Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AHRMA Th e Classic Motorcycle/Metro Racing Dirt Tr ack S er ies Round 3 : Orange County Raceway Battling at Bithlo By MATI BENSON BITHLO, FL, MAR. 3 T here 's nothing like short-t rack racing fo r ultraclose action and unpredictable results - rega rdless of w hether the motorcycles are t his year's mode l o r 30 years old. That was definite ly the case when 100 AHRMA entries visited O ra nge Cou nty Raceway for th e final Vintage event of Bike Week. Getting a good start is impo rtan t o n a slick litt le track, and that worked for Larry Weiss in t he O ve r 50 Senior class as the six-lap finals began. Class champ jim Monegan from Twisp, Washington , challenge d the Triumph ride r in the late stages, but We iss held on for a close win . The battle fo r second was tight as we ll, w ith Ed Fatzinger Sr. holding 011 Melvin Brown . In the Over 3S Veteran class, the co nte st was betw ee n Trium ph riders f ran Brow n and Lew is Woods. Fran was t he early leader. but Woods soon go t past , and the two rode almo st side by side for the re mainde r. Woods hung o n to w in by about a bikelengt h. The Dinosaur race was on e of the closest of t he night , even with on ly fo ur bikes on t he track. Triumph-mounted Craig Brec ko n got off the line first , but Geo rge Wills soon had his Harley W R handshifte r up to spe ed an d w as giving Brec kon a batt le . The two swapped the lead nume rous times o n the opening laps. For the last couple of laps , Brec kon held the class champ ion at bay, cr ossing the line with a lead of less than half a bikelength. T he unpredictable nat ure of sho rt-t rack racing reared its head in the Classic 250cc race . Mike Metz ler put his brakeless BSA in fro nt at the green flag, chased by Le land Prewitt, Barry Ba ke r a nd Mike La nd ru m . Bultac o jo c key Baker move d arou nd Prewitt into second , be hind Metzler, and the to p th ree d istanced themse lves fro m the rest of the pack . Metzler loo ked like he had the race sewn up, but on the final lap he bobbled, ran too deep through the first tum, and gave the lead - and win to Bake r. The West Palm Beach, Flo rida , rider managed to recover to finish second, ahead of Prewitt and his Yamaha. T he Sport s m a n 750cc c o ntest was a rematch of the earlier batt le be tw een Woods and Fran . Th ey qu ickty distanced themse lve s fro m the rest of t he pack in a slde-by -s lde batt le for t he lead . T his t ime, however, Fran found the combinatio n that let him build a bit of a lead ove r Woods in the run to the checkered flag. Melvin prevailed in the fight fo r third with Mike Barb e r. 4 Can-Am rider Ben Evans (69F) won the '70s Two-Stroke contest at Orange County Raceway. Bullaco jockey Greg Moeller (SSO) placed fourth . Southern Georgia Winter/Spring Se rie s Round , : Southern Ex trem e MX Park Trettel and Johnson Flash Byl By CRAIG JOHNSON VIOAUA, GA, FEB. 15 R o u nd o ne o f t he Southern G e o r gi a W inter/Spring Serie s got o ff to a wet start for pra ctice, but by the first motes the track was in superb con d ition . Trac k owne r Allen Cam pbe ll d id a great job of getting th e track ready after it had rained all day before the race. "Th is track will soa k up most o f the water, and all we need to d o is d rag it an d d rain a cou ple of spots," repo rt ed Ca mp bell; he was r ig ht . and t he sun c a me o ut early in t he afternoon to make conditions even better. Two good riders stopped by to take part in round one and showed everyone else the fast w ay around t he trac k. Ian Trettel and Taylor johnson , both on Suzukis, flashed by eac h lap. Tre tt el