Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

JULY 19, 2006 • C Y C L E N E W S 58 BY DAVE BEAUMONT LUCERNE VALLEY, CA, JUNE 11 A fter a shaky start, Ryan Kudla battled the heat and dust and a little mud to overtake the rest of the Experts and pad his points lead in the AMA District 37 Best Of The West Series. "I got to the bike pretty quick on the Le Mans start, but it tipped over, and it took me a few seconds to get going," Kudla said. Kyle Jenkins grabbed the holeshot into the chicane just after the bomb on his Howard & Sons/Outlaw Racing/Scott/Factory Backing Honda 450. Racers Under The Son MC had watered a few motocross turns to give the spectators a chance to see 50 racers pile into the first turn after a wide-open bomb run. Kudla had recovered from his bad start and was up near the front. "Once I got my bike started, I just pinned it to the first turn," Kudla said. "I wound up about sixth in the first turn. It was the first time I've ever been roosted by mud in a desert race." Kudla continued his charge toward the front on the 9-mile course, and his Casitas Storage/O'Neal/FMF/Thousand Oaks Yamaha/ Smith-backed Yamaha YZ250 was stirring up the first dust trail coming out of the hills toward home check after one lap. "I passed three guys in the first valley and then caught two more in the rocks around Check Two," he said of his run to the front. "I crashed once and tipped over in the rocks but kept the lead the rest of the way." Jenkins slipped to fourth overall with a flat tire but still took the Open Expert win. Luke Dodson took second in the same class on his Barstow Motorcycle Center/Six Six One Suzuki 450 and leads the Best Of The West Series despite breaking his heel earlier in the year. "I just tried to keep two wheels on the ground and have a good race before the summer break," said Dodson. There's quite a battle going on in the Vet 250cc class this year. Last year's champ, Rex Steerman, encouraged his friend Furious Stroud to contend the series this year, and Furious has responded by storming into the points lead. He took another class win aboard his EAS/AFC Racing Kawasaki KX250, despite a poor start. "I'm not a big fan of Le Mans starts," said Stroud. "I got a two-kick start and was back in the pack in the first turn, but in the motocross section I passed two guys in my class and then caught Rex on the first lap. The spectators were cheering me every lap, and I was praying that I wouldn't mess up." S t e e r m a n t o o k t h i r d a b o a r d h i s B R P Kawasaki KX250 to stay close in the points. He said he doesn't mind the battle with Furious. "Yeah, it's a little weird," he admitted. "I encouraged him to ride the series, and now we're back and forth in the points. He's a good friend, though, and a great competitor." CN BEST OF THE WEST MELTDOWN LUCERNE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA RESULTS: JUNE 11, 2006 (ROUND 9 OF 15) 250 EX: 1. Ryan Kudla (Yam); 2. Nick Sweany (Suz); 3. Andrew Vandenberg (Hon); 4. Damian Hartman (Hon); 5. Ryan Purdy (Yam). OPEN EX: 1. Kyle Jenkins (Hon); 2. Luke Dodson (Suz); 3. Brian Sweany (Kaw); 4. Jeff Bunting (Yam); 5. Jared Webster (Yam). 125 EX: 1. Justin Morrow (Yam); 2. Zach Dodson (Suz); 3. Jacob Argubright (Kaw); 4. Richard Chandler III (Yam); 5. Aaron Aragon (Yam). VET 250 EX: 1. Furious Stroud (Kaw); 2. Dean Alexander (Yam); 3. Rex Steerman (Kaw); 4. Brian Navratil (Hon); 5. Brian Davis (Kaw). VET OPEN EX: 1. Anthony Modica (KTM); 2. Ryan Spangler (Hon); 3. Greg McGrath (KTM); 4. Don Campbell (KTM); 5. Gary LaCharite (KTM). SR 250 EX: 1. Kevin Hasten (Yam); 2. Doug Phelan (KTM); 3. Ken Maw (Hon); 4. Richard Chandler Jr. (Yam); 5. Robert Hundtoft (Yam). SR OPEN EX: 1. John Connolly (Hon); 2. Mike Korenwinder (Yam); 3. Cliff Thomas (Hon); 4. Les Lehigh (KTM); 5. Morgan Pierce (Kaw). MAG 250 EX: 1. Russell Jenkins (Kaw); 2. John Karell (Yam); 3. Larry Kunkel (KTM); 4. Rick Nuss (Yam); 5. Chris Kallen (Kaw). MAG OPEN EX: 1. Buddy Bosh (KTM); 2. Mike Castro (Hon); 3. Todd Cornish (KTM); 4. John Roberts (KTM); 5. Doug Clark (Hon). S/SR EX: 1. Richard Jackson (Hon); 2. Jack Merill (KTM); 3. Al Guzman (KTM); 4. Ruben Garcia (Yam); 5. Robert Torgerson (KTM). WMN EX: 1. Amy Hasten (Yam); 2. Kassie Gray (Kaw); 3. Heather Gongora (Kaw). MINI EX: 1. Justin Imhof (Hon). 