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Yamaha Dealers Series Round 1: Glen Helen Raceway Park . STORV AND PHOTOS BV JOHN BETHEA SAN BERNARDINO, CA, MAY 18 t'll take some getting used to," sighed Temecula Motorsports' Micky Griffin after his first-ever venture onto a 125cc four-stroke Yamaha yielded results less impressive than expected at the opening round of the 2003 Yamaha Dealers Series at Glen Helen Raceway, which had an opening-day turnout of nearly 600 riders. "I just got the bike less than a week ago, and I only rode it in practice a few times." Without voicing any second thoughts, he had an expression that seemed to say that he might harbor some. Normally a front-runner, he spent both motos fighting from behind, working his way up to sixth in the first moto and to fourth in the second moto for fifth overall out of a field of 30 125cc Intermediate riders. This was totally opposite from his 250cc performance on the familiar two-stroke; from the second-wave 250cc Intermediate start, he came within only a second or two of catching and passing all the Pros in the first wave, including veteran racer Terry Fowler, who was cruising to victory in both the 125cc and 250cc cash events, racing for defending Dealer Series champs John Burr Cycles of Fontana. "They held the second wave back a bit longer for the second mota," Griffin noted later, but he still managed to polish off most of the Pros en route to the sweeping 250cc Intermediate victory. Andy Bakken, riding for Thousand Oaks Yamaha, managed a 3-2 to take the runner-up spot, not far behind Griffin. "You have to get a good start to race against Griffin," Bakken said prior to their second race. Of Griffin's inexperience with the 125, Bakken added with a smile, "Well, he's going to have to get used to it." Bakken, too, rides the 125s, and he's had a successful showing the past dozen months, often winning two and occasionally even three classes at a race meeting. On this day, he concentrated on two, and along with his 250cc Intermediate second-place finish, he scored the 125cc victory, pushing harder in the second moto after breathing Jarod Minor's exhaust at the checkers in mota one. Minor, one of the many JBC riders, could only manage a third in the second race, but he still managed to garner second overall, acing out Devin Sullivan's 3-2 tally. 66 JUNE 25, 2003' cue I e --------- Sullivan wasn't to be denied altogether, though. He did manage to sweep the 23-rider Schoolboy field, while A.J. Steinbach barely edged Mid-Cities Honda's Brett Klein for second place on a TMS YZ. This whole gang of Intermediates all see the writing on the wall. The professional ranks loom in many of their plans in a few months, once Loretta Lynn's national showdown occurs. "I will be moving to Pro then," says Bakken. Griffin plans on doing the same. Which means their head-to-head duels will continue long into their futures. One rider who was to have made the switch in class after Loretta Lynn's was Novice rider Ricky James, who opened up the first mota of the series