Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Keyslone Heighrr AirPork Slorke, FL i ]J a I H f,/- I I I T , t tr I I Columbio's Tomos Puerlo, in rotvn for Bike Week, woc offered o ro.e-prepped KTrrl to ride. He rode it lo the Mini Molo win. l - ltt l'"T Tr ;,l"'#:,n:,;J': It ***m'r",.',;"tlr* first round of the 2005 NASI*1OTO series, hosted by Southern Supermoto in Starke, Florida. Truthfully, he was already in town for Bike Week, but when offered a race- prepped 85cc KTM, he ,umped at the chance to ride. AirinS out the liftle KTM over the dirt iumps, he won both com- bined I4ini and Beginner motos by muchos millos. Sunday's racing started with Anthony Buono taking the holeshot in the first Open Amateur moto. He and RJ Performance rider.Justin Hite gave the rest ofthe field a chance to race for third Place and the spectators a warmup forthe day of racing to follow. Bouno rode the line and defiantly held the lead for the flrst few laPs - in spite of Hite's best attempts to get around him on this tight and complicated track. By the time Hite finally took the lead, he and Bouno were so far ahead of the fleld, they clicked off the remaining laPs and finished an easy first and second respectively. Jeff Betton was next across the line in third place. Hite repeated his win in the second Open Amateur moto. with Buono finishing in third, behind Andy Cule. After a sev- enth-place finish in the first moto, Cule fin- ished third, while Buono stood on the other side of Hite during the podium cere- mony. Also running in the SM2/250 class, Hite added a couple of second-place frnishes. behind Scotry's Speed Shop's Jamie Siever. Early crashes hurt young Siever's chances in the SMI class, but he kept his Honda clipping along at the front of both SlY2 motos. After spending most of his life rac- ing on motocross tracks that are blue- grooved by the local quad clas5es, slidinS a motorcycle is nothing new: "Running the supermoto dirt sections on slicks," Siever said, ''is iust Iike racing in lGnsas wath knobbies!" The finishing order was the same for both motos, with Siever. Hite and Kawasaki Team Green rider Ryan Hardwick flnishing in the toP three posi- tions- After winning Saturday's SMI qualifier. Eddie Ray started in the front row of Sunday's lirst moto. He took the holeshot and led Greg Day around for the first laps until a mishap in the dirt section ended his weekend. DaX on his Maxxis-shod, East Coast Wheels-sponsored Suzuki, took control of the lead and cruised to the win. .J.D. Holmes was left in second, trying to hold off a hard-charging Siever. A bit over- stoked for the conditions, Siever stalled his bike and lost his position trying to reliSht the motor. Day went on to win, with Holmes finishing in second and Jesse GeoBe endinS up in third. Day took the holeshot io 6te second moto, and with Holmes, George, and Siever in tow, he quickly left the rest ofthe field behind. Siever seemed to have settled down and was smoothly running off laPs while working his way forward. He got around George and Holmes, divng inside flrst one and then the other in the tiSht turns of the asphalt section. Once in front, he qr.rickly put los of ground between him- selfand Day. Then Day found himselffiSht- ing a losing battle for second place with Holmes. These two had been racing each other for most o{ the weekend. and this time Holmes came out ahead. Day still took the overallwin in the SMI class. and Holmes' second-place finishes put him on the second podium step. Siever added the win to his lifth-place linish in the first moto and took third on the weekend. Graves Yamaha rider Doug HentT dom- inated the bi8-displacement Pro classes. His teammate lYark Burkhart, .lason Conlon, and HMC KTM riders Jurgen Kunzel and Ben Carlson rounded out the front pack in both races. Henry was absolutely back on form and was the first to consistently bang triples in the dirt. The 250cc Pro class was comPletely uP for grabs. Paul Allison, Kawasaki Team Green's Matt Abbott, and Scotty's Speed Shop riders Matt Pursley and Corey Jones all were in position to win motos, and all crashed or stalled out. When the math was finally done, Allison took the class win, ahead of Abbott and Pursley, This was a warmup weekend for the experienced Pros and an introduction for the new ones. Pursley summed uP the type of problems that were being sorted out before the AMA staned awarding points. "Like a dumbass," he noted, "l forgot my leathers at home and had to wear motocross gear instead of rny lightweiSht Kushitani suit." Cil KEYSToNE HEGHTS AtrPAi( SraRxE, FLoRtoa I Rrsuu!! MarcH 4-5, 2006 ( RoUND I ) MlNl }IOTO: l. Toms Puert. (KTH): 2. Chns Ch@hr(Hs);3. O iel whlker (Yam). BE6, l.lefi Wrhma (Yah): 2 l'4eio 9rv? (Hon); 3. Bn Robe.tl (H6):4. lake 8e.ch (sur). NOV L Scotr Barhe (Yam); 2. Rob.R Koy (Hon)r l. Kyle Fi.ene. (KTl"l)i 4. F€nk Potucek (Yn); 5. l"lichel 250 PiO: I Paul A].s (Honr: 2. Han Abbon (Kaw): J. M..t Pudley {Yar). a Andrew Hyod l:fml. 5 Core) 450 PRo: l. DouB Hsr/ flam); 2 J!ryen KunzEl (KrOj 3. S€i c.,&on 0fiM): a. Mek Blrkhan (Yam)i 5. OPEN Ail: l. l@n Hie rsuzr: ?. Anthon, Buom (Hon)r l. Andr Cul. (Ym)r .r. leffEy B€tton (Hon)i 5. Roben OPEN PRO: I Doue H6ry (Yd): 2 l'lad( Bu4h.n (Ym); 3. loEen Kun!€l (KrM): {. Ben cans (KTH): 5 VEI: l.lefiFy sh.ldr LHonl. 2 kott Bo'he lYem). l B l, tthridge (Hon). 4 Anthon/ Bd.o (Honl: 5. leflrev StllI l. Gei Eray 6@f 2.1.D. FbrE tml. ] ]JrSew li-hn); a. le G&rEe (!.4): 5. srdido st olcbu./ (Fh.). Sltl2: l. lmie sEwr (Hon): 2.lunin Hire {Yam)i l. $2n H..dwi(k (Xaw); { Edward Fifth (fft1); 5. l"li

• Cover