Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

C alifornia X-treme Summercross Nationals R luff State F edB airgrounds Willoh, Mason Cash In B y S T EVE D YE RED BLUFF, CA, JULY 14-15 P-a n d -c o m ing racers J on a t ha n Shimp and B r y a n McGavra n joined motocross Pros Jeff Willoh and Rust y Ho lla nd and jump-contest reg ulars Jake Windham and Shane T rit tler to vie for the $30,00 0 p u r s e offered by m o ns te r-truc k promoters A&J Events at the first-eve r Ca lifor nia X vtrerne Summe rcr o s s Nati o nals . Regio nal arena cr oss asp ira nt Mike Ma s on surpris ed h is mor e -esta blished counte rparts as th e on ly rider to c a s h in o n all s ix m on ey e ven ts . Mas on wo n th e Fr id a y night jump c ontes t , too k th ird place in each o f the tw o 25 0cc main events , and poste d n inth and fourth -place finishes in the 125cc finals befo re fin is h in g fourth in t he fina l jum p -off. Still , Willoh left the two -day show with the la rg e s t share of the purse , picking up $3625 for two main -event wins a nd top -five showings in a th ird main and the jump contest - m iss ing out on the money only in S a tur da y 's jump contest. Mason 's winni ng s were only a tick be h ind , tota ling $ 3400. "Th at' s sw e et: Mas on sa id , c o n tem pla tin g h is ne w ba nk balance on the eve of embarking o n a n a bbrevi ated o utdoor Na t io na l to u r. "I d idn 't eve n really think a bo ut the race purs e comi ng in . I wa s jus t lo o king at the jum p mon e y . I d id bet ter tha n I re a lly ex pected, and it's good for m y confidence g o ing to th e s e o utdoo r ra c e s and for the arena c ross season." Wi lloh , o n th e o t he r h and , g ot exa ctly wha t he came for. "It' s so good - this was a fun race ; loads of people c a m e out, and I put away a few thousand , " W illoh enthused . "I h ope they do it next yea r. I'll come back and win it again ." Only Ma s on a nd Willoh managed to sco re in m o re than four e ve n ts , whi le four riders put together lucrat ive fo ur -wa y appea rances . Ho lla nd won one 12 5 c c main and to o k secon d in t h e o the r, adding fifth- and sevent h - place finishes in the 250 c c class to bag $2700. Jeffrey Pe sta na m a na ged a si mil a r feat , taking sec ond in both 250cc ma ins and pla cin g fifth a nd e ig hth in the tiddler class for a $2200 p a y out. R.J . Th omps on , fre sh from t he Interm e di at e cl a ss, m ad e his Pro pre sence known wit h two to p- five finis hes on Frida y be fo re s u ffe ri n g a cras h t h a t clai me d hi s cha nces in both Saturd ay night finals . Still, Thom ps on sc ored $1400 for the weekend . For m e r Nati on al ride r Ryan Huffm an also m a de bank in all fo ur m a ins , lod gin g seventh - a nd fou rth pla ce finish e s in the 2 50cc class but s t ru ggl ing wit h starts in t h e 12 5cc U class on the wa y to two 11th -p la c e finishes a nd an $1100 co m bine d pa y out. In F rid a y ' s 12 5 c c m a in e ve n t , Yamaha -mounted McGavran sh ot into the first-moto lead, with Suzuki s upport rider Holland chasing a wh e el length back and T uf Racing 's Willoh bumped to the ba c k of the field . It ca me a part for McG a v r a n at the hal fway poin t wh en he m is t im e d a sm a ll qu ad jump and e ndoed into the next c orn er. Holland ass u me d th e lead and