Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

- MOTOCROSS "I came into the first moto with a pretty good points lead, got a good start like I needed," Tedesco said. "I had settled in, and [Brce] Hepler got a little crazy in one of the whoop sections in the back, crashed, and when his bike fell over, it landed on the back side of a triple. I was already in the air and landed on his bike. I went down and bent the bars pretty good. Luckily, I didn't get hurt on that one. I actually had to put my chain back on. I didn't get any points, and that was basically my first moto." Tension was high for the start of the second moto, and it didn't take long for things to get interesting. On the first lap, with Tedesco trying to protect his significantly smaller la-point lead over Alessi for the overall title, he and Alessi came hauling down a straight into a right-hander. The two made contact, and both riders went down. A minor brawl ensued while Alessi stood atop Tedesco's bike. Tedesco tried pushing Alessi off while trying to keep his own bike running. Then came Tedesco's teammate Matt Walker, who saw what was going on, turned around, dropped his bike and joined the brawl; he shoved Alessi. 20 - Round 12 5eptembel!OOS 2005 ~ AMA l25cc National Motocross SEriEs PresEntEd by FMF "I set him [Tedesco] up the same way as when I passed Langston in that turn [earlier in the day]," Alessi said, "but the only thing was that Ivan wasn't letting up. We came into the turn together; he was on the outside, I was on the inside. There was a big bump and he went up the berm and drove down. I came up from the bottom and went up. Our lines connected and we both went down. I couldn't pick up my bike, because it was buried in his front wheel. He kept yelling at me, 'Pick up your bike! Pick up your bike!' And I told him I couldn't because my handlebar was stuck in his front wheel. I couldn't get to it because it was down in the sand. He was freaking out. Then I saw Walker come over and kind of tackle me to get me off of him, because I was trying to get to my bike. Finally, I got to my bike and it wouldn't start, but then I got it going again. "I mean, it was a mistake on both our parts - maybe more my part for trying to go for the pass a little too early," Alessi said. "I know that probably later in the race he would have let me by, because he knew he'd have had the championship." "I got a good start," Tedesco said. "I was in, like, third, and going down that mud straightaway [Flounder Freeway]. I was kind of in the middle, he [Alessi] was on the inside. He started clicking gears and never shut off and just aimed for me. He took us both out, pretty much Tboned me. My whole right side's beat up. I got a tire mark going up my back. He must have rode up me. When I tried to get up, he was standing on top of my bike, trying to keep me from getting my bike up. It took everything I had not to give that kid an uppercut to the helmet. I knew I didn't want to get disqualified or anything, so I had to hold back, and finally Walker kind of came over and helped me out. My main focus was to keep my bike running, because those things are so hard to start. He was standing on top of my bike. I pushed him off once but just focused on keeping my bike running, because I saw that his wasn't running. So I just waited for him to do whatever he had to do - and got up." SEPTEMBER 21, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS Briefly... Continued from poge '9 spent much of his amateur career aboard the yellow machines. "It's a change, and I'm going to miss everyone there [at Suzuki]," Millsaps said. "It's been a lot of fun, and I'm going to miss them aiL" Yamaha of Troy's Danny Smith saved his best for last. He just missed out on making the podium, finishing fourth overall with a 5-6. It was his best ride of the year. "In the '!O-year-old John Dowd, who had planned on making the Glen Helen race the final National of his career. Dowd injured his knee at Steel City and was forced to watch from the sidelines. So what are his future plans? "I think I'm going to go race that Endurocross in November," he said. "I have no idea what I'm doing, but I think I'll just show up." Rumor has it that Stephane Roncada is close to signing a deal with the Motoworld.com team for next year. It is not yet known, however, what kind of bikes the team will be using in 2006, most likely either Hondas or Yamahas. first mota, Danny was really good," said his team Red Bull KTM's Nathan Ramsey said he's getting close to getting back on a bike again. A few weeks ago, Ramsey had sur- manager, Dave Osterman. gery on his wrist to "clean up some carti- "He charged the whole time. He and Brett [Metcalfe, Smith's teammate] were kind of together the whole time, and Danny held on to the end and finished fifth. The second moto was just as good. Ironically, his last race here was the best race he had all that year, too. The track was tough - he was tough." Smith said that he pulled a groin muscle at the last National at Steel City, which knocked him back to I I th in the standings. Despite haVing a hard time hanging on with his legs at Glen Helen, Smith's best performance of the year got him back up to 10th in the final standings. he expects to have the cast removed in a Team Makita Suzuki's Broc Hepler crashed in the first 125cc moto and pulled off with a seriously bent-up motorcycle. He actually rode a few turns before pulling off and calling it a day. Motosport Outlet's Juss Laansoo lage damage and bone spurs." He said that couple of weeks. Jason Lawrence was asked how he'd grade his performance in his first year on the National circuit. "I'd give me like an A for effort and an F for my starts," he said. "Waittwo Fs for starts. I rode good, though, tried hard, but need to be more prepared for next year." returned to action for the first time since breaking his leg at the Coiorado National last month. Unfortunately, things didn't go too well for the rider from Astonia. He crashed heavily in his morning qualifier, hit his head, and was just plain shaken up in the crash. Laansoo decided not to ride but instead to rest up for the upcoming MX des Nations. Tough times continue for the Motoworld.com/Suzuki team. Branden Jesseman was forced to sit out the Glen Helen National after breaking his ankle at the previous National at Steel City. Eric Sorby reportedly chose not to ride for personal reasons, so that left Matt Goerke to hold down the Motoworld fort at Glen Helen. Goerke qualified for the 250cc class but did not start either moto. Another nonparticipant at Glen Helen was Grant Langston won twice as many 125cc Nationals as anybody else but finished fourth in the championship. "You know, I won four races this year, and the other guys only won one or two," Langston said. "So I won twice as many races, but, besides the four wins, I was never on the podium. And that's not how you win championships." The third annual Giant RV Celebrity MX National @ Glen Helen, presented by the National Promoters Group, was a big hit for fans at the track on Saturday. On the podium in the celebrity portion of the event was the first-place finisher, BMX racer Aaron Cooke, who was followed by marathon runner Kevin Barda and snow- boarder Ian Price. Dirt Rider magazine's Jimmy Lewis won the media class.

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