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F eaturing a dirt section designed by Doug Henry, the track at Oakland Valley Race Park had some really fast Amateur and Pro riders cir- cling the track during the NAS- MOTO Grand Prix of New York. Jeffrey Shields and Dennis Flynn were definitely at the top of the "fast Amateurs" list after they split wins in the highly competitive Seventy Thirty Racing-sponsored SM1 class. Both of them had already won races when they lined up for Saturday's main, Shields in the Vet class and Flynn in the Open Amateur class. All of the guys wearing faded Gary Nixon T-shirts had noticed this during the sighting lap. They were grumbling some- thing about treachery as the riders were gridded. This race between youth and expe- rience started with R&D Contractors/Roxy Cycles rider Shields taking the holeshot and leading Flynn away from the pack. They steadily gapped the rest of the field, leaving Shane Scott and Peter Wright by themselves in control of third and fourth. Flynn followed Shields for the first few laps, but as the race continued, Flynn started pushing at Shields harder and harder. By the crossed flags, the two bikes were just inches apart. Shields knew he had the line and was calmly leading the race, while Flynn seemed to be frantically looking for a way around him. In spite of the heat, the kid had more than enough energy and was trying every- thing he could think of to get by. He would get a good run down the straight and try to set up a pass, but Shields always had his left hand on the doorknob; at the last second, he would shut the door and lead Flynn through the turn. After nearly an entire race of this, Flynn saw his chance and tried to take the lead in the infield. "I saw a chance to pass and put it inside, and we contacted; we hit pretty hard, and I ended up in the lead," Flynn explained after the race. Shields kicked his bike back into gear and gave chase. "His bike seemed to have more motor, but I was faster in the corners," Shields said. "He came in and I think overcooked the cor- ner and knocked my bike into neutral." Flynn held on to the lead for the last few laps on his Willie Adams-tuned Honda. Shields crossed the finish line a second later in the number-two spot. Scott and Wright held on to third and fourth, while Edward Clark Jr. finished in a well-earned fifth place. Shields and Flynn won the Vet and Open Amateur classes, respectively, again on Sunday, and both were ready for a rematch! Flynn had some trouble in the qualifier and went down, but he still managed to start on the front row of the main. However, when the green flag dropped on Sunday's SM1 main, Darren Kochanowski took the holeshot. By the end of the first lap, Shields had worked his way to the front, and Kochanowski was in second, leading Wright and Flynn around the track. By the third lap, Shields was already stretching out a comfortable lead. "I told him [Flynn] yesterday that wasn't going to happen again," Shields said. "I put my head down and never looked back. I was pushing hard every lap to get further ahead." Kochanowski was riding well, and he held on to second until a mishap in the dirt sec- tion cost him his chain and the position. Wright and Flynn ducked into second and third, respectively, behind the now-out-of- sight leader. Once again, Flynn was in the middle of the racing action, except that on this day, he was gnawing on Wright's rear fender. With Shields steadily expanding his lead, Wright and Flynn were racing for second. Driving through the last part of the dirt section, Flynn washed out the front end and then "went turtle." "I was in third and trying to set up a pass going over the double, and I fell again," Flynn said. "[I hurt