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/128608
FMF/Honda of Houston Spring National Championship MX Lake Whitney MX Park son had six moto wins in 125cc Modified Intermediate, 250cc Stock Intermediate and 250cc Modified Intermediate racing. Alessi charged hard in his 80cc classes, finishing second overall in 85cc (7.11) Stock and Modified behind Florida's Davi Millsaps, and again finishing second in Supermini behind James Stewart. By KAT SPANN AND THE BECKSTER PHOTOS BY CONNIE JOHNSON WHITNEY, IX, MAR. 24-26 J ames Stewart Jr. proved that geography makes no difference when it comes to winning, dominating for the second time in two weeks. Just days after dominance at the GNC International MX in California, SUPERMINI Stewart put his name at the top of the win column in all eight motos of the Davi Millsaps got the holeshot in the first moto with Mike Alessi and Kyle Partridge behind. Within a lap, Stewart put the pedal to the metal and got around the front runners for the lead. Millsaps held on to second, hounded by Partridge, who had already passed Alessi. Alessi stayed close to Partridge as Partridge reeled in Millsaps. When Millsaps went down in lap three, both Partridge and Alessi flew by. It was a race to the checkered flag, with Alessi closing in for the pass when Partridge went down just short of the finish line, handing second place to Alessi and losing Spring National's 85cc 14-16 Stock, 85cc 14-16 Modified, 85cc Open and Supermini events, for four titles. "I didn't get the starts I wanted in some of my motos," said the Kawasaki Team Green/Fox Racing/ Capitol Cycles/Oakley-sponsored Stewart. "This track is really fast, so I had to pass for the lead early in the race before the rest of the riders start· ed to spread out. But I think it's really cool that I'm the only one that won four classes!" Three riders saw their way to three titles. Maryland's Colton Bailey wreaked havoc in the Pee Wee events, taking three overall wins in the 51cc (7-8) Stock and ·Modified categories in addition to 51 cc Open. The other two riders both hail from Moorpark, California. Mike Alessi took no prisoners in the 65cc (10-11) Stock and Modified and the 65cc (711) Open events, while R.J. Thomp- 46 APRIL12,2000' cue I (Above) Part of the job: Just like he'd done the week before, James Stewart resolutely went about decimating the competition and perfonning public relations. He's quickly being molded into a future star. (Right) Colt Humphrey leads the 125cc Open division up Whitney's mountain. Humphrey won the class. e n e _ 51' several positions before he was able to cross the line in seventh place. The second moto once again belonged to Stewart, followed by Alessi, Sean Collier, Millsaps and Partridge. PRO RACING The Pro classes ran a three-moto format starting on Saturday morning. Yamaha of Thousand Oaks/Fox/Pro Circuit's Johnny Marley won five out of six 125 and 250cc races, taking the overall in the 250cc ranks. A bad spill in the first moto of the 125cc race saw Marley salvage seventh overall with a 30-1-1 tally. Colorado's Andrew Short used consistency in his 125cc Pro ranks, taking the overall by way of a 2-2-2 score. Marley got the holeshot in the first moto and appeared to have it under control before Short passed him going up the mountain on the first lap. Marley countered at the end of the lap by squeezing into the final S-turn and shooting by Short like a rocket. This sent Short up on the berm and into second place. Oklahoma's Chase Reed watched from the wings in third, but took over the lead on lap four when Marley slid out in the berm at the base of the big infield step-up. A bar to his stomach had Marley remounting slowly, but he still finished the race. Reed took the win, followed by Short, Ben Riddle, Jeff Northrup and Kyle Farnell. Team Green's Jeff Northrup got the holeshot in moto two with Short in the hunt and Team Green/LCS backed Adam Mennenga in third. Farnell gated forth, but passed Mennenga in the first lap. "I was lined up on the inside and got a great start," said Northrup. "I started to tense up and hold my lines, but Andrew got by me on top of the mountain." Marley worked his way forward from a fifth-place start to pass both Farnell and Northrup before the end of lap three. It then became a tight race for the win with Marley making his move in the creek section on Short for the lead two laps from the checkered flag. "I was just trying to ride my own race through the pack after a bad start," said Marley. "I raced smart and smooth, and it paid off." "I used the outside gate to stay out of the deep and wet starts," said Team Green/Thousand Oaks/Pro Circuit-backed Short. "My consistent starts paid off, but Marley got by me in the end." Marley, once again, led the way to the finish line in moto three with Short in the runner-up seat and Northrup in third. OTHER CLASSES Wisconsin's Dominic Izzi dominated both the 65cc (7-9) Stock and Modified events, using a 1-1 to win