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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128312
Florida Winter Am Series
Final Round; Gatorback Cycle Park
GATORBACK CYCL£ PARK
GAINESVIllE, FLORIDA
RESULTS: JANUARY 24-25, 2004
(FINAL ROUND)
Skinner, Johnson Claim
Pro Titles
fin ished the series with a flnal-rcund victory
By JEFF LAYMAN
GAINESVILLE FL JAN. 24-25
, ,
he 33rd annual Winter Am Series. present·
ed by FMF, wrapped up where it all began,
at Gato rb ack, and nume ro us championship
battles were deci ded at the final ro und. The
drama unfolded unde r sunny skies, which made
fo r perfect co nditi ons over the final two
action - packed days o f racing at the historic
facility. After five consecutive weeks doing battle in the I25cc and 2S0cc Pro classes, WMR
Competition Performa nce/American Suzukibacked Shaun Skinner and Factory Connection
Honda rider Keith johnson emerged with Win·
ter Am titles.
Co m ing into the final round , what was
shaping up to be a champion ship fight in both
Pro division s among three combatants was
narrowed down to two, as Team Green's Kyle
Chisholm bro ke his arm in an unfortunate
cras h during practice the week prior, forcing
the fast Floridian to t he sidelines. Not only was
C hisho lm leading both A classes before the
setbac k, he was also tied with Skinner for the
lead in the 125s and sat third in the 2SOS, just
six points out of fim.
Fittingly, Skinner was the most successful A
and Pro -class comp etito r on the weekend,
taking wi ns in the 12Scc A, 125cc Pro and
2S0cc Pro classes , securing the 125cc A and
12Scc Pro crowns in the process. De spite
Skinner 's w in in the 2S0cc Pros , johnson
persevered for the champ ionship, taking it with
two po ints to spare via his runner-up
performance at the final roun d. The 2S0cc A
title went to BSY Yamaha's Jacob Saylor, who
T
over the seco nd -p lace finishe r an d series
run ner-up. Honda of Ho usto n/F MF-backed
Zack Lundy.
While many class championships provided
nail-biting finishes , non e eclipsed that of the
125 cc C cla ss , w hich saw full ga tes and
qualifie rs th roughout the series . Florida's Troy
Snyder had a t h r-ee- p o in t ad van tage on
Western Powersports' C hris Pixle y befo re
Gatorback , with Maryland 's Jacob Miller
another six back in third. Sean Ridgeway pulled
the first-moto holeshot, but Miller bolted past
to ta ke the lead by the end o f the op en ing
circuit , with Pixley in tow, while Snyder was
mired in the back after a bad start . Miller put in
a flawless ride throughout the moto, taking the
win three seconds clear of Pixley, while Snyder
fought his way to fifth at the checkers, setting
up a flnal-moto showdown for the title amo ng
the three of them .
Georgia rider TravisTurner was quickest off
t he gate to start moto two , ahead of CamHo
Gomez and Miller. By the completion of lap
one, Miller had wrestled his Honda into the
lead , with Pixley fourth and Snyder seventh.
Pixley put his head down and battled his way
to second before the white flag came out , and
he chased Miller across the line at the end of
the mote to take second overa lland secure the
champ ionship. Miller's final-race win broke the
tie-breaker with Snyder for second overall in
the se ries.
Other W inte r Am standouts includ e d
Flo rida 's Kyle Meeks , North Carolina's Ian
Tre tt e l and Michigan's Nico Izzi, with three
titles each .
eN
Virginia Championship Hare Scrambles Series
Awards Banquet: Radisson-Fort Magruder
Greer Celebrates Fourth
Grand Championship
By HEATHER GREER
WILUAMSBURG, VA, JAN. 10
T
he VirginiaChampionship Hare Scrambles
Se ries held the biggest banquet in its 19year history, with more than 500 guests packing the grand ballroom at t he Radisso n-Fort
Magruder hotel. The banquet was not only a
celebration of the acco mplishments of the riders but also of the hard work of the promoters, volunteers and sponsors who have made
this ser ies one of the best in the nation.
The pre banquet happy hour was packed
with people chatting and bench-riding while
watching videos prod uced by Mike and Mary
Jackson of the 2003 season. Riders and their
fam ilies also had a chance to buy 2004
competition cards, the new sc oring
~o
CI:DnlIAnV
'1 1::
'1"".14
•
rvr,
~
transponders, and the sharp , new 2004-se ries
T-shirts . Dr e w Smith of WER donated a
steering stabilizer that was raffled off, raising
more than $700 for the Horizon ride rs. There
we re also disp lays by Fly, Pr o Actio n, BBR
Mot o rspo rts and Answer. Casey Cycle C ity,
Lew is Mo torsports and jimmy's Cycle Sales
displayed several of the exciting 2004 bikes.
