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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and was in position to take over the lead when Tesh got out of shape at the end of the whoop section. Walker streaked away to the win. Paul Justus of Hendersonville, North Carolina, got a bad start but was able to work his way up to finally finish third, edging out Yentzer in the last couple of laps and challenging Tesh all the way to the finish line. When the duo took the checkered flag, Tesh overjumped the tabletop and tweaked his knee. Neese was immobilized with a broken water pump. Tom Welch of Charlotte Hall, Maryland, also found himself on the sidelines with an ailing RM 125. At the start of the 250cc A main, Tesh repeated his earlier holeshot and led for a few laps, with Neese charging hard in second. When Tesh put his foot down wrong and twisted his already aching knee, Neese took advantage and leaped into the lead. From that point, Neese was out of sight - all the way to the win. Jered Black of Mount Holly, North Carolina, had a brilliant ride, ending up in the number-two spot, just ahead of Justus, who made lemonade out of the lemon start he got by working through the pack and finishing third. Walker started alongside Yentzer and Welch and was unable to make much progress, coming past the flag in fifth, right behind Yentzer. Tesh hung on for sixth, next to Welch. Neese and his pit crew worked all day Saturday on the YZ125's water pump - first to find a new one, then to install it. The job was finally done just before the evening's program began. Tesh and Neese came through turn one of the first 125cc A qualifier side by side, but Neese slid out in the corner entering the whoops. Tesh took the qualifier win uncontested. In the second 125cc A qualifier, Walker and Justus mirrored the earlier Tesh/Neese hookup, except that Justus did not go down. Walker stayed on the throttle for the whole four laps, denying Justus any chance to pass and forcing him to settle for second. On the main-event start, Neese had gotten his jittery nerves under control and was again focused. The Performance Engineering rider grabbed the holeshot with a bulldog grip and vaulted to the early lead. Neese's momentum carried him to a solid win. Tesh (with a well-wrapped knee) battled with Yentzer and Justus for runner-up honors. Walker did not get a good start and ended up fifth. Walker had broken his throttle hand early in the Indoor Winter Series, and the Lexington races marked his return. The Yamaha rider brushed aside concerns about his hand. "My hand is fine, but my arms felt like they were made of rubber'" laughed Walker. "Before this, I'd only ridden three times, and that was two weeks ago because of the snow (in northeast Tennessee)." vent Weekends Come and see vintage motorcycles and racing at the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days West April28-30 see the country's top racers in the Progressive Motorcycle Insurance SUperbike Challenge MayS-7 =CRMSE;:r. __ AMERlCA~ RV IlEll'l'AL • SALES Sonomafest includes: Demo Rides. Dirt Track Racing • Vintage Trials • Vintage Swap Meet - Vendor Area seminars - Vintage Motocross - CLASS Motorcycle School- Motorcycle Drag Racing - Wine Country Rides SEARS POINT E ....A ~ CE 800-870- Sears Point Raceway • Hwys 37 & 121 • Sonoma, CA 95476 • www.searspoint.com eye I e n e _ s O' MARCH 15.2000 39