the win, with Suzuki s u pport rider Thompson a nd Yamaha -m ount ed Sh im p inh er iting th e final pod ium positions . The second m a in of the firs t night t he 250c c m a in - wa s pote ntia lly a repeat of the first, with Holland establishi ng what a p pea red to be a com fo rta ble le ad wh ile a n ag a in slow starti ng Willoh foug ht h is way into conten tion . In only th re e laps , HoI la nd 's lead was erased by Thompson , who supplanted Ho lland afte r the lea de r bobb led . Three la ps later, both we nt down in a yellow heap in t h e same corner. Willoh took ov er and was ne ver he aded on his way to the checkers. Ma son m oved into second be for e fa lling in the wh oops , pla c ing third a t th e finish, be hind Pe sta na . Thomps on to o k t he po int as the gate fell for th e 125cc m a in on Sa turda y, with Ho lland in tow , seemi ng ly setti ng up a rematch of th e pre vio us n ight 's 2 5 0cc race . How eve r, whil e Ho lland s hov ed his way into th e le ad o n th e seco nd lap a nd rem ained a t th e fron t , Th omp s on' s n igh t e n d e d with a c rash th a t also e limi na te d him fro m t he 2 5 0 c c m a in -e ve nt fi eld. While the Suzuk i p ilots vie d for th e lead, Shimp and Willoh were c utti ng thr ough the field on their wa y to third and fourth - positions that improved a not ch with Th ompson 's departure . By the n in th la p , Sh imp had c hased dow n Holland for the lead and event u a l win . Ho lland s alv a g e d second , over Willoh. When th e gate fe ll fo r the final ra ce o f the we ek end , th e 250 ma in event, Ho lla nd a nd Willoh shot into th e first corne r s houlde r t o sh oulder , with Willoh cutting Holla nd 's dr ive toward th e firs t triple a n d t a k in g c o n t rol. Wh ile Willoh 's c ontro lled p a ce pu lled h im far ahead , Ho lla nd struggled to find the consiste ncy tha t led h im to the 12 5 c c -c1a ss win. T wo la p s in , Mason pre ssured Holla nd for second , nipping a t th e Su zuki rider's hee ls for s ix laps bef o re Holland tu rned ov er th e position. Maso n c lipped th e ha y bale s at the c orn e r follow ing the ro ck ers , and Pestana took over s eco nd . The top thre e we re set: Willoh , Pe s CN ta na a nd Ma s on . R Bluff State f airgrounds ed Red Bluff, California Results: July 14-15, ZDDD Frid ay 125 : 1. Rusty Hollan d (Suz) : 2. R.J . Th ompson (Suz): 3. .Jcnethen Shimp (Y" m) : 4. Brya n McG"vran (Yom) ; 5. Jeff Pesta"" (5 uz) ; 6 . Jeff Wmoh (Han); 7. Michael Young (Ho n) ; 8 . Nathan T iern ey (Suz); 9 . Mik e Mason (Hon): 10. Brill" Foster (Hon) . 250 : 1. Jeff Willoh (Hon); 2. Jeff Pestana (Suz) ; 3. Mike Mllson (Ho n) : 4 . R.J . Th ompson (SUl) ; 5. Rust y Holland (Suz); 6 . Nathan Wood s (K TM ); 7. Ryan Huffman (Ka w); 8. Brian Sweeny (Suz); 9 . Ryan Dukek ( Yam) ; 10. Eric Graves (Han) ; 11. Dusti n Miller (Yam) : 12. Bryan McGavra n (Yam). JU MP: 1. Mike Mllison (Hen) ; 2. Shane T rittl er (Yam) ; 3. Drake McElroy (Hon ); 4. Jeff Willo h (Hon); 5 . Augie Rodriguez (Yem) : 6. Kevin Green (Hon) ; 7. Ryan Du dek ( Yam); 8 . Doug Parsons (Ya m) ; 9. Dustin Miller (Yam) : 10. Caleb Wyatt (Yam) . Saturday 125 : 1. .Jonathen Shimp (YlJm); 2. Rusty Holland (5uz); 3. Jeff Will oh (Hon ); 4 . Mike Moson (Han) ; 5. Mi chae l Young ( Hon ); 6 . Do ug Perso ns (Yam ) ; 7. Je sse Olso n (Yam) ; 8. Jeff Pestana (Suz); 9. Augi e Rodrig uez (Yam ); 10. Joe l Nelson (ve rn) : 11. Ryan Huffma n ( tcew) : 12. R.J . Thom pson (Suz) . 