Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMA Western Four-Stroke National MX Series Round 3: Verde Valley MX Davis got by Sharp for fifth. Wa rd and Upton c ompleted a double pa ss on Hart. Lama stus caught and passed a tir ing Cook. Th en Ward and Upton tried to doubl e -t eam Myers . Ward wen t around the outside of th e right-hander and got by Mye rs . Up t o n tri ed th e inside before the ne xt jump b ut had to back o ff when Mye rs accide ntally dr ifted in front of Upton. Taylor h ad wor ked u p fro m la s t pl a c e to 14 th , ri gh t beh ind Bea u Ba ron. T a ylor pa s s e d Ba ro n as they drop pe d into th e lo we r va lley . Then Da vis wen t past Coo k for fourth after the step- up ta b leto p . Upton got by Myers on the west side of the course for eighth. Sh a rp caught Cook goi ng into the lowe r valley, bu t as they reap peared , Sha rp came into t he right- S T O RY AN D PH O T O S BY M. V AN D A M M E COTIONWOOD, AZ, MAY 28 • .• pu d Wal te rs ba tt le d te m peratures • iii of over 110 degrees a nd some tough com petitio n to win both motos at the Wes te rn Fo ur -Stroke Nat io nal MX Se rie s ro und at Verd e Valle y MX, sponsored by Mot owor ld of EI Cajon , Ya ma ha , Ma xxis Tires and Hoote rs Rest aur ant s . Walt ers b attled with Dustin Nel s on throughout the first m oto , bu t he had it a litt le easier in th e s econd mot o when Nels on had to come from behind. Walters pu lled the ho leshot. Ric h T ayl or laid down hi s Suzu k i in th e first c orne r a nd had to start from th e b a c k . W he n they ca me ba c k into view fro m the lo we r va lley , Nelson wa s s econd , follo wed by Cra ig Da vis , C liff Co o k , T im Sh arp , S c ott Myers a nd J im my Lamastus . Da vis s lid out just before the long stra ight away bu t ke pt th e engine r un n in g a n d got go in g b eh ind Lama s tus . Na t h a n Wood s fe ll o n the east s ide at the end of th e stra ight. As th e leader s com ple te d la p one, Cook wa s now in th ird , fo llowe d by Sharp , La m a s t u s , My ers , Da v is , Gra y son Hart , Stev e Dr ew , J as on Matthews and Gordon Ward. Me anwh ile , Wal t ers and Ne ls on . opened up a six-second gap on Cook. Lamastus went up th e inside o n th e stra ightaway and passed Sharp for fourth. Matthews moved by Drew for n inth. Th en Dr ew lai d his b ike down. Riding with an inju re d knee , Drew took so long to restart his bike that th e leaders lapped him . Drew cir- 50 J UNE 28. 2000' ey e I e (A bove) Spud W alte rs (4) grabs the h o l es h ot o n his w ay to both mota wins a n d the overall at round three of the AMAIWeste m Fo u rStroke Na t ional MX ' Se ries at Verde Valley MX in Cottonwood, Arizona. (Ri g ht) Dustin Nelson (i) posted 2·2 f i n i s he s for second overall. c u la te d two m or e la p s a n d th e n c a lled it a da y. Da vis passed Myers fo r sixth while Brian Sw eany c ha rged by Ward and Matth e ws to move into nin th . When th e le ad er s retu rn ed from t h e east side, Nelson was dire ctly behind Wa ite rs. Then , after the finish -line jump, Nelson passed Wal te rs for the lead. La m a s tu s r educed th e gap be twe e n h im self a nd Cook from 10 seconds to jus t two. Ne lso n opened a six- b ike -Ieng t h lea d ove r Walte rs , who was still making mistakes in th e corners; it was later revea led that he was havin g fro nt- b rake pro blem s . T hen Ma tt hews fell ba c k ; h e would fin is h o u tsi de th e t op 20 . T h e n S we any could n 't ma ke the lef t -ha n de r a nd fe ll ov er. Don ald Upto n wa s ju st gett ing into the p ictu re , beh in d Wa rd in 10th aft er a 20th -pl a c e sta rt. Lam astus wa s no w righ t behind Cook and a ll s e t for the pa s s . After the jump leading ont o th e lon g s tra ig hta wa y , Lamastus slowed a nd loo ked down a t his rea r wh eel , th inking someth ing was wrong . Lamastus kept checking the rear wheel for hal f a lap , then went back afte r Cook. nBVIIS han de r befor e th e long stra ight too hot a nd slid ou t try ing to ma ke th e corne r. Nelso n t rie d t o pull a way from Wal ters , bu t he c o uld on ly p ut fou r seco n ds b etween t he m . Tw o la ps later , Walters pu lled up beh ind Nel son. The two Yamaha ride rs dropped into the lower va lley with Nels on still in front. When they emerged from th e hole , Walters di ved to th e ins id e of the right turn a nd passed Ne lson to rega in the lead. It was later discovered tha t Walters' front bra ke had stopped working . "T h e b ra k e a djuster h a d b a c k e d o ut halfwa y th ro ugh th e race ," Wa iters ex p lai ned . "T owa rd the end of the mo to , I di d n ' t h av e any fro n t b ra k e s , whi c h I u s e a lot o n h ard packed tra cks . It made it awkward to g et to the in sid e o n m o s t o f th es e co rne rs ." Walters pulled a wa y for th e moto win , ov er Ne lson. Thi rt y s e conds later, Lamastus garn ered third, with . Da vis com ing in fourth . Ward and Up t on went by Cook for fifth and si xt h, with C o o k seventh . Rob e rt Naughton finished eighth , with Myers ninth . Taylor charged up to 10th, fol - lowed by Baron , T ra vis Marks , Hart, Swe any and Wood s . Walters da sh ed into the top spot once ag a in in the second m oto . Davis was second, follow ed by Cook, Wood, Lam astus , Ha rt , Ne lson a nd Upton. Dav is stumbled , lett ing Cook and Woods by . Dav is repassed Woods , but three turns lat e r Dav is falt ered again, le tt in g Woods and Lamastus b y . Sw e an y a nd T aylo r we nt do w n, remounting at the back of the pa ck. Lam a stu s we nt underneath Wood s. Nelson m oved arou nd Da vis for fifth. By the e nd of lap two , Walters was six se conds clear of Cook . Then Lamastu s passed Cook for second . Upton za p ped Hart a nd Dav is . Woods a nd Nelson passed Cook. Woods s tarted to clo se the gap on La m a s t u s . Da v is passed Co o k fo r s ixt h . Nelson passed Woods for th ird a nd t he n Lam a s t u s fo r s e c ond. By th a t poin t, Wa lters had a 12 -second lead on Ne lson. Upton moved into third , with Dav is fourth . Lamastus was fifth. "My front end washe d ou t, got up pr