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/128385
ith his brother, Jethro Halbert (the defending WCFTS Open Pro Champion), back east contesting the AMA series, younger sibling Sam Halbert kept their winning ways alive at round two of Gene Romero's West Coast Flat Track Series at Watsonville Speedway in Watsonville, California. Halbert scored a runaway victory in the K&N Filters Open Pro A main event. Bill Knight fielded a two-rider team and returned to the winners' circle in the Saddlemen Open Vintage A main by putting veteran Paul Herman in the saddle of an immaculate and trick TTSOO Yamaha. The Honda Top Gun 4S0cc class saw series regular Brandon Bergen score his first A main-event win in convincing style. When the K&N Filters Open Pro A main light went green, Sam Halbert pulled yet another holeshot and led the riders into turn one, followed by brothers Steve and John Hlebo, Zanotti Racing/A&A Racing/DeMario Racing's Mike Rush and Shawn Raggio. As they crossed the line and entered turn one, John got by brother Steve for second, and Kenny Carlotta came in a little too hot and sent Raggio W 62 JULY 6,2005 • CYCLE NEWS and two other riders over the bank. Rush and Steve Hlebo diced over third, with Rush finally getting by for good at the crossed flags. Halbert slowly pulled away out front as Carlotta put the pressure on Rush for third; which pushed them both closer to John Hlebo. With two laps to go, John seemed to make a mistake, allowing Rush and Carlotta to close the gap. Halbert cruised the last lap for the win, while Rush got the drive off turn two and sneaked by John Hlebo into turn three. Rush came home second, with John barely holding off Carlotta at the line for third. Steve Hlebo finished sixth. "It was a great race," Halbert said. "It's good to finally get the monkey off my back here. The last two times here, I was leading and had a mechanical, so I was really looking forward to trying to get a win here. It worked out sweet. I got holeshots in all of my races and just led them from there." The Honda Top Gun 4S0cc A main event saw Brandon Bergen put his Clawson Motorsports{fuff Plates/Zanotti Racing Honda 450 out front early. After a little pressure from Jamie Nicely at the halfway point, Bergen motored away for his first Top Gun main-event win. Jamie Nicely hung on for second, while Chris Foster put together an impressive ride through the pack to fill out the podium. "I got a good start," Bergen said. "We always do good here at Watsonville. I basically led the whole thing. I had a few minor mistakes with the front end a couple times, but all in all, the night was good. I was fast all night. Tires and gearing were good. I'd just like to thank everyone who helped me along the way." When the Saddlemen Open Vintage A main flashed green, Herman put his pole position starting spot to good use as he hit turn one first. Brad Spencer, in fifth position off turn two, shot past Steve Hall down the back straight and. then made a spectacular pass on both Dan Phillips and Dom DeMario through turns three and four. He then set out after Herman. Spencer was able to reel him in but just couldn't find a way around the smooth Herman. The rest of the field would string out. At the checkers, it was Herman, Spencer and DeMario on the box, with Steve Hall and Paul Rusin rounding out the top five. "Bill Knight invited me to ride his bike, so I came up, and Pick Manufacturing and Brown Cycles, both of Paso Robles, helped me get here," Herman said. "I just loved it! It was fantastic! I enjoyed being with the Gene Romero series, and I expect to be back." The Classic Vintage Twins main was a blast from the past as Triumph-mounted Dan Phillips out-ran four screaming Yamahas to the checkers. eN WATSONVillE SPEEDWAY WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA RESULTS: JUNE 11, 2005 (ROUND 2 OF 9) OPEN PRO: Sam Halbert (Rtx); 2. Mike Rush (Han); 3. John Hlebo III (Rtx); 4. Kenny Carlotta (Rtx); 5. Beau Brown (Rtx); 6. Steve Hlebo (Han); 7. Chris Canepa (Yam); 8. Shawn Raggio (Han); 9. D.W Sanchez (CCM); 10. Joe McCoy (Han); II. Robert Cunnington (H-D); 12. Mike Besemer (Han); 13. Bobby Ingle (Hon); 14. Mark Biscardi (Han); 15. Dennis Pinheiro (Yam). SADDLEMEN VINTAGE: I. Paul Herman (Yam); 2. Brad Spencer (Yam); 3. Dam DeMario (Yam); 4. Steve Hall (Yam); 5. Paul Rusin (Yam); 6. Dennis Pinheiro (Yam); 7. Dan Phillips (Tn): 8. Jim Mertens (Yam); 9. Richard Comer (Yam); 10. David Nance (Yam); II. James Banks (Yam); 12. Maury Austin (Yam). TOP GUN 450: I. Brandan Bergen (Han); 2. Jamie Nicely (KTM); 3. Chris Foster (Yam); 4. Joe McCoy (Han); 5. Austin Helwig (Yam); 6. Aaron Randolph (Yam); 7. Matt Pinheiro (Han); 8. Bubba Van Noort (Yam); 9. Tom Hamalainen (Hon); 10. Jacqui Van Ncort (Yam). CLASSIC TWINS: I. Dan Phillips (Tn); 2. John Guglietmett (Yam); 3. Richard Harrington (Yam); 4. Maury Austin (Yam); 5. Tim Bucholtz (Yarn); 6. Joe Disalvo (BSA); 7. Alan Shaw (Tri); 8. Brett Taylor (Tri). UPCOMING ROUNDS Round 3: Placerville, California, June 18 Round 4: Chico, California, July 16