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PACE National Ultracross Series Round 1 5: Memorial Coliseum By capacity crowd. Huffman led for 10 laps, holding off a flurry of advances from both Whipple and Hagseth in a race that became a "slamfest." The trio used aggressive block-passes and sudden line changes throughout the final four laps. Whipple took the lead when Huffman put Hagseth into the hay bales. Both riders, though, caught and quickly repassed Whipple. Hagseth's high-flying antics let him take the lead - his only lead in the final - to net his third win of the weekend, earning him $2300, with Whipple relegating Huffman to third. Moore, Mason, Mathews, Downing, Merritt, Hamness and Hanson rounded out the top 10. After the race, Huffman was immediately rushed to the emergency room. CLAY liGHT PORTLAND, OR, MAR. 3-4 ationally ranked Northwesterners Brad Hagseth and Ryan Huffman spent all weekend in a heated bar-toba r confrontation at round 15 of the PACE National Ultracross Series inside Portland's Memorial Coliseum. Yamaha-mounted Hagseth prevailed in three of the four 125 and 250cc Professional-class main events. Hagseth, the National number-76 plate holder, first scored a win in Friday's 125cc Pro final, beating Nevada's Mike Mason and the fourth-ranked rider in Canada, J. Whipple, while the holder of the National number 75, Huffman, came back from a crash in the 125cc class to top Hagseth and Whipple in 250cc Pro action. In front of 9000 spectators on Saturday, Hagseth went on a rampage: The rider form Onalaska, Washington, won the crowd-funded Dash For Cash, then beat Huffman and Dan Moore for a win in the 125cc Pro main. Hagseth's sweep of the evening was finalized after the Herb's Cycletown/ Demarini/ Axo/MVR Engines/ RG3backed Hagseth narrowly edged Whipple and Huffman in the closest race of the weekend, the 250cc Pro finale. On Friday, Huffman and Hagseth's first meeting came during qualifying. The two rivals went head to head in the first sets of 125 and 250cc Pro preliminaries, both of which went to the Kawasaki Motorsports of Canada/ Answer/Shoei/Washougal MX Pa rk/H i Iisboro Motorcyc les- sponsored Huffman. Whipple whipped the competition in the second set of 125 and 250cc qualifiers. Whipple, aboard the Honda of Canada/MSR/Dunlop/Redline Oilssupported CR, jumped out front of the 14-rider 125cc Pro field out of the chute, followed by Hagseth, Mason and Oregonians Mike Storm and Ryan Hageman. Huffman initially started in eighth, but he forged through traffic to within striking range of third-placed Storm, but then he and Storm tangled. Up front, Hagseth clawed his way up to Whipple and then stayed there for several laps until Hagseth's highflying antics allowed him to nab the lead midway through the 12-lap final. Then Hagseth checked out, leaving Whipple, still on the mend from an earlier injury, to fend off Mason, but Mason seized second place late in the race. This would be Mason's best performance of the weekend. The final order was Hagseth, Mason, Whipple, Mitch Merritt, Moore, Hageman, Ryan Itr i_' Sweet and James Hanson, followed by Huffman and Storm, who tangled earlier. The fast-starting Whipple led the 15-rider 250cc Pro final but was quickly passed by Huffman - who was the fastest rider through the whoop section - on the opening lap. From that point on, the rider from Roseburg, Oregon, was not headed, although both Hagseth and Whipple constantly challenged Huffman. Hagseth, Whipple, Moore, Washington's Brian Downing, Terry Hamness, Jason Mathews, Mason, Sweet and Merritt followed him across the line. On Saturday, Huffman posted a win in the first 125cc Pro qualifier, ahead of Mason; Hagseth