Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

After getting plenty of rest and therapy, Leivan decided to "give it a shot and see what I could do." As it turned out, Leivan did very well: After being the pacesetter for much of the race, the WR450F pilot claimed the checkered flag first to record overa 11 honors. 'Till Friday, I wasn't even sure I would be racing today, much less winning," Leivan admitted. "I actually felt really good; my back hung in there, I didn't get tired, my Yamaha was unbelievable, and it worked out for me. I'm definitely glad I decided to give it a shot." Established trails, virgin single-track, "Baja-like" open sections, and a trip through an old mine building that added a little "Supermotard" flavor kept the 220 motorcycle riders in attendance entertained for Sunday's main event, which was hosted by the Racers For Research. Lap one measured 4.5 miles; the remaining four laps were each 11.5 miles long. The fast and sometimes dusty trail took the AA competitors 29 to 30 minutes to complete. Frequent holeshot artist Doug Stone edged out local rider Aaron Shaw to lead the pack into the woods. Kawasaki jockey Chris Nesbitt and Leivan followed in tight formation. Midway through the opening lap, J&W Cycles/Yamaha/Motorcycle Stuff/Yoshimura(Tsubaki rider Chris Thiele, who was making up for a bad start, joined the quartet. The virgin section of trail that wasn't used in practice bunched the five riders together, and Leivan and Nesbitt switched positions. Then the course entered an insanely long and fast straight section that demanded big power, and Leivan and Thiele had it. Leivan was able to move around Shaw and Stone to take the lead, while Thiele utilized his big-bore four-stroke advantage and moved up as well. With his first taste of fresh air, the Dunlop/ Scott/Answer/Renthal/FMF·backed Leivan was anxious to pick up the pace. "It was nice to get out of the dust, and I was hoping that would help me get away," Leivan explained. '"Thiele was too fast, though, and I couldn't shake him." Together, the pair of Yamaha thumper pilots put time on the rest of the pack and decided to settle the race between themselves. During lap three, Thiele capitalized on a poor line choice by Leivan to take his turn at the front. He held the position for almost exactly one lap before making a mistake of his own. "There was a lapped rider who had crashed, and I rode up right behind him and did the same thing," Thiele confessed. "It was just a simple little tip·over, but Steve got back around me," A little behind the leading duo, Stone and Nesbitt were making mistakes of their own during lap three. Nesbitt went down near mile eight and took a few miles to find his pace again, while Stone's crash was "my biggest since I've been racing off road." Both riders shook off the effects but stayed a similar distance apart while slipping further from the lead. ISDE hopeful Lars Valin was putting in his best perfonnance of the year, running fifth on his Motul/FMF/Moose/Hejlek-backed Honda. Just over a minute back came YZ250Fmounted Caleb Wohletz, who had a nice cushion over Jones Powersports/Monster Energy/Devol/Smith/Axo-backed Tracy Bauman: both riders had suffered crashes early on. With the final lap approaching, Leivan hit the RAD scoring check with a six-second lead over Thiele, and both riders stopped for a splash of gas. "The first couple of miles were really dusty, so whoever left the pits in the lead was going to have an advantage," Leivan noted. "My mom and my Clarke Fast Gas got me in and out quick, so I went as hard as I could in the dusty stuff to stretch it out." Thiele had a good stop as well, but the thick dust held him back enough that Leivan