Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Shortly thereafter, Ward felt his front tire go flat, and eventually he had to pull out of the race. Meanwhile, Childress had faded back to fourth, behind Ross Garcia and Jeff Eide. Garcia, ridinS a "bone-stock" KTM, found his bike a little underpowered off the start, "l came off the start line good and then everyone just outpowered me with the big bikes," Garcia said. "l passed Mikey near the motocross section in the whoops. I just put m/ head down and charged the rest of the race." Unfortunately for Garcia, after suffer- ing a crash in the Unclassifled race earlier that morning, he iust did not have enough left to make a charge on Tilley. The Four- Stroke Heav,,weight Expert win went to Tilley, while Garcia and Eide finished sec- ond and third, respectively. Childress ended up founh. Garcia looked ready to pull out all the stops at the LeMans-style start of the $3000 Team Race when he jumped offthe line first. Unfortunately for him, Garcia slid out in the firs! turn, takin8 with him KTM rider David Pearcon. ''l couldn't start my bike in first gear, so I started in neutral and actually got going riSht behind Garcia," Person said. "He got the holeshot, and it looked like he had plenty of room, he lust had to cruise around the corner for the holeshot. He hit the front brake and slid out and I ran into the back of him, and then I wheelied around him, which put me about fifth instead of second." Pearson quickly recovered and started making his way through the pack of riders until he was in second place, right behind Tilley. 'About three-fourths of the way through the first lap, I lost the clutch," Pearson said. "l handed the bike off in second to Matt [Gosnell], but you just can't ride well without a clutch." As a result. the KTl4 duo lost four positions on the next lap. Tilley handed his Yamaha offto partner Ward, who started to Bap out on the now-second-place team of Childress and Joey lonz. found succerr in the 250F Erp€rt .los5. - 4. I \.- a I T 4" il * I ! I \ I I sandy corners, but then Gordon Ward just blew by hirn coming down the hill. He made me feel slow he definitely had a cc advantage|" Tilley & Ward would continue to make up the time lost in the pits on the first-place team of Childress & jenkins, while Henderson & Burson settled into third place. "l knew Tilley was putting 5 to l2 sec- onds each lap on me," Childress said. "l started calculating the time and knew we had about four more laps. I thought rhey would get us on the last lap, but they got us on the second-to-last lap. We rode out butB off and our hearts out, but it wasn't enough," Tilley added a second win to his resume for the weekend, while Childress and l5-year-old Jenkins finished second, followed by the two-stroke Kawasaki of Henderson & Burson. Pearson & Gosnell showed true grit, finishing in fifth place on their clutchless KTM, while Lanza & Rees took fourth. Tilley finished off his clean sweep of the weekend by going 3-3 and finishing up wath a win in the Open Expert division on Sunday afternoon. Childress claimed another XBux.com Holeshot Award, but faded to third, behind Tilley and Eide. "l moved into second at the end of the first lap after making some passes on the asphalt." Eide said. "l just want- ed to stay out of the rocks and not get a flat, and it worked. There was no way I was catching Tilley: he is just awesome in this stuff!" Cll wlro WEsr GP 29 PAU'rs, cauroRNrA R:suLTs: AP L 1-2,2006 (RouND 3 or 7) Bit 6 Championship Grand Prix Series sponsor XBux.com is o{fering holerhot awards to various classes at each of the seven rounds ofthe series. These incen- tives have added new excilement to spec- tators and racers alike, to see who gets to the white chalk line first. Round four ofthe AMA Bit 6 Champi- onship Grand Series moves to L.A County Raceway on May 6 and 7. Despite rumors that LACR has effectively shut down, the Shamrocks M.C. say they will host their race at the Palmdale lo.ation- TEAM: l. M k Tilley/Gordon Wad (Yam): 2. Mik€ ChiBresrKyb jenlins (Hon)r L l'lathew Hhd€Eon/Nick suuon (Kaw)r a. lo€y Lii,a/Davd Reer (KrM)i 5. Daud l. a CYCLE NEWS APRfl. 19,2006 37 I L E I \r ) -/ t, .F- Kyle Jenkins. When Tilley came into the pits on the third lap, everyone kneyr' this race was about to get interesting when the Yamaha duo threw the bike on a stand and started to swap out the f.ont wheel. "l got a front flat coming down the ridge hill, and I just kept hopinS no one would catch me," Tilley said. "Gordon and I swapped the wheel and I thought we did a Eood iob, but my mechanic, Dennas Emerson, was making fun ol mel" (Teams are not allowed any outside assis- tance in the purse race.) The Childress &.lenkins team was able to take the lead. with Jenkins heading out for the fourth lap. KTM riders loey Lanza and David Reese took over second place, fol- lowed by the Victorville Motorcycle Center/ESR/BRP/Fly/lMS 250cc Kawasaki teff of Mathew Hendersoo & Nick Burson. "We pitted on the third lap, and Lanza and Rees got by us," Henderson said- "l was able to get around Rees in one of the Pea6on/Hltt G6nell (KrM). 4-STROXE CX: r. Mark nllel fam)i 2. Rosr Gar.ia (KIM): 3.lefi Eide (Hn):4. Mike childrd (Hon): s. Nrck OPEN E* I. r"1dk Tilley (rarn)i 2.lefi Eide (Hotr); l. l'1ike ChildEs (Hon)i4. Ni

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