ett y q uic k and then Woods ran into me an d sta lled," said Lam astu s . Woods was then seen heading back to the pits, havi ng c a lled it a day . Walters he ld on for first, followed by Ne lson. Upto n reta ined third , followed b y Da vi s , Lam a s tu s , Ward , C oo k , Naughton , Matthew s and Taylor. eN Verde Valley MX Cottonwood, Arizona Results: May 28, 2000 (Round 3 of 121 M.OTO 1: 1. Spud Walte rs (Ya m) ; 2 . Du sti n Nelson (Yam) ; 3 . J im m y Leme stus (Hbg) ; 4. Craig Dav is ( KT M ); 5 . Go rdo n Ward (VO R) ; 6 . Don ald U pt o n ( Yam) ; 7 . C li ff Cook (K TM ); 8 . Ro b ert Na ug hton ( Yam) : 9 . Sco tt Myers (KTM) : 10. Rich T ay lor (S uz); 11. Bea u Baron (Ya m) ; 12 . Tr avi s Marks (Yam) ; 13 . Grayson Hart ( KTM) ; 14. Br ian Sweany (Yam) ; 15. Natha n Woods (KTM); 16. Josh Chisum (Yam ) ; 17. Ti m Sha rp (VOR) : 18. De rek Currie (Hus ); 19 . Sam Wel nb ec h ( Yam ); 20 . Nick Foister ( Yam ) ; 21. Du sty Ne bo r ( Yam) ; 22 . Leon Capps (Yam ); 23 . Ja son Matthews (KTM); 24. Steve Drew (Yam) ; 25 . J am es Reim er (Yam) . MOTO 2 : 1. Spud Wa lters ( Yam) ; 2 . Dustin Nel son ( Yam): 3 . Don ald Upton (Ya rn ): 4. Craig Davis (KTM ); 5. Jimmy Lamas tus (Hbg ); 6. Gordon Word ( VO R) : 7 . C li ff Cook ( KT M ) ; 8 . Ro bert Naughton (Yam); 9. Jason Matthews (KTM) ; 10. Rich Ta ylor (Suz); 11. Beau Baron ( Yam) ; 12 . Ja me s Reim er (Yam ); 13. Jo sh Chisum (Yam) : 14. Grayso n Hart (KTM); 15. Trav is Marks (Yam ); 16. Sco tt Myers ( KTM) ; 17. Sam Wein bach ( Yam) ; 18. Tim Sharp ( VO R) ; 19 . Derek Currie ( Hu s) ; 20 . Du sty Nabor ( Yam ); 2 1. Nick F oister ( Yam): 22. L eon Capp s (Yam ); 23 . Nathan Woods (KTM ); 24 . Brian Sweany (Yam ); 25 . Steve Drew (Yam ). O/A: 1. Spud Walters (Yam ); 2. Dustin Nelson (Yam ) ; 3. Craig Davis (KTM ); 4. Jim m y Lam astu s ( Hbg ) ; 5 . Donal d Upt on (Yam) ; 6 . Gor don Ward ( VO R) ; 7. Cliff Cook ( KTM ); 8 . Rober t Naughto n (Yam) ; 9 . Rich Taylor (Suz); 10. Beau Baron (Yam) ; 1 I. Scott Myers (KTM); 12. Gray son Hart (KTM); 13. Tr avi s Mark s (Ya m ); 14. Josh Chi sum (Yam ); 15. Ja son Matth ews (K TM ); 16 . T im Sharp (VO R); 17 . Sam Weinba ch (Yam) ; 18. J am es Reime r (Yam) ; 19. Derek Currie (Hus) ; 20. Natha n Wood s (KTM ); 2 1. Bria n Sweany (Yam ) ; 22 . Dusty Na bor (Yam); 23 . Nick Fo is te r (Y am ) ; 24 . Leon Cap p s ( Yam); 25 . Steve Drew (Yam) . A M A / W ES T ER N F OUR -STROKE NATIONAL C'SHIP S ERIES POINT ST A N DINGS ( After 3 of 12 roun ds) ; I. Spud Walt ers ( 14 7/ 3 wins) ; 2. (TIE) Craig Davi s/ Gordon Ward (85) ; 4 . J imm y Lama stu s (74); 5 . Dona ld Upton (7 0 ); 6 . Beau Baron (67 ); 7. Rich Tayl or (62 ); 8. Ti m Sharp (55) ; 9 . Scott Myers (53); 10 . CHlfCook (52) : 1 I. Dustin Nelson (44 ); 12. Ryan Leach (40) ; 13. Tr avis Mar ks (38); 14 . Grayson Hart (35) ; 15. Ryan Dudek (34 ); 16. Nath an Woods (3 1) ; 17. Josh Chisum (30); 18. Dustin Bloomfield (2 9); 19 . Robe rt Na u ghton ( 2 6) ; 20. (TI E) Kris Keefer/Jason Matthews (24). ..

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