Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMA USA Mega Series Round 1: Muddy Creek Raceway There was no question that Suzuki rider Ben Riddle (241) was back on the attack, as he aced both 125cc A motos at the opening round of the AMA US Mega Series. 125cc A start - his first since the last week of November 1999. Riddle morphed into a yellow blur going to the uphill first turn, leaned left and vanished. Kawasaki-mounted Tom Kelley of New Philadelphia, Ohio, and Jim's Honda of Kingsport, Tennessee's Hans Neel followed in second and third, followed closely by the rest of the pack. Neel crashed going into the woods sec.tion, and even though he recovered quickly, he had to wait until the freight train passed before he could resume his race. With Riddle in the next zip code, and Neel gone as the buffer, Kelley was quickly swarmed by Yamaha of Kingsport's Kevin Walker, Triad PowerSports' Jim Neese and Suzuki of Gastonia's Jim Chester. The Cannonball Express rolled past, with Walker setting the pace. Chester and Neese traded places in third and fourth for the entire five-lap moto. On the last lap, Chester made another pass to which Neese couldn't retaliate and stretched out his third-place advantage to several seconds. Shawn Prather, aboard a brand-new Honda, took fifth. Neel recovered for seventh, just behind Paul Justus. Kelley absconded with the holeshot in the second moto but was outgunned coming down Muddy Creek's "How Much Hair Do You Really Have?" stairstep section by Walker. Railing the tower sweeper turn for the first time, Walker led AI Lane Yamaha's Daniel Tesh, Riddle, Neese, Chester, Anthony Atwood of Chillicothe, Ohio, and Kelley. By the end of the first lap, Riddle had picked off Tesh. By BARBARA WILLIAMS PHOTO BY LOREN WILLIAMS BLOUNTVILLE, TN, MAR. 5 ~Will he ever ride again?" That was the question on everyone's mind about Suzuki's Ben Riddle after his wreck at the 1999 Mini-a's, which earned him a trip to two hospitals. Riddle's domination of Muddy Creek's opening-round 125cc A field with double moto wins, and his strong challenge in the 250cc A class with 3-2 finishes for second overall, answered that question with a resounding "Yes!" Dunlop Day, traditionally the AMA USA Mega Series opener, attracted a record entry of 889 riders to the 1.3mile Muddy Creek Raceway facility, perfectly prepared for the occasion by the Victory Sports crew. A chilly Sunday morning gradually became a perfect 70-degree racing afternoon. Amateur-class winners scored Dunlop tires, and top-five placers earned contingency bucks from Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. Riddle banked $425 in Mega Series Pro purse. Jim Neese of Greensboro, North Carolina, pocketed $450 for winning both 250cc A motos, earning third overall in the 125cc A class with 4-3 placings, and finishing second overall to Kevin Walker in the Over 25 A class. Backed by Suzuki, FMF, Podium One, Thor, Dunlop, Wiseco, BelRay, Alpinestars, RG3, Scott USA, Bell Helmets, Renthal, AP Designs, Henson, CTi, Fuel, Etnies and Creative Graphics, Riddle ended the speculation about his ability on the first 42 MARCH 29, 2000' "" U "" I e nevv'S For a lap and a