got out of reach. While negotiating the building section, Leivan glanced back and couldn't see Thiele, which verified he had at least 20 seconds to spare. From there on, the 10-time champ concentrated on riding fast and smoothly, and he crossed the finish line for his third victory of the year. Thiele took runner-up honors and his sixth podium finish of the season, 40 sec· onds down. Despite his big "digger," Stone took third on his Donnells/Stoneworks Suspension CR250. Nesbitt was fourth on his Pro Circuit/Maxima/RK-supported KX250. Valin rounded out the top five. Flat River Grand Prix Park Hills. Missouri Results: June 29, 2003 (Round 8) O/A: 1. Sl~e Leivlln (YlIm): 2. Chris Thiele (YlIm): 3. Doug Stone (Hon); 4. Chris Nesbitt (Kaw): S. Lars Valin (Hon): 6. Caleb Wohleu (Yam): 7. Josh MumJy (KTM): 8. TICK)' Bauman (KTM): 9. SlImmy Gosndl (KTM); 10. Gilry WethemJ (KlIw). AA: I. Chns Thide (YlIm): 2. Doug Slone (Hon); 3. Chris NesbItt (Kaw): 4. l.lIrs Vahn (Hon); 5. ClIleb Wohletz (YlIm). A: I. Josh Murray (KTM); 2. Sammy Gosnell (KTM); 3. Gilry Weth~1I (Kalil): 4. Jon Simmons (Hus): 5. Scott Maron (Suz). OPEN B: I. Mark Kendall (Yam); 2. John McDaniel Jr. (KTM); 3 Matt SeUal'l (KTM): 4. Mike Goforth (Yam): 5. RlIYmond OsIa (KTM). 200 B: I. And~ Smith (KTM); 2. llIck Bryant (Suz): 3. John Cash (KTM); 4. Ben AlexlInder (KTM): S. Michael Hamilton (Kaw) 250 B: I. Gary Wolr (Kaw): 2. Kermit Turner (KTM): 3. Tim Gib· son (Yam): 4. Adllffi Ashcroft (KTM): 5. Todd Corwin (KTM). 4·STRK B: I. Chili Roberts (YlIm): 2. Nick Crawford (Yam): 3. Jason Hawk (KTM): 4. Chris Hulson (Han); 5. Brad Keams (Yam). VET: I. ClIry Mittelberg (YlIm): 2. Elston Moore (Yam): 3. Steve C""ws (Kawl: 4. Neal Soenksen (KTM): 5. Richard Hart (KTM). SR: 1. ClIli Dobson (KTM): 2. Tom Eidllm (Yllm): 3. DlIvid Daru (Kaw): 4. Brad Barnett (Yam): 5. SIeve McWhorter (KTM). S/SR: 1. WiI1illffi Guffey (Yom): 2. Rick Whelove (KTM): 3. John Goll (YlIrn); 4. Jim Yount (YlIm): 5. Frank Leivan (Yam). WMN: 1. Michele Eidam (KTM): 2. Donna Moore (KTM): 3. Amanda Lappe (KTM). JR: 1. Matt Barger (YlIm): 2. Derek Dixon (Knill); 3. Keifer Rosier (YlIrn): 4. SpencerCananll1 (Yam): 5. Tyler Ruckdeschell (Kaw). 200 1. Ryan Portell (KTM); 2. Shane Roberts (Yam): 3. Bnmdon Huber (KTM); 4. Jim Wilhams (KlIw): 5. Johnny Robinson (Yam). OPEN C: I. Chorles Hoormonn (KlIw): 2. Dovid Brewster (Yam); 3. Tim Swaringen (Yam): 4. Kurt Schaben (Hon); 5. Derek Kemp (YlIm). BEC: I. Roger Ide (Hon): 2. Jeff Battreal (KTM), 3. Travis Tap. scott (Hon): 4. Rick Surrisi (Hon); 5. Charles Brady (KTM). c: Pro Privateer Mid-South Championship Series Round 13: Malibu MX Park Mennenga Mauls 'em at Malibu lVIX By CHUCK BALL HOT SPRINGS, AR, JUNE 29 Great weather, great racers and a great track were the three main ingredients found at the final round of the Pro Privateer Mid-South Championship Series by Dirt Bike Mike Promotions. After barnstorming five states and handing out $36,000 in hard product contingencies, the series made its way to the 13th and final round in Hot Springs. Arkansas. for one great weekend of racing. In what may have been the closest racing of the weekend, the 125cc Open Amateur . class was the first to leave the gate. Holeshot honors for the first moto went to Kawasaki jockey John Lea, closely followed by Honda pilot Ben Schrik, but Schrik soon put his CR 125 ahead of Lea and set a pace no other rider seemed able to match. Things behind Schrik soon got chaotic, as the Norton brothers, Cory and Trae, battled through the pack and began pressuring Lea. Westark Yamaha's Tyler Ledbetter got a mediocre start, forcing him to ride aggressively toward the front of the pack as well. Out front, however, Schrik had the