Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128384
Kendal Norman (pictured) and Robby Bell flnl.hed an Imp.....lve third In the long event. Briefly... This year's Baja 500 had the most el)trles, 360, since 1977. The CEO of SCORE credited this to the interest generated by the recently released Dust To Glory movie, as well as a good economy. There were 97 motorcycle entries. Jimmy Lewis, Dave Donatoni and Tim Morton muscled a BMW HP2 around the course to do some parts and prototype testing. They finished 10th in Class 30. All of the Pro classes were required to run a new GPS system. "We're really excited about it;" Sal Fish said. "It's great for safety finish ahead of the KTM duo to get the points lead for 2005. Norman and Bell put together a solid effort in only their second race together. Bell, who had taken the bike from Norman just after Uruapan, moved into third for a good eight miles past Santo Tomas. 'J\fter that, I was all by myself," Bell said. "It was a fun course, and I had no dust." He did tangle with a jeep 8n the steepest part of Simpson's Grade, though there were no ill effects. "The 650 is a heavy, bike to knock over:' Bell said. Grider and Blais were unable to duplicate their San Felipe 250 win. After a good start and with Grider on the KTM 660, things took a tu n for the worse. "Crashing ice didn't help matters," said Grider, who suffered a thumb injury. Blais was slowed by food poisoning from dinner the night before the race. He was unable to ride his last section, and Grider took an unscheduled ride to the finish. "The bike was great, it just wasn't my day," Grider said. Calling themselves an all-Mexican team, Gerardo Rojas, Arturo Salas and Francisco Real rode their XR650R to first in Class 30 and fifth overall motorcycle in a time of 9:35:57. "Clean ride and no problems," said Rojas, whose English was limited. Class 40 winners Jim O'Neal, Tim Withers, Randy Morales, Tom Willis and Craig Adams had their share of problems. They suffered wheel and exhaustpipe damage and lost time in the pits doing repairs. "It was a rough, dusty race, and I went down pretty hard and got stuck in a barbwire fence at 0ios:' Adams said. The O'Neal team XR650R finished sixth motorcycle, less then three minutes ahead of their class' second-placed riders, the duo of Washington rider Rich Binckley and Baja veteran Paul Ostbo. "We couldn't give up a second at the last pit. No tire, no filter, nothing:' said Scott Donlavey, who was scheduled to get on the bike, but instead left Adams on so as not to lose any time by changing riders. This was the closest competition of the day. The O'Neal team usually wins this class by.a-Iarge margin, .but this time the team just couldn't pull away from Binckley and Ostbo. In the 250cc class, Tim Morton, Juan Saffon, Sal Hernandez, Alfredo Contreras and Jason Trubey piloted a CRF250X to the class win and eighth overall motorcycle. "We were the first 250 to start, and no one passed us," Contreras said. "Everything went great." Over 250cc Sportsman rider Robert Laughlin bested a field of 26 other Sportsman entrants for the class win. He did it solo, on a Honda XR650 and in a time of 10:24:22. 'J\fter 300 miles, I got a second wind, but I'm glad to see the finish line," Laughlin said. He also took a pretty nasty spill in the mud, just off the start, and passed pit four without getting fuel, forcing him to bum some farther down the course from the locals. He finished 43rd vehicle overall. Sportsman teammates John Burton, Brent Carr, Robert Dillon and Blaine Baxter won the Under 250cc division as the class' only entrant. Japanese teammates Elizaburo Karasawa and Susumu Ishii, both with considerable Baja experience, rode a steady race to take the Class 50 victory. Their winning time on an XR650R was I 1:30:20. Karasawa reported that the pair had no problems during the race. The O'Neal Class 50 team - with Rick Gill, Bobby Hansen, Mike Sixberry and Doug Heil, who was restricted to manager support due to a prerunning injury - led the class for most of the day but lost the lead when the rear sprocket snapped off right before the finish, leaving Sixberry pushing the bike across the line. Sixberry's evident fatigue was visual proof to a Baja tenet: "I'd rather ride it 200 miles than push it 500 yards." The sprocket problem kept O'Neal from a second class win. CN BAJA 500 ENSENADA, B.C., MEXICO RESULTS: JUNE 3-4, 2005 (AmR 2 OF 3 ROUNDS) CLASS 22: I. Mike Childress/Mouse McCoy (Han): 2. Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell (Hen); 3. Robby BeIVKendall Norman (Hen); 4. Chris Blais/Andy Grider (KTM): S. Shaun Hanson/Joseph Picchionino (Hen). CLASS 21: I. Tim MortonlSalvador Hemandez (Han); 2. Joe Desrosiers/Mark Daniels (Yam); 3. Kevin Johnson/Ryan Gustine (Yam); 4. Juan Moreno/Jaime Sanoja (KTM); 5. Jim Townsend/Mark Gorgone (Hon). CLASS 30: I. Gerardo Rojas/Vicente Guerrero/Arturo Salas (Hen); 2. Vietor Villalobos/Francisco Septien (Han); 3. Rodolfo lribe/Rob Barnum (Hon); 4. J. David RuvalcabaJRogelio PandolLeonel Ruvalcaba (Han); 5. Jason Smith (Han). CLASS 40: I. Jim O'Neal{Tim Withers/jeff Kaplan (Han); 2. Rich Binckley/Paul Ostba {Han}; 3. Dana Reed/Shawn Black (Han); 4. Greg Fountain/Mike Martin Jr. (Yam); 5. Michael Laenger/Kent Perkins (Han). CLASS so: I. Elizaburo Karasawa/Susumu Ishii (Han); 2, Jim O'NeaVDoug Heil/Rick Gill (Hon); 3, Doug Smidv'Gene Dempsey/Sam Dempsey (Hen). and keeping everything in line." It is still in the development stage. SCORE will be looking at further modifications, such as an indicator light that shows a racer is ready to make a pass. Temecula Motorsports was a prominent participant, fielding three bikes, three ATVs and a buggy, all backed by two helicopters for air support. "It'll be a full day, we'll keep busy:' said Mike Finley, owner of the dealership. Second-placed Class 21 riders Joe Desroisers and Mark Daniels dedicated their race to Sgt. Brian Uttle, who has been serving in Iraq for over a year. Robby Bell credited SCORE road-erossing crews with keeping a high degree of safety during the race. "Crossing the highway was just one less thing I had to worry about:' Bell said. After bad luck struck them down, the factory KTM team of Andy Grider and Chris Blais finished fourth. CYCLE NEWS • JUNE 29, 2005 37