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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128365
wheelie through and gain considerable
time on his rivals.
In Friday night's 125cc main, jeff
Northrop, second in the series, edged
out Kevin johnson, Brad Hagseth,
Branden jessemen, Evan Laughridge and
Lange to the first corner, snaring the
$250 holeshot money.
Chad johnson, Shawn Clark, Brady
Sharp, Colt Humphrey, Cody Gilmore
and jim Neese gave chase through the
whoops. Suddenly, there was carnage on
the track: jessemen, Kevin johnson,
Teddy Maier and Brad Modjewski had all
gone down. The pileup forced a restart,
which Lange was all too happy to see.
On the restart, Lange got out in
front early and ran off with the win,
with Chad johnson finishing second and Northrop third.
Going into the 250cc
main, Lange was looking to wrap up the
title, but Hagseth
launched his FBC/
PPG/Troy
Lee
Designs Honda
into the lead
first, ahead of
Northrop.
Maier, Chad
johnson, Kevin johnson. jessemen, Lange,
Sharp and Laughridge.
Hagseth was riding smooth up front
but, later in the race, started to feel the
pressure of the two johnsons - Kevin and
Chad. Lange had moved up and was right
behind them, and he could almost taste
the championship.
Lange soon got by Chad Johnson and
then started to dog Kevin johnson, but he
would tangle with Kevin and got momentarily hung up on a Tuff Block, giving way
to Chad, who went on to chase down
Hagseth and pass him for the win.
Lange, meanwhile, got back going again
and worked his way into second before
the checkered flag came out,
and that was enough for
him to officially clinch the
title. The championship
was also the first
major title in North
America for Lange's tire
sponsor, Pirelli.
After a night of celebrating, Lange and the riders
were back at it again
Saturday night. Lange
broke out first in the
I25cc main by taking the holeshot,
but Chad johnson
was on the gas.
johnson raced by Lange down the
whoops and held off the champ the rest
of the way to take the win. Third place
went to jessemen, followed by Maier
and Laughridge.
The 250cc main saw jessemen out of
the gate first, but Maier beat him to the
holeshot line. However, Chad johnson,
who started out in fourth, was the man to
watch, as he quickly went around both
jessemen and Maier to take the lead and
eventual win, his third of the weekend.
Lange also made up for a bad start and
got it into second before it was allover.
Hagseth worked his way up to finish third,
eN
while jessemen ended up fourth.
DENVER PEPSI CENTER
DENVER COLORADO
RESULTS: JANUARY 28-29,
(ROUND 9 OF 10)
Saturday
125 MAIN: I.Chad Johnson (Yam); 2. Darcy Lange
(!