Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

With just a few la ps left, th e runn in g o rder rem a in ed ste ad y. W hi le A ntunez was sta rting to look like he m i ght ma k e a move o n W ill oh , h e crashed leav in g the rhy th m sect io n and injured his wrist. "My wr ist is really so re right now," Antunez said . "l tried to go inside the m ain rut, which was a good line to th e catapu lt, but the front end hooked up and shot m e left. I don't th in k it 's br oke, but it' s definitely worth getti ng an X -ray ." Antunez dropped o ut of th e main . Demuth wa s ca tc hing Lange, and he even pulled al on gside th e rider in the wh oops a co uple of tim es to show h im a w h e e l , but La nge h e l d h im off by stickin g to th e ins ide li ne an d fo rc i n g D emuth t o the outsid e . Demuth had o ne last chance o n th e final lap to make th e pass, but he lost traction in th e c orne r befo re t h e rhythm section . "I was pushing as hard as I could!" Demuth said . " I caught up a little bit and then slid out in that corner ." Lang e took th e w in , followed by D em uth , with h i s th i rd r u n n e r - u p finish of the week end , and Hofmaster in third . Will oh held o n and rounded o ut a great we ek end with a fourth , and Northrop fini sh ed in th e fifth pos ition. eN (Leftl Tommy Hofmaster was all smiles after winning Friday's 125cc main. (Below) Jeff Willoh (91, Lange (41, Demuth (11 and Hofmaster (2 ) battle through the w hoops in Saturday's 250cc main. gled up and w ent d own . Lan g e seem ed c omfo rtab le as he rode o ut front. Demuth and Ho fmas te r p ull ed away from the rest of th e pack, bu t the e ffo r t t o c at c h Lang e seemed futil e, as Lang e was in a rhythm and to ok th e w in . "Yo u st art up fron t , and it seems you end up in front - th ere's a lo t of co m petiti on this year," Demuth said. D em ut h and Hofmaster rounded o ut the pod ium, while Willoh hung on for a solid fou rth , and Kawasaki's J eff Northrop made it into th e top five . Willoh backed up his Fr iday-night 125 c c holeshot with another on Saturda y. Apparentl y th ose m ot ors really are st ro ng . Lan ge go t push ed to the o uts i de and o ve r t he berm, a nd b y th e time he rem o unted , he wa s dead last. Hofma ster and Demuth fo llowed and wer e ma king time o n Willoh by the ti m e they m ad e it to th e w hoop sect io n . " I w as so pumped t o g e t th e h o l e s h o t a nd get the Fun C en t er Suzuk i o ut front wh ere it belong s... it fee ls like th e o ld day s," Will oh said . Demuth ma de hi s m o ve a coup le o f lap s in and pa ssed Wi lloh in t he rh ythm sec tion. Hofm ast er, whil e try i n g t o m a k e u p t im e a nd c a t c h W il l oh , ha d h i s ha nds full wi t h Hags eth. "I played it cool - I had Dow d right o n m e , so I didn' t wan t t o m a k e a m ist ak e and let h im by , eve n th ou gh I w as tryi ng to pu sh Tommy ," Hagseth said. A s Dem uth began to pull away and put som e dista n c e o n Will oh , Ho f m a st e r and t h e c ha r gi n g H ag set h bega n to put some pr essure on Will oh for second . Just whe n it loo ked lik e H o fm a st e r would catc h W i lloh, h e m ad e a m istake in the w hoop section t hat not o n l y c o s t him a s hot at Willoh and second p lace, bu t als o let the patient an d lurk ing H ags eth by Centrum Center Worcester, Massachusetts Re sults: November 14-15, Z003 (Round ZI Friday W i l l o h h u n g o n f o r secon d , a nd Hagseth ro unded o ut th e podium finishe rs. Ho fm a st er' s m isc ue dropped him t o a fo u r th -p l ace fin i sh , a n d Dow d fi nis hed th ings up in fifth . " I had a g o od l in e t hroug h th e wh o op s , a nd I was a b le to make some passes," D emuth sai d. " It is ruttin g up a little bit and ge tt ing down to th e co nc rete in so me spots . I' m j us t happy to have th e o p po rt un ity t o be o ut here, be a pos it ive ro le m odel fo r the kids and put th e Shogun Yam aha D F C : J. J o sh D em uth ( Ya m) ; 2 . T omm y Hof me ster (Yam) ; 3 . D arcy Lange ( Kaw) ; 4 . Brandon Bartz (Ya m): 5. Budd y A ntunez ( Hon) ; 6 . Ty Wallace (Yam) . 