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/128218
Northern California Supermoto Championship Series Round 2: Stockton Motorplex Park Bagnis Trading Places (Left) Casey Yarrow (3) leads Pucho Bagnis (lIon his way to the Open Expert win at the second round of the Northem Califomia Superrnoto Championship Series. (Below) Dave Deveau (46) leads fellow Honda CRF450R pilot Derek Lucchesi (24) in the Vet Open contest. They finished one-two. By BRETT SAUNDERS PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAll AND MIKE DORAN/D£,W IMAGES STOCKTON,CA, MAY 25 ore than ] 25 racers showed up at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds on May 25 for lots of close races on the excellent Stockton Motorplex Supermoto track. SupermotoUSA provided a new track configuration, with a revamped dirt section that offered riders the choice of a good-sized jump or a series of whoops. The pavement section of the track was laid out with maneuverability and skill in mind, but the full length of the front straight was used as well, to keep the horsepower junkies happy. The well-thought-out course kept spectators entertained, and it gave racers a great test of their versatility. Some of the most exciting racing of the day took place in the Super Lightweight class. Local Supermoto prodigies Garrett Willis and Bobby Fong went at it from the moment the green flag flew until the drop of the checkers. Willis, on the Roseville Cycles Honda CR85, was definitely the more experienced rider, but Fong, riding a fast Suzuki RM85, was both smoother and more aggressive. Willis led the first five laps from his start on the pole, but Fong never lost touch with him. The Honda and the Suzuki were evenly matched, so the race was all about strategy and rider skill. Fong stuck right on Willis' back tire and patiently waited for a chink in Garrett's armor to appear. That happened on lap six, at the end of the front straight. Willis took the tight M 68 JUNE 11 , 2003· cue I inside line, and Fong outbraked him for the pass in turn one. Once Fong got by him, he put his head down and put in solid and perfect laps until he saw the checkered flag. Fellow Supermoto prodigy Cameron Beaubier finished third. The Open Expert race was a Who's Who of Northern California Supermoto talent. The first rows of the grid were packed with riders who possess the skills to pay the bills. AI Salaverria, Matt Proto and dirt-track sensation Kenny Carlotta were lined up behind Casey Yarrow, Pucho Bagnis, Cory Call and Don Hart at the start. After making it cleanly through turn one, the pack spread out a little, and it was Yarrow, on the Fairfield Cycle Center Honda CRF450R, in front of Hart, also on a CRF450R, and then Bagnis, on his Vertemati. Casey was smooth, as usual, and for the first few laps it looked like he'd be checking out, but on lap five Bagnis got by Hart for second, and Pucho started charging for the front. Pucho made up ground on Casey every lap, and by the time the white flag flew, they were banging bars. But Yarrow used up a lot of racetrack, and Bagnis couldn't get by. The ever-smooth II! n eVIls Hart finished third, with master showman Call fourth. The SupermotoUSA Prestige race gridded much the same as the Open Expert race, but the result was entirely different. Bagnis, Yarrow, Hart and Call lined up in front of AI Sal, Dave Deveau, Bobby Black and Jeff Beaubier at the start. On lap one, Pucho went to the front and never looked back. Behind him were Hart, Call and Yarrow. On lap two, both Call and Yarrow got by Hart, as Bagnis continued to check out. Midrace, Casey got around Call, but by then Pucho was so far ahead that Yarrow couldn't even see him, much less catch him. Bagnis was putting on a show at the front, backing it into turn one with lurid, feet-up slides. After the checkered flag came out, Yarrow confirmed that he is a class act by catching up to Bagnis and giving him a big "congratulations." The two of them are great to watch, as it's obvious that they love to battle and yet respect each other a lot. Bobby Fong goes over the bars in the Lightweight class in Stockton, Califomia. The Stockton events continue to grow in popularity. Brok McAllister of SupermotoUSA works hard to put together challenging racetracks as well as a safe and trouble-free racing experience. SupermotoUSA was assisted by Chris Ranuio of Stockton Motorplex Park, Ann Asiano and Natalie Jackson of UmbreliagirlsUSA, and by Peter Mars from Rocket Ranch. Teamwork made race day run smoothly, and with more than 125 racers and almost 200 race entries, Supermoto racing is rapidly bringing in talented riders and lots of enthusiastic fans. The racing just keeps getting better, and as more and more people show up, the racers continue to take their skills to the next level. Keep your eye on Supermoto racing; it's definitely the hot ticket. eN StDcktan Matorple. Parte StDcktan, California Results: Mey 25, 2003 (Round 21 PRESTIGE: I. Pucho Bagnis (Ver): 2. Casey Yarrow (Hon): 3. Cory Call (Hon); 4. Don Hart (Han); 5. AI Salaverria (KTM); 6. David Deveau (Han); 7. Robert Black (Yam); 8. Jeff Beaubier (Han). OPEN EX: I. Casey Yarrow (Han); 2. Pucho Bagnio (Ver): 3. Don Hart (Han); 4. Cory Call (Hon); 5. AI Salaverria (KTM). VET OPEN: 1. David Deveau (Han); 2. Darrick Lucchesi (Han); 3. Don Billva (Hon); 4. Paul Orl8ndl (Hon); 5. Allen Yarrow (Hon). filtw: 1. Cory Call (Han); 2. David Deveau (Han); 3. Paul Orlandi (Hon); 4. Don Billva (Hon): 5. Allen Y8ITOW (Hon). L/W: 1. C.D. Howell (Hon); 2. Scott Magann (BBR); 3. Cameron Beaubier (Hon): 4. Bud Sellrer (Yam); 5. Dlivid Wilkinson (Hon). SPTSMN: 1. Don Biava (Hon): 2. Matt Dawson (Hon); 3. Matthew Stone (Yl2m); 4. Tyler Snow (Hon); 5. Arm8ndo J. Mir8nda (Hon). M.INI MOTARD: 1. Garrett Willis (Hon); 2. Steve Pullin (Yam): 3. MichlleJ D8Y (Hon); 4. Allen Zino (Han); 5. D.J. Sharkey (Han). NOV: 1. Danny Giguere (Hon); 2. Shawn Healy tHon); 3. Bob Converse (Hon): 4. John Pollard (Han); 5. Nathan Marbry (Hon). 5TK M.INI: 1. Chris Foster (Hon): 2. Frank Gowin (Hon); 3. Chad Foster (Hon); 4. Darren Johnson (Han); 5. A.J. Jorgensen (Su,). 5/L/W: 1. Bobby Fong (Suz): 2. Garrett Willis (Hon); 3. Cameron Bellubier (Hon); 4. Andrew Brown (Han); 5. D.J. Sharkey (Hon). ADULT 50s: 1. Gabe Ets-Hokin (Der); 2. Ivan Thelin (Der); 3. Mike Bretz (Hon). F-50: 1. Sean Dodenhoff (KTM); 2. Dominic L Colindres (KTM); 3. N8than Howard (KTM); 4. Hailey McAllister (Lem); 5. Ryan Ke8ms (Hon). 5/50: t. Gage McAllister (Hon); 2. Arlen Williams III (YlIm); 3. Joshull $erne (Hon); 4. Jessica Seme (Hon).