Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

(Left) Oakley Lehman's success was no surprise, but the Price RacinglTeam Green-backed rider has spent more time aa a stunt man on movies sets than he has racing as of late. Lehman skied it out to finish third In the Pro race and second In the 250cc race. (Above) Larry Roeseler does not enter as many events as he used to at the Adelanto Grand Pri". but the former "King of Adelanto" can still hold his own. "LR" posted a win in the Senior race and a fifth place finish in the Pro race. "They went back to like a threeyear-old race course basically," explained long time King of Adelanto Larry Roeseler, who sat out the Unclassified race to save himself for the Senior race scheduled for 10 p.m. "It's fine, as long as they can try to keep some water down a little bit. You get so many riders going over it (the course) and there's no wind today, so it does end up being pretty dangerous. They're doing the best they can. One year it's snow, one year it's wind, one year it's 80 degrees. It's just what we're dealt with." The weather and conditions may change from year to year, but Roeseler claiming a race win hasn't changed in quite a long time. Aboard a KLX650, Roeseler outrode some talented experienced off-road riders to win the Senior race, and he did it by working his way through the dust. "I didn't start really well: Roeseler said. "I saw Craig Adams and Scot Harden on the start, and I got by Scot right away. Craig, he hung right there with me. Once I pulled out a little bit, I sort of slowed down. My arms tightened up a little bit, and he (Adams) closed in a little bit, but I felt comfortable with my lead." TM-mounted Adams did a great job on his 300cc machine, finishing second, keeping Roeseler within striking distance and the E/XC520 of Harden in his dust. Harden debuted the new KTM E/XC520 four-stroke by getting the holeshot at the start. He managed to hang on to third overall with VOR-mounted Rex Staten finishing fourth. Minutes before the start of the 0200cc/Mini race was the first time that Montclair Yamaha's Ty Davis took to the starting line for the weekend. Davis traditionally sits out the Unclassified race, but in the past that has not stopped him from claiming several race wins throughout the weekend. Since 1994, either Davis or Campbell have been top dogs at Adelanto, and of all the racers present, Davis is the biggest threat every time he enters a race at Adelanto, but this year was different - starting with the 200cc race. "I got a terrible start, like 12th and just worked my way up to fourth," Davis said about the start of his first race. "The guys out front, they got out and got away. In the 125cc class, it's pretty easy. Everyone's bikes are running the same speed." Everyone's bikes except for Abbott's was going the same speed. By the second corner, Abbott found himself in the lead and was never headed for the entire three-lap race. "On the second lap I was worried that a couple guys, Mike (Healey), Ty (Davis) and Shane (Esposito) were catching me so I turned it up as fast as I could, but then I crashed: Abbott said. "I went down pretty hard. In the back section in that big swooper I pitched it sideways and cart-wheeled. I got up pretty quick, shook it off, and at the end of the lap everyone was giving me the sign that I had a big lead." Abbott was not the only pre-race favorite to suffer a bad crash. Montclair Yamaha's Russ Pearson went down in the back section of the track while riding in the heavy dust conditions. Pearson stayed down on the side of the track for some time, where paramedics treated him. He was later diagnosed with a broken hand and headed home early to Las Vegas. As Abbott was enjoying a big lead and Davis was fighting the result of a bad start in fourth position, KX 125mounted Esposito and Healey were staging a battle for second place supremacy. The battle came down to the last turn, where Healey dove in under Esposito to claim runner-up honors. A disappointed Davis was the first non-Kawasaki finisher. "They cut all the whoops out so now it's all roads," Abbott said, verifying Davis' earlier theory. "It's mostly fast choppy roads, but they're watering most of it so it's not too bad. It was a lot better that time." "We did three laps, that's short," said Abbott. "I was planning on four or five, so on the second lap when I saw the white flag I was surprised. I wish they would make it longer because I've been training a lot more, and I feel like it's showing." Along with the 200cc race, several other events would be cut down to three laps instead of the normal four, and with the shortened race schedule there was much down time, allowing Desert Vipers M.e. officials more time to water the deteriorating racecourse. However, two other races were held in between the 200cc race and Pro race, so by the time Abbott got to show just how in shape he was, the course had gone from bad to worse. Piloting a KX250 in the Pro race, focusing more on earning the 250cc Pro honors than on winning the overall, Abbott fell victim to the beaten terrain. After crashing out early on, Abbott packed up and headed home with only two wins to his name. At the start of the Pro race newly formed Price Racing Team-backed Oakley Lehman jumped to the lead with Abe Baumann, Campbell, Scott Myers, Doug Chiapuzio, Roeseler and 70-some other racers in their dust. Lehman's lead was short-lived as his Team Green/Pro Circuit/White Brothers/Maxima-backed KX500 landed rubber-side up off a dyke jump that lay approximately a mile from the eye I ... n starting line. Campbell wasted no time in capitalizing on Lehman's mistake, but Lehman remounted and stayed in second. YZ426-mounted Davis, who was hoping to better his 200cc-race start didn't, and before things got much better, they got worse. Much worse. "I got a really bad start, my typical starting," said Davis, whose race eventually ended after the first few laps. "I worked my way up, and I was like seventh or sixth right behind LR (Roeseler). I was catching him, and the bucket in the motor came apart. I've never had that problem. It's like one thing after another, and it's never the same problem." Even as soon as the second lap, riders were already starting to spread out. Campbell's lead going out onto the first lap was 45-seconds. The KX500s of Lehman and Baumann held up second and third and Esposito was riding in the first 250 spot aboard his Kawasaki on fourth overall. Scott Myers jumped on Harden's E/XC520 and was holding onto fifth as Lehman's Price Racing teammate, Doug Chiapuzio was holding on to sixth with Roeseler in seventh. Behind Roeseler's KLX650 was a freight train of riders, including Staab, Krause, VOR503-mounted Gordon Ward, and Hengeveld. Healey opted to ride a KX 125 and, by the third lap, was holding down 125cc honors in about 15th spot. with Jeff Capt, also on a KX125, hot on his heels. Campbell's lead kept getting bigger and bigger lap after lap. "Pretty much, I was on a mission and no body was going to beat me that race," Campbell said. "I got a two-minute lead and then I just kind of kicked it back and held constant the whole race. Just nice and even. The bike is working phenomenal." ... _ S • FEBRUARY 23.2000 15

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