250 AM: 1. Gary Fogg (Hon); 2. Jesse Cabe (Hon); 3. Clayton Lyon (Suz); 4. Naniel Kelly (Hon); 5. Craig Hatfield (Yam). OPEN AM: 1. Ty Hathaway (KTM); 2. Kyle Redmond (Hon); 3. Marc Elmer (Hon); 4. Michael Moyer (Hon); 5. Larry Bauman (Yam). 125 AM: 1. Kane Cook (Suz); 2. Matthew Bodkin (KTM); 3. Danny Modica (Suz); 4. Jack Moore (KTM); 5. James Jenkins (Yam). VET 250 AM: 1. Sean Hasting (Yam); 2. Gavin Gruenberg (Yam); 3. Joe King (Kaw); 4. Steve Gallegos (Kaw); 5. Steve Dumont (Yam). VET OPEN AM: 1. Christian Whittemore (KTM); 2. Sean O'Keefe (KTM); 3. Steven Dunn (Hon); 4. Don Grassmann (KTM); 5. Curt Yaney (KTM). SR 250 AM: 1. Rob Kraft (Yam); 2. Steve Rinker Jr. (Hon); 3. Steve Wilson (Yam); 4. Matt Landfield (Yam); 5. Bob Boyd Jr. (Hon). SR OPEN AM: 1. Steve Williams (KTM); 2. Mark Ault (Yam); 3. John Sides (Hon); 4. Ken Reber (KTM); 5. David Wasden (Yam). MAG 250 AM: 1. Jeff Heine (Hon); 2. Thomas Gruenberg (Yam); 3. Dan Pineau (Yam); 4. Mike Murray (Yam); 5. Jim Hruby (Kaw). MAG OPEN AM: 1. Gary Beck (KTM); 2. Matt Zoerb (KTM); 3. Ed Epling (KTM); 4. William Davis (KTM); 5. Russell Boyd (KTM). WMN AM: 1. Stacy Doerksen (KTM); 2. Devon Rich (KTM). MINI AM: 1. Garrett Forsyth (KTM). 250 NOV: 1. Kyle Meester (KTM); 2. Jason Clarke (Hon); 3. Justin Gruenberg (Yam); 4. Danny Dodds (Yam); 5. Gary Brown (Yam). OPEN NOV: 1. Bradley Pace (Suz); 2. Kevin Wecherrs (KTM); 3. Scott Kemberling (Yam); 4. Landon Stiffler (Yam); 5. Shawn Blair (KTM). 125 NOV: 1. Trevor Watson (KTM); 2. Garrett Willey (KTM); 3. Brian Stevens (Yam); 4. Kenneth Wood (Kaw); 5. Collin Beck (KTM). VET 250 NOV: 1. Kent Purser (Yam); 2. Jeff Misener (Yam); 3. Ami Tabak (Kaw); 4. John Simon (Hon); 5. Chris Paul (Kaw). VET OPEN NOV: 1. Tracy Edwards (Hon); 2. Dan May (Yam); 3. Roy Grove (Hon); 4. Matt Davis (Hon); 5. Craig Owen (Hon). SR 250 NOV: 1. Wendell Smith (Yam); 2. Mark Drake (Yam); 3. Rick Riebsomer (Yam); 4. Jeffrey Eiler (KTM); 5. Michael Sletta (Yam). SR OPEN NOV: 1. Alex Rodriguez (Yam); 2. Brett Fratus (Hon); 3. Trent Chapman (Kaw); 4. Jeff Dodds (KTM); 5. Lyndon Willey (KTM). MAG 250 NOV: 1. Tom Madlem (Hon); 2. Gerry Skinner (Kaw); 3. Mike Davis (Hon); 4. Terry Pickens (Hon). MAG OPEN NOV: 1. George Varner (Hon); 2. Mike Kemberling (Yam); 3. John Davis (KTM); 4. Byron Purdy (KTM). WMN NOV: 1. Autumn Breker (Yam); 2. Joanna Kaczmaker (Kaw); 3. Keira Lynch (Hon); 4. Anika Farris (Yam); 5. Jannean Sapp (Kaw). MINI NOV: 1. Ty Little (Hon); 2. Michael Watson (Hon); 3. Josh Smith (Suz); 4. Tyler McWilliams (Kaw); 5. Zach Sizelove (Hon). 250 BEG: 1. Jason Harper (Yam); 2. Matt Finkle (Yam); 3. Brandon Kay (Yam); 4. Shawn Connolly (Kaw); 5. Adam Douglas (Yam). OPEN BEG: 1. Thomas Payne (Yam). 