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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128363
AMA THQ Western Region Supercross Series
My
OWN RACE:
66 Tommy Hahn
125cc
5th
Rookie Hahn has been proving each week that he is a contender.
This week, however, he got penalized for jumping a triple under a
yellow flag. "I finished fourth and then they moved me back to fifth
because I jumped the triple when Hepler fell and the red lights
were flashing," Hahn said. '" was just committed to the jump, and
there was nothing' could do about it. It's all right, though. One of
my friends kind of got my screw up... Ryan Sipes is a good friend of
mine. [Sipes was moved up a position because of Hahn's mistake.]
So, I mean, I'm bummed about it for sure, but there could have
been worse things that could have happened; I could have been
docked a lap or something. It's just something I'm going to have to look out for from now on.
My speed is definitely there, I just need to work on my starts some more. We went through
like two clutches this week [working on starts]' We've been working on a lot of starts, and
we are going to work on some more. We're going to go through three clutches this week."
6S
(Above)
After 0 dismal
finish last week,
Red Bull KTM's
Nathan Ramsey
turned in a third place.
(Right) Hepler and a few of his fans.
last two main events," Tedesco said. "I'm
going to work on that this week and try to
get that handled. I think tonight I just rode a
smart race, and I saw the leader making a
lot of mistakes and going down with [Broc]
Hepler. And when that happened, I just said,
'Calm down and just take one guy off at a
time' - and that's what I did."
Last week's holeshot artist, Sipes, got the
holeshot again and led for the first three laps
before being passed by Team Honda's
Andrew Short, Team KTM's Nathan
Ramsey and Tedesco.
As for the crash Tedesco witnessed that
ultimately took Hepler out of the race, it
occurred on lap four when Short was in
third, and he narrowly missed the carnage.
"I was in midair," Short said. "I got lucky
I chose to go left, because those guys [Sipes
and Hepler] went right. Luckily, [Broc]
Hepler went right, so I went left, and I
couldn't have moved. Hepler, same deal. He
didn't have anything to do with it. Bad luck I
guess, being in the wrong place at the
wrong time."
Short capitalized on the accident and
moved into the lead, only to have Tedesco
breathing down his neck. Short let the pressure get the best of him.
"That middle part of the race I struggled,
and I knew Ivan [Tedesco] was there, and I
was just trying to click off laps," Short said.
"I went back to what I had been doing the
last two races, just trying really hard, and I
got tight. And my lap times went up... They
were starting to go downhill, so I knew he
[Tedesco] was coming, and I knew I needed
to finish. It's just not me [to tighten up]. I
need to relax and have fun and enjoy it."
20
fEBRUARY 2, 2005 •
Ryan Sipes
4th
After finishing third last weekend, Team WBR Suzuki's Sipes ran up front again. "It went
good," he said. "I got the holeshot again, and my Yoshimura Suzuki was good; lied for like
three laps. I cased a triple, I slid up coming up to it, it was really slick out there, and Hepler
landed on me. Well... he landed on my back wheel. He ended up going down. It was bad
luck, but it was an accident. After that, I kind of rode tight. My wrist was hurting me a little. It
turned out to be good. I just kind of rode smart and got fifth. It was cool. I thought when I got
out to the lead, I was going to be all nervous and tight, but I rode good. I held my gap. They
were behind me, but I never saw them coming up beside me. If I hadn't cased that triple, I
could have led some more. I'm feeling good. I've got the speed. I made some mistakes and
kind of tightened up. This is my third supercross, my second real one, because the first one
was a mud race. So, I'm pretty happy with it."
60 Broe Hepler
21 st
Anaheim wasn't too kind to Team Makita Suzuki's Hepler, who went down after landing on
the back of Ryan Sipes' bike. Afterward, he was a little beat up, but not seriously injured. "I
got off the start pretty well on my Makita Suzuki RM-Z250," Hepler said, "and then I was
going through the first whoops section and [Billy] Laninovich just stopped, and that put me
back in seventh or eighth. Then I started passing people and moved into second place real
quick. Sipes was in front of me, and I didn't know he'd messed up on his takeoff. I watched
the video back at the truck later and saw it, so I was expecting to hit the triple like in any
other lap. When I was in the air, I saw there would be trouble coming down."
Once Short tightened up it didn't take
long for Tedesco to move around him and
into the lead. It happened on lap nine, over
the double just after the mechanics' straight.
Tedesco closed the door for good in the
next left-hander.
With Tedesco in first, pulling avvay, Short
remained in second place, only a few seconds ahead of third-placed Ramsey, who
had put his lackluster performance of last
week well enough behind him.
"You know, I really wasn't thinking about
that [his poor performance in Phoenix] this
week," Ramsey said. "I have to win races if
I vvant to be in any competition for this
championship, and this is what I was trying
to do tonight."
As it would turn out, though, Ramsey's
spirited attempt to try to run down Short
for second proved to be fleeting. Short
knew that Ramsey was coming and began to
run for it, leaVing Ramsey to ride alone in
third, about five seconds behind Short,
while Tedesco was another fIVe seconds
ahead of Short.
"These guys are all going really fast,"
Ramsey said, "and it seems like every practice session, every time we're on the track,
CYCLE NEWS
everyone's really close. Like I said, it's just
those little mistakes. Ivan [Tedesco] is riding
really good, and I think he's making less mistakes than all of us. We've got to put a stop
to that."
The rest of the top 10 was filled with
familiar faces. Sipes crossed the line fifth but
was bumped up to fourth, while Amsoil
Chaparral Honda's Tommy Hahn dropped
from fourth to fifth after being penalized fIVe
seconds for jumping a triple under a yellow
flag. Team Yamaha of Troy's Danny Smith
was sixth. Red Bull KTM's Jay Marmont was
seventh. The only 125cc two-stroke rider in
the field, Brett Metcalfe, finished eighth.
Richie Owens finished ninth, and veteran
Steve Lamson rounded out the top 10. eN
ANAHEIM STADIUM
ANAHEIM, CAUFORNIA
22, 2005
8)
RfSULTS: JANUARY
(ROUND
3
OF
HEAT I (BIaps, 1-8 transfer): I. B;UyLaninovkh (Han):
L Nathan Ram>ey (KTM): 3. 0,,,, G=eIaM (Suz): 4. Ryan
Sipes (Suz): 5. J"'h Summey (Han): 6. Tommy Hahn (Han): 7.
Jay Mannont (KTM): 8. Paul CMpente, (!