250: 1. J eff Willah (Hon ); 2. Jeff Pestana (Suz) : 3. Mike Mason ( Hon); 4 . Ry an Huffm an ( Kaw) ; 5. Mi cha el You ng ( Hon); 6 . Brian Sw een y (Suz) ; 7. Rusty Hell and (Suz); B. Dustin Mill er (Yam); 9. J oel Nelson ( Yam ); 10 . J esse O lson (Yam) ; 1 1. Doug Parsons (Yam) ; 12. R.J . Tho mp son (Suz). J UMP: 1. Dustin Mill er (YlJm) : 2. Drak e McElroy (Hon); 3. Mik e Moson (Hon) ; 4. Kenny Bell (Ho n); 5. Ja ke Windham (Su z) ; 6. Shane Tritt ler ( Yam) ; 7. Caleb Wyatt (Hon); 8. Doug Persons ( YDm); 9. Kevin Green (Hon); 10. .Jcnathen Shimp (YlI m ). OMRA Cross Country Series Rounds 10-11: Tillamook Team Racellillamook 100 Bamford Big Cheese at TillalDook 100 the s t r ic tl y enforced 5 - mph spe ed limit and too k a one -mi nute pe na lty on the next lap as Ba m ford rode by, ta king th e lead. Bamford, in a sports m an lik e m a nn e r a nd fe eling like he could pu ll off a win fair a nd s q ua re , le t Boza rth a round hi m on a g ra ve lroad section. "I did n ' t wa nt to d o it [w in] that wa y , so I let him go by , only to se e him fly off th e ro a d right in front of me ," recounte d Bamford. Flying off th e roa d in the Tillamook For e st me ans s pe nd ing a lot of time a nd e nergy getting the bike back onto le ve l g round , as Bozarth fo und out. The recentl y cro w ne d Be s t in t h e Desert Over 3 0 Pro c ha m pion spe nt val u a b le t im e getti ng h is KTM 380 EXC back on the trail and ende d the race a lot further back tha n he 's used to. S c ott Griffith , rid ing a borrowe d YZ426F, was also keeping the pa ce in the AA class but missed a tu rn a nd lost valuable time getting his bearings . Griffith teamed up with Beaverton Honda-spon sored Ryan Clay on Saturday to win the AA team races. In the Expe rt ranks, Jeremy Pum a , riding his Steahly Off-Road/ House of Ho rs e p o we r/ IMS - b a c ke d KTM 250 MXC made a come-from-behind, d isloc ate-your-s hou lder-and-p ut-it -backin effort for first 250cc Expert, second overa ll. Ma son Harr is on , co ming ba c k a fter a season -long abs enc e d ue to inju ry, led th e firs t la p in th e 250c c Exp ert cla ss a nd he ld on for se c ond pla ce in his class . After wa tchi ng a lot of ra c e s fro m th e s ide lines, Harris on s ho wed im pressive s peed o n his first race in th e Expert ra nks . B y A DAM A CHEPO HL TIllAJIIOOK, OR, AUG. 5-6 h e 20 0 0 O MRA Cros s Countr y S e rie s is looki ng pretty good fo r defen ding AA cha m pio n T ra vis Ba m ford, after he wo n th e T illamo ok 100 in th e g narly terrai n of th e Oreg o n Coast Range. Bamford s uffe re d a bad s tart b ut gai ned pos itio ns o n his MSR /White Brother s/ Torco/Crows Ra cin g -b a c ked YZ4 26F. Bamfo rd soon m a tch ed the race leader s ' pace a nd ca pita lized on a rare mi stake by Rick Boza rt h on the s e c o n d o f four 20-mil e laps. Aft e r le a di n g th e ra ce for the first la p, Bo zarth e ntered th e p its wa y a b ove T Tillamook 100: David Morton dices with the trees on his way to another Over 30 Expert win, at the 11th round of the OMRA Cross Country Series In Tillamook, Orego n. cue I B n e vv s S EPTEM BER 1 3 , 2000 75

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