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/1545842
DuQuoin, lL Stote tuly 2-a, 2lJo6 DIRT TRACK Cunningham, Johncox ended the week in second overall, followed by Cody Wlman, Dakoa Jones and Jereny Hamilton. Consistency was the name of the game as Cody Petersen clincH the overall title in the highly competitive l25cc Modified class. Petersen was followed in points by Frankie Lee Gillim, Cunningham, Haden Avery and Nikki Spore- Brandon Robinson won overall in the 250cc Two-Stroke Modified class. Robinson encountered problems with his rear sprock- et at the short track, but once that was sort- ed out, he was unstoppable. James Rispoli batded with Patrick Jacobsen for second, but Jacob,sen wasn't giving in, and Rispoli linished third. The half mile is where it all came together for Rispoli, as he was dialed in for the win. Jeffrey Carver linished second, fol- lowed by Brent Lyskawa. The TT was Robinson's. with Carver second and Rispoli in third. At the Mile, Robinson won. with Carver and Rispoli taking second and third, resp€ctively. Rispoli linished the week in sec- ond overall, just two points off of Robinson. Carver was third, followed by Lyskawa and Jacoken, J.D. Beach was the dominating force in the 250cc DTX class, finishing consistently in the top frve. Brad Baker took the first win of the week, holding off Beach and Jacobsen. At the half mile, Beach quickly rook the win, followed by Jacobsen and then Carver; who passed Baker for rhe lasr podium positiofl. The TT wasn't kind to this class, as a first- comer crash collected Jacoken and Dennis Trentman. Beach again pulled away {rom Baker for the win, leaving Pq/ton Sassaman and Carver to dice it out for third. Carver tried to make a last-turn pass, but Sassaman held his position. The Hile would prove to be another tight one, as Carver took the ear{y lead, followed closely by Beach, Sassaman and Shayna Texter. ln the end, Sassaman crossed the line first, followed by Texter and Carver. Beach would bring home the number-one plate, with Sassaman, Bakeri Cawer and Frankie Lee Gillim round- ing out the top frve. Baker started his week on the top of the box in the Memphis Shades 250cc Four- Stroke Modilied class, eaming this spot after a fierce battle with Joseph Hernandez. James "The Rocket" Rispoli lived up to his nick- name. as he rocketed off the corners en route to taking the win at the half mile. However, Hernandez and Jacqbsen chal- lenged him until the end, finishing second and third, respectively. Rispoli won the TT when the leaders had problems in separate incidents. As a result, Sassaman finished second, followed by Chad Cose in third. Tight-formation racing by rhis class on the Mile provided the most excit- in8 action of the week, as the pack of I 2 riders stayed together the entire race. With drafting io play, there were more than l0 lead chan8es, but when all was said and done, it was Texter who crossed the line first, with the rest of the pack just inches away. "lgot off the line good, and just kept in the draft," Texter commented. "l came out of turn four in third on the last lap, and then I just tucked in and got as small as lcould, and lwon! We were really packed in tight, and I appreciate the safe riding of those around me." 'At one point, I went from last to first in one lap," noted runner-up Sassaman. "lt was intense!" "The 250 Mod race was hard-core," Rispoli summed up. "Going around the corners, we were all bumping together at speeds that were so fast! I don't know how we kept it together, but we did." placed third, behind Hernandez and Cose. Weidman won the shoft track after a red-flag restart in which Hernandez, Chaz Landers and Thomas Connell were all sent to the penalty line. The half mile saw Weidman winning again, although Rispoli gave him a run for it; Hernandez rounded out the podium. Austin Greenland took an early lead in the TI however, he encountered bike problems, which left the door open for Cose and Weidman- At the Mile, Weidman and Rispoli pulled away from the pack; it appeared that Hemandez was going to hang with them, but eventually he dropped of{ the pace and ehded up in a battle for rhird