Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

intensity borne of confidence and a strong yearn to win. "Ifeel strong ," Lange said. "I came into this series very pre pared, and I've only finished one race off the podium. I'm real happy with the way things are going." Shogun/Factory Yamaha rider Chad Johnson was the only interloper on Saturday night into the top three of the 2S0cc class. Kevin Johnson and Dowd were pod ium material on Friday night in the 2S0cc class. FRIDAY 12 5 C C MAIN Northrop took the holeshot in Friday's 12Scc main and never looked back. Defending champ Lange pre ssured as best he could until lappers became a factor. In Arenacross, there is usually one good line, and this night Northrop was always on it. Lange had to be smart and settle for second place behind his teammate . Lange had opportunities to park his teammate but chose to let it ride. Brandon Bartz, an Arenacross regular, gated well and used every trick in the book to maintain his pace and keep it on two wheels . Kevin Johnson moved up to fourth, and Eric Sorby, who looked tentative o n the bike, was still getting used to the frenetic pace of Arenacross but managed to tough out a respectable fifth -place finish. Rounding out the top 10 were Dowd , Brad Hagseth, on a FBC/PPGfTroy Lee Honda, Evan Laughridge , Chad Johnson and former AX regular Jim Neese, on the Empire Racing/Suzuki/ Barr's Competition RM-Z2S0. " I got an awesome start and the lead," Northrop said. "Darcy kept me honest the whole race, but I kept it on two whee ls and made no mistakes ." F R I D A Y 25 0CC M AIN Northrop to ok the holeshot in the 2S0cc main and was looking to set sail as he did in the I 2Scc main, but he had company Lange and Jessemen. The Lange/ essemen battle drew them J closer to No rthrop, who was fighting for his lif As the e. race wore on, Northrop seemed to lose the dr ive and started making little errors . Lange, his hands full with the relentless Jessemen, made a move that opened the door for the two riders , as they both got aroun d Northrop. As the saying goes, "It ain't over 'til it's over." Jesseman tried a move of despe ration o n Lange, whic h ultimately caused both riders to hit the ~.. deck. Northro p had t he best seat in the house and scooted thro ugh as the leaders picked themse lves off the ground. Half a lap later, the checkers flew for Northrop , Dowd, Kevin Johnson, Lange and Jesseman. Neese, Chad Johnson, FBQPPG/Honda's Shane Bess, Honda of Houston's Colt Humphrey and Bartz ro unded the top 10. "I got off to another good start and was holding my own ," Northrop said. "Then, late in the race I got a little tight, and Darcy got by me , along with Jesseman. I just stayed where I was in third behind those guys, and on the last lap, Jesseman made a tough move on Darcy before the catapult and they both went down hard. I was there at the right time and squeaked by for t he win." S A T U R D A Y 12 5CC MAIN Northrop once again took the holeshot in Saturday's 12Scc main, with teammate Lange hot on his heels . Lange attacked immediately, but Northrop had the good line through the huge whoops and held his ground . Laughridge muscled his way into third and would stay there the entire race. Bess gated well in fourth but was later disqualified for overaggressive riding. Lange, meanwhile, pressured Northrop to the po int w here they seemed like they only had eyes for each other. The ir pace, within a sho rt time, drew them up on lappers. At the halfway mark, Lange got a good run through the whoops and forced the issue with Northrop, who could only watch his hard-fought lead disappear. Lange held on until the checkers new several laps later. Movers and shakers in the rest of the pack were eventual fourth -place finisher Dowd and Sorby, who gated poorly but