the] same ankle as [I did during] qualifying. I couldn't get up because the bike was on me." The red flag came out, and everyone lined up for the restart. Shields still would not look back, or even left or right. He was only staring straight ahead, and he took off from the restart in the lead. By the end of the race, he had another 10-second-plus cushion on the field. Wright also kept his position during and after the restart to finish the race in second. After deciding to continue the race, Flynn was sent to the back row. But he didn't stay there very long! By the time the white flag was replaced with the checkered one, Flynn had picked his way forward to end up in third. CN OAKLAND VALLEY RACE PARK CUDDEBACKVILLE, NEW YORK RESULTS: JULY 15-16, 2006 (ROUND 4) Saturday MINI: 1. Emerson Connor (KTM); 2. Corey Alexander (KTM); 3. Brody Shields (Hon); 4. Connor LeFrance (Hon). VET 35+: 1. Jeffrey Shields (Hon); 2. Shane Scott (Hon); 3. Scott Bothe (Yam); 4. Richard Meijman (Hon); 5. Chris Young (Hon). VET 45+: 1. Endre Csizmalia (Hus); 2. Rob Comber (Hon); 3. Tim Marks (Hon). BEG: 1. Brody Shields (Hon); 2. Corey Alexander (Kaw); 3. Tito Demarinis (Suz); 4. Connor LaFrance (Hon); 5. Brent Riley (Yam). NOV: 1. David Sherwood (KTM); Chris Young (Hon); 3. Lorenzo Grippo (Hon); 4. Daniel Cyr (Yam); 5. Michael Demelio (Suz). SM1: 1. Dennis Flynn (Hon); 2. Jeffrey Shields (Hon); 3. Shane Scott (Hon); 4. Peter Wright (KTM); 5. Edward Clark Jr. (Yam). OPEN AM: 1. Dennis Flynn (Hon); 2. Scott Bothe (Yam); 3. Tony Buono (Hon); 4. Adrian Galambosi (Yam); 5. Dan Cyr (Yam). SMX 250: 1. Chris Fisher (Yam); 2. Alan Stay (Hon); 3. Emerson Connor (KTM); 4. Istvan Deme (Kaw); 5. James Jolly (Hon). SMX 450: 1. Doug Henry (Yam); 2. Chris Fisher (Yam); 3. Mickey Yannone (Yam); 4. Peter Schwartzott (Yam); 5. John Lewis (KTM). SMX OPEN: 1. Doug Henry (Yam); 2. Chris Fisher (Yam); 3. John Lewis (KTM); 4. Corey Hormes (Kaw); 5. Kevin Ruopp (Kaw). Sunday MINI: 1. Emerson Connor (KTM); 2. Corey Alexander (KTM); 3. Brody Shields (Hon); 4. Sawyer Hamilton (KTM). VET 35+: 1. Jeffrey Shields (Hon); 2. Peter Wright (KTM); 3. Shane Scott (Hon); 4. Anthony Buono (Hon); 5. John Farrell (KTM). VET 45+: 1. Nick Rockwell (KTM); 2. Stephen Bobic (KTM). BEG: 1. Jeff Wickman (Yam); 2. Toby Stay (Hon); 3. Nicholas Canny (Yam); 4. Corey Alexander (Kaw); 5. Brody Shields (Hon). NOV: 1. Daniel Cyr (Yam); 2. David Sherwood (KTM); 3. Nicholas Canny (Yam); 4. Jeff Wickman (Yam); 5. Chris Young (Hon). SM1: 1. Jeffrey Shields (Hon); 2. Peter Wright (KTM); 3. Dennis Flynn (Hon); 4. Brandon Cinque (Yam); 5. Edward Clark Jr. (Yam). OPEN AM: 1. Dennis Flynn (Hon); 2. Christopher Young (KTM); 3. Dan Cyr (Yam); 4. Tony Buono (Hon); 5. Brandon Cinque (Yam). SMX 250: 1. Chris Fisher (Yam); 2. Emerson Connor (KTM); 3. Toby Stay (Hon); Dennis Phelan (Yam); 5. James Jolly (Kaw). SMX 450: 1. Doug Henry (Yam); 2. Chris Fisher (Yam); 3. Mickey Yannone (Yam); 4. Peter Schwartzott (Yam). SMX OPEN: 1. Doug Henry (Yam); 2. John Lewis (KTM); 3. Chris Fisher (Yam); 4. Boyd Brower (Yam); 5. Shane Scott (Hon). Oakland Valley Race Park Cuddebackville, NY Round 4 July 15-16, 2006 AUGUST 9, 2006 • C Y C L E N E W S 50 NASMOTO Supermoto Series Open Amateur Dennis Flynn and Vet rider Jeffrey Shields split the SM1 class at the NY GP. BY MARK WOLBRINK PHOTOS BY TARA BOGART/GINGERSNAPS Jeffrey Shields (626) and Dennis Flynn (88B) battled closely throughout the weekend in the SM1 class at round four of the NASMOTO Supermoto Series. Flynn (88B) won Saturday's main event, while Brandon Cinque (411) placed fourth in Sunday's event. Shields topped Sunday's main event at Oakland Valley Race Park. Peter Wright (13) placed fourth on Saturday but was runner-up on Sunday.