with Chris laubersheimer and Robinson. Weidman finished the week as number one, with Hernandez, Robinson, Cose and Rispoli rounding out the top five. With different winners at each venue - Hichael Radley won the short track, Weidman won the half mile, Greenland won the TI Robinson won the Mile - it was consistency the secured Weidman's overall win in the Monster Plates 505cc Modilied class. Robinson was a close sec- ond, with Radley, Scott Baker and Laubersheimer rounding out the top five. Joseph Bromley won the Open (Over 18) Singlesflwins class, iust inchinS out England's Tim Greig. "l've en,oyed riding in Group Two and 3Oth Annual AMA Dirt Track 6pand Championships ln the end, Sassaman won the overall championship, followed by Rispoli, Hernandez, Baker and Cose. Cose earned the most points in the 251-500cc DTX class, fol- lowed by Matthew Weidman, Travis Wyman, Toby Stay and Daniel Larocca. Weidman finished on top of the box in both the short-track and half-mile races, with Cose turninS it on at the end of the week and winning both the TT and the Mile. Weidman proved to be the man to beat in the \Mseco-sponsored 450cc Modified class. He won all but the TT race. in which he helping my son on the other days in Group One," Joseph said. "We've helped each other, and it's been a great week." Another Brit, Peter Boast, finished third. Thomas Carriger started off with a short-track win in the Vet (Over 30) Singles Premier class, sponsored by Supertrapp, and he would take home the oyerall championship. Dallas Mayer flexed his muscles after a red-flag restart a.d won the half mile, with CarriSer linishing second after a heated baftle with Raymond Rees. The fi was disappointing for Mayer, as he got the holeshot but stalled when he caught his brake lever in a hay bale going through the chicane. Cariger was riSht there to take over, but he warn't alone, as ltalian Marco Belli was charging after him; however, Cariger hung on for the win, followed by Belli and Mike Dunaway. Belli got out to an early lead at the Mile, leaving Matt Yoho, l4ayer and Carrigsr baftlinS for the remaining positions. Yoho held on for second, with CarriSer placinS third. Overall, Belli fln- ished second, followed by Mayer, Dunaway and Rees. Trading wins back and forth at the var- ious tracks, Mayer and Tom McCanhy tied in points for the overall win in the Senior (Over 40) Open class. The battles between these two front-runners were intense as well as entertaining. Boast was third, with Dick Wall and Curt Comer rounding out the top five. The riders in the Super Senior (Over 50) Open class all seemed to have smiling faces. After battling all week for the num- ber-one-overall DTGC plate, Vince Holt secured it by taking the win at the lvlile. Overall, Randy Blackwell finished second, followed by Steve Burroughs, Bob Shaver and Wall. The Pro-Sport riders rode daily, taking only Friday off to rest before tackling the Mile. Justin Hanna came out swinging, winning the openin8 round; however, it was Stevie Bonsey who turned heads as he salvaged a second-row start and charged his way through the pack, even- tually knocking on the door of second- place finisher Billy Gruwell, "l knew he was there," Gruwell noted. "Luckily, we ran out of laps and I managed to stay in front of him." Day two saw the Pro-Sport riders put it on the line again at the short track. This time. it was Brock Schwarzenbacher who would get out front early, with Cory Texter and Hanna rn tow. Bonsey again worked his way toward the front, unsuc- cessfully making a run on Hanna to take third. The half mile is where the dust settled, as the track, which started as a nice cush- ion, began to groove up after the rains, and Bonsey took control. Brett Sassaman w.rs out first, but a dialed-in Bonsey went under him for the lead on the flrst lap and never looked back. Kyle Wyman passed Brett for second, and that rounded out the podium. 74 AUGUST2,2006 . CYCLE NEWS Cose (49D), D.J. Slosser Modified pock Chsd 441, o{ turn (38T) ond Kris U I 'l 7. IE..,,j l- , ,! ^\ - tI 4t I { I I l.-ff*y E*!ry-(2!) set5.Ryon Vorncr (6E) up for the porr in thc 5Oc< Senior (7"8! Stock clors.