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/1542354
EVENTEI'
Speed
is
Spelled
S-T-R-O-U-P-E
GFI Racing
Wint€r S€ri€s South
Round
5: CompEtitiv€ Edg€ Motocnoss
Park
HESPERIA, CA, MAR. 26
Eresh
olf of earnrng
four titles at the GNC
I lnrernarional Motocrols rn Texas the week
prior,
Kawasaki
Team
Green
Extreme's Austin
Stroupe returned to California and
continued
his winning ways by dominating
three c,asses at
the rain-delayed fifth and ,inal
round of the GFI
RacrnS,/Al'lP tucrng/FHF-backed
Winter Series
South, held on the Natiooal Track
at
Competi-
tive
Edge Motocross
Park.
The lS-year-old Stroupe's speed
as an
lntermediate rider is amazing,
as demonstrated
in the combined l25cc lntermediate./Pro
rice,
where both
classes srarted off
of the
same
gate.
Factory
KTI'4'S Mike A-lessi absconded with his
usual holeshot as
moto one
got
Lrnder
way, with
Srroupe
quickly
slidinS into the second spot,
ahead of
lntermediate rider Tye Hames and
Pros
Josh
Hilland Anthony Charene.
Alessi
pur
a
couple
of seconds on Stroupe,
with Hill
ovenaking Hames as the field staned
to srring out during
the first couple of
laPs.
Stroupe
closed to Alessi's back fender and
matched the KTIY
rider move lor move
for
a
clore second
overall at the checkers. Hill
finished all by himself
in third
(second
Pro),
ahead of Hames- lntermediate rider Trent
PuSmire, and Pro rider Charette.
l1o(o two
was more of the same, as AJessi
led the
pack
out of turn one,
with Stroupe
hanSing right with him. Srroupe
couldnt find a
way around
Alessi, but Alessi wasnt
pullinS away
either, as
the two slowly distan.ed
themselves
from the
pack.
Saroupe
kept Alessi honest up
until rhe
p€nultimate
l+, when a siiSht bobble on
trle
pan
ot Stroup€
gave
Alessr some breathrng
room. Hames and
PuBmire went ar rc over
second
place
in the lntermediates,
wirh Hames
pre!"iling. Hill fought ba.k from a last-place start
ro
cHm the second-place Pro
payback
on
his
2-2
rides, followed by Charette
(3
3)
and Brad
Hames came out smoking
in
both
o{ rhe
250cc
lntermediate motos.
grabbing
the early
leads and holdjng off Stroupe for a couple o{
laps in each outinS. Hames
would have to
setde for another
pair
o{ runner-up finishes.
Kevin
Hunr rounded out the top three
on a 3-5
day, wirh Nathan
Whitlon
Boing
9-3 to edge
out
the 4-8 score of Kevin Urquhart for fourth.
It was all lyler S,oberg
in
the opening 80cc
Expert moto, as
he went rhe distance for Lhe
win. Blake Baggett
led fellow Kawasaki riders
Lowell SpanSler
and Dean Wilson across the
line for se.ond through fourth, respectively.
Bagget
8ot
the holeshot in moco two. Sjoberg
had his work cu out
for him after a lasaplace
stan. S,oberg
motored his way
up into a second-
place
finish
for a well-desen€d second overall,
behind
rhe 2-l tally of Baggett. Spangler and
Wilson duplicated their llrst-moto
llnishes.
C
50 sTK
({{).
L zay
Solb
(Cob)i
2. Bdrdd
Hdi$d
(Cob):3.
Ethan Ols
(Cob)i,t.
B6ndoi A.nde
(KT
).
5o
sTx
O{):
L Blake Gen
(Cob);
2. Ni.k
Ierpleton
(Cob)i
l. Kyle cuhlho
(KTM)j
+. Huwell Tedd.r
(Cob)j 5.
l.ldhdri&
var8d
(Cob).
to oPEH: l. Blake GrEn
(Cob):
2..
lon
Aru
(Cob)i
3. Ky'e clmlho
(fiM):
'1-
M im li
\r..8d
(cob)r
5. Eve Ok.n
(Cob).
60
6:G: I . cody l"tilLr
(KIr4):2.
cod,JohNtm
(Kaw);3.J.pen
Ashkry
6q).
aO
NOV: l.
lon
tuns
(Kaw)i
2.l@ Pur8ar
(!fiM);
l. Colton
,€ck
(&w):.1.
Selh Heishrerer
(KTa4)i
s.lanE Grcdzicki
(KTl-l).
60
INT: l. Brandon Olivares
(ffta);2.laie
Mohnik€
(KTM)|
]. tlark Brader
(KTM);
4 Sta.r Sav.te
(KTH)j
5- PunkyJonEs
(KTM).
60 OPEN|
l.
EEndon
Olh2re
{fi1'1):
2. BErds s.hffir
(Kaw):
l.
J.ke
Mohnike
(KrX):
l. Swr &vase
(rrM);
5.
Punh/
lo.s
(KrM).
80
AEG:
r.
Cok
Pugmlr.
(Hon):
2. PunryJoE
(l(It4): l.
J:nE
Grcdzi