with a runaway 125cc win. Glen Helen officials figured differently. Shortly after his mota win, he was moved up into the I~termedi ates. James was angry, and at first he said he wasn't going to ride the second moto. After reconsidering, he placed ninth in his initial Intermediate ride, just a few positions behind Griffin. "We knew it was going to happen sooner or later," said James' father, Rick, of the transfer. "Perhaps it's good. We had heard privately that if he had ridden [Loretta Lynn's]. he would have been protested. n Meanwhile, as all this was going on, veteran Ron Turner sat in the stands. The rider who has won more races than anybody else in America was holding his side after a first mota in which he got a great start but faded as the race unfolded. "I broke a rib three weeks ago, and it won't stop aching," Turner said. "When I was young, like these kids out there, pain didn't bother me, but now it just takes so much longer to heal. 1 guess when you're racing for money, like 1 used to, you never n e VIr s notice the pain .... 1 don't think I'll race next week." The times, they are a-changin'. eN &Ien Helen Race_y Parle San Bentllnlina, C.lifamie Results: Mey 18, 2003 (Round 11 50 SHAfT: I. Daytona Anderson (Yam). 50 STK (4·6); I. Mike Victorien (Cob); 2. Brandon Olivares (Pol); 3. David Fullmer (KTM): 4. Bloke Green (Cob); 5. Maxwell Tedder (KTM). • 50 STK (7-8): I. Dorrell White (Cob): 2. Brandon Scherer (Yam); 3. Michael Gllrhmd (KTM): 4. Cody Sloon (Cob); 5. Koylo Corter (KTM). 50 M.OD (4-6): 1. Mike Victorian (Cob); 2. Brandon Olivares (Pol); 3. Bradley Taft (Cob); 4. David Fullmer (KTM); 5. Blake Green (Cob). 50 MOD (7-8): I. Brondon Schorer (Cob); 2. Michael Garland (KTM); 3. Darrell White (Cob); 4. Cody Sloon (Cob); 5. Koylo Corter (KTM). 50 4-STRK: 1. Zach Warnock (Han); 2. Russell Collins (Han); 3. Matthew Perez (Hon); 4. Cole McCorty (Hon). 65 BEG: 1. Donny Fish Jr. (Kaw); 2. Jordan Thibault (Kaw); 3. Michael Arana (Kew); 4. Kory Bard (Kaw); 5. Andrew Flores (Kaw). 65 (4-8): I. Daniel Paluzzi (Kaw); 2. Brandon Scharer (Suz); 3. Dillon Trotter (Suz); 4. Jacob Pischke (Suz); 5. Mike Victorian (Kaw). 65 (9·11): I. Joke Canada (Kaw); 2. Nick Paluzzi (Kaw); 3. Blake Baggett (Kaw); 4. Johnny Jelderda (Kaw); 5. Levi Holl (KTM). 85 BEG: 1. Preston Tilford (Kaw); 2. Thomas Smith (Han); 3. Nick Tokarski (Yam); 4. Carlos Perez (Hon); 5. David Wolfinbarger (Hon). 85 (4-11): t. Jake Canada (Kaw); 2. Donnie Kearney (Suz); 3. Johnny Jelderda (Kaw); 4. Blake Baggett (Kaw); 5. Nick Paluzzi (Kaw). 85 (12·13): I. Mall Dowell (Vam): 2. Shown Hayes (KTM); 3. B.J. Bohrer (Yam); 4. J.B. Peek (Vom): 5. Myles Tedder (Yam). 85 (14-16): I. Brad Masters (Yam): 2. Dane Jackson (Han); 3. Cory Costa (YlIm); 4. Jimmy Venlund (Han); 5. Brian Hines (Yam). 85 S/I'IINI: I. Mott Dowell (Vom): 2. Done Jackson (Hon): 3. Brad Masters (Yam); 4. Chad Anderson (Han); 5. Myles Tedder (Yam). 125 SCHBY: '- Devin Sullivan (KTM); 2. A.J. Steinbach (Yam); 3. Brett Klein (Hon); 4. Sean Borkenhagen (Yam); 5. Ricky James (Yam). 