CMC Trans-Cal National MX Series
Round I: Glen Helen Raceway Park
PHOTO BV JOHN BETHEA
Villopoto Pours It On!
By
JOHN BETHEA
SAN BERNARDINO, CA, AUG. 28
D ookie Pro sensation Ryan Villopoto showed
_'iust how really dominant he has become in
the last year, as he crushed his opponents in
both the I 25cc and 250cc money events at the
opening round of the CMC Trans-Cal National
Series at Glen Helen Raceway. Pounding out
victory margins of 58 seconds in the 125cc
event and 1:03 in the 250cc contest, the Team
Green Kawasaki ace from Poulsbo, Washington, only had brief challenges in the two 20minute motos, and those came from jeff Loop,
who, like Villopoto, was riding his first-ever
meeting as a Pro in CMC action.
At 6-foot-7, Loop makes even his Honda
450F look like a minibike. He grabbed the
holeshot in the 250cc race and tried to put as
much distance on Villopoto as he could.
Villopoto had an atypically poor start and was
running about sixth as they entered the famed
Talladega first turn. but within a lap he made up
most of the yardage, and heading into turn two
of lap on lap two, he dived by easily and began
what would ukimately be a trouncing.
A lap later, Loop crashed awkwardly in the
turn coming into a sand-wash straight while
trying to favor an ailing foot that has sustained
numerous injuries in recent months.
"I hit a blown-out rut and I started to slide,
hit a bump, and washed out," Loop reported.
When the bike refused to refire, he lost
nearly a lap. This gave NI-American KTM rider
Anthony Charette an opening to take runnerup honors.
Loop did, however, go on to win the overall
500cc Pro victory.
Several riders scored pairs of overalls.
PCSlAxo/DecaI Wori (!
Burson (Suz); 3. Josh Bagge (Hon). .-5TRK: I. Mark
Andenon (HolIl.. SOO PRO: I.
Samuel> (50.); 2. Benny
8~k
(Su.); 3. Nick Buuey (Y.m);
4. C..... Popinhak (Yam); 5. Cole M
