Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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Houllton. TX . Febr-uery 5. 2CJCX) AMAlEA Sports Supercross Series Round 5: Houston Astrodome By DAVE DERRINGER PHOTOS BY STEVE BRUID. "wordS can't describe the feeling." Those were the words chosen by SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Shae Bentley after he won his first-ever Supercross main event in front of 46,777 fans at the fifth round of the EA Sports Supercross Series at the Houston Astrodome. Aboard a Todd Dunn tuned Kawasaki KX125, Bentley became the fifth different winner of the highly competitive 125cc Western Regional Series and moves into second in the point standings with two rounds remaining. Bentley, the 20-year-old Georgia-native finished third in San Diego and second in Phoenix. but the victory completed a life-long dream of winning a 125cc main event. "This is a dream come true and the greatest feeling in the world," Bentley said after the race. "When I was a little kid, this was all I wanted to do and I finally did It. The last two weeks were good and there was one position left to be had and I got it_ I wish my family was here, but I've got some friends hef'e and the Lord is with me as well so it's cool." The 125cc West riders now have a six-week break as the series heads out East and 'Shag-Nasty' - as Bentley is commonly referred to on the sef'ies - will not ride a 250cc in those rounds, but rather do some more training and testing for the final two rounds and the 125cc Nationals that will start up in May. "I'm going to go back home and train my tail off," Bentley explained of the break. "Guys are dropping like flies right now and I want to stay healthy. I'm having a lot of fun too and I think it's showing in my riding." Second place went to Bill's Pipes Suzuki/AXO/Motorious.com's David Pingree, who came into and left Houston with the points lead. The Anaheim opener winner started around sixth and made several passes on his way to the front. "The last three weeks I've been on the ground in the first tum so I was excited just to make it through the first tum cleanly," Pingree said of the start. "I got bumped around a little bit actually but I stayed on two wheels." Under the tutelage of team manager and longtime pro Billy Whitley, Pingree looks to be in a good position to win his first-ever championship. "I don't want to jinx anything but anything could happen," Pingree said modestly. "Another first-tum crash and who knows. I'm going to take a week off and go skiing in Montana and then come back here and train and practice for the outdoors." After having to qualify through the' final consolation race, Factory KTM/Thor's Rodrig Thain finished third for his first-ever Supercross podium finish. The French rider led the final for several laps before being overtaken in a controversial pass by FMF/Honda's Casey Lytle. Bentley and Pingree would also get by soon thereafter, and although Thain actually crossed the finish line in fourth, with Lytle's penalty-docked position, he was credited with third. "I am very, very happy," Thain said from the podium in broken English. "I am happy for my mechanic and KTM." With the red-cross flag waving over the triple for a downed Cory Bauder, Thain rolled the first jump while Lytle doubled past for the lead. Lytle looked back at Thain in shock, not knowing what to do and almost came to a complete stop. 10 FEBRUARY 1 6, 2000' II: U II: I e n e _ s t_.. . . . lIpIIII'IntIPro ~ . . . . . ......,. . . . ._1IIe 1IfIh ........ rtdar tID . . . . . . . . . . eoaat "He was on the gas on the way up to the triple and then just grabbed the brakes and rolled the first jump," Lytle explained outside the team transporter late after the race. "I thought he had bike trouble or something so I went to the left and doubled out. I then kind of caught the flag in the comer of my eye and then I had no idea what to do. I slo~ed down and was going to let him back by, but I figured the damage had been done so I got back on it," Lytle meanwhile began to have bike trouble and Bentley and Pingree got by the Phoenix winner in the dosing laps. Lytle crossed the finish line in third but was docked one position for the incident and was credited with fourth. "It was weird," Lytle continued. "I djdn't know if I'd be disqualified, lose a lap or what, so I just kept going. I guess it's not that bad considering what else could have happened." Planet Honda/Answer/Dr. Martens-backed Isaiah Johnson crossed for his best ride of Y2K in fifth. Johnson moved through the pack well and with almost all of his friends from the Albuquerque, New Mexico-posse on the injured list, and the crashes that he has been involved in lately, he was happy with the result. "I didn't crash so I'm excited," Johnson said with a smile. "This is the first race that I made it through the second comer so I can't complain. I'm going to ride a 250cc i~ the East and maybe even the 125c:c because I thought I'd be sitting better than 18th in points after five rounds," Seventh went to Quail Valley. California's Jiri Dostal whose consistent rides have him in sixth in the points going into the break. Dostal actually went down early on but regained his composure and salvaged a decent finish. SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Billy Payne looked to have another strong performance until two big crashes dropped him off the pace. Payne was running third when he tossed it away in a rhythm section and then after remounting Payne went down hard again in the whoo~s less than a lap later. Before the flag flew. Payne made another charge, passing a slew of riders that had gone by and at the finish he was in seventh. "I didn't take my time making passes," a bummed Payne commented. "I just tried to make it happen too quick." Yamaha of Troy/Fox-sponsored Justin Buckelew had a mediocre night as