Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

and Rand led Canadian Marco Dube and Ancae's Travis Hodges to the checkers. Antunez said, "I got out to a good lead, my Suzuki was running well. I got into a few lappers and Charlie got me a little bit, and in the end, I just tried to ride as smooth as possible. I knew he was coming on and he was riding well tonight. I'm just happy to put my AXO/Bill's Pipes/ Motorious.com bike in the winner's circle again. My mechanic, Ed Longacre, did a great job with it and I can't be happier. Bogard said, "I was having a little trouble in the ruts; I never really call myself a good rut rider, but I seemed to do pretty good in them tonight. Doing this quad [made the difference], you gotta do the quads in arenacross." "Yeah, it was a good race," Gonzalez said. "I got the holeshot from the outside, but things didn't work out the way I wanted, but I made the podium, and that's what I want: to make the podium as many times as I can. I am chasing the championship." SATURDAY If the previous night's racing was any indication, all the riders present were hungry for blood and would be going for it on Saturday night, as well. In the 125cc main, heat winners Kratz, on the lone Husky 125, and Stephenson lined up opposite of each other, but it was the "Texas Tornado," Bogard, taking the holeshot ahead of the angry pack of riders. Friday's Jump-Off winner, Benoit Milot, was in second and struggling to maintain the pace. Milot cased it several laps in a row when he tried to quad the double-doubles. After hurting himself he settled into a backward pace. Willoh avoided a small pileup in the early laps to emerge with second place, which he held onto, until Stephenson gunned him down just after the halfway mark. Gonzalez, meanwhile, slipped back and was passed by both Antunez and Stephenson, as they worked their way forward from poor starts. As Bogard continued to display his total fearlessness by "quading" the huge jump every lap, he suffered a bizarre crash that resulted in Rand and Gonzalez lying on the ground. after the huge finish-line double jump. Paramedics and flaggers kicked into hyper-mode in an effort to protect the downed riders, who were not visible from the take off. Rider after rider rolled over the finish line double, obeying the redcross flag. A lap later, a slower rider, who was a half straight in front of Stephenson, who was at the time running second to Antunez, knocked the red-cross flag out of the f1agger's hand at the top of the jump. Stephenson, meanwhile, rounded the last turn and seeing no flag let it sail. Unfortunately, Rand was in his flight path and suffered a broken leg when Stephenson landed on him and the others. The race ended with that mess, and Stephenson was very upset at what had happened. Everyone realized, that the accident wasn't anyone's fault and there were no ill feeling among the riders. As it was, Antunez was credited with first place and Stephenson second. Willoh nabbed the last podium spot in third. A silence hung over the arena, though, as Rand and Gonzalez were taken away in ambulances. Gonzalez did, however, give the thumbs up and a smile as he was being carried away. Bogard was also involved in the Gonzalez/Rand incident. Antunez said, "I made a pass on the last lap and he [Stephenson] went to the outside of a lapper, and I went inside and made the pass. We actually ended up hitting in the next turn." "I came from quite a ways back," Stephenson said. "That's what I was doing near the end there and a couple of guys fell down between the jumps. There were red cross flags out and the next lap there was no flag, so I jumped it and those guys were stiU down there. As it turned out, when I went to ask what the deal was, they said it [the flag] got knocked out of their hand, I wanted to make sure I wasn't disqualified. If there was a flag, there's no way I would've jumped and endangered any of my friends' lives." Willoh said, "I'd like to thank Tuf/Thor/Pro-Circuit/Fetish Clothing/Smith Goggles for all their support. It got a little rutted out there, but it all makes for some good racing. Hopefully, I can come back and do it on the 250." Travis Hodges nailed the start of the 250cc main with Stephenson in tow. Stephenson passed Hodges almost immediately and sailed across the triples in the lead. He dropped the hammer and was making time on the pack. Bogard, meanwhile, had other ideas. Bogey "quaded" his way into the lead on lap three and was colored gone. No one else took the chances he took and he won by a straightand-a-half. Equally impressive was Antunez who started poorly and fought tooth and nail with every