Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AUGUST 16, 2006 • C Y C L E N E W S 78 BY DAN SCHMITT GRATTAN, MI, JULY 15 I t was just starting to get hot as Dan Duram threw the green flag at 10:30 a.m. to start this annual six-hour endurance race in west Michigan. Tray Batey, on the Vesrah Suzuki, took the lead, with Mark Crozier in second on the Arnchu Racing GSX-R1000. The 600cc Yamaha of Red Star ran a close third, while the 1000cc Kawasaki-mounted Macheca Motor- sports team battled with 5150 Racing for f o u r t h . C h e c k - Out Racing was charging through the field from their back-row starting position. Not far behind, the Lightweight-class competitors were running nose to tail, with Team MS leading Blue Ridge Performance, Weapon Of Worship, Ghetto Customs and Neighbor Of The Beast. Only five laps in, Red Star encountered a problem and returned to the pits, receiving a penalty for coming off the track at turn three and driving down the pit lane backward. Afterward, they did not continue on their backup bike. As the teams began their first round of pit stops for fuel at the first-hour mark, Vesrah took the lead. The red flag flew at the 90-minute mark after Team Bear's Kawasaki went down on the front straightaway. Harry Tomlinson was okay, but their Kawi needed some repairs. Arnchu took the lead on the restart, but Vesrah held a one-lap advantage at that point. Meanwhile, 5150 held down third and was charging. Macheca was fourth, and the two Team Velocity Racing teams ran together in fifth and sixth. Weapons Of Worship led the Lightweight Superbike class. At halfway, Phil Caudill almost highsided the 5150 Suzuki; he saved it but ran off the track. They dropped back to seventh overall, as Macheca moved up to third. Ghetto now led the four-man Lightweight freight train, over Neighbor, Weapons and Blue Ridge. During the fourth hour, Sarah Irvin of Wizard Racing went down, bringing out the red flag again. On the restart, Arnchu was flying, but Vesrah held a two-lap advantage. Arnchu had three laps over the two Yamahas of Team Velocity, now in third and fourth. During the fifth hour, 5150 Racing moved up to fourth. Dalke Motorsports put a lap on Team Velocity II and took the lead in the Middleweight Superstock class. Matt LaPham was flying on the Blue Ridge Kawasaki 650cc twin, taking the lead in the Lightweight class, over Neighbor, and moving to eighth overall. Twenty minutes later, the Kawi twin let go at the end of the straightaway, oiling the line into turn one. As LaPham sat on the outside of turn one, the final red flag of the day flew again. With less than 30 minutes remaining, it was called a race. Vesrah took the win, but a p r o t e s t w a s f i l e d , a n d a l l t h e r e m a i n i n g positions were in doubt, as both second- overall Arnchu and fourth-overall 5150 were c a l l e d t o t h e c a r p e t b e c a u s e o f t h e i r aftermarket front-brake master cylinders. "We are running Michelin tires," Arnchu's Randy Sherman said, "and Mark Crozier has helped to get us right up there off the starts. This GSX-R is just great to ride. We are using a Brembo master cylinder that is the exact same size as the stock master cylinder, and the rule book allows us to change that part." CN GRATTAN RACEWAY GRATTAN, MICHIGAN RESULTS: JULY 15, 2006 (ROUND 6) O/A (under protest): 1. Vesrah Suzuki (Suz); 2. Arnchu Racing (Suz); 3. Macheca Motorsports (Kaw); 4. 