Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

the opener in Anaheim and an Anaheim III left him on the looking in. A win in Houston for any rider meant gaining valuable momentum going into the highly anticipated East/West 125cc Shootout in Las Vegas the following week, and Short now appears to have it. On the other side of the coin, 2005 THQ AMA 125cc Western Region Supercross Champion Ivan Tedesco will be looking to rebound from Houston, as his chances were gone after a firstturn crash left him working his way up from last. The very competitive 125cc Western Region Series produced no less than four different winners in the seven rounds before the finale in Houston, and both Tedesco and Short laid the groundwork for a main-event victory by winning their respective heat races. Short won the first, which included Red Bull KTM's Nathan Ramsey, who had three wins on the year. Tedesco checked out on the second heat, which featured heavy hitters Billy Laninovich of the AmsoillChaparrallHonda team, with one main event win to his credit, and Team Makita Suzuki's Broc Hepler, who was making a comeback from a midseason injury after winning round four in San Francisco. In the main event, Short did something he hasn't done all year: He got a good start. Short grabbed the $1000 Butterfinger holeshot award and led Laninovich, Red Bull KTM's Jay Marmont and Hepler through the first lap. Ramsey circulated in 15th after a terrible start, and Tedesco brought up the rear after falling in turn one. By the second lap, Short had begun to pull away as Hepler made his way around Marmont for third. Short looked as though he might get a chance for his elusive 2005 victory, but Hepler gave an indication of his potential by turning the fastest lap of the evening. On lap three, Hepler displaced Laninovich for second, while Ramsey moved up three positions to 13th. Tedesco was in 21 st. For the next 10 laps, the top four positions remained the same. However, with the final laps winding down, Hepler began to reel in an obviously slOWing Short, whose 13th and 14th laps were nearly three seconds slower than his first ones. Short's luck with the lappers wasn't the greatest. Hepler's charge eventually brought him to within striking distance, and on the final lap, he drew close enough to make a bid for first. Hepler showed Short a wheel in the left-hander after the first set of whoops, and while he couldn't make the pass, he put the Honda rider on the defensive. One turn later, Hepler went underneath Short, who retaliated in the rhythm section. The two traded positions again before Hepler finally made a move stick. With two turns to go, Hepler looked to have the win clearly in hand, but Short was not giving up. When Hepler took a wide line heading into the final turn, Short took a direct approach, one that would intersect Hepler's path. The resulting collision took Hepler's front wheel out and put him on the ground. Short crossed the finish line first, with Laninovich getting by for second before Hepler could get his Suzuki restarted. On the podium, Short didn't try to sidestep the aggressive move. "I've been second too many times, and I was going to do whatever I had to do - I don't care if I get DQ'd, I just wanted to win really bad," Short said. "I had trouble getting through those lappers. I was riding with my heart and not my head. I was just going to do whatever it took." Hepler didn't seem to take issue with the pass. "The last half of the race I was catching him good," Hepler said. "I got him with a few corners to go, and for the last corner, I thought I blocked it pretty good, but he still came in on me. Maybe I should have just kept it a little closer to the bales on the inside and took it all the way to the berm on the outside, but I didn't do that, and I lost." Marmont ended up fourth, ahead of Samsung Wireless/Sprint/Honda's Josh Summey, while Ramsey rounded out the top five. Tedesco was able to work into an eighth-place finish after nearly being lapped by the leaders. In the end, Short's win was only Honda's third Supercross victory of the 2005 season: one in the 2S0cc class and two in the 125cc. eN REUANT STADIUM HOUSTON TEXAS RESULTS: APRIL 30, 2005 (ROUND 8 OF 8) HEAT I (6 laps. 1·9 t.ransfer): I. Andrew Shan (Hon); 2. Jay Marmont (KTM); 3. Paul Carpenter (Kaw): 4. Ryan Monas (5U1.); S. Bryan johnson (Yam); 6. Nathan Ramsey (KTM): 7. Turbo Reif (Hon); 8. Eric Nye (Yilm): 9. Billy Swapp (Hon): 10. Clayton Miller (Yam); II. Brian Edwards (5uz): 12. Joshua Woods (5uz): 13. Ryan Abrigo (Hon); 14. Richie Owens (5u1.): 15. TIm Hawthorne (Hon): 16. Josh TarantinO (Hon); 17. Michael Sleeter (Hon); 18. Tyler Duncan (Hon): 19. Steve LAmson (Hon). HEAT 2 (6 laps, 1·9 transfer): I. Ivan Tedesco (Kaw): 2. Joshua Summey (Hon): 3. Billy laninovich (Hon); 4. Brett Metcalfe (Yam); 5. Broc Hepler (Suz); 6. Chris Gosselnr (Suz): 7. Jesse Casillas (Han); 8. Justin Keeney (Kaw); 9. Logan Darien (Yam); 10. Johnny Marley (Han): II. Kyle Mace (Han); 12. Jose Miguel Cota Lopez (Han): Il. Rene Tercero Reyes (Han); 1-4. Levi Reid (Suz); IS. Jesus Rosales Calvillo (Suz); 16. Jeremy Chaussee (Yam); 17. Sean Collier (Han); 18. Chad Gaumer (Han); 19. Michael Blose (Han). LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER (4 laps, 1-4 trans· fer): I. Johnny Marley (Han); 2. Sean Collier (Han): 3. Joshua Woods (Suz); 4. Ryan Abrigo (Han); 5. Kyle Mace (Han); 6. Levi Reid (Suz); 7. Jeremy Chaussee (Yam): 8. Brian Edwards (Suz); 9. Rene Tercero Reyes (Han): 10. Clayton Miller (Yam): II. Josh Tarantino (Han); 12. Jose Miguel Cota Lopez (Han); 13. Tyler Duncan (Han): 11. Jesus Rosales Calvillo (Suz); I S. Tim Hawthorne (Han): 16. Richie Owens (SUI); 17. Michael Sleeter (Han): t 8. Chad Gaumer (Han); 19. Michael Blose (Han); 20. Steve Lamson (Han). MAIN (15 laps): I. Andrew Shan (Han); 2. Billy Laninovich (Han): J. Broc Hepler (Suz); -4. Jay Marmont (KTM); 5. Joshua Summey (Han); 6. Nathan Ramsey (KTM); 7. Paul carpenter (Kaw); 8. Ivan Tedesco (Kaw): 9. Brett Metcalfe (Yam); 10. Ryan Morais (Suz); II. Turbo Reif (Han): 12. Sean Collier (Han); 13. Chris Gosselaar (SUI); 1-4. Jesse Casillas (Han); 15. Ryan Abrigo (Han): 16. Eric Nye (Yam); 17. Billy Swapp (Han); 18. Logan Darien (Yam); 19. Bryan Johnson (Yam); 20. Johnny Marley (Han); 21. Justin Keeney (Kaw); 22. Joshua WooOs (Suz). THQ AMA 125 WESTERN REGION SUPERCROSS SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 8 of 8 rounds): I. tvan Tedesco (160/2 wins); 2. Nathan Ramsey (131/] wins); 3. And_ Short (126/1 win); 1. B'ty Uninovkh (119/1 win); 5. Jay Mannont (98); 6. Brett MetaJfe (9-4): 7. Damy Smith (77); 8. Ryan Sipes (67); 9. Brae. Hepler (6611 win); 10. Thom>s Hahn (65); 11. Ry>n Manis (61); 12. Chris Gosselaar (59); I]. Joshua Summey (53); 1-4. Steve Lamson (53); IS. Paul CMpente< (50); 16. Joshu. Woods (16); 17. B

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