Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

o n e t hat h a s e lu de d h im s i nce h e j o ined th e e-mo ol a .c o m se ries . " T h ing s went reall y we ll to n ig ht." Spencer s ai d . "I j ust fol l owe d J eff , and he'd make a m istake h e r e a nd there. I got undernea th h im, sq ua red the bike and got a d rive. I kn ew t hat he was go ing to be g iv in g m e a hand ful. It' s a lways ea sie r to ru n se c ond t han t o lead it. Thi s is my firs t win , and it ' s g reat. Gene Romero is p utt ing on a g ood t h ing. " Secon d place was b ittersweet for J oh nson , w it h m o re emphasi s o n the sw e et , as h e laid c lai m to his third st rai ght O pen V intage c h a m p io n sh ip. " B ra d wa s w o rking me , " J ohnson sai d . " He w as th e b etter guy tonig ht, but w e en ded u p c linc h ing the series t itle ton ig ht, so th at' s g o od for us . I' m looki ng fo rw ard to ste pp in g u p to th e Pro cl ass next y ear an d t ry in g to be in t he top f iv e . " Th iebaud fini shed th ird . " I' m t ired ," t he G ar y B ang H -D/SB E n t e r p r is e s/B ro w n ' s Cy c les- bac ke d Thi e b au d said a fte r ward . " I' m gla d that wa s only eight lap s a nd not 10 . I w as lucky just to keep th o se guys in sight." A lt h oug h two o f the t h r ee c l a s s c ha m p io n s h i ps h av e bee n d ec id ed, t he m arqu is Open Pro t itle is st ill up for grabs a t t h e fi na l ro u nd in Pla cer v il le, C alifo rn ia . Ru m o r h as it th at Ro n n ie B ro wn w ill b e on h a nd in an effo r t t o prote c t h i s s i x- p oi n t le a d over Ro b D am ron an d cl a im a second st ra ig ht W est C o as t Fl at T rac k Series number -one pl ate . It ai n 't over y et . eN Ventura Raceway Ventura, California Results: September 9, 2000 [Round 8 of 91 Open Pro FA ST QU AL : I . Billy Martin (W -R). TROP HY DASH: I. Danny Rit ch ie (Yam); 2 . Dan Hart (C e M ); 3 . Randy Bereman (Rtx) ; 4. A.J . Herrera (T r i ); 5 . Billy Mart in ( W-R); 6. Rob ert Cunn ington (Hon). Op en Vintage Cla ss - B Main B MAIN : 1. Pau l Herma n { T ri): 2. John Dup ree (Rtx); 3. J oe Carrera (Yam ); 4 . J oe Ste ffen (Ha n); 5. J im K e sl er ( W · R) ; 6. J im Ro sa ( Han ) ; 7. D .W . Sa nch ez ( Rt x); 8 . Steve Fortu ne (H a n) ; 9 . Elli ott Iver son ( W- R); 10. Byr o n Ku k la (T ri ) ; 1 1. Way ne Warr ing ton (Han); 12 . Ji m Wich ert (T ri). A MA IN: 1. Dan Hart (CC M); 2. Randy Bererna n (Rtx): 3 . Dan ny Rit chie ( Yam ); 4 . J eff Johnson (Tri ); 5, Rob Da m ron (Hbg); 6. Matt Prot o (W -R); 7 . Billy Marti n (W ·R) ; 8 . Paul Herman (Tr t): 9 . Brad Spencer (Hon); 10 . Jeremy Chisum (Yam ); I I. Allen McBee (H· D ) ; 12 . J ohn Dupree (Rt x); 13 . Jam es Lew i s (Rtx ); 14 . J oe Carrera (Yam); 15. J oe Steffen (Hon) . Op en Vint age FA ST QUAL: J eff Johnson (T ri). DFC : 1. Je ff Jo h ns o n (T ri) ; 2 . Ken Thiebau d {Tri ): 3 . Cly de Dennen (No r); 4 , J oe Ste ffen (Yam) . B MAIN : 1. Ri cha rd H e l d (Yam) ; 2 . Jo hn Lun dgren (T ri) ; 3. To ny Herrera (T ri); 4 . David Nance ' ( Yam ); 5 . Mert Cam pbell (T ri ); 6 . J im Wi ch ert (Tr i) ; 7 , Gu y Du ck ett (Ho n ); 8 . Bi ll K ir iak id is (Ya m ) ; 9. Steve Ferguson (T ri) ; to. Merlin Stoner (T ri) ; 11. Bob Wall er (T ri) : 12 . Ron Mor eno (T ri). (A b ovel Hart (25ZI ran dow n Bereman (5 Y) with less than five laps to go, making a pass in tum one to grab the lead for good. (Rig ht l Rob Damron (11 finished f o u rth , seriously cutting into the series points lead of Ronnie Brown, who was no t present at Ventura. Damron now trails Brown by six points w ith one rou nd to go. (Be l o wl Brad Spencer (7MI and Jeff Johnson (1 ¥) waged war i n the Open Vintage A Main. Spen cer wou nd u p pas s ing J o h n so n with two laps to go f o r the win, but Johnson locked up h is t hi rd straig ht class t it l e. A MAIN : 1, Brad Spe ncer (Yam); 2. J eff Joh nson (T ri): 3 . Ken Th iebaud (T ri); 4. Mearl Barn ett ( Yam); 5 . Joe Carrera (Yam) ; 6. Jo e Steffen (Yam); 7 . Jeff S. J o hnso n ( Yam ) ; 8 , Ga ry Rit c hi e ( Yam ) ; 9 . J ohn Lundgren (T ri ); 10. Bob Cobb (Yam); 11. Gary White (H-D); 12 . Ric ha rd Held ( Yam ); 13 . Cly de Dennen (No r); 14 . Way ne Warri ngton (T rl) : 15 . T on y Herrera (Tri ). 2 5 0cc Novice Mod ifi ed Produ ction FA ST QUAL: Ja son Chi sum (Kaw). A M.A IN : 1. J a so n Ch is um ( K a w) : 2. S co tt Wa t k ins ( Ho n); 3 . Rich Tay lo r ( Suz) ; 4 . Br a dl ey Spencer Jr. (Hon); 5 . Stua rt Stratton (Kaw) : 6 . Dave A lexa nde r ( Hon); 7 . Bi ll K ir ia k id i s ( Hon ) ; 8 . Co ry Ne u er ( Ya m ) ; 9 . Bra d Sc h u lt z ( K aw); 10 . D usty Nabe r (Han) ; 11. Dennis Vall (Yam) . GENE ROMERO'S E-MOOLA.COM WEST CO A ST FLAT TRAC K SERIES POINTS STANDIN GS (After 8 of 9 rounds): O PEN PRO : 1. Ronnie Bro wn ( 120/ 2 wins) ; 2 . Ro b Damro n ( 1 14); 3. Bill y Ma rt in (8 2 ) ; 4 . Rand y Bereman ( 75 ); 5 . Beau Brown (69); 6 . Dann y Ritchi e (68 ); 7 . Dan Hart (5 2 ); 8 . Lonnie Pauley (5 1/1 win); 9 . (T IE) Do n Hart ( 46/1 win )/Ma rk Corsett i ( 46 /2 win s); 1 1. To ny Souza (36 ); 12. Rob ert Seay (3 5 ); 13 . J eff J ohn son (32 ); 14. Brad Spence r (3 1); 15. Anthony Giam man co (29 ), OP EN VI NT : 1. J eff Johnson ( 14 3/3 w ins ); 2 . Robe rt Cunni ng to n (9 9 /1); 3 . Brad Spe nce r ( 95/1 win ); 4. Mearl Barn ett (9 1); 5. Rick Hocki ng (82/2); 6 . Jeff S. J ohnson (73 ); 7 . Gary Ritchi e (64) ; 8 . J oe Carrer a ( 57/l) ; 9 . Mik e Gonzalez (4 7) ; 10. Bob Cobb ( 4 2 ); 11. Keith B r adfo rd ( 37 ); 12 . Clyde Denn en (35) ; 13. T om Horton (3 4) ; 14. Way ne War rin gt on (30) ; 15. Ja mes Steet (29 ). 25 0 NOV MOD P RO D: I . Sco tt Ro u ssea u ( 12 8/2 win s ); 2. Scott Wa tk in s ( 9 1) ; 3 . Fr an ki e Eubanks (8 0) ; 4. Ron Hin ton (79/ 2 ) ; 5. Bill Kiriak idi s (69 ) ; 6 . J aso n Ch isu m (65/ 2): 7 . Jimm y Ab ra m s (55/1) ; 8 . Bradley Spen cer J r. (34 ): 9 , Robert Cla rk (27): 10. (TIE) Shawn Hoov er (23/1 )/ DoU9 Rubiolo (23 ): 12. Joe Brow n (22): 13. Nick Stedm an (2 0); 14. Jame s Lew i s ( 19) ; 15 . ( T I E) K e v i n G re e n ( 16)/ Evan Mo ro nes ( 16) /Brad Ban ni st er ( 16) / Ric h Tay lo r ( 16). Upcoming Round: Round 9 • Placerville, California, September 30. With big-league sanc tio ni ng bodies AMA Pro Racing and Form ula USA sti ll debating and/or testing the idea of a rolling resta rt to ensure more level resum ption to racing