5150 Racing (Suz); 5. Team Velocity Racing (Yam); 6. Dalke M o t o r s p o r t s ( S u z ) ; 7 . Te a m We s t b y ( Ka w ) ; 8 . LO C Endurance (Yam); 9. Weapons Of Worship (Suz); 10. Neighbor Of The Beast (Suz). L/W S/BK: 1. Weapons Of Worship (Suz); 2. Neighbor Of The Beast (Suz); 3. Ghetto Customs (Suz). M/W S/BK: 1. Check-Out Racing (Yam); 2. Wizard Racing (Suz); 3. BP Pipeline (Suz). H/W S/BK: 1. Vesrah (Suz); 2. Macheca Motorsports (Kaw); 3. Wizard Racing (Suz). M/W S/STK: 1. Dalke Motorsports (Suz); 2. Team Westby (Kaw); 3. LOC Endurance (Yam). H/W S/STK (under protest): 1. Arnchu Racing (Suz); 2. 5150 Racing (Suz); 3. Team Velocity Racing (Yam). Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance Series Round 6: Grattan Raceway Vesrah Reigns but Controversy Remains Arnchu Racing's Mark Crozier (5) leads Vesrah Suzuki's Tray Batey (57) during the first hour of the six-hour National at Grattan Raceway. PHOTO BY KEN GOSSOM/MIRROR IMAGES BY CLAY LIGHT ALBANY, OR, JULY 9 Y amaha-mounted Oregonians Josh Hill and Washington's Tanner Morris picked up the majority of overall wins at the final round of the CMC Pac West Motocross Nationals, held at Albany Motorsports Park. Hill finished the series the same way he started it: by winning four classes, a feat he accomplished at all six of the rounds in which he competed. Hill's wins came in the 125cc, 250cc and Open Pro classes and the Four-Stroke class. Hill was in a class of his own at the series finale and surely would have clinched class titles in all three Pro classes had he not missed four rounds to test with the Yamaha Factory Team and contest two California events. Hill had things going his way in all eight of his motos, and the competition saw little of the 17-year-old once the field left the starting grid. Adam Metzler and Pete Sannan squared off for second-place honors in the 125cc and 250cc Pro classes, but it was Metzler who clinched class titles in both, trailing Hill overall in both classes on the day. Cobra- and Kawasaki-mounted Morris has been the picture of consistency throughout the series. On this day, Morris picked up overall Pee Wee (7-8), 50cc Open and 65cc (0-8) class wins. The rider from Orting, Washington, has been impressive from start to finish. Aboard his Cobra, Morris first aced the Pee Wee (7-8) class, picking up a win ahead of Jack Fowler and Kaden Beutler. Morris came right back to top the 50cc Open class, ahead of Fowler and Mason Forty. Then he jumped to a larger- displacement Kawasaki in the 65cc (0-8) class to post his third of three wins on the day, ahead of KTM riders Dustin Laughlin and Beutler. Jeremiah Sparks has also been consistent throughout the 10-round series. The rider from Lebanon, Oregon, posted impressive results, including winning the day 's largest class, the 125cc Junior class. Sparks aced both motos to lead Travis McClinton and T.J. Guzman overall. Cody Hockema has figured at the top of the results in the 125cc, 250cc and Before The Hill Junior classes, but after winning three classes overall at round nine, the best Hockema could do was a first-place trophy in the 250cc Junior class and a second-place finish, behind Guzman, in the Before The Hill Junior class. Other double-class winners included Justin Hill, Josh's younger brother, who won the 65cc (9-11) and 65cc Open classes; Austin Ullrich, who won the 85cc (12-13) and Supermini classes; Tanner Symons, the 125cc and 250cc B e g i n n e r w i n n e r ; a n d O r e g o n' s N a t h a n Whitlow, who topped the 125cc and 250cc Intermediate