Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128346
• -- MOTOCROSS 1 _ I October 3 . 2004 28th Annual Kawasaki Race of Champions ve n though the factory Kawasaki superstars did not attend this year's 28 th running of the Kawasaki Race of Champions at Raceway Park, the crowd did not go away disappointed, as it got to witness some of the future stars of the sport do their thing on the perfectly prepped track . Two days of rain, however, nearly caused a disaster, but the track crew, led by ProAm racer Richie Zupko, saved the day with creative measures. When Sunday rolled around, the track was tacky enough to enable insane cornering angles by Team Green riders Kyle Chisholm - the I Chamberlain, who went 3-4 for third overall in the 12Scc class. In the first 2S0cc Pro mota, Plotts took the holeshot, with Chisholm, McGourty and Casey Clark hot on his tail. Jersey native David Ginolfi rounded the to p fIVe. On lap three, Plotts made a small mistake and Chisholm pounced, pullinga small gap by the time Plotts recovered. Lap four, Ginolfi displaced Clark to fifth and set off after third-placed McGourty. Heading into the seventh lap, Chisholm had a full straight lead and was in complete control of the race. Meanwhile, McGourty made a pass on Plotts, dropping him back to third and into the clutches of Gavin Gracyk. When Gracyk started to pressure Plotts, the latter found some new speed 12Scc Pro -class overall winner ( I- I) - and Ryan Sipes, the 2S0cc Pro overall winner (2-1) . Other Kawasaki standouts were Florida's Donny McGourty and Matt Boni. Upholding local honors was the venerable Barry Carsten on the Bromley Suzuki. Carsten ran up front most of the day and only the energy of the young lions kept him off the podiums . Pennsylvania's Damien Plotts, who became eligiblefor the Vet class on Saturday, took the holeshot weekend and managed to salvage a well -earned second overall in the I 2Scc Pro class and fourth overall in the and their duel drew them closer to the front . Sipes snuck his way up into the top fIVe and kept making passes until he settled into the third spot. Plotts repassed Gracyk when he felt the pressure from Sipes, but Sipes was on a mission and eventually got around Plotts for second. Carsten hammered his way up into the fifth position and would stay there until the flag flew. At the checkers it was Chisholm by a mile, Sipes in second and Plotts third. Gracyk and Carsten rounded the top five, respective ly. Plotts got the jump in the second mota, but Sipes had 2SOs. This was somewhat odd , since Plotts is known more for his big-bike prowess than he is piloting smaller 12Scc machines. Another standout was Canada's Pierce other plans for the rest of the race , wh ile Chisholm , a serious threat for the overall, made his job harder by tumbling head-first into the Jersey dirt in the first turn . He got E numerous times over the S6 OCTOBER 20, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS 40th Anniversary