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The challengers may come, go and comeback again, but for the third year in a row Spud Walters stood on top of all takers at the first round of the AMA Western Four Stroke Nationals presented by Yamaha and Maxxis Tires. The White Brothers, American Honda, AXO, Dunlop, DSP backed Walters dealt with racers from eleven different states and two different countries to take the overall with a 2-1 score. Second overall went to the Mach 1, Enzo, Factory R & D, Dr. D.,Thor backed Craig Decker scoring 3-2. Dustin Nelson riding for Motoworld.com, Yamaha, Enzo, Dr. D. battled with arm pump in both motos but came away with third overall with a 4-3. "Arm pump set in about halfway through the first moto, so I tried to hold on to fourth by riding smooth and consistent. Then in the second moto I had little arm pump but was okay," said Nelson. Fourth overall went to the first moto winner with the original headline to read, "Carpenter conquers previous champions." Carpenter took the measure of the current champion Walters and previous champions Decker and Nelson by winning the first moto. But the White Brothers, Honda, AXO, HJC, Smith sponsored Carpenter from Ithaca, New York ran into some bad luck at the start of moto two and had to come from behind to finish ninth in the moto. Fifth belonged to the Colorado Powersports, BBC, Thor backed Matt Karlsen tallying a 6-4. Using good starts in both motos Carter Gurnee sponsored by Race Tech, Maxxis, Works Connection scored 5-6 for sixth overall. Last years runner up in the championship, Nathan Woods riding for Powerhouse, Maxima, Troy Lee went 7-5 for seventh overall. Beau Baron riding for Troy Lee, FMF, B & H was surprised to have garnered eighth overall with a 13-11 score. "I'm happy with my results and since I'm in the top ten in points I don't have to run the qualifiers in the next round," said Baron.
Ninth went to the RMC, FMF, BBR backed Brandon Thomas who went 17-8. Rounding out the top ten was Robert Naughton who holeshoted and briefly led the second moto ending up a 15-10 score. "I was using this race more as a warm up to the WORCS race coming up next week," said Naughton. Weather played into the mix as winds coming from the Northeast made the riders cautious on some jumps like the "Dustin Double." Some riders made claims of drifting from the right side of the jump and landing on left side of the ramp due to the winds. Del Brown and his crew worked till 3:00 AM the previous night trying to keep the track from drying out from the wind. QUALIFIERS: Each year the first round at Speedworld MX Park sees record turnouts, with this year having 77 entered to race. So for the third time since the series started in 1996, qualifiers had to be run to get the field down to 40 riders. Seven riders from previous champions and riders who finished in the top ten in points last year were guaranteed a spot in the main. Two qualifiers (35 per event) were run taking the top 13 from each. Then a LCQ (43 total, 3 on second row) was run to fill seven spots left on the gate. In the first qualifier, it was Gurnee backed by Mach 1 Motorsports and Race Tech with the early lead. Gurnee looked to have the race won but tipped over on the west side of the course. This handed the lead to the eventual winner Ty Carson who hadn't much seat time this year. "There is still snow in my neighborhood, so I haven't had much riding time," said the Elko, NV resident Carson. Finishing third thru fifth was Beaudry Motorsports, Motion Sports KTM USA backed Chaun McAlister, Washington States BBR Yamaha rider Brandon Thomas and Germany's contingent #3 (B) Andy Boller backed by Carmichael Honda/System P-4R and Maxima Racing Oils. Sweden's Christian Kennevik #876 was not so fortunate as he took a soil sample in turn one and waited for the LCQ.
In the second qualifier the holeshot belonged to Josh Chisum backed by Action Sports, White Brothers and Dirt Digits aboard his Honda CRF450R. Josh Kellogg from Colorado, sponsored by Twin Peaks Powersports, White Bros and Thor Race Gear with Carpenter hot on his rear wheel quickly moved to the front and lead the end of lap one. The trio pulled away from fourth place rider Beau Boynton and Kenny Heess and eventually Carpenter as finished over 20 seconds on Kellogg. The LCQ saw Naughton nail the start aboard his Piper Performance, Maxxis Tires backed KTM 520. Before the green flag waved however, Naughton was back to fifth spot after running off the track. Matt Barber took the point, followed by Shane Smith, Ryan Mortensen, and Steve Marty. Cannondale's Sven Stillmock was sixth and Justin Myers seventh and on the bubble. Barber looked good up front, but eyes were watching #135 Dustin Bloomfield aboard the Mach 1 Motorsports, Cycle Shack Honda and #177 Adam Fichtelman aboard the ALF Racing YZ250F. Bloomfield and Fichtelman who both started in around 16-17th spots were making passes like wildfire. The four lap race would come right down to the last few inches at the checkers for the later hotshoe. Naughton would come back and show why he took second place in the final WORCS Off-Road event in 2001. He had the mission, he was on a terror and on the final lap he had carved past all his victims, taking no prisoners as the checkers waved for the local Flagstaff, Arizona rider. Barber finished second, with Smith, Chris Barrett making a gallant effort for fourth and Bloomfield stunned the announcers with his fifth spot over Eric Havens and Scott Roegner from Santa Barbara, CA made the final transfer spot. Fichtelman held his head in despair as he narrowly missed out of the main finishing eighth. MOTO ONE: Walters jumped out with the early, followed by Decker, Gurnee, Carpenter, Karlsen, Woods and Nelson. Woods and Carpenter stumbled on the inside line in the third corner, letting Nelson slip by. Decker took the top spot as they pack came back into view from the east end of the track. Walters was second going over the "Go Dan" jump followed by Gurnee, Woods, Nelson, Carpenter, Karlsen, LaMastus, Baron, Chisum, Frankie Mecono, Shawn MacDonald and Joe Bailey.Resolved - Jim and Scott fixed server end problems
Nelson ducked underneath Woods at the switchback for fourth. Woods would slip back a few more spots on the opening lap, with Carpenter and LaMastus moving into fifth and sixth. "I had a good start but I was missing my lines in the opening laps," said Woods. Nelson out jumped Gurnee at the jump of his name sake, the "Dustin Double," and completed the pass in the switchback for third. Then Gurnee bobbled on the west side letting Carpenter and LaMastus move up. Then Carpenter showed his front tire to Nelson just past the finish, but Nelson held third. Seventh was Woods followed by Karlsen, Baron, Chisum, Mecono, MacDonald and the rider from Germany Andy Boller. Then Karlsen passed Woods while Mecono got around Chisum as the pack came from the south side. Kellogg made up some real estate from a poor start and got up to tenth when Mecono bobbled in a corner. Then Carpenter passed Nelson for third just before the finish line. LaMastus would slow up, lifting and looking down at his left foot, letting Gurnee and Karlsen go by. Then Kellogg and Boller moved up on the next lap getting around Bridges. Decker would lose the lead to Walters just before the grandstand area. "Walters got by me and then I had a rock get in my brakes and I took a short detour," said Decker. Carpenter moved to second just before Decker got going. The lead would be short lived as Walters went down in the switchback, handing the lead to Carpenter. "I just set up for the turn and hit a rock and then I went down," said Walters. Carpenter added, "it was unfortunate that my teammate Walters went down, but fortunately for me I was in the position to take over." Decker came alongside and passed for second as Walters came up to speed. Walters repassed Decker for second on the west side. Then Woods passed LaMastus for seventh. Carpenter wheelied past the finish line with the moto win. Walters, eight seconds behind, held on to second with Decker securing third. Yamaha test rider Nelson placed fourth followed by Gurnee, Karlsen, Woods, LaMastus, Boller, Kellogg, Derek Mahoney and Chisