Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

I Hqmill wlnner Vet Clver 35 ond lntermediote moins. schools at Grang6, turned the fastest lap of the day at one minute and 3.64 seconds - a pace Welsh iust couldn't quite match. Trachy is so smooth in his execution, it's like eye candy on a motorcycle, At the checkered flag, Trachy won by six lengths over Welsh, Robers prevailed over Hoffman for third, and Ray held off Ullrich for lifth. The Novice class had 34 entries, but only 28 would make the main. So, after two heat races and a semi, the toughest 28 girded for their lo-lap war. Making his first appearance on a big bike was Amateur Junior National Speedway Champion Ricky Wells, who nailed the start to lead the pack into turn one. His lead was shortJived, though, as he went wide and allowed three riders past, leaving him settling in at lourth. Rocket Exhaust's Justin Maley took over at the front, with Chris Smith in second- Dainese's Wes Kinkopf ran third, with Wells in hot pursuit. Going down the back straight for the second time, Smith took the lead away, whileWells was now uP to third. On lap three, Billy Burt sampled the asphalt, sustaining more injury to his pride than anything else on the inlield section of the track, Lap five, the halfiaray point, saw Smith put in a one- minute-and- 1o.29-second lap at the front, but the fastest lap ofthe race went to Wells, at one minute and 9.96 sec- onds, as he tried to find a way past Maley, who was slow- ing. Lap after lap, Wells would show Maley a wheel, even pulling alongside at times, but Maley had his number and never faltered. lYaley held off Well's advances until the end, while Smith, out front, was cruisinS on to the victo- ry Kinkopf came home founh, and Matt Beavers quietly made his way up to fifth. Riders under the age of l0 make up the Mini-Moto lunior class. This class continues to grow at each race, and there were l3 edtries at the opener. At the drop of the flag, Camera Control's Joe Roberts put his Kawasaki up front, only to have Ryan l4atter take the lead away going down the back strai8ht. The heat-race winner, Sik 50's John Riess, ran fourth. By the end of lap one, Riess was uP to second and charging, and Ochs Racing's Andre Ochs had worked his way from a fourth-row start into fourth. As they rtarted the third lap, Riess put his head down and took the lead and never looked back. Matter was back to second, and Ochs got past Roberts for third. Once out front, Riess turned a one-minute-and-22.55- second lap as he ran and hid from the field. Lapperc came into play in the later stages, as they cost Ochs a shot at Matter. As for Riess, he was the class of the field and long gone. This would be the first of his two victories of the day: he would come back to top hul Driscoll and Taylor Lee in the I locc Four-Stroke main aboard hislohn Burr Honda 88. Twenty-three riders staged for the lntermediate main, with Mission Motorsports' Kevin Vossen iumpinE the start and getting away with it to lead into tum one, Former World and U.S. Speedway Champion Billy ''The Bullet" Hamill settled in to second, with Cycle Gear's lason McCombie third and Michelin's Bryan Land fourth. Entering the dirt section for the first time, Ricky Wells went down and lost vah-rable time restarting his mount. (Two words, Ricky: electric starter!) On lap three, Ned Ratner threw it away in the infield, while Troy Lee/Ani's Hamill was hounding Vossen and wot:ld take over at the front Eoing up the front straiSht to start lap four. On lap live, Hamill turned the fastest laP of the .ace at one minute and 7,96 seconds as he pulled away. By the halfway point, Chris Smith, Paul Lima, Brian DeGerald and Tyler Odom were moving forward as a Pack. On the last lap, the second- and thi.d-place riders - Vossen and McCombie - went down after receiving the white flag, thus shaking up the field- Hamill was long gone and clear of the mess, but the rest of the finishing order was now up for grabs. Land moved into second, with Smith third and GP Cycles' Lima fourth. This was Hamill's first victory of the day, as he would come back in the Vet Over 35 main (yes, he's that old - remember, speedr,my is only four laps, so it doesn't take a lot out of you) to win over Geoff Cesmat, Mike Deloach and Dante Herrero, ln the 250cc class, Welsh ran away with the heat race. The question was, Could Frankie Garcia, the new num- ber one plate holder, pick up the pace to run with Welsh? The answer was yes. Garcia led off the line, with Welsh second and Garrett Willis third. Heading into the infield, Welsh took over at the front, and one would have thought it was oyeq but nor so, as Garcia was matching Welsh's pace. Charlie Venegas ran fourth, wlth Tyler Odom fifth and Cameron Beaubier sixth. Welsh and Garcia were separated from the field by lap three, which is when Beaubier dropped both Odom and Venegas back to move into fourth. Welsh had pulled a six-bikelen6h gap by the halfi,r'ay point, which is when Garcia tLrrned the fastest lap of the race. at one minute and 6.26 seconds, to Welsh's one- minute-and-5-55-second lap. Exiting the dirt on lap six, Garcia leaped past Welsh to regain the lead, but this was shoft-lived, as Welsh repassed Garcia in the inlield. As lappers came into play, Garcia was held up on the last lap, losing his last shot at Welsh. Willis would flnish third, hounded by Beaubier in fourth. The Open Pro class once again saw Gary Trachy on a Husky, but he got buried on the start, as Spy's Jimmy Robens. who has been on fire as of late, launched to the front and tried to disappear Joseph Auzenne ran second, Trachy was third, and Welsh founh, Going down the back straight for the second time, Trachy went past Auzenne to take second. Welsh would fo low suit four turns later to take third. Coming up the front straigtt to start lap three, Tmcty used the Husky's horsepower to take the lead. Now Jimmy would have to contend with Welsh, who was knocking on his door Jimmy wotrld hold ofl Welsh until lap six, when the pressure became too much. One wonders what Roberts could do if he raced full time, as his stunt work takes him away so much, and he still is this fast! The battle for fourth was a war among Eddie Ray, Paul Lima and Frankie Garcia. Ray bobbled, letting Lima past for fourth, but he still kept Garcia at bay in sixth. Trachy cruised on to his second victory aboard a Husky, followed by Welsh. Robens, Lima, Ray and Garcia. When asked to compare the Husky to his Hondas, tachy replied: ''The power is there; it's just as fast, but it just rides so good. There's no chatter or anythinS. You can go faster because you re not worried aboLlt the front end. I tried a hundred things on my Honda and I could never ger that co go away. They just work so good, so smoothl" "l think it's my 4 l/4-inch rear wheel that cost me," limmy Roberts reported. "l'm goinS to get a S-inch, and I think l'llgain a little time there." Round two of the winter Series is scheduled for January 29 at Grang6. (f,l GRANGa Moror CrRcurr APPLE VAruY, Cauroei{a REsuLTs: JaNUAf,Y 15, 2006 (RouND l) HIN|-MATO lR: I lohn Ri6 (Hon)i 2. Gae M

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