When the season begins on March 14, there
will be two new classes in the series: a junior
Mini Girls class and a SOcc XRC Adult class,
where people 18 or olde r can get their kicks
riding the smaller bikes. Fly introduce d the "Fly
Bucks" program to award riders wearing Fly
gea r. Kawasaki and Suzuki announced very
generous co nti nge ncy programs. Red Bull,
Motos Costa Rica. WElt. Duvall. Regina Chains,
BBR Motorsports, Western Powe rsports and
,.,~WC
Sa t urday
50 STK (4 · 6 ): l. Chmtopheo- Salter (tern) : 2. Mason
Price (Pol); 1. Zacha ry Sanden (KTM); 4. [asen More llo
(Cob); 5. Matthew Patten (Co b). 50 ST K (7-8): I. Max
Tannenb.aum (KI M); 2. R.J. Hampshire (Kaw); 3. Rowtand
Papp (Cob) ; .. . Bl'3Odon Slane (KTM); 5. Dillon Smith (KTM).
65 (7 .9): I. Nikolas Desiderio (Suz); 2. Gavin Trettef (Suz: ;
)
3. Brett McMichael (KTH); 4. Adam Cianciarulo (Kaw); 5.
DvUn RolHmon (50,). 65 ( 10· 1 1): I. Ian "lrertel (5",): 2.
Scott Elderfi e ld ( KTM); 3. Tyler Moore (Kaw); .. . Justin
Starling (Suz) ; 5. Brandon Mays (Suz) . 85 (1. 1 1): I. Ian
Trettel (Suz); 2. Tyler Moore (Kaw) ; 1. Zacke ry Freeberg
(Suz); 4. Brandon Ha ys (Suz); S. Robby Hun (Yam). 85
( 12. 1] ): I. Ben Lamay (Suz); 2. Nico lui (Sol) ; J. Colten
Maynard (SUl); 4. Blake Wharton (SU 5. Trey Canard
2);
(Kaw) . 85 (14 ·15 ): I. Joe La Falce (SUl); 2. Pat Pixley
(Kaw) ; 3. Bo Partin Jr. ( SUl ); 4. Joe y Denne (Suz ); 5.
Brendan White (Suz) . 115 A: I. Shaun Skinner (Suz); 2.
Han Goerke (Suz); 3. Simon Hom ans (Y
am); 4. N icholas
E.....".. (y",,); 5. zad< Lundy (Hon) . 125 B: I. Kyle Meelu
(Kaw); 2. Kyle Tobin (Suz); 3. Jase Lewis (Hon); 4. Dea n
Dyeu (Suz) : S. "JYle.- u..say (Kaw) . 125 c:, I. Jacob Miller
(Hon) ; 2. Chris Pixley (Kaw); 3. CamiJo Gome l (Yam); 4.
th,;, 0... (Suz); 5. Troy Snyder (50<). 125 OPEN (NO A
RIOERS): I. K Meek> (Kaw) : 2. KyleT_ (Suz): 3. "JYle.yle
Livesa y (Kaw) ; .. . [ase Lew is (He n): S. N icholas Mackie
(Kaw). 250/500 A : I. Jacob Sa
yloo- (y",,): 2. Zack Lundy
(Hon) ; 3. Matt Goerke (Suz); 4. Jordan Peeples (Yam) ; S.
Michael Steveson (Kaw). 250 /500 B: I. Scott Simon (Kaw):
2. Jimm y AlberUon (Y
am); 3. Qu inton Bigalo w (Yam) ; ....
ea.e Studstill (Yam); S. AshJe.e Woskob (Kaw). 250/5 00 C:
I. Billy N elson (Yam); 2. Justin Knott (Yam); 3. Troy Balsters
II (He n): 4. Kevin Osborne (Hon); 5. Christ opher Pannell
(Hen). 150 OPEN (N O A RIDERS): I . Qu inton Bigalow
(Yam); 2. Jona tha n Cam p (Kaw); 3. Jake Allen (Hon); 4.
Barrett Smith (Yam);5. Dave Grover (Hon) .
Sunday
50 OPEN : I. Brett McMich ael (KT H) ; 2. Da ria n
RotH""", (Suz): 3. Eric G.-ondahl (Pol): 4. Cody ChiY>olm
(Cob); 5. Dillon Smith (KTM). 65 OPEN : I. Ian Trettel
(Suz): 2. _
Mays (Suz): 3. Scott Elde