125 BEG: 1. Cody Sides (Kaw); 2. Cody Nuss (Kaw); 3. Curt Evarit (Hon); 4. David Voth (Hon). VET 250 BEG: 1. Eric Bess (Kaw); 2. Alfredo Gonzalez (Kaw). VET OPEN BEG: 1. Justin Cowan (KTM); 2. Mike Phinney (Yam); 3. Roland Hubert (Hon); 4. David Krenik (KTM); 5. Kevin Lansing (Hon). SR 250 BEG: 1. Paul Lach (Kaw). SR OPEN BEG: 1. Michael Free (KTM); 2. Doug Kirkpatrick (Yam). MINI BEG: 1. Jonathan Sandoval (Yam); 2. Sean Ellis (Yam); 3. Adam Peterson (Kaw); 4. Jeff Kirkpatrick (Hon); 5. Brent Bernacchi (Yam). AMA District 37 Best Of The West Series Round 9: Racers Under The Son MC Meltdown European Scrambles Kudla Blitzes Best Of The West Ryan Kudla railed to the 250cc Expert-class win at round nine of the AMA District 37 Best Of The West Series. PHOTO BY GRUMPY BY ELAINE JONES COSTA MESA, CA, JUNE 17 "G orgeous Gary" Hicks grabbed all the marbles Saturday night at Costa Mesa as he won the Speedway Olympic. This was an unusual format. Rider who won their heat race got four points toward advancement to the main event. The kicker is that in the next heat, that rider starts from the 40-yard line. Those who failed to score a point would start on the zero- yard line. This was a unique way of leveling the playing field. After three rounds of Scratch racing, there was a five-way tie for the final three spots in the two semis. Out came Bobby Hedden, Brian Starr, Randy "The Rocket" DiFrancesco, Bryan Yarrow and "Fast Ed" Castro. The Rocket was on target, as he cut a great gate and took charge early. Castro and Yarrow tucked into the two and three spots and effectively locked out Starr and Hedden. The first semi was all Yarrow's, and he would advance to the main, along with Buck Blair. "Cowboy" Bobby Krips and Charlie "The Edge" Venegas would have one more shot in the last-chance qualifier. Bobby "Boogaloo" Schwartz had a hard get-off in turn two and highsided; he was able to walk off but chose not to restart. In the second semi, it was all Hicks, with Shawn "Mad Dog" McConnell in the place spot, and they were ensured spots in the main. Shaun Harmatiuk and DiFrancesco got ready for the LCQ. Krips was done before he started in the LCQ. He got into the tapes and was sent to the penalty line. They loaded in again, and this time it was Venegas who read the gate and led from start to finish in the quick four-lapper. He would be the final man in the main. They rolled to the line to draw for position. The pole went to Hicks, with McConnell in two, Yarrow in three, and Venegas and Blair on the outside. They loaded in and the light went green. Unfortunately, the ref didn't release the tapes, and Venegas broke through. You can touch but you cannot break; Venegas' night was over. They loaded in again, and this time it was a clean start, with Hicks out on top and Yarrow a close second. McConnell was using the low line, trying to get through, and Yarrow was doing everything short of throwing rocks to reel in Hicks. He kept it close and interesting but would have to settle for second. McConnell would be third, followed by Blair. Eloy Medellin came through unscathed to take the win in a "Destruction Derby" Support main event. Bryan Buffington and Billy Braden were second and third. Mike Bershee snatched victory away from Travis Henderson out of turn four on the last lap to win the Support B main. Justin Hassan was third. Jason Ramirez continues to dominate the Juniors. They ran three times, and he won three times. Gino Manares and Joey Holt were second and third. CN COSTA MESA SPEEDWAY COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA RESULTS: JUNE 17, 2006 SCR: 1. Gary Hicks (Jaw); 2. Bryan Yarrow (Jaw); 3. Shawn McConnell (GM); 4. Buck Blair (Jaw); 5. Charlie Venegas (Jaw). SUP: 1. Eloy Medellin (Jaw); 2. Bryan Buffington (Jaw); 3. Billy Braden (Jaw); 4. Carl Gazafy (Jaw); 5. Dave Delbridge (Jaw). SUP B: 1. Mike Bershee (Jaw); 2. Travis Henderson (Jaw); 3. Justin Hassan (Jaw); 4. Steve Bowen (Jaw). JR: 1. Jason Ramirez (Hon); 2.Gino Manares (Hon); 3. Joey Holt (Hon); 4. Rocco Scopellite (Hon); 5. Kyle Hicks (Hon) Speedway Olympic Costa Mesa Speedway Gorgeous Gary Gets the Gold Gary Hicks was the overall winner at the Speedway Olympic held at Costa Mesa Speedway. PHOTO BY CHRIS JONES

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