competitor, until he was working on Willoh. Willoh resisted, but Antunez saw Stephenson ahead of him and knew he needed the points. A risky outside line into the whoops was all he needed for the pass. Lappers played good fortune for Stephenson in the closing stages, as Antunez closed to within a bike length, but Stephenson quickly put the lapper between them and hung on for the second place. Bogard was excited to have won it: "I was pretty upset about that 125 race, getting knocked down on the last lap," he said. "I just got my Reynard Mods Suzuki up front and tried not to look back. I got around Denny when a lapper got in the way, but that's how it goes." "' rode a good race and ran into some lappers," Stephenson said. "Then Charley got by, and I caught back up a little bit. The race just wasn't long enough." "Luckily I had good starts in my heat races," Antunez said, "but I couldn't put anything together in any main event. I had to come from the back of the pack; , really feel like I was the fastest guy on the track. I gave it 110 percent." cue. e eN n Nassau Caliseum UniDndale, New VDrI< Results: February 4-5, 2000 [Rounds 1&-11 of 341 Friday 125 EX: 1. Buddy Antunez (Suz); 2. Denny Stephenson (Suz); 3. Pedro Gonzalez (Kew); 4. Barry Carsten (Suz); 5. Jeff Willoh (Hon): 6. Brad Woolsey (Hon); 7. Mike Katin (Kaw); 8. Cherley Bogard (Suz); 9. Greg RZlOd (Kew); J I. David Kr8l: (Hus); 11. Marco Dube (Suz): 12. Trlllvis Hodges (Kaw): 13. Jeromy Buehl (Kaw); 14. Josh Demuth (Hon); 15. Jimmy Wilson (Yam). 250 EX: I. Buddy Antunez (Suz); 2. Charley Bog.rd (Suz); 3. Pedro Gonz.I., (K.w); 4. Jeff Willoh (Hon); 5. Josh Demuth (Hon): 6. Denny Stephenson (Suz): 7. Berry C.rsten (Suz): 8. Greg R.nd (K.w); 9. Marco Dube (Suz); J O. Travis Hodges (Kaw); 11. Mike Katin (Kaw): 12. Jim Chester (Suz); 13. Davtd Kratz (Hus); 14. Brad Woolsey (Han); 15. Jimmy Wilson (Y.m). DFC; I. Denny Stephenson (Su,); 2. Buddy Antunez (Suz); 3. Mike Ketin (KllW): 4. Charley Bog.rd (Su,); 5. Jeff Wilioh (Hon). JUMP-OFF: 1. Benoit Milot (Suz); 2. Jeff Willoh (Hon): 3. Josh Demuth (Hon): 4. Kenny Bell (Yam); 5. Joshua Sterritt (Kaw). KAWASAKI 65cc INVITATIONAL: 1. Willy Toth (Kaw); 2. Anthony Casela Jr. (Kaw); 3. Ryen Blizzard (KllIw); 4. Garret Wilson (Kaw); 5. Dian Klinger (K8W); 6. Garret Tolh (Kaw): 7. Bryan Wllllllce (Kaw); 8. Craig Vosburhg (Kaw); 9. Henry Rodas (Kaw); 10. Cory Ahl (Kaw); 11. Scott Donaldson (Kaw); 12. Mikey Meiterman (Kaw); 113. Davey Fraser (Kaw). Saturday 125 EX: I. Buddy Antunez (Suz); 2. Denny Stephenson (Suz); 3. Jeff Willch (Han); 4. Charley Bogard (Suz); 5. Josh Demuth (Han); 6. Barry Carsten (Sut): 7. Brad Woolsey (Hon); 8. Marco Dubc: (Suz): 9. Jimmy Wilson (Yam): 10. Travis Hodges (Kaw): I I. Benoit Milot (Suz): 12. Jim Chester (Suz): 13. Pedro Gonzalez (Kaw); 14. Greg R.nd (K.w). 250 EX: 1. Charley Bogard (Su,): 2. Denny Stephenson (Suz); 3. Buddy .....ntunez (Suz); 4. Jeff Willoh (Hon); 5. Josh Demuth (Hon); 6. Mike Katin (Kaw); 7. Marco Dube (Suz); 8. Jeromy Buehl (Kaw); 9. Jimmy Wilson (Yam): 10. Travis Hodges (Kaw); 11. Barry Clirsten (Sut); 12. Brad Woolsey (Hon); 13. Bryan Piccirelli (Hon); 14. Brian Edwards (Kaw); 15. Jim Chester (Suz). DFC: I. Buddy Antunez (Suz); 2. Mike Katin (Kaw); 3. Greg RlInd (Kew); 4. Pedro Gonzalez (Kaw). JUMP·OFF: I. Jeff Willoh (Hon); 2. Benoit Milot (Suz): 3. Joshull Sterritt (Kaw); 4. Josh Demuth (Hon): 5. Kenny Bell (Y.m). KAWASAKI 65cc INVrrATIONAL: 1. Willy Toth (Kaw); 2. Anthony ClISCia Jr. (Kaw); 3. Colton Bailey (Kaw): 4. Pete Devlm (K.w): 5. Ry.n Blizz.rd (K.w): 6. Richard Scalise (Kaw); 7. Henry Rojlls (Kaw); 8. Garret Wilson (Kaw); 9. Bryan Wallace (Kaw); 10. Dian Klinger (Kaw); 11. Mark Garvey (Kaw); 12. Kyle Werner (Kaw); 13. Scott Donaldson (Kaw): 14. Davey Fraser (Kaw); 15. Mike Meiterman (Kaw); 16. Lowell Spangler (Kaw). NATlO AL ARE CROSS SERIES POINT STANDINGS (Afler 17 of 34 rounds): 1. Buddy Antune' (597/11 wins); 2. Denny Stephenson (571/7 wins); 3. Pedro Gonzalez (514/5 wins); 4. Jeff Willoh (348): 5. Jeromy Buehl (331): 6. Mike K.tin (329): 7. Charley Bogard (297/4 wins); 8. Travis Hodges (269); 9. Josh Demuth (268/2 wins): 10. Br.d Woolsey (208); 11. B.rry C.rsten (188): 12. Jim Chester (183): 13. Ch.d Pederson (175/1): 14. Greg Rand (174): 15. Nick Wey (170/4): 16. Kevin Crine (157): 17. Ty W.II.ce (128): 18. To9mmy Hofm.ster (122): 19. Jimmy Wilson (119/1 win): 20. Jeff Gibson (95). Upcoming Rounds: Rounds 19 & 20 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, February 11·13 Rounds 21 & 22 - Denver, Colorado, February 18-20 eVIl's FEBRUARY 23, 2000 19

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