classes. Washington's Dan Moore and Oregon's Jason Matthews went head to head in the Over 25 and Over 30 Pro classes at the series finale. After winning the majority of races in the two classes this season, Moore grabbed a win in the Over 30 Pro class and placed second, behind Matthews, in the Over 25 Vet Pro class. CN ALBANY MOTORSPORTS PARK ALBANY, OREGON RESULTS: JULY 9, 2006 (FINAL ROUND) P/W (0-6): 1. Mason Forty (Cob); 2. Louden Wardius (Cob); 3. Carson LaMastus (KTM). P/W (7-8): 1. Tanner Morris (Cob); 2. Jack Fowler (Cob); 3. Kaden Beutler (KTM). 50 OPEN: 1. Tanner Morris (Cob); 2. Jack Fowler (Cob); 3. Mason Forty (Cob). 65 BEG: 1. Jacob Romero (KTM); 2. Brendan Teano (Suz); 3. Ryan Adair (Kaw). 65 (0-8): 1. Tanner Morris (Kaw); 2. Dustin Laughlin (KTM); 3. Kaden Beutler (KTM). 65 (9-11): 1. Justin Hill (KTM); 2. Wyatt Fowler (KTM); 3. Bradley Kruger (KTM). 65 OPEN: 1. Justin Hill (KTM); 2. Bradley Kruger (KTM); 3. Wyatt Fowler (KTM). 85 BEG: 1. Vinny Foster (Hon); 2. Dylan Rask (Hon); 3. Derek Minor (Hon). 85 (7-11): 1. Ryan Secondi (Yam); 2. Hunter Evanson (Suz); 3. Cody Evanson (Yam). 85 (12-13): 1. Austin Ullrich (Hon); 2. Rook Jewell (Kaw); 3. Steele Angle-Davidson (Yam). 85 (14-16): 1. Matt De Atley (Suz); 2. Trevor Mort (Yam); 3. Jake Warren (Yam). S/MINI: 1. Austin Ullrich (Hon); 2. Trevor Mort (Yam); 3. Ryan Secondi (Yam). 125 BEG: 1. Tanner Symons (Yam); 2. Garrett Jensen (Hon); 3. Craig Singleton (Yam). 125 JR: 1. Jeremiah Sparks (Yam); 2. Travis McClinton (Yam); 3. T.J. Guzman (Yam). 125 INT: 1. Nathan Whitlow (Hon); 2. Mitch Rask (Hon); 3. Heath Hamblen (Yam). 125 PRO: 1. Josh Hill (Yam); 2. Adam Metzler (Hon); 3. Pete Sannan (KTM). 250 BEG: 1. Tanner Symons (Yam); 2. Chris Evanson (Yam); 3. Ken Dailey (Hon). 250 JR: 1. Cody Hockema (Yam); 2. Jeremiah Sparks (Yam); 3. Rod Tryon (Hon). 250 INT: 1. Nathan Whitlow (Hon); 2. Guy Tow (Suz); 3. Wren Fuller (Hon). 250 PRO: 1. Josh Hill (Yam); 2. Adam Metzler (Hon); 3. Pete Sannan (KTM). OPEN AM: 1. Mike Dahlman (Hon); 2. Shane Skiles (Hon). OPEN PRO: 1. Josh Hill (Yam); 2. J.R. Meusling (Hus). 4-STRK: 1. Josh Hill (Yam); 2. Caleb Watt (Kaw); 3. Allen Yother (Hus). WMN BEG: 1. Lisa Fisher (Hon); 2. Sammi Denham (Yam); 3. Christina Wells (Yam). WMN: 1. Jenni Wilson (Hon); 2. Sierra Bragg (Yam); 3. Christina Claassen (Suz). BTH JR: 1. T.J. Guzman (Yam); 2. Cody Hockema (Yam); 3. Andy Richards (Yam). BTH INT: 1. Guy Tow (Suz); 2. Klete Kinser (Hon); 3. Arlie Southard (Yam). 25+ JR: 1. Kip Davis (Yam); 2. Digger Williams (Yam); 3. Ken Dailey (Hon). 25+ INT: 1. Kris Jorgensen (Yam); 2. Doug McKuhn (Hon); 3. Rod Tryon (Hon). 25+ PRO: 1. Jason Matthews (Suz); 2. Dan Moore (Suz); 3. Joe Brockway (Yam). 30+ JR: 1. Stu Bailey (Kaw); 2. Michael Lara (Hon); 3. Lance Rutland (Hon). 30+ INT: 1. Kip Davis (Yam); 2. Kris Jorgensen (Yam). 30+ PRO: 1. Dan Moore (Suz); 2. Jason Matthews (Suz); 3. Joe Miltenberger (Suz). 40+ JR: 1. Brian Granberg (Hon); 2. Scott Adair (Hon); 3. Mike Miller (Hon). 40+ INT: 1. Michael LaMastus (KTM); 2. Stu Bailey (Kaw). 40+ MSTR: 1. Randy Tuller (Hon); 2. Jamie Claassen (Suz); 3. Dave Fox (Kaw). 50+: 1. Bob Meadows (Suz); 2. J.R. Meusling (Hon). CMC Pac West MX Nationals Final Round: Albany Motorsports Park Hill, Morris Sock It To 'em in Albany! Josh Hill was the day's top winner at the final round of the CMC Pac West MX Nationals, held at Albany Motorsports Park in Oregon. PHOTO BY CLAY LIGHT

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