half, Riddle worked on Walker - which was not easy, since Walker has been riding for longer than Riddle has existed. At the base of the long hill leading to turn one, Riddle got past into the lead. Walker hung tough in second, shadowing Riddle and leaving the rest of the pack far behind. "I hurt my right wrist last week at the indoor event in Greensboro, North Carolina," explained ·Walker. "It's just a hairline fracture and usually doesn't hurt, but when I lean the bike to make a hard right turn, that's when it hurts! And it's harder to hold on. Ben was going so fast, I didn't want to take any chances I shouldn't. It's going to be a long season." Neese passed Tesh, leaving him to Chester, who put him back in fifth by halfway. Prather, Justus and Neel wrangled over sixth, and at the checkers Prather came up with it for fifth overall. Walker headed the field in the first 250cc A moto, with Neese at his elbow. Riddle was hemmed in and got involved in a tangle that also took down Jared Wolfe and Alan Alford. Resuming the moto in about 14th, Riddle took only a lap and a half move back up to seventh. Finishing up the second lap, the Suzuki rider was obviously the fastest thing on the track, in fifth and charging. Riddle's momentum carried him right up to Walker and Neese - where he ran into a virtual brick wall. As the two YZ pilots battled, they fed off each other's energy and began to pull away from even Riddle, who decided to cool his jets and settle for a solid third, ahead of Chester and Neel. The second 250cc A holeshot belonged to Neel, followed by Neese, Walker and Riddle. Neese took command by the end of lap one, and Neel was humming right along in second when he got double-teamed by Walker and Riddle along the back stretch in the huge timing whoops along the ridge. Neel was demoted two positions, to fourth. Riddle suckered Walker half a lap later with an inside sneaker pass at turn one and set off after Neese, with Walker in pursuit. The trio put a long straightaway between themselves and Neel and Chest~r, who in turn had a long stretch on the rest of the field. Though Riddle hammered hard on Neese's door, the Yamaha rider kept it locked tight and blasted to the 250cc A overall win in fine style. Riddle and Walker followed, trailed by Chester and Neel. eN . Muddy Creek Raceway Blountville, Tennessee Rasults: March 5, 2000 [Round 1J 51 (4·6): 1. Grant Ransdell (KTM): 2. Dakota Mathews (Cob); 3. William Dickson (Cob); 4. Trevor Barrett (Cob): 5. Clayton Rapp (KTM). 51 (7·8): 1. Colton BaHey (Cob): 2. Ian Trettel (Cob); 3. Cody Robbins (Cob); 4. Sean Cunningham (Cob): 5. Patrkk Kelley (Cob). 51 SHAFT: 1. Clayton Rapp (Yam); 2. Trevor Barrett (Yam); 3. Michael Hall (Yam); 4. Justin Stevens (Yam); 5. Cody Gragg (Yam). 50- HON: 1. Damon Goin (Hon); 2. Luke Hodge (Hon); 3. Wade Collins (Han). 65 (7-9): 1. Austin Stroupe (KTM); 2. Dominic lzzi (KTM): 3. Tyler Bright (KTM); 4. Ian Trettel (KTM): 5. Les Smith (Kaw). 65 (10-11): 1. Broc Tickle (KTM): 2. Dustin Rowe (KTM); 3. Matthew Mashburn (Kaw); 4. Jeremy Masen (KTM): 5. Tyler Newton (KTM). 85 D BEG: 1. Matthew Wellborn (Su,): 2. .Bradley Byars (Suz); 3. Nathaniel McMurray (Yam); 4. Tyler Bailes (Kaw); 5. Mitch Welborn (Suz). 