Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

250cc Novice M. difi ed Product ion o A MAI N ( 8 lap s; 5 rid ers) : J. Jimmy Ab ram s ( Yam ); 2. Scott Rousseau (Yam); 3 . Scott Watkins (Han); 4 . Frankie Euban ks ( Yam ); 5. Bill Kiriak idis (Han). E·MOOl A. COM WEST COAST FLAT TRACK SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (Aft er 2 of 9 (Left) Pa uley (5 6) handles the winner's c ircle interview with rounds ): O PEN: 1. Beau Brown (35); 2. (TIE) Robert Dam ron (28)/ Billy Martin (28): 4. (TIE) Johnny Murphree {23/1 win )/ Lo nni e Pauley (23/1 w in ); 6. Don Hart (20): 7. Ronnie Brown ( Ig): 8. Don Howard (16); 9. Robert Se ay ( 15): 10. (TIE) Richard Pollock (13)/ "Bigtime" Bill Spencer, while Randy Berem an ( 13 )lTony Souza ( 13 ); 13 . Mick ey runner-up Beau Brown (SSW) chats with thirdplaced Howard (Thor gear:!. (Below) Battle royal: Jeff Johnson (1) narrowly defeated Robert Cunnington (28) in . the Op en Vintage c lass. Lane (12): 14. (TIE) Jeff Goshart ( I I )/Danny Ritchie (I I ); 16. (TIE) Kurt Hawk ( IO )/Shawn Raggio ( 10); 18. (TIE) Billy Luker (9)/ Kevin Bricker (9); 20. Jerry Hannah (7). OPEN VINTAGE: 1. Robert Cun nington (42/1 win ); 2. J eff J ohn son (40/1 win) ; 3. J eff S. John son (26) ; 4. Keith Bradford (23); 5. TomHorton ( 19): 6. Clyde Dennen (1 8) ; 7. Rick Hoc king (1 7) ; 8. James Steet ( 16); 9. (TIE) Mark Gibs ( 15) on /Greg Wilbum (15); I I. (TIE) Bob Cobb (14)/Brad Spencer (14); 13. Ed Mulder (12); 14. Erik Bland ( 11); 15. (TIE) Gary Ritchie ( I O) /Mearl Barnett (10); 17. (TIE) Marty Lewis (B)j J oe Carre ra (8) ; 19. John Lundgren (7) ; 20. (TIE) Jim Gar ner (6)/Joe Steffen (6). d 250 NOV MOD PROD : 1. Scott Rousseau (4 2/1 win); 2. Bill Kiriak idis (33) ; 3. J immy A brams (23/1 wi n) ; 4. (TIE) Kevin Green/ Scott Wetk lna (16); 6 . Frankie Eubanks ( 15) . Upcoming Rounds: Round 3 - Paso Robles, California, June 3 Round 4 - Perris, California, June 17 Hannah made his way to the front of a regrouped . We're ba ck on t o p , and race- long battle w ith Ken Netto and we 've got that number one plate Richard Pollock to land 12 th. where it b e lo n g s." The Open Vintage cla ss title chase may tum into an all-out war b etw een two contenders : re ig ning series cham - Cunn ington didn 't exactly see it that way. " J o hn so n's b ik e came off the cor - p ion Jeff Johnson and h is familiar ner a l it t l e b it b ett er t ha n m ine d id Harold Hanv e y T r iumph , and current tonight, but I think if the groove had seri es po ints leader Robert Cunnin gt o n been a li ttle bit wi der , I cou ld have and h is B ill Kn ight - p rep a red Hond a beaten h im ," C u n n in gto n sai d . " H e CB450 . D e sp i t e the fac t that th e was fa st tonig ht . H e really was . It' s tra - j u st h a rd to get o ur b ike off the line CB450 twin is n o t recognized as a di tiona choice for a flat track engine, w hen t he t r a c k i s real sli p pery the di spar i ty bet wee n t he teams b e cau s e we d on 't ha ve a lot of appea rs t o end th ere , a s b o th rid ers torq ue. But I believe I still h a v e t he appear to b e extremely t al en t ed , a nd points le ad , so onwa rd . W e ' r e n o t bo th m ech anic s a re g uru - like in th eir d one yet. " dedication t o th eir respectiv e marques . Wh en a ll was sa id a n d d on e, It showed o n th e trac k in Ha nford , H o ck in g jus t seeme d h app y t o be as J ohn s o n got t h e h ol e sh ot wi t h