beat Whipple in heat two. Hagseth and Whipple netted the choice 1-2 positions in the first 250cc heat race, while heat two appeared to be a Huffman runaway until Huffman's heel-clicker went awry and he bailed off. This handed the victory to Sports Cycle/TBT/K2sponsored Moore, who scored a trip to the Dash For Cash, as did Huffman, who quickly remounted. Hagseth and Whipple joined Moore and Huffman in the four-lap battle, which would net the winner $500. Hagseth controlled the tempo, edging Whipple, Huffman and Moore at the finish. Huffman to lead the by Whipple, Storm, and pulled the trigger fastest 125cc Pro final, hounded Hagseth, semifinal winner Merritt on the first of 12 laps. Storm joined the lead trio, but he was just as quickly derailed when a (Above) Brad Hagseth (76) was the big Pro-class winner at round 15 of the PACE National Ultracross Series, held in Portland, Oregon's Memorial Coliseum. He posted a 125cc Pro victory on Friday and won Saturday'S 125 and 250cc Pro main events. (Right) Ryan Huffman (75) won Friday'S 250cc Pro final and, despite injury, also picked up second- and third-place finishes on Saturday. "I hated to see it [the race] get that way," Hagseth said. "Ryan was trying to put me into the hay bales, so I'd do it right back. I know how badly he wanted to win, as do I, but we nearly gave it to Whipple. We are privateers this year after [having had] factory support last season, so I guess I just wanted it more." eN crash dropped him well back of the leaders. Moore joined in, making it a four-way fight for the top position. However, Huffman's stellar performance came to a halt at the end of lap three as he took an off-track excursion. Hagseth took the point position and held it to the finish. Huffman, who had been injured in his qualifying crash, regained his composure and re-entered the race in fourth Memorial Coliseum Portland, Oregon Results: March 3-4, 2000 [Round 15J place. Then he caught up to and ultimately overtook both Moore and Whipple in the late stages and finished second to Hagseth, despite extreme pain. Moore displaced Whipple to finish third - his best performance of the Friday 125 PRO: 1. Brad Hagseth (Yam); 2. Mike Mason (Han); 3. J. Whipple (Han); 4. Mitch Merritt (Han.); 5. Dan Moore (Suz); 6. Ryan Hageman (Han); 7. Ryan Sweet (Yam); 8. James Hanson (Yam); 9. Ryan Huffman (Kaw); 10. Mike Storm (Han). 250 PRO: 1. Ryan Huffman (Kaw); 2. Brad Hagseth (Yam); 3 .. J. Whipple (Han); 4. Dan Moore (Suz); 5. Brian Downing (Han); 6. Terry Hamness (Kaw). 7. Jason Mathews (Han); 8. Mike Mason (Han); 9. Ryan Sweet (Yam); 10. Mitch Merritt (Han). JUMP·OFF: 1. Mike Storm (Han); 2. Mike Mason (Han); 3. Ryan Huffman (Kaw). Saturday 125 PRO:l. Brad Hagseth (Yam); 2. Ryan Huffman (Kaw); 3. Dan Moore (Suz); 4. J. Whipple (Han); 5. Mike Mason (Han); 6. Mitch Merritt (Han); 7. Mike Storm (Han); 8. James Hanson (Yam); 9. Jeremy Riddle (KTM); 10. Matt Knesek (Han). 250 PRO: 1. Brad Hagseth (Yam); 2. J. Whipple (Han); 3. Ryan Huffman (Kaw); 4. Dan Moore (Suz); 5. Mike Mason (Han); 6. Jason Mathews (Han); 7. Brian Dawnirw (Han); 8. Mitch Merritt (Han); 9. Terry Hamness (Kaw): 10. James Hanson (Yam). DFC: I. Brad Hagseth (Yam); 2. J. Whipple (Han); 3. Ryan Huffman (Kaw); 4. Dan Moore (Suz). JUMP-OFF; 1. Mike Mason (Han); 2. Mike Starm (Han); 3. Matt Knesek (Han). weekend. Whipple was followed by Mason. Merritt, Storm, Oregon's James Hanson, Alaska's Jeremy Riddle and Nevada's Matt Knesek filled out the top 10. The 250cc Pro final was a threeway fight to the finish. Though Hagseth had the final say, it was the valiant performance of the injured Huffman that captivated the neareye I e n e vv SO • MARCH 22, 2000 61