbott/Shllne Esposito (Kaw); 3. Kurt Cllselli/Joey Lanza (KTM): 4. Brien Brown/Dllvis Pearson (Kaw); 5. Danny Cooper/Robert Morshali (Yom). 250 PRO: I. Morglln Crllwford (Yam). 125 PRO: I. Jeff Dillon/Molt Sales (Kow). 4/STRK PRO: 1. Christopher Blais (Hon); 2. Rob Phillips (KTM); 3. Dllryl Folks/Paul Krause (KTM). 30+ PRO: I. David Warren{fom Willis (KTM): 2. Mike Mitchell/Jason Weeks (KTM). OPEN EX: 1. Scott Herweg/Chris Ray (Kaw); 2. Cody Gremel/David Norris (Hen). 250 EX: 1. Jason Alesi/Keith Honea (Han); 2. Jeff Newcomb/Ron Simpson (Kaw); 3. Will Ahill/Jonathan Martinez (KTM). 125 EX: 1. Jeff Maginn/Ryan Miller/Jason Stevens (Han). 4/STRK EX: 1. Bill C1l1rey/Scott Clarey/Scott R. Oovis (KTM). 30+ EX: I. Earl Desiderio/Jeff Randall/Dutme Schwab. 35+ EX: 1. Todd Colley/Mark Goelz (Hon); 2. Rex Fieck/Ron A. Purvines/Eric Von Urff (Kaw). 40+ EX: J. Paul Blevins/Steve Fenton/Bill McNeer (Hon); 2. Randy Blevins/Greg Fountain/Kurt Sotka. Jr. (Han); 3. Doug Heil/Jon Ortner (Hon); 4. Mark Davidge/Kevin Kraft/Paul Skeary: 5. Gary Covington/Rhett Higgins. 50+ EX: 1. Glenn A. Brawn/lou Monterone/ Tracy Walters (Yam). IRNMN EX: 1. Kirk Stephensen (Kaw); 2. Mike Koy (Hon). OPEN AM: J. Mark Anderson/Randy Tapparo (Hon). 35. AM: I. Kent Bagnell/Warren Mitchell/Charlie Setchell (Yam). 40. AM: I. Mike Hair/Todd Padgett/Marty J. Smith (KTM); 2. Nelson Hemandez/John Korell/Bill Palotta (Han). IRNMN AM.: I. Troy Walker (KTM); 2. Mark Detomasi (KTM); 3. Trevor Rock (Yam). (Above) Desby Abbott (shown) and Shane Esposito led most of the way but burned up their rear brake, forcing them to pit more often than planned. The Kawasaki duo held on for second place. (Below) Joey Lanza (shown) and Kurt Caselli started last among the Open Pros but didn't stay there long, finishing third overall. BRIEFLY. •• Promoter Casey Folks changed the course quite a bit this year. The section to the Rrst pit remained entirely on the east side of Highway 160. Also, it made two large loops on the northern end on both sides of Highway 95 and didn't go as far north as before. "There was some nice stuff out there,' 30+ Pro-class co-winner David Warren said. Paul Krause didn't get to Pahrump until three in the morning. giving him very little time to sleep before the 5:45 a.m. start. "I got out of the office okay, but I had to prep a bike, - he said. That only took a few hours, but by the time he'd Rnished with assorted family responsibilities, it was around 10 p.m. by the time he got the motor home rolling for the five-hour drive from Irvine, California, to Pahrump. And that's not including the unscheduled but quick stop to reattach the motor home's side awning that blew off in the high winds. Mike Tripes made his retum to off-road racing at Terrible's Town, Riling the position of KTM's off·road team manager. He also helped build the 525 MXC that team riders Kurt Caselli and Joey Lanza raced to third overall. lronman Expert Kirk Stephensen came from well back (with the lronmen starting behind the ATVs) not only to win the class but to take Rrst overall Expert honors. Though two other Expert teams beat him to the Rnish line, corrected time put him on top. One of the toughest riders to pass turned out to be his brother. Jimmy, who claimed a runaway Quad Pro victory with partner Greg Row. The first Expert team to arrive at the finish line turned out to be the 40+ trio of Paul Blevins, Steve Fenton and Bill McNeer. On corrected time, however, they ended up nearly six minutes in arrears of Ironman Expert winner Kirk Stephensen, who was 10th overall. Rob Phillips had to solo his way to second place in the Four-stroke Pro class (sixth overall) on his KTM after partner Bert Bradford dropped out the week before. "His wife had a baby last week. so he decided not to come." Phillips said. It doesn't happen often. but one Expert team beat their Pro counterpart. In this case, 125cc Expert winners Jeff Maginn, Ryan Miller and Jason Stevens bested 125cc Pros Jeff Oil· Ion and Matt Sales, 6:59:54 to 7:02:48. The trio actually started out the year with a DNF in the 125cc Amateur class. Open Pro Danny Cooper's pre-race plans changed after partner Robert Marshall crashed early in the race. Marshall hit a rock and cartwheeled at speed, ending up with a banged-up and swollen throttle hand, as well as a sore back. He managed to get their YZ450F to pit one, and Cooper rode the rest of the race. though he apparently also went down as he finished gingerly, holding his right wrist. Kurt Caselli - third overall with partner Joey Lanza - said, "This is my first big race back from a broken collarbone that happened Rve weeks ago. I was just kind of feeling it out. I felt okay. My stamina's not there yet: I've got to get back to the gym and start riding the bike, get my cardio back up. But I felt okay. " eye I e n e vv s MAY 14, 2003 53