made steady progress until he came up on Neese. Neese proved to be a worthy rival and finis hed in seventh, ahead of Sorby, but Hagseth and Chad Johnson beat them bot h for fifth and sixth , respectively. The ailing Demuth took ninth, ahead of Kevin Johnson . As for Jesseman, a cou ple of cras hes kept him out of the running in this one. "My Pirelli tires hooke d up and gave me a good start," Lange said from the podium. "I can't be any mo re happy. I mean, three Kawasakis up here on the podium is aweso me." "I got a great start, and I'm not sure whe re, but Darcy got by me," Northrop said. "But I just kep t my head down and rode smooth." S A T U R D A Y 2 5 0 C C MAIN Lange rocketed his facto ry KX2S0 into the lead over an inspired Chad Johnson and Northrop in Saturday's 2S0cc main. Bess, Laughridge and Kevin Johnson set tled into the top five. Jesseman seemed poised to make a run at the leaders and was one of only a few riders moving forward . Unfortunately for him, though, Jesseman would late r crash again. Up front, Johnson was pressuring the heck out of Lange, who was riding on the edge but somehow manage d to make ze ro mistakes. The riders raced perilously close on numerous Ripp le (Suz); 13. Shawn Clark (Kaw) ; 14. Nathan Tiemy (Suz); IS. Shane Bess (Hon) . 2S0 PR I. D, 'CY Longe (Kaw ); 2. Owl Jol" " on O: (Yam) 3. Jeff N ort hro p (Kaw) ; 4. Kevin Johnso n (Yam S. ; ); Shane Bess (Hon) ; 6. Joh n Dowd (Suz); 7. Evan Laughridge (Kaw): B. Brad Ripple (Suz); 9. Josh Demu th (y",,); 10. Shawn Clark (Kaw) ; II. Eric Sor by (Suz) ; 12. Jim Nee se (Suz); 13. Brandon Bartz (Han); 14. Nathan Tie m y (Suz); I S. Brande n Jessaman (Hen) . AHA NATIONAL ARENACROSS SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (Afte r ] of 10 rounds): I. Darcy lange (226/8 wins) : 2. Jeff Northrop ( 166/2 wins) : 3. Kevm Johnson (16 3); 4. Brand en jessenan. ( 156/ 1 w;n ); S. Chad Johnson ( 140); 6. Evan Laughridge ( 12211 win) ; 7. Shane Bess (117); 8. Josh Demuth (115); 9. Josh Dowd ( 100); 10 . J;m Neese (92); I I. Brandon B= (70); 12. Shawn Clm (68); 13. Brad H od jeWS (S6); 14. Eric Sort>y (5S); IS. Brad ki fijpple (SO); 16. Harcc Dube (42); 17. Eric Nye (36); 18. Coh Humphre y (35); 19. Ted dy H e'" (34); 20 . Kody Molitor (27). Top to bottom: Jo hn Dowd rode well over the two days and managed to grab second in Friday's 250cc main event; Shogun Yamaha rider Chad Johnson got his first podium af the year with a second p lace in Saturday's 250cc main event; Branden Jesseman had a weekend he would rather forget, as he finished off the podium in a ll four main events, bu t he is still fourth in po ints. occa- sions , and several near misses highlighted the second half of the main eve nt. While the leaders hammered one another, Kevin Johnson , Dowd , Laughridge and Brad Ripple moved into the top 10 positions. When the nag new, it was a relieved Lange a couple of bikelengths ahead of Chad Johnson, who was a bit ahead of Northrop, Kevin Johnson and Bess. " I finally got a good start on the 250," Lange said from the podium. "Chad was right there the whole time keeping me honest . I pulled a few seconds near the end ." ''Aw man," Johnson said. "Darcy was riding awesome. I just charged as hard as I could the whole race." eN WORC ST MASsACHusm s E ER, RE SULTS: NOVEMBER 1 1-1 2, 20 04 (ROUND 3) Frld.;r.y 115 PRO: I. Jeff Northrop (Kaw); 2. Darcy Lange (Kaw ); 3. Brandon Bartz (Hon ); 4. Kevin Johnson (Yam); S. Eric Sorby (Suz); 6. Josh Dowd (Suz); 7. Brad Hagseth (Hon ); 8. Evan Laughridge (Kaw); 9. Chad Johnson {Yam }; 10. Jim Neese (Suz): I I. Nathan Tie m y (Suz); 12. Brande n Jesseman (Hon); 13. Cody Gilmore (Kaw) : 14. Brad Ripple (Suz): IS. Josh Demuth (Yam). 250 PRO : I . Jeff N orth rop (!

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