race in his pocket. and he won by quite a margin. Trae and Cory rounded out the top three, and Ledbetter found himself in fourth at race's end. As riders lined up for the second moto, Schrik was seen prowling around the infield in shorts and T-shirt. "My shoulder got banged up pretty good in my Intermediate moto," he admitted. "I had the lead and kept pushing but crashed over that finish-line jump. I'm done for the day. I'm going to Loretta's on the Four-Stroke and in 250cc B Mod, so I'm not going to race anymore today." The second moto was less hectic than the first, as Lea led them home for second overall. Cory finished third but won the overall, and Trae settled for third overall. Adam Mennenga drove up all the way from Moody, Texas, to give it his best effort, and that effort paid off quite well for the Yamaha rider, as he would win all motos he entered. Malibu MX Park: Adam Mennenga (379) leads Robbie Smith (66), Steven Sampley (64), Nathaniel Benoit (9) and the rest of the pack at the beginning of the first 125cc Pro moto at the final round of the Pro Privateer Mid-South Championship Series in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Mennenga went on to sweep both Pro classes on the day. In ] 25cc Pro action, the first-moto holeshot had Mennenga's name all over it as he rocketed down the first hill aboard his YZ250F. YZl25 rider Nathaniel Benoit gave chase, as did Jon-Paul Powell and the rest of the pack. Robbie Smith got a bad start and had to ride his Reynard Modifications-backed YZ 125 to the limit to finally get into second place by moto's end, but by then Mennenga was nowhere to be found. They finished the moto one-two, Benoit finished third and Blake Keeton was fourth. The second moto was a carbon copy of the first, but this time Smith got a much better start and gave Mennenga an honest fight for the first few laps. Mennenga's smooth-as-silk, textbook skills allowed him to march on to victory. Smith again finished runner-up. '"Man, he's fast," Smith said of Mennenga. "I thought I could run with him today, but I made mistakes, and he didn't. Adam rode real good. I'll just have to work on things and get faster ... "The track's good," Mennenga said. "A little dry-slick, and the rocks can be a problem, but all in all, the layout's great, with the hills. Smith is fast today, and he kept me pushing. I broke my arm in Atlanta at the Supercross. so I'm hitting all these races here close to Texas; then I'll plan on hitting a few outdoor Nationals by year's end. I couldn't do this without Century Yamaha, LCS, Scott, Fly, Renthal, Factory Effex. and Bert's Plumbing." The first 250cc Pro moto was very similar to the 125cc races. Early on, Smith actually led a few laps before Mennenga slipped by for the lead. Smith stayed in second for the remainder, followed to the checkers by Honda rider Keeton and Benoit. Moto two was somewhat of a runaway, as the high humidity and heat took their toll on most of the field. Mennenga and Smith simply left the pack fighting for air as they lit up the track and filled the air behind them with dust. Benoit and RM250·mounted John Adam staged a battle for much of the moto before Benoit finally got around and took third at race's end. In other racing action, Jake Green swept both 5lcc (4-6) motos aboard his Cobra for the overall. Lukas Tankersley swept four motos for the 51cc (7-9) and 65cc (8 and Under) class wins. Kevin Lambert rode his Husqvamas to victory in the 125cc and 250cc Intennediate classes, winning three of his four motos. Finally, Craig Mayhan won both motos of the Over 30 Expert class. Malibu MX Park Hot Springs. Arkansas Results: June 29, 2003 (Round 13 of 13) 51 (4.6): I. Jake Green (Cob); 2. Jack Sheppard (KTM); 3. 