125 BEG 0-1: 1. Man Arehart (Yam): 2. Brian Miller (Yam); 3. Ted Cordova (Yam): 4. Taylor Peters (Vam); 5. Bryce Foy (Vom). 125 BEG 0-2: I. Russell Hollman (Yam): 2. Joseph Johnson (Yam): 3. Matthew Danko (Yam); 4. Paul urocque (Yam): 5. Larry Hernandez (Yam). 125 NOV 0- I: I. Carey Burnham (Yam); 2. Shawn Higham (KTM); 3. Joey Bray (Yam): 4. Kameron Silva (Yam); 5. Brett Klein (Han) . 125 NOV D-2: I. Matthew Tedder Jr. (Hon): 2. Plltrick Bleckert (Yam): 3. Mike Lopez (Hon); 4. Brandon Strausbaugh (Yam); 5. Brett Moscrop (Kow). 125 INT: I. Andy Bakken (Yllim); 2. Jllired Minor (Yam): 3. DeVin Sullivan (KTM); 4. Carlos Gonzalez (SOl); 5. Micky Griffin (Yam). 125 EX: I. Terry Fowler (Yam); 2. Cody Knauss (Yam): 3. Dave Ramsey (Yam): 4. Brandon Milstelld (Vam). 250 BEG: I. Robert Garcia (Yam); 2. Dustin Williams (Han); 3. Michael Maciejewski (Yam); 4. Ludvig Solberg (Yam); 5. Matt Hubbard (Yam). 250 NOV: 1. Kameron Silva (Yam); 2. Brent Davey (Kaw); 3. Brett Moscrop (Kaw); 4. Tyler O'Neill (Hon); 5. Brian Davis (Yam). 250 INT: I. Micky Grimn (Yam); 2. Andy Bakken (Yam); 3. Devin Sullivan (KTM); 4. A.J. Steinbach (Yam); 5. Kevin Jennings (Yam). 250 EX: l. Terry Fowler (Yam): 2. Cory Gibbons (Yam); 3. Brian Morgan (Hon); 4. Phil Dowell (Yam); 5. Justin Burlingame (Hon). 4-STRK B: 1. Brent Une (Hon): 2. B.J. Bums (Yam); 3. Marcus Shay (Yam): 4. Mike Hibner (Hon); 5. Nathan Verdugo (KTM). 4·STRK C: 1. Patrick Bleckert (Yllm): 2. Brlld Goolsby (Yam); 3. Brys Kuntz (Han); 4. David Norris (Vom); 5. Mark Highom (Vom). 4·STRK D: 1. Joey Westhoff (Yllm); 2. Dustin Noden (Yam); 3. Joe Hernandez (Hon): 4. Doug Goff (Yam); 5. Brian Homme (Yam). WMN: 1. Tiffany Holtman (Yam); 2. Jessica Wagner (Hon); 3. Heather Dubin (Suz); 4. Holli Bechard (Yam); 5. Laura Uttle (Hon). JR VET A: 1. Brandon Milstead (Yam). JR VET B: I. Mike Todd (Vom); 2. Justin McCoy (Yam): 3. Shane Childs (Yam); 4. Mark Howell (Vom). JR VET C: 1. Arek Meyer (Yllm); 2. Ernie Sanchez (Yam): 3. Rusty Nelson (Yllm); 4. Matt Moyer (Vam). VET A: 1. Matt Tedder (Hon); 2. Phil Dowell (Vom); 3. Brion Beach (Hon). VET B: 1. Mark Howell (Yam); 2. Mike Hibner (Hon): 3. Leo Soul (Vom); 4. Donny Fish Sr. (Vom); 5. Chuck McCarty (Hon). VET C: 1. Joel Leighton (Hon) 2. Mark Highllm (Yam); 3. Ichiro NakllYll (Yam); 4. Chuck Penny (Yam); 5. Brian Miller (Yam). SR A: 1. Matt Tedder (Hon): 2. Mark Moscrop (Kaw): 3. Ron Turner (Vom); 4. Jeff Clork (Hon). SR B: I. Leo Soul (Vom); 2. Milton Mize (Hon); 3. David Simon (Yam); 4. Joe Armstrong (KTM); 5. Jeff Gianni (Yam). SR C: 1. Jason Yodogawa (Yam): 2. Jim Boren (Yam): 3. Alan Kent (Yam): 4. Albert Balderama (Hon); 5. Steve Vettel (Hon). (Above) Jarod Miller (871) leads A.J. Steinbach (380), Micky Griffin (59). B.J. Bums (232). Joshua La Fountaine (207). Ty Renshaw (27) and the rest of the 250cc Intermediates at round one of the Yamaha Dealers Series. (Below) The 250cc Pro/Intermediate contest had a split start, but by the end Intermediate rider Micky Griffin (59) c:ame this close to catching Pro winner Terry Fowler (2) in the first moto.