Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1542350
Su. Feli finish line with a faster time (4r 16.45) but were disqualified for deviating from the marked course around mile-marker 18. Childress, as is common practice in Baia racing, looked for a better line through the whoop section off the start and was out of sight of a SCORE visu- al check, Subsequently, both the SCORE helicop- ter and the new Rally Locator, required of all entrants, confirmed the violation of running too far off course, So, shoftly before the evening's nine p.m. awards ceremony. Bell and Norman were officially declared the Gcate SCORE San Felipe 250 motorcycle winners. "We rode a strong race, just a little slower, but SCORE handed it to us," Norman said after the announcement. Hengeveld and Childress left the start 2 l/2 minutes behind the 450 of Bell and Norman, tak- ing the rear start position as a safety factor to keep the two bikes from arriving at the Honda pits at the same time and also to avoid as much side-by- side racing between the two teams as possible. Nevertheless, because the veteran Hengeveld blitzed his section and made up the time differ- ence between the rwo teams, Childress and Bell rode 20 miles of the course together, swapping places on many occasions. After the Hengeveld/Childress exclusion, Bell and Norman took the win, followed by the Honda XR650R-mounted team of Brian Pinard and Taber Murphy, who did the race in 5:09:53 (46.53 mph). "lt was a pretty interesting race with the rain," Murphy said. "Vision was a real issue, and I iust tried to get the bike throu8h. Brian picked off a couple of riders on the top end." "lt was iust pouring in Matomi," Pinard said. "l loved it, I prepared for it. My Roll-Off goggles were a big part of it. Again we got a lot of help OFF-ROAD SCOR€ D€s€rt Scries BAJA FIR5T5 Robby Bell and KendallNormon pilot the CRF450X to its frst win ot the Son Felipe 250 Boja BY BRraN FaRrs PHorog BY Mlnx Klnrva F Unusual conditions or not, the team taking the checkered flag was a famillar siSht - the American Honda-sponsored team of Robby Bell and Kendall Norman, who completed the rugged 240.34-mile cou6e in four hours, 19 minutes and 36 seconds, with a 55,55-mph speed average. lt was, however, an unfamiliar sight seeing the Honda CRF450X on the podium, as well, "We had a great performance," Bell said. "Today I rode from mile 30 to 130, and the last 45 miles to the finish, and my team- mate Kendall Norman rode the rest. lt was raining for 65 miles. and it was hard to see- Up to checkpoint three was the besr, we tried to survive all the rocks all the way to the finish. lt was so much fun going wide open." Bell and Norman won the race while competing for the first time on the Honda CRF450X, and they were obviously pleased with the results. "The suspension and motor worked excellent - it was a great race for this bike." Bell said. "This new Honda CRF450X is an incredible racing machine and this really says a lot about the [450cc] four-stroke engine. "We just started with the 450 and this race was a test for us,'' said Bob Bell, of Precision Concepts, who was responsible for Team Honda's race prep. "You can test and test and test. but you learn more from racing." Robby Bell and Norman's win didn't come without some con- troversy, however. as another American Honda,sponsored team. that of Steve HenSeveld and Mike Childress. actually crossed rhe I a A I I Unosuoffy codltind il6ip weorhir cf,nditiorti kepl lhing! pleoiont ot the Soo Felipe 250. Robby Bell (7X) reomed wilh Kendoll Normon (pi(tured) to toke the overoll win. Round I Mo.ch 12, 2006 or the lirst time in the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250's 20-year history, the race was run in min and sleet, with half the area's annual rainfall coming on race day. As the riders left the starting line after the 6 a,m. start, they headed toward a rainbow and dark rain clouds. flTrr J ,3 '2't I. ) x ft t / I )" \ \ '! * .tI i I { ,/ ,l 40 APRrL 5, 2006 CYCTE NEWS -'!