after a stopp age, e-moola.corn West Coast Flat Tra ck Series offic ials didn 't debate it nor test it. They j ust did it. West Coast Flat Track Series president Gene Rom ero laid out the procedure in no uncertain terms during th e ride rs meeting. "We had a cone on the back straig htaway before th e ent rance to tu m three ," Romero said later. "We deci ded not to put it in the tu rn because we want every body to have an equal chance, starting stralqht-up . We start ed the riders nose to tail on the front straightaway , from a dead stop, and when they got to th e cone, they were given the one-lap sign. They were also given the one-lap sign when th ey got back to the start/ finish lin e. "Then when th ey came off of turn two, it was everyone's respons ibili ty to accele rate evenly toward th e cone," Romero continued. "W e told them that we did not want anyo ne gassing it up hard or jumping on th e brakes to screw up th e guy in front or behind him, and nobody was allowed to pass or pull alongsid e of the rider in front of him. On ce they passed th e cone , th ey were racin g, simple as that. That gave them the entire third and fourth turn s to att emp t passes, and all that the start / finish lin e was for was to begin counting the laps." A nd what if the leader had att empted to gain an unfair adva ntage , or what if som eone violat ed th e space of th e rider ahead of him? Romero said that th e penalti es for suc h actio ns were severe enough to prevent s henanigans. "If the leader tri ed to get an unfair adva ntage, then we to ld th em that they would get two chances to initiate a cl ean start, and th en we co uld k ick them off th e point and let the second -piaced guy giv e it a tr y. Al so, anyone caught ma k ing a pass or attem pting to pass would be dock ed one lap. So, really , who would want to do some thing stupi d lik e that? Because if he did , he would be out of the race." The chance to test the new procedure came during an Op en Vintage heat race. Aft er a stoppage for a fallen rider, leader Rod Spencer was given the responsib ility of leading the group on the parade lap and back to the cone. All the riders carrie d out Rom ero 's instru cti ons to a tee, and the race resume d as if it had never been stopped. "I knew that it would work, because I've seen it work with the World of Outlaws sprint cars," Rom ero said. "All we did was implem ent that. Everyone was skeptic al abou t a rolli ng restart . just like- everyo ne was skeptical about thi s series in general, but between th e riders and the staff, we had enough faith to go out and try it, and it was very successful. Th e ride rs mi ght not have agreed with it, but they tried it , and it work ed. I wish we had done it lik e that when I was racing," Spencer agreed that the procedure was effective. "It seeme d like it worked really well ," Spencer said. "I ju st kept it steady , kept the same pace and th en hammered it at the cone. It wasn't a big deal , because I' ve seen about 1000 sprint car races, and racing is racing no matter where you go. But I think it is a neat idea. I really do." c ue I e ne""s OCTOBER 4 . 2000 21

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