partici pa ti ng . " T h at was fu n ," Hocking said . " W e C u nn ington rig ht behi nd him an d Bu l- BRIEFLY•• • Hanford winner Lonnie Pauley may have been away from racing. but it sounds as though he has hardly been idle. "I've just opened up my own floor installation business in Bakersfield." Pauley said. ' I've been working. like. 12· to lS ·hour days. trying to get things roiling. But now I'm ge tt ing set to sta rt racin g again every wee kend I' m go ing to run whatever Gen e Romero does. and I'm even going to try to hit some of the big 600 races back east. - Pauley also said that he has been " taken off the market. " as he is engaged to be married. t a c o , mounted Ri ck Hocking - the w ere c o m i n ' on ' em . The start was evening 's fas t qualifi er - trai ling in the wh ol e thing . W e j u st got a bad th ird . T he thre e rid er s quick ly pu lled sc ra tch d own in the marbles . The fast awa y as the f ie ld began to string out, guys w ere running in the groove , and the n e xt b es t battle s o n th e racetrack th at's ju st th e way we en d ed u p." b ein g c o nt e st ed f or s ix t h place , Kings Speedway Ha nford, Californ ia Results: May 20, 2000 [Round 2 of 91 in the ope ning heat race . and w as for ced to qualify for the main through a se mi. He w ould ultimately finish 7th. Other C ontinental Tires Pole Award w inne rs incl uded Rick H ocking in the Open Open Vintage class and Scott Rousseau in the 2SOcc Novice Modified Production class. b e tw e en J e ff S . J oh n s on o f Pinon Hills a nd A sc ot TT great E ddi e Mulde r , the "other J ohn so n " u l ti m a te ly taking the spot at the flag , w ith Mul d e r ri d i n g h i s The S ho p- b ack e d Harle y -Davids on t o seventh . M earl Barnett also surv i ved a battle w ith Bob Cobb and Jo e Carrera to land th e n inth spot . But up fr ont, there wa s no letting o ff, as Johnson had t o keep it pinned to stay ahead of Cunnington , who was fo rced to d o th e same to keep H o c k ing at bay. They finished in that order, less t h a n t w o b ik e le ngths b etw een each r id er. J ohnson was on top ag a in , b ut a tru e b attle royal appea rs to be in works fo r t his y ea r' s ti tle . " Lets put the g loves on a nd ru mb le , m an ," Jo h nson said afterwa rd . " I' m st ill kind of l ic k in g my wou nds fr o m Mo h ave . We s truggled pre t ty mu ch all n i ght , b u t we k i nd of eN Randy Bereman earned the Continental Tires Pole Award for cutting the fastest Open lap in timed qualifying. posting a time of 21.79 seconds. "I was really happy." Bereman said. "I was frustrated after Mohave. I'd had a really bad night. and I found out that I had my setup way off. Some friends got me dialed in. and it' s much easier to ride tonight. It feels really good . In practice. my dad had some times on me and also clocked some of the faster guys. I had the fastest time. so I knew we were in the hunt. ' Bereman fell victim to a last- lap pass by Billy Martin FAST QU AL (O ne bonu s poi nt aw ard ed): 1. Randy Ber em an (Rtx}. TR PHY DASH: 1. Beau Brown (e CM). 