Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

As ex pected, Kevin Wind ham and Chad Reed won the first two hea t races , but they both had to work for them (at leas t fo r a little bit). In the first hea t race , Star Racing/Bobby j's Yamaha's Erick Vallejo nailed the ho leshot, but Travis Pastrana got around him before the first lap was over, and it wasn't lo ng before Windham moved into second, seairg the st3ge for a Pastr.Jna,W ondham showdovm. W indham eventually pulled alongside Pastrana as the two sailed over a triple jump side by side . The two looked over at each other, and then Windha m moved to the fron t , completing the pass in the ne xt tum . Pastrana hung with Windha m and slipped back into the lead when Windham bobbled through a rhythm section. The two continued to duel for the lead, and then Pastrana surpris ed the sell-o ut crowd by performing a nacnac right in the heat of battle. "Travis was put ting on a good show," said Windh am , w ho didn't seem bothered by the mo ve. "We ride together a lot; I shou ld've reached over and grabbed his fender, he was so close." Pastrana held the point for abo ut ano the r half-lap befo re Wind ham got him for good and pulled away for the win. Pastrana e nded up finishing a distant second, ahead of Mike laRocco and Nick Wey, who edged out Heath Voss for the final transfe r spot. Reed made things interesting by sta lling his YZ250 in the th ird tum of the second heat race , forcing him to come from beh ind. Michael Byrne sett led into the lead , ahead of Sean Hamblin and David Vuillemin. Reed quickly worked his way up through the pack and was even tually ho und ing his teammate Vuillem in for second. With a poss ible Y amaha title on the line, Vuillemin didn't want any part of Reed and pretty much let him by. Reed eventually ran down Byrne, passed him and rode off with the win, with Byrne holding on for second. Vuillemin looked to have third place sealed until he sudd enly spun out and got his finger smashed by the clutch lever. In pain, Vuillemin called it a race and headed for the pits. Hamblin moved up a spot to th ird , while Damon Huffman held off Subway/Honda's jason Thomas to land the fourth and final transfer position. Voss led from start to finish in the first semi , leading a freight train of riders across the finish line. There was a lot of close racing but no t too much passing, though Tyler Evans provided some bumping and banging action . Star Racing/Bobby j's Yamalha's Keith R. johnson ended up finishing a close second, wh ile Motosport Outlet Honda's Craig Anderson, Evans and Shogun Yamaha's Tommy Hofmaster all sneaked into the main event, Voss' win in the sem i was enough to clinch the THQ World Supercross GP title . Vuillemin was the obvious favorite in the second sem I.The facto ry Yamaha rider, however, didn't get such a good start but quickly made up for it. He eventually got into third and then got around Mota XXX's Kyle Lewis for second. After running down Yamaha rider Isaiah johnson for the lead, Vuillemin entertained the crowd ove r the jumps by performing numerous hee l-clickers. Vuillemin scored an easy win, followed by johnson, Thomas, and Team Solitaire Yamaha's Ryan Clark. Lewis was in a sure transfer when he crashed on the last lap. Lewis suffered pretty much the same fate in the LCQ . Wh ile leading, Lewis bailed all alone in the whoops, whi ch put an end to his even ing. Ho nda rider james Povolny inherited Lewis' old pos ition but had Yamaha ride r Tyson Hadse l brea thing down his nec k. Povolny, howeve r, hung on to take the win, cros sing the finish line just two sec o nds ahead of Hadse ll. Rich Taylor, w ho was also st unt riding for scenes in the mo vie Supereross - The Movie, was also an official e ntry in the evening's program, but he came up just one spot short of making the main event afte r finishing third. Taylor d id, howeve r, earn the $7S0 Racer X Gas Card for being the top nonqualifier. HEAT I (8 laps. I.... transfer): I. KevinWindham (Hon ); 2. Travis Pastrana (Suz); 3. Mike laRocco (Hon) : ~ . Nick Wey (5...); 5. Heath Voss(Yam 6. 1YI'" Evans (Suz); 7. Ko;th ); R. Johnson (Yam 8. Erick Val ejo (Y ); l am); 9. C.,;g Anderson (Hon ); 10. Joseph OehI hoI (Hon); I I. Clark Stiles (Hen ); 12. Thomas Hofmaster (Yam): 13. Brian Mnon (Hon) ; 14. Vincent Blair (KTM IS. Josh Bagge (Hon ); 16. Robb Flath (Suz); 17. Jake Christensen ); (Hon): 18. Richan:l T. y\o< (Hon); 19.0.,. C:u tillo (Hon); 20. Dennis Ewing (Suz). Race Time: 7 min. , 43.150 sec. HEAT 2 (8 laps , 1-4 transfer): I. Chad Reed(Yam): 2. Michael Byrne (Kaw): 3. Sean Hamblin (Suz);.of. Damon Huffman (Han); S. Jason Thomas (Hon); 6. Isaiah Johnson (Yam ); 7. Jeff Gibson (Ya 8. Rene Tercero Reyes (KTM); 9. Kyle lewis (Han ); 10. Kyle l ewis m); (Han); II. Jimmy Wilson (Hon); 12. Tyson Hadsell (Yam) 13. Grego ry Crate r (Han ); 1.04. ; l ; Brad Hagseth (Han); IS. Riey Kurosky (Yam) 16. Chris Barrett (Han ); 17. David VuilJemin (Yam) : 18. Jacob Martin (KTM): 19. Ryan Cia'" (Yam); 20. Ted Cam pbell (Hon). Race Time: 7 mi n., 5 1.910 sec. SEM I I (6 laps, 1·5 transfer): I. Heath Voss (Yam); 2. Keith R. Johnson (Yam); 3. Craig Anderson (Hon); ~ . lYle' Evans (Suz): 5. 1homas Hcfmast... (Yam); 6 . Joseph Oehlhof (Hon ): 7. CIarl< 5,i1.. (Hon); 8. Voncent BIa" (KTM): 9. Rich Tay\o< (Hon): 10. Robb Florth (Suz): II. Erick Vallejo (Yam) : 12. Josh Bagge (Hon) : 13. Jake Chrntensen (Hon); I~ . 8rian Mason(Hon) : IS. OeMs Ewing (Suz); 16. 0 ave Castillo (Hon) . Race Time: 6 m in.• 10.760 fee. SEMI 2 (6 bps, 1-5 .ransf...), I. Davkl \\.oillemin (Yam 2. Isaiah JoMson (Yam J. ); ): jason 1homas (Hon) ; ~ . Ryan CIarl< (Yam 5. leff Gibson (Yam): 6. Rene Ter cere Reyos ): (KTM) 7. Kyle Lew;, (Hon) : 8. Ted Campbell (Hon): 9. Jimmy Wilson (Han ): 10. James ; Povolny(Hon ); II . 1)'son H>dse1I (Yam): 12. Riley Kurosl

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