0111· tyn Kennedy (Cob); 4. Kody Stricklin (KTM); 5. Logan Tankersley (Cob). 51 (7.8): 1. Lukas Tankersley (Cob); 2. Drew Armstrong (KTM); 3 Lilne Butler (KTM); 4. Hutlon Woods (Cob): 5. Landen Lewis (Y/lm) 65 (0.8): 1. Lukas Tankersley (KTM): 2. lane Butler (KTM): 3. Lane McCall (SUI); 4. Hullon Woods (Kaw): 5. Drew Armstrong (KTMI· 65 (9·11): 1. Bri~r 5.omple (KlIw): 2. J. RllY Perkins (KTM): 3. Dylan Kennedy (Kaw); 4. Austin Minor (Kaw): 5. NlIth/ln Griffin (KTMI. 85 (7·11): J. Nick Ramey (KTM); 2. Briar S/lmple (Kaw); 3. Kelby Travis (Hon); 4. Robby Jones (SUI); 5. Lee Taylor (SUI). 85 (12.15): 1. Brad Calhoun (Yam); 2. Brandon Fahey (Kaw); 3. Cameron Stark (Yam); 4. Cole Shuffield (Suz): 5. WlIr~n Brown (Yom). eye e S/MINI: I. Brlld Cilihoun (SUI): 2. Tyler Arred;mdo (Yam): 3. Brandon Fahey (KlIw): 4. Robby Jones (Suz): 5. Chris Roberts (Hon). 125 BEG: 1. Bubba O""w (KlIw): 2. Drew Hampton (Hon): 3. BllIke Wright (YlIm): 4. Caleb Stephens (SUI): 5. Blake Brinkley (Yam). 125 NOV: I. Trae Norton (Suz): 2. Michael ThlIcker (KTM); 3. Nillhan GlJby (Yam); 4. Chris Permenter (YlIm): 5. Chllse Pierce (Yam). 125 INT: I. Kevin l.lImbert (Hus): 2. John Lea (Kaw): 3. .Jerrod Slaylon (Kaw); 4. Clayton Carter (Yam); 5. Cory Norton (Suz). 125 OPEN AM: 1. Cory Norton (Suz): 2. John Lell (Kaw): 3. Trae Norton (SUI): 4. Tyler Ledbeuer (YlIm): 5. Michael ThllCker (KTM). 125 EX: I. Adam Mennenga (YlIm): 2. Robbie Smith (YlIm): 3. BllIke Keeton (Hon): 4. Coy Hobgood (KTM): 5. Jon·Paul Powell (s..). 250 BEG: J. Scott ThomllS (YlIm): 2. Mike Fryllr (tuIw): 3. Colt Manning (Hon): 4. Thad Sappington (Hon); 5. JIfTl etark (Suz). 250 NOV: I. Michael Thacker (KTM); 2. Brent Bledsoe (Suz): 3. Mkah GiJby (Yam): 4. Chase Piert:e (Sw): 5. Wes ClIrglll (Hon). 250 INT: J. KeVIn l.lImbert (Hus); 2. Lucas l.lIngley (Hon): 3 John Lell (Kaw): 4. Lee linvIlle (Hon). 250 EX: I. Adam Mennenga (Yom); 2. Robbie SmIth (Yam): J. Nathllniel Benoit (Yam): 4. BllIke Keeton (Hon): 5. John Adtlm (Sla). WMN: 1. ~ Griffin (KTM); 2. Allie Wade (KTM). 30 .. AM: 1. Clint Woods (KTM): 2. Scott Thomos (Yam): J. Doug Brown (Yam): 4. Eric Babbltl (Yam): 5. Chuck Rule (Yam'. 30.. EX: I. Cmig Mayhon (Kow): 2. Shane Richllrdson (KTM): 3. Rob Baxley (Yam): 4. Miles Keeney (YlIm): 5. Kelly Sinor (Hon). 40.. : I. Tom Murry (KTM): 2. Tony Carruth (Hon): 3. Roddy Fnmk (Yam); 4. Ty Nexsen (Suz): 5. Kurt Stewart (Hon) Canadian National Motocross Series Round 3: Blackfoot Motorcycle Park Huffman Breaks Roy's Streak By AWSON KENNEDY CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA. JUNE 29 After four straight moto wins for defending champ Jean-Sebastien Roy, his Blackfoot teammate Damon Huffman stood atop the podium at round three in Calgary, Alberta. Huffman went 2-1 to beat out Roy's 1-2 finishes and take the overall. While Roy dominated moto one, again pulling away from the pack to take the checkers easily, in moto two, Huffman worked hard to hold off Roy, who battled for the win to the last lap. ''I've been working really hard at home. practicing a lot and going to my trainer," Huffman said. "The first two races, I just kind of suffered from some arm-pump problems, and today, obViously, that was better. The track was awesome here in Calgary. My Honda worked great. It was a good day overall." Huffman hopes his win will be the first in a series of one-two finishes for the Blackfoot team. "JSR has been the king up here for a long time, and it looked like he was going to win every single race this year," Huffman added. "I've been slowly gaining momentum and riding better and stronger. I know the people at n e vv s JULY 30, 2003 61

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