8 MAIN (T op 4 transfer to A ma in ) : 1. Don Hart (Rtx } : 2. J er ry Hann ah ( Ha n) ; 3 . Ric hard Pollock (Yam) ; 4 . Ken Netto ( Yam): 5. Sidney Payn e (W-R); 6 . Jeff Goshart (eeM) ; 7. Mea tl Barnett (Yam) : B. Ray Co mer II ( Ho n) ; 9 . John G rant ( Ho n) : 10 . Trapper McDa niel (W-R): 11. Ronn ie Reime r ( Hon) ; 12. B;Uy Luker (Rtx). A MA IN ( 16 lap s: 15 rid ers): 1. Lo nnie Pauley (W-R): 2. Be Brown (CCM); 3. Don Howard (Hbg); au 4 . Bill y Martin {Rt x } : 5. Robert Damron (Hbg ); 6 . To ny Souza (eeM ) ; 7. Rand y Ber em an ( Rtx) ; 8 . Danny Ritchie (Yam ); 9. Shawn Raggio (CCM) ; 10. Kevin Bricker (Rtx ); 11. Robert Seay (W-R); 12. Je rry Hann ah (Han); 13. Ken Netto (Yam) ; 14 . Ric ha rd Pollock (Yam) ; 15. Don Hart (Rtx) . Open Vintage B M AIN (Top 3 transfer to A mai n) : I . J oe Steffen (Yam); 2. Keith Bradford (Yam); 3 . Bob Cobb (Ya m) ; 4 . Bri an Co ak ley ( Yam ); 5 . Da vid Na nce (Yam); 6. Charlie Higdon (Tri); 7. Gary White (H·D); 8. Rick Brewer (BSA ); 9 . J im Mon eg an (Nor); 10 . Craig Haas (Yam) ; 11. Gary Rit chie (Yam) ; 12. Jim Gardn er (Yam ) ; 13. Bob Grav es (Ya m) ; 14. Davi d Harness (Trl); 15. Brett Bem is (Yam ). A MA IN (1 6 la ps; 14 ri ders): 1. J eff Johnson (T ri) ; 2. Robert Cunningto n (Hon ); 3. Rick Hock ing (Bul) ; 4. Greg Wilburn (Tri ); 5. Brad Spencer (Yam) ; 6. Jeff S. Johnson (Tri): 7. Eddie Mulder (H-D); 8. Keith Bradford (Yam ); 9 . Mearl Barnett ( Yam ); 10. Bob Cobb (Yam) ; 11. Joe Carrera (Yam); 12. J am es Steet ( Yam); 13 . Joe Steffe n (Y am ); 14. Mi k e Gonzales (Yam) ; 15. Clyde Dennen (No r). Speaking of Billy M artin. the former Grand National regular has committed to a full season on the West Coast Flat Track Series for 2000 . with an eye toward returning to the big leagues in 2001 . "I'm just kind of trying to get regrouped and get all of my sponsors sorted out and get something good together so that maybe I can get some help when I go back there.- Martin said. "It' s just too hard doing it by myself." N e 're just having a go od tim e , " said Rick Hocking w ith regard to his res urgence in rac ing W over the past year. Though the '70s flat track star never officially retired. having run in AMA events as late as the mid·'90s. Hocking has been extremely visible of late. Grand National n " W e 're running the se Rom ero deal s and running the AHRM A stuff. We've got the Bultaco w ork ing good." From 1971·82. Hocking managed to win a GNC mile. half mile. short track and n . At Hanford. Hocking won the Oregon Cascade Dash For Cash befo re going on to place third in the Open Vintage final. Aft er wi nning the Op en V intage main event, current series champion .left J ohnson elected to play Santa Claus with all of the swag that he had earned du rinq his night's work. During interrni s- sian. Johnson had the opportunity to converse with a youngster in the stands who claimed that he was "b ored " by the racing. so Johnson decided to snap him out of it by giving the lad his mai,. event trophy. Furthermore. Johnson had come up spades in the Progressive Suspension Quick Draw . which alte rnates between the Op en and Op en V intage classes (th e number wa s one, so the eve ning 's w inner would be the rider wh o finished first) . He was also the K&N Filtercharg er in the Open Vintage class. Instead of keeping those prizes. Johnson decided to give the Progressive shocks to runner-up Robert Cunnington and the K&N certificate to third-placed man Rick Hocking. ' Hey. we' re sponsored by Progressive and K&N. so we thought it would be cool to help some of the other guys out. - Johnson said. And as for the trophy. ' We have to remember that the fans are what's most important." Johnson said. ' Without them. we couldn't do this." c U c I e n e vv s JUNE 7 , 2 0 0 0 27

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