Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

California CitU sup€rcoursE DEs€nt Gran Prix S€ri€s Round 3: Califonnia Citg's S€cond Communitu D€sert PHOTOS BY TOIS DAVIS Melsheimer Hot! Hot! Hot! cAr.tFoRNta ctry cA, JUNI 24 /'\n one of rhe hottest days of the year, BP VrMotorsports held its third event (of rhe six-event Gr.n Prix series) and once a8ain had a record numb€r ofentries. lt was thoutht that ent.ies would be down a bit because of the weather foreaast for the weekend; who would race in the Calcity's desert with tempera- tures projected to be well over 100 degreesl Well, as it turned out. plenty did, as BP F,lotor- Sports had another great turnout. Erian Melsh€ime- cenainly didn't have much to complain about rqlarding the weather, as he blistered the two-hour GE setting a fest pace - he averaged 51.3 mph arouod the I 1.8-mile desert Gran Prix course aboard his Temecula 14otorsports/MSFVF14F/ Karl Skankn lnc.- sponsored Honda CRF450. l"lelsheimer rook the overall victory al|d the Open Experr-clals win. fiM of Mojave's own Les Lehigh nabb€d the second-overall spot, iust nine seconds behind the leader. Third overall went to XR65o-mounred Over 40 Expen rider Jilh Colfq/, who was follo\a€d b/ early leader Luke Dodson, aboard his RMzBarstow Motorcycle Suzuki. Rounding out the top five overall was Over 30 Expen Cha.lie Garrett. It could have be€n a much faster pace had it not been for the horrendous dust that en8ulfed everyone, especially when l4elsheimer began lappin8 slo,/ver riders. Visibiljty for the rwo- hour GP was basically nonexistent. Once in a whilB. a small tust of wind would help clear bits of the course, b!! that was rare. It was truly unfortunate frat dust played such an important factor in determining the outcome of the race. Not only did it determine class winners, it contributed to there being more accidentt dlan BPMS has €ver leen at one race. "Wh set out to desitn a safe course, stayln8 away from the rocks and hills and deep washes," race promoter Lou Peraha said. "We knew it would b€ very hot, and we wanted the riders to have fun. That's why we started racing so early. But we didnt count on rhe la.k of wind for the entire race. Perhapr it would hav€ been better to funnel them through the rocks and tight stuff. At least lpeeds would have not been as fatt." The 3o-minute Kids GP was next, and they got started at I l:24 a.m. Their shoatened course (about 7.2 miles lona) used parts of th€ br8 course, lt also prov€d to be a bit tor.rgh for some. Dust once atain plq/ed havoc with the yountstersr as several of them went off the course due to zero visibility. The overall winner was once again Andy Sranham, followed by Honda riders Kyle Trubey and Tyler lloore. Br..don Garrett captured the fourth-overall ipot, and rounding out the top five war Kawasaki-mounted Dillon Tarry. By the time the Klds GP was over, temperatuaes were close to th6 century mark. At the finish, while they were being handed * Briqn Melsheimer is hol on the go5 en roule lo lhe overoll vicrory ot the rhird round of the Cqlifornio City Supertourse Desert Gron Prix Series. les lehigh ron rhong omong the lcodcrs. eventuolly winding up second ovcroll. their "finisher" medallions, they all looked like they could 8o for aflother 30 minulesl Some even asked if next time rhey could race for one hourlAmazins. Cll CauaoRl{lA Cry's SrcoND CoMrvruNry DaiRr CAuroRNrA ClTy, CAuroRNlA Rrsuns: JUNE 24, 20O6(RouND 3) 2. Ccis Oren Jr (Yam). 125 E)c r.lerry sr€v6 (Ym):2. Blat€ Leuty (Yan). 250 BEG: I Eri. Ko2in {Yam); 2 Hrch&r Arelle (Yd): 3. J@ Andre (tlo)i 4. l6hua Diricd: 5. Mdt Tdry (Yh) 250 NOYi L Anon Lundo.d (Ym)j 2. ,,en Nidols (H6)r l.l&k sarse {Hon): t- MEhael Maella (Hon);5. DuielLeme (f ). 250 E* r. Za.k Dod$n (suz): 2. Mafthew Hend.6on (Kaw). OFEH BE6. L trorg,n s(hulz {kTl'at: 2 Carr Arell.no rY.n): I JErr N'

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