Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128607
GNC Intel"'nat;onal Motocl"'oss Final MOSIER VALLEY, CA, MARCH 17-19, 2000 eam FMF/Honda teen sensation Bobby Bonds took the pro classes by the horns by sweeping all four motos of competition in both 125cc and 250cc Pro classes during the 24th annual running of the GNC International Final held at Mosier Valley USA. Nearly 1300 riders converged on the somewhat renovated facility, arriving in droves from the four corners of the nation for this epic, timehonored, amateur motocross event. Pro/Am racer Bobby Bonds served notice that this year will be nothing less than a winning season, injured or not. "I crashed hard back at home a few days before it was time to fly out. I injured my shoulder pretty badly: Bonds said. "I had to keep it on ice all week long." Bonds avoided any first-turn situations by starting away from the competition during the course of the event. "Bobby is fast enough to win even with a tenth place start so we are keeping him away from any first turn confrontations by starting him on the very last outside gate: explained his mechanic Buddy Morgan. Bonds battled early in the first 125cc Pro race with Johnny Marley, another fast teen who at one point in the race held down a 12-second lead. Bonds proved superior and passed Marley late in the moto by knocking three seconds a lap off until he was in the lead and in control. "I think I was riding fast" said Marley, "But I just got out-motored." Bonds went on for the moto victory despite slowing his times on the last lap. "My shoulder hurt real bad," said Bonds. "I was actually having trouble just hanging on." The second moto saw both Kyle Farnell and Marley put up some resistance early in the race, but again Bonds and his locomotive riding style steamrolled through the competition and posted the moto and overall victory. Bonds returned to destroy the 250cc Pro class later in the program where he used a perfect 1- 1 score to capture his second Pro title of the week in front of Team Suzuki's Ben Riddle who was still only about 70 percent due to an injury. Rookie Pros 36 n By TONY ALESSI T APRIL 5, 2000' II: U II: I ... e vv s Marley and Jonathan Shimp rounded out the top five. "Bonds has got to be one of the toughest riders I have ever met," said FMF head engine builder Terry Varner. "Not anyone single person can take responsibility for all of his success, but Eric Crippa from Honda and Cliff White and all of us at FMF have been putting in 100 percent to keep him moving forward and to show him the things we have learned over the years." If Bonds was the weeks most impressive motorcycle racer, then Northern California's Ryan Morias rode injured as well, there was no question posting a win in the 125cc Intennediate Modified class. that Team Green's James Stewart was the star of the minicycle ranks. Stewart used a forceful riding posture all week that in many ways mimicked that of Bonds by hammering his way to an eight-moto sweep of both Stock and Modified 12-13 year old classes and the 80cc Open and 100cc classes. "A lot of people want to know when I am going to start racing the 125cc class: Stewart said. "Right now I only race and ride 80s but after