Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Kurt Caselli comes from behind to take the M's Kurt Caselli rebounded from his worst result (in round six) to finally claim that victory that everyone preicted he would get sooner or later with a come-from-behind win at round seven of the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC World Off-Road Championship K 32 JUNE 29, 2005 • Win Series, held at Washougal Motocross Park and presented by Maxxis. "I've been pretty consistent with a lot of seconds [three of them, to be precise], then we had a few bad races - a 20th, a seventh and a ninth," Caselli said. "I just want to stay consistent and stay up front and, hopefully, get the championship at the end." Team Green's Lance Smail and early leader Montclair Yamaha's Nathan Woods completed the podium. It was so action-packed, spectators were on their feet for most of the race. Following overnight and morning showers, the sun shined through a few puffy clouds as the Pros and SemiPros went to the line. Suzuki's Mike Kiedrowski got the holeshot on his RMZ450 but went wide in the second turn, with Woods cutting underneath to take the lead. Great Britain's Ryan Voase of Team Green UK slipped into second on his 10<250 as they finished the first lap, followed closely by Kiedrowski, Ricky CYCLE NEWS Dietrich and Smail. "I was kind of all over the place on the first lap, then settled down a little bit," Kiedrowski said. "Then I started catching my front wheel in some of the ruts, trying to cross over, and I fell a couple times. Had a few bad laps there, and those guys got away." "Those guys" turned out to be a pack of five that steadily drew away from the rest of the field. It included series points leader and defending champion Woods, as well as rookie Pro racer Dietrich, who would wage an up-c1ose-and-personal battle for the lead that lasted most of the race. Dietrich actually led a half-dozen laps, the same as Woods. Though Dietrich could not shake Woods, the second-placed Woods couldn't run away from the rookie, either - until the packing in Dietrich's silencer plugged up the exhaust three laps from the end and forced him into the pits for repairs. "I thought maybe I crushed the pipe [at first]," Dietrich said. "In the beginning, I felt pretty nervous and I was making little mistakes, but I was still running the pace because everyone else was making little mistakes, too - like in the mud and stuff. Almost everyone had a crash during the John Beal Returns to Racing A little less than a year ago, John Beal's life took a turn for the worse when he broke his neck at a local race. The two-time ISDE silver medallist lay in a hospital bed, paralyzed, for a few days, but he gradually regained full use of his 6-foot-2 body. Still, the prospect of racing motorcycles again seemed distant. Fast-forward to round seven of the 2005 WOReS tour, and, incredibly, Beal is on the starting line in the Pro class on his KTM 450 MXC. Not only is he riding motorcycles again, he is also racing for only the second time since his injury, the first race being a local motocross. In the end, Beal finished an impressive 10th in class and 11th overall, after a strong third overall in Saturday'S Pro qualifier. It is an astounding comeback, but he's obViously pleased most of all just to be able to ride again. "I'm kind of tired, but other than that, I feel good," Beal said. "I pretty much took off at, I don't know, maybe 60-percent pace. It was really slow at the beginning and just kind of stayed real steady. I don't think it changed a whole lot from there. "It worked out in the mud, but as soon as it started to dry and the leaders' pace picked up, it was not good," he joked. "It feels unbelievable to be down here at a local race - for me, it's a local race - and riding again. It's awesome!"

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