85 (7·11): 1. Justin Sipes (Kaw): 2. Chad M. Wages (Suz); 3. Jake Griffis (Han); 4. Eric Dudley (Kaw); 5. Davin Price (Suz). 85 (12-13): 1. Christopher Haack (Su,): 2. Samuel K. Fitzwater (Kaw); 3. Joshua Schmitt (Suz); 4. Harris Altman (Kaw); 5. Travis Flowers (Kaw). 85 (14-15): 1. Ryan Sipes (Kaw): 2. Stephen Shoaf (SUl); 3. Rob Wooden (Yam); 4. Jeremy Allison (SUl); 5. Jonathao Williams (Kaw). (IlL MINI: 1. Harris Altman (Kaw); 2. Chad M. Wages (Suz); 3. Jake Griffis (Han): 4. Justin Sipes (Kaw); 5. Travis Flowers (Kaw). SCHBY: 1. Matt Barnes (Kaw); 2. Jacob Saylor (Yam); 3. Matt Blevins (Suz); 4. Stephen Shoaf (SOl); 5. Hutch Lee (Kaw). 125 A: 1. Ben Riddle (Suz); 2. Kevin Walker (Yam); 3. Jim L. Neese (Yam); 4. Jim Chester (Suz); 5. Richard Prather (Han). 125 B: 1. Denny Smith (Han): 2. Matt Barnes (Kaw): 3. J.T. Smith (Hon): 4. Ryan Elleby (Yam): 5. Jason Wiley (Yam). 125 C: 1. Marty Smith (Kaw); 2. Bryan Bellamy (Yam); 3. Jason Tucker (Suz); 4. Ryan Burkett (Yam): 5. Alex Gaines (KTM). 1250: I. Daniel Church (Yam); 2. Scott Sanders (Han); 3. Chris Hayes (Yam); 4. Casey Rice (Yam); 5. Joel Smith (Han). 250 A: 1. Jim L. Neese (Yam): 2. Ben Riddle (SUl); 3. Kevin Walker (Yam); 4. Jim Chester (SUl); 5. Hans Neel (Hon). 250 B: 1. Aaron Stancil (Yam); 2. Nicholas Vargo (Han); 3. Brian Gerth (Suz); 4. Evan Owenby (SUl); 5. Chris Riggins (Kaw). 250 C: 1. B.J. Huntsinger (Suz); 2. Mkhael Clampitt (Suz); 3. Jonathan Riner (Yam); 4. Jeremy Hill (Han); 5. Ryan Stanesu (Han). 250 0: 1. Shawn Graham (Yam); 2. Ryan Adkins (Suz): 3. Gregg Renaley: 4. Casey Floyd (Hon): 5. Kevin Grimes (Kaw). 25+ A: 1. Kevin Walker (Yam): 2. Jim L. Neese (Yam); 3. Jim Chester (Suz); 4. Richard Prather (Han); 5. William Liles (Suz). • 25+ B: 1. Matt Summers (Kaw); 2. Mitchell Jones (Han); 3. Timothy Elrod (Kaw); 4. Rodney Wise (Suz); S. Chuck L. Cooper (Suz). ~5+ C/O: 1. Tony Bridges (Yam); 2. Allen Brown (Suz): 3. Harvey Halt (Han); 4. Brian Wright (Han); 5. Roy Dennie (Han). 30+ A: 1. Gaylon Dickson Jr. (Kaw); 2. William Liles (Suz); 3. Kevin Blalock (Han); 4. Aaron Bollinger (KTM): 5. Albert McCoy (Suz). 30+ B: 1. Chad Bryson (Kaw); 2. Jimmy Leach (Kaw): 3. Robert Woody (Hon): 4. Kyle Shoun (Hon): 5. Sam King (Han). 30+ C/O: I. Billy Adkins (Han): 2. Tony Bridges (Yam): 3. Jeffrey Fields (Han): 4. Michael Robinson (Suz); 5. Wade Garland (Kaw). 35+: 1. William Liles (Suz); 2. Ron Jones (Han); 3. Mark Ashworth (Suz); 4. Jere Pope (Kaw); 5. Tommy Myers (Hon). 40+: 1. Jere Pope (Kaw); 2. Ron Jones (Hon); 3. Mark Ashworth (Suz); 4. David Farris (KTM); 5. Steven Lewis (Yam). 48+: 1. Steven Lewis (Yam); 2. Gary Baisden (Suz); 3. Joseph Trent (Yam); 4. Johnny Gibson (Yam); 5. Stan Courted (Han). 4-STRK: 1. Wesley McCoy (Ver): 2. Jason Libera (Yam): 3. Brandon Stooksbury (Yam); 4. Kenneth Tedards (Yam); 5. Douglas Mohr (Yam). (IlL AM: 1. Danny Smith (Han); 2. Justin Gibbs (Han); 3. William Simmons II (Han); 4. J.T. Smith (Han); 5. Matt Summers (Kaw). U/L C/O: 1. Alex Gaines (KTM); 2. Bryan BeJJamy (Yam): 3. Jeremy Hill (Hon); 4. Marty Smith (Kaw); 5. Adam Smith (Yam).

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