Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ ~ MOTOCROSS 1992 Freestyle Women's West Coast Motocross Champ_io_ns_hiA-ps -.- ----- - ... (Left to right) Nadine Holbert, Grand National Champion Cindy Cole, Dee Ann Wood, and Kristy Shealy were the top finishers. Cindy Cole (38) holeshot the first 125cc Pro molo ahead of Dee Ann Wood (157), Kristy Shealy (45) and Tiffany Greenwood (16). Cole crowned at Perris By Tony Alessi PERRIS, CA, ocr. 31 omen from across the globe gathered at Perris Raceway on Halloween for the Women's Motorsport Association and GFI copromoted Freestyle Women's West Coast Motocross Championships, and it was IS-year-old Cindy Cole who emerged th,e queen of the day when W 20 the dust settled. Cole topped the 125cc Pro class and finished a strong second behind Texan Dee Ann Wood in the 250cc Pro class to earn the Women's Grand National Championship. The quiet teenager left her home in the hurricane-ravaged town of Cape Coral, Florida, with the dream of besting the world's fastest women and earning a spot on the U.S. Women's MX Team. Cole's hopes looked dim as she and her father Skip drove the 3000-plus miles to California with a broken-down Suzuki RMl25 and no 250cc machine to ride. "I blew up my 125 just before we had to leave," said Cole. "It had a broken crank and a seized top end." Cole's 125cc machine was repaired and readied throughout the night prior to the race by Mike Norris, owner of Suzuki Country Racing, while Suzuki's Pat Alexander provided a Suzuki RM250 for Cole to race. . "I've only ridden a 250 about four times before, and this was the first time that I ever rode a Suzuki 250," said Artco/Maier/Scott/Du n lop/Factory Connection/Shoei/Oury/WD-40/ Yoko/Powermist/Spectro/ ew England Cycle Center/Pro Circuit/Ricky l's-sponsored Cole. . When the gate dropped for the first 125cc Pro moto, Cole's dreams began to materialize as she shot into the lead ahead of Wood, Australian Tiffany Greenwood and 13-year-old Texan Kristy Shealy. Though Wood did her best to challenge for the lead, Cole stole the show by ripping around the track and running away with the moto win. Wood and Greenwood were left to battle over the runner-up position. Greenwood displaced Wood near the halfway point of the 1O-lap moto, but a spill on the last lap allowed Wood to sneak back into second. Greenwood remounted her machine in time to salvage third, just ahead of Shealy. Cole was again the fastest out of the gate in the second moto, and led Wood, Greenwood and Shealy through turn one. With a clear track ahead of her, Cole's plan of attack was simple: ride smart and stay out of reach. Cole did just that as she repeated her first-moto disappearing act and sped away from Wood. Once she had established a comfortable lead, Cole settled into a steady pace for the remainder of the race. Wood seemed a bit nervous and made a few mistakes in the early laps, allowing Greenwood to blast by and into second. After being passed, Wood settled down and followed the Aussie's lines. Wood stalked Greenwood for the rest of the race, but came up short in her bid for second. Cole easily notched the moto and overall wins, while Greenwood's 3-2 scores edged Wood's· 2-3 for second overall. Shealey finished fourth in moto two for fourth overall. "I just wanted to get out ahead and stay there," said Cole. "Once I pulled a lead I relaxed and tried to save my energy for the 250s." "I haven't been riding all that much because I have a broken finger," said Wood. "At least not enough to have. my timing down good enough to scream a 125." Cole returned to dominate the opening 250cc Pro moto as well. Wood started the moto slowly, but once. she found her rhythm seemed to close in on Cole in the closing stages of the race. Hawaii's Corina Chinen finished a distant third, well ahead of Bonnie Warch. The second moto saw Cole and Wood handlebar-to-handlebar as they squeezed through the first turn. Cole gained the advantage, but Wood latched on to her rear fender and played shadow throughout the motq. In the closing laps, Cole began to tire and Wood turned up the wick. Wood dove to the inside line approaching a step-up jump and the pass was made. With that, the race was set. Wood greeted the checkered flag just ahead of Cole. Third went to Chinen, while Nadine Holbert and Warch rounded out the top five. Wood's 2-1 finishes edged Cole's 1-2 for the overall win, while Chinen was rewarded for her consistent finishes and tallied tliii-d overall. "I started to get really tired near the end," admitted Cole. "A 250 really wears you out." "A mistake on a 250 isn't as crucial as on a 125. You can make up for it with power and timing isn't as important," said Wood. ''I'm glad to have at least won the 250cc class. Cindy and I get to race against each other again next month, and hopefully I'll be up to speed."

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