took t he 85cc Open class, while johnson won the Schoo lboy and co mbined Junior and Senior Mini classes . In t he first SSec Open moto, Jo hnso n and Trettel, staying very close t o each othe r, pulled ou t to finish first and second . Reese Gra ntham w as a dista nt third. In the second moto, Trettel got the jump o n joh nson and led every lap and too k t he wi n. Garrett Smith stayed w ith th e d uo for the first half of the race but dropped back to fourth by the end , w hile Granth am came up to tak e third once again. Joh ns o n c am e o ut sw ingin g in the first 62 Schoolboy moto. jo hnson didn't get the lead but wa s runni ng se cond, beh ind Over 30 Mo ney rider Chad Anderson. Th e tw o battled t he entire mota until Anderson made a mistake on the last lap that allowed joh nson to slip by for the win . jo nathan Edge , Landon Aldr ich, Josh Lloyd and Brando n Overstreet roun ded out the to p five in the Schoolboy class. jo hnso n got the lead the second moto and never relinqu ished it. The rest of the ord e r stayed the sam e as in th e first mota. In the first 65cc Beginner moto, Dill n Smith o jumped int o the lead. jacob Sullivan, jam e s Woods , Blake Gr imsley and Brice Hill fo llow ed close ly. Smith tri ed putting some d istance on the rest of the pack, while Grimsley moved into second. At the halfway flag, Gri ms ley put the pressure o n Smith fo r the lead. A co uple of laps befo re t he checke rs , Grims ley fou nd h is opening and we nt on to ta ke the win. A good battle developed for th ird on t he t rack , with Sullivan event ually ho lding on to the last podium spot. Hill too k fourth , and Woods finishe d a close fifth . T he se co nd moto w a s anot her Smi th! Grimsley battle. Smith led initially, but Gr imsley t oo k the le ad be fo re t he halfway mark and we nt on to w in, o ver Smith. Clay Spires was a d istant third after taking a har d fall in the first mota. Sullivan passed Woods for fourt h w ith a co uple of laps to go . MARCH 24, 2004 • CYCLE N EWS The participation of t he series sponsors is m uc h appreciated . Ex tre me Suzuki/H o nda! Kawasaki o f Baxley, Geo rgia , was t he mai n sp onsor, and co -sponsors included Yamah aSuzuki of Statesboro and Ho ndalYamaha!KTM of Savannah , amo ng many others. RESULTS PIW so: I. Trey Denis (Yam ); 2. Harris Kain (Yam); l . Mo rgan Johnson (Yam) . XR50 : I . N ico le Padgett (Hon). P/W 80 , I. A.h lee Sull""" (Hon). 50 BEG (4-8) , I. Necle Padgett (Ho n); 2. Trey Den is (Yam) ; l . Harri s Kain (Yam) . 50-65 TINY MINI (6-8 ): I. Blake Grimsley (Ka.w). 65 BEG (6.1 1) : I. Blake Grim sley (Kaw); 2. Dillon Smith (KTM); l . jacob Sullivan (KTM); ... Jam es W oods (Suz); S. Brice Hill (Kaw). 65 OPEN (6- 11)' I. T yle< Campbel l (Su%); 2. Clay Sp ires {Suz}. 65 ·8 5 JR MINI (7 - 11): I. Tyle r C ampbell (Suz) ; 2. Johnny Warren (Kaw ); l . Justin Lloyd (Suz). 85 BEG T he Classic 500/ 750cc co ntingent took to the track, and Robert Litten , Brec kon , Metzler and Wills im me d iat e ly ga p p e d t he fie ld . Metz ler 's tr ou bles with turn one con tinued as he fe ll there on the second lap and was out for the race. Wills passed Brec kon for sec ond and then went to work o n Litt en , and t he pair of Harley KR ride rs pulled awa y fro m Brecko n's Tri umph . W ills go t t he be tte r drive ou t o f t he fina l turn a nd just nipp ed Litten fo r ~win . ~ ORANGE COUNTY RACEWAY BITHLO, FLORIDA RESULTS: MARCH 3, 2004 (ROUND 3) DINO: I. Craig Brec kon (Tn); 2. George Wills (H-D ); J . BnJCe Argetsinger (H-D); ... 