Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Eddie Mu lder's West Coast Vintage Dirt Track Series Round I: Tulare Cycle Park Wood Doesn't Crack, He Splits! By JAMEY BLUNT TULl E,CA,APR, 17 "Hold the race and they will come ." That's exactly what he did. When former national number 12, Eddie Mulder, kicked off his series this year, 152 contestants showed up - despite the threat of rain - at the famed Tulare quarter-mile. However, 15 minutes into practice, the threat was realized, and everyone ran for COYer. It rained hard for IS minutes. and then it stopped just as quickly. Steve Mon- Former stunt man Mickey Alzola topped the Super Senior class in Tulare, California. ger reripped the race track , and at 7 p.m. the first of 23 heat races came to the line for round one of the Maxxis Tires/K&N West Coast Vintage Dirt Track Series . A rider needs to be over 60 years of age to compete in the C&J Racing Frame's Super Senior class, but you wouldn't know it by the way they ride . Bultaco-mcunted AI Ludwigsen led the group into turn one, but Mickey Alzola qUickly put his Trackmaster Triumph up front . Dave Cheney, sporting new leathers, ran third , with Doug Douglas fourth on a 1966 BSA On . lap two, Alzola put in a 22.36-second lap, and Cheney put a wheel under Ludwigsen entering turn one to take second. Two laps from the finish, Douglas . who 'd been working on Ludwigsen, finally found a way past and made it stick . The finishing order was Alzola, Cheney, Douglas and Ludwigsen. Twenty-seven Pros fought th rough four heats and a semi for one of 14 berths in the first Digger Helm Pro 600cc main event of the year. Current track-record holder Jimmy Wood came to Tulare on a streetcar named desire and put in a "stella" performance , posting the fastest heat-race time . Wood reve rsed the starting order for the main and started from the outside of the front row. However, it was Ronnie Brown, from the pole . who led into turn one , and he and Rick Hocking swapped this spot three times before the end of the first lap. Then, just at the stripe, Dominic Beaulac's engine let go, and with his hand in the air and nowhere to go , Donnie Harrell couldn't avoid him ; Harrell went down hard . This brought out the red flag for a full restart. minus Harrell (who thankfully was shaken but okay) and Beaulac (who, of course, had lost his mount). This time, former national number 13, Hocking, led from the wave of the flag. with Wood, Brown and Jamie Aguilar in tow. Exiting turn four, Wood took over at the front and set sail. By lap three of 15, Wood was gone, and A.J. Herrera. w ith newfound speed, was closing the gap to Aguilar and Brown . On lap seven, Wood lowered the track record to 18 seconds flat. By lap nine, Aguilar was gone. Hocking was secure in second, and Herrera was now up to third but under attack from Joe Hernandez. When the checkered flag flew, Wood had lapped the field up to fifth place, Hernandez had taken third, and Hocking, riding superbly, was strong in second. Not only did Wood leave Tulare with the biggest chunk of the more than $2000, he leads the Maxxis TIres Pro 600cc series points fund as well. TUlARE Cyelf PARK TUlARE, CALIFORNIA RESULTS: APRIL 17, 2004 (ROUND Jimmy Wood (66E) lowered his own track record to 18 seconds flat en route to the Digger Helm Pro 600cc main-event win at the Eddie Mulder's West Coost Vintage Dirt Track Series opener. CN 1) YTH 50: I. Jack Hamilton ; 2. Nathan Howard; 3. Ke....in Alcorn . YTH 60: I. Trent Howard; 2. Bronson Bauman . YTH 80: I. Michael A....ue: 2. lauren Wallace ; 3. Patrick McNamara. OINO: I. Dave Bostrom; 2. Marsh Runyon; 3. Tom Hensley. ctsc '150: I. Todd V3ughn. else 500: I. Dave DU"IafTley; 2. Man Campbell. MORN 250: I. Marc l yon s: 2. Steve Ferguson; 3. Joe Meyer. MORN 500: I. Breen Hoffman. HORN 750: I. Paul Herman; 2. Ken Thiebaud; 3. Bob Scally. 250 OPEN: l . Andy Wood: 2. Todd Vaughn; 3. Ste ....e Ferguson. 500 SUP: I. Mike Gonzales; 2. Jeff Gonzales ; 3. Gary Ritchie. OPEN AM: I. Brandon Bergen; 2. Mike Besemer; 3. Marshall Lapp. PRO 600: I. Jimmy Wood ; 2. Rick Hocking : 3. Joe Hernandez. VET: I. Oay Chambers; 2. Richard ~d ; 3. John Frank. SR: I. R;ck Reed: 2. Bob Sc>Jiy: 3. Joe Brown. SR NOV I S/SR: I. Mickey Alzola; 2. Dave Cheney; 3. Doug Douglas . ..,,, ~ll""IIl"~ Caden Hadley (KTM ); 2. Jacon Blomfield (KTM ); 3. J.D . Elliott (KTM); 4. Gunnar Biggerstaff (Kaw ); S. Darrell White (Kaw). 65 ( 10 - 1 1) STK : I. Levu Hall (KTM 2. Shal); Anthony Ginden (Kaw ); 3. Dosty Hump hries (5uz). 85 (7 -11) STK: I. l evii Hall (Suz); 2. Tye Simmonds (KTM); 3. Shai-A ncho ny Ginde n (Kaw ); 4. Jeffr ey Lew is (!

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