Even though there
wasn't much water
at the event, Jet Ski
champion Victor
Sheldon still looked
fa st out on the track.
The pits are packed every year with everything
fram beer to how to become a stuntman.
year McGrat h was busy testing for the upcoming
Supercross season , and Hughes was earn ing so me
bucks at the Endurocross in Las Vegas. Having this
diverse group of people at the race is also what helps
add to the appea l of it. After all, there aren' t many
times when you get line up next to McGrath or a
famous actor.
As for the racing, it was again a lot of fun this year.
Ward and his teammate, young up-and-comer Tyler
Keefe, won the first team race, while Timmy
Weigand and Rich Taylor won the popular Moto-AGo-Go team race . New Motow orldracing.com rider
Chr is Gosse laar took top honors in the final race of
the weekend, the Coup de Grace, adding his name
to the list of prev ious winners, which includes
Kehoe, Hughes and Weigand. The Coup de Grace is
one of those things that must be seen to believe.
Imagine 100 or more racers lined up, in no part icular order, pre paring for what is ofte n an awkward
start, because the race organizers have bee n known
to surprise the m, sometime waving the green nag
while the racers are still adjusting their goggles or
sweepi ng their start pad. This year, howe ver, it was a
little mor e traditional, with a Les Mans-style start,
where riders had to run to their bikes, start them and
then take off in a cluster for the two-hour-or-not race.
What also makes the Coup de Grace interes ting is
that no one knows exactly whe n the checkere d nag
will be thrown , allanyone knows is that it will be long.
And as a way to remember the old Hopetown days,
smoke bombs and other special effects were lit off
throughout the event. There is even a barn that riders
go through on their way to the pits.
To make the Coup de Grace even more special, for
the winner, each year there is a really cool tro phy
awarded. This year, it was a custom Troy Lee Designs
Lazy-Boy, and Gosselaar couldn't have been happier
eN
to sit in it when he was all done .
www.cyclenews.com
Last year's Coup de Grace winner Timmy
Weigand couldn't quite defend his title, but he
sure looked good with the big number-one plate
on his bike.
CYCLE NEWS • DECEMBER 15, 2004
35