8eno Rodi (Enf). crsc 150: I. Barry Baker (Bul); 2. Mike Meaier (BSA); l . l eland Prewi tt (Yam); ... Mike Landrum (H-D); S. Larry G illespi e . eLS e SO: I. George Wills (HoD); 2. Robert Utten (H-D); l . Craig Breckon (Tri ; ... Scott Fluck (Tn); 5. Beno Rodi (BSA). ) SPTS MN 150: I. David Allen (Yam); 2. Ben Evans (Yam): l . leland Prewitt (Yam); 4. Gr eg Moelle r (8ul); S. Bill Kennedy soon (Y am). SPTSHN 600 , I. Andy McRobem (Hon); 2. Un-y Weiss (Hon); l . C arl Fo r ke y (H o n); "4 . D an Th o mp so n (Hon). SPTSHN 750: I. Fran Brown (Tn); 2. Lewis Woods (Tn); l . Melvin Bro wn (Trl); " . Mike Barber (Yam); S. William Allen (Y ). 'l Os SGL: I. Kenneth Creasy (Hoo) ; 2. Be n am Evan s (Yam): l . Mike Caves (Hon) ; 4. Jim Monegan (Hon) ; 5. Edward Fatti nger (Y am). ' 70s 1·5TRK: I. Ben Evans (C -A); 2. Jim Monegan (Hen) : l . Kurt Brady (Suz) ; 4. Greg Moeller (Bul); 5. Ronnie RaIl (C -A). VET: I. Le wis Woods (fn); 2. Fran Brown (Tn); l . Ed Romeckl (Yam); 4. Ian Davts. SR: I. Larry W eiss (Tn); 2. j im Monegan (Hon ); 3. Ed Fatzinger Sr. (fri); 4. MeMn Brown (Tn); 5. AI Golley (Yam). 5/SR: I. Frank Spangler (H o n); 2. Me lvin Brown (Tr i) ; J . G a ry Bre nnan (Ho n); 4 . AI Golley (Yam); 5. Norman Grober: (7- 15): I. Joh nny Warren (Kaw); 2. Ostin Jo hnson (Kaw) ; l . Andy Scott (Ho n). 85 OPEN (7- 15): I. Ian Trettel (Suz); 2. Taylor Johnson (Suz); l . Reese Gran tham (Hon); 4. Garrett Sm ith (Kaw ); 5 . Ju st in llo yd (Su z). 85 - 10 5 SR MINI ( 12· 15), I. Ta""" [ch nscn (Suz). 105-125 SCHBY ( 12·15 ), I. Taylor Joh nson (Suz); 2. jona than Edge (Suz ); l . Landon Aldrich (Hon ); 4. j osh Uoyd (5uz) ; 5. Bra nd on Overs treet (Yam) . I J:S BEG: I. Rees e G rantham (Ho n) ; 2. And re w Spires (Suz); l . Josh Edwards (Hon ); 4. Corey Hill (Yam); 5. Dan ny Hart (Yam). I J:S NOV: I . Jo na than Edge (5uz); 2. Wayne LAndon (Y 3. Jom Uoyd (Suz) ; 4. Park ... Dubois am); (Yam ); 5. j ustin Mey er (Kaw). 115 ADV: I . Chris Williamson (Y am) . 150 BEG: I . Raymond Evan s (Yam) ; 2. Jo sh Evans (Y ). 150 NO V: I. Wayne Landon (Yam ); 2. Justin Mey er am (Kaw) . OPEN AM: I . Wade Freh n (Y ); 2. Andrew Spires am (Suz). OPEN MNY: I. Ch ris Wi lliamson (Yam ); 2. C had And e rson (Kaw ). WMN : I. Haley Harper (Yam); 2. Kayla Sann (Suz). 30 + NOV: I. Brett Cu mmings (Hon) ; 2. David Overby (Hon) ; l . Craig Skippe r (Yam). ]0 + MNY: I. Chad Anderson (Kaw). 40 + : I. Brett Cu m m ings (Hon); 2. Ernie Millan (Hon); 3. David Overby (Hon) ; 4 . Craig Skipper (Yam). CMC Northwest Winter Arenacross Series Round ' 0: Forster Livestock Pavilion Currier's Impressive Win Package By CLAY LIGHT SALEM, OR, FEB. 20 ashingto n's Landon Currier put together an imp ressive package o f fo ur overall class w ins at ro und 10 of the CMC Northwest Winter Arena cross Ser ies, he ld at Forster Uvestoc k Pavilion. The eve nt, he ld two days prior to the second of two Pacific Northwest Regional Golden State Nat ionals, d re w riders fro m all over the West to the O regon State Fairgro unds. Th e Yama ha - and KTM d Cu rrier lo gge d the e vening 's lon e fo ur- c la ss win W 40th An n ivers ary 4mounte tally, topping the 65cc (9-1 I), 65cc Open, 85cc (9- 1I) and Supermini classes. C urrier, w ho hails fro m Brush Pra irie, Washingt on , was amazing en rou te to his wins. His first of four w ins on the night came in the 85 cc Age Grou p class , w here he ha ndily be a t all come rs in bo t h mo tos . Yamaha rider Travis McClinton was one of the few riders all night to he ad Currie r, but McC linton's lead lasted o nly the first four laps of the seco nd mo t o . Kawasak i r ide r Charlie McCarthy finished closest to Currier in mo to one , w hile McClinton t ra iled the De Marini-

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