12 5 MAIN: I. To mmy Hofm aster (Yam) ; 2 . Jos h Demuth (Y a m ) : 3 . J eff Wi llo h (Suz ) ; 4 . B uddy Antunez (Suz ); 5 . Brad Ha gseth ( Hon) ; 6 . Jim N eese (Suz) ; 7 . John Dowd ( Suz); 8 . J ustin Bra yton ( Hon); 9 . Shawn Clark (K aw) ; 10 . Bra ndon Bartz (Yam); I I. Keith Jo hnso n ( Hon): 12 . D arcy Lang e ( K aw ) ; 13 . Je ff Northrop ( Kaw ): 14 . Bred Mod jew ski (S uz); 15. Robby Mc Q uary (Yam) . 2 50 MA I N : I . D a rc y L a nge ( Ka w); 2 . J osh De muth (Yam ) ; 3 . Tommy Hofm est er (Ya m); 4 . Jeff Willo h (Suz]: 5 . J eff Northr op (K a w); 6 . Sha wn Clark ( Ka w) ; 7. T y Wallace ( Ya m ); 8 . Ju stin B ra yt o n ( Ha n ) ; 9 . J im Nee se (Suz); 10. Brad Ha gseth (Ha n); 11. Buddy Ant unez ( Ha n ) ; 12. Keit h Joh nson (Ha n); 13 . Tom Kelley (Suz ) : 14 . Brando n Bartz (Ya m) ; 15 . Chuc k Mesley ( KTM) . but Buddy Antunez wa s on the m ove passin g him befor e the end of th e first lap usin g an in side lin e thro ugh the whoop s. Dem uth and Hofm aster set tl ed in beh ind th e Ca n ad i an , wh il e A n t un ez p a ssed W ill o h a nd se t hi s sig hts on Hofm aster. "I fee l like I' m fas te r o n the fourstroke 250 , but my KX250 is so fast I k now I' m going to ge t a good start , an d that hel ps a lo t on th is trac k : on th e podium." On c e ag ain , it was Wil loh with the h ol esh ot , but th i s t i me it was t he 250cc main. Lan ge w as close , an d D emuth and Hofm aster made up the tail end of th e fo ur -m en freig ht train - and wo rki ng hi s way up . "I' m fee li ng bett er on the bik e this week . but unfor tuna te ly th is track is pretty one-li ned, and I' ve ha d a hard time wi th starts, so I have to wo rk m y way up, " A ntune z said. Lange m ade quick work of Will oh , K AWASAKI 6 S IN VIT ATI ONAL: 1. M;c ha.1 Lonq: 2 . Jak e Abb ott ; 3 . Antho ny Laird: 4 . D yl an Robe rt s: 5 . Ni ch o la s Batt en ; 6 . A le c Etn ter : 7 . Stephen Bu ss; 8 . Craig Lotti; 9 . Chance Tin k ha m ; 10 . Mi chael Ma rtin ; I I . Matth ew Ducharme: 12. Kend rick Pelkey; 13 . D am on Rum mel; 14 . Co le Wieloc k . Sa t urday D FC : 1. Jo sh D emuth (Y am) ; 2 . D a rc y Lange ( Ka w); 3 . Jo hn Do wd (Suz) : 4 . Ju stin Brayton ( Hon) ; 5 . Shawn Clark ( Kaw ); 6 . Tommy Hofmaster (Y am) . 125 MAIN : I. Josh De m uth (Yam) ; 2 . Jeff Wil loh (Suz ); 3 . Bra d Hagseth ( Hon): 4 . Tommy Hofmester (Yam ); 5 . John Do wd (Suz) ; 6 . Keith Jo hnson (H an ); 7 . Je ff N orth rop ( Ka w); 8 . Da rcy Lange ( Ka w) ; 9. Bran don Ba rtz (Yam) ; 10 . Budd y Antun ez ( Han ); 1 1. Justin Brayton ( Hon ); 12. Brad Modjewski (Suz}: 13. Robby McQuary (Yam ); 14 . Shown Cla rk (Ka w); 15 . Nathan Broughton (S uz). 2 5 0 MAIN : 1. D ar c y Lang e ( K a w); 2. J o sh De mut h (Yam): 3 . Tommy H o fm a st e r (Yam); 4 . J eff Willoh (Suz); 5 . S ha wn Clar k ( Kew ) : 6 . John Dowd (S uz); 7 . Br and on Bartz ( Ya m); 8 . K eith Joh nson ( Hon ) ; 9 . Je ff N orth rop ( Ka w) ; 10 . Ju stin Brayt on ( H a n); I I. Brad H a g se t h ( Ho n) ; 12 . T y Walla c e ( Ya m ): 13 . Ra ndy W o o dr in g ( K a w): 14 . J er em y Durrett ( KTM) ; 15 . Buddy Antunez ( Hon) . KA WA S AKI 65 IN VI T AT IONA L: L Ja ke Ab bott: 2. A.J . Ca ta nzaro; 3 . Anth ony Laird ; 4 . Mic hael Lang ; 5 . Damon Rummel : 6. Alec E c cle sto n; 7. Dylan Rob erts ; 8 . Austin Ph elp s: 9 . Ty ler J o rdan : 10 . Andrew Beck ; 1 I . Kendric k Pel ke y; 12 . .Jcnethen Daniels : 13 . Ethan F ick : 14 . Nicholas Batte n. Lan ge said . NAT IONAL AR ENA CR O S S SERI ES POI N T S STA ND I NGS ( A ft e r 2 or II rounds ): I . J o sh D emu th ( 150 13 wins) : 2 . Da rc y Lange ( 13 2/4 wins); 3 . T omm y H ofm a ster ( 12 1/ 1 win ) ; 4 . .Jeff W illoh for th ir d. I Hagseth bega n to close on Willoh . b ut time quick ly ran out, and he had t o settl e for th ir d, D em uth t o o k th e che cke rs and h is th ird w in, an elate d (94) : 5 . John Dowd (93 ): 6. Brad Hagseth (90) : 7. J eff Northrop (85 ) : 8 . Budd y Antun ez (8 3): 9. Justin Bra yt o n ( 82) ; 10 . Brandon Bartz (7 7) ; 1 1. K eith John son ( 7 5 ): 12 . Ji m Nees e (6 0 ) : 13 . Shawn Clark (5 8) ; 14 . Brad Modjew ski (2 8) ; 15. Randy Woodring (25 ). Upcoming Rounds: Round 3 - Rockford, Illinois, December 5-6 Round 4 - Fort Worth, Texas, January2-3 (RIght) Willoh ha d his best weekend in quite a while, finishing no worse than fourth and as high as second. c ue I e n e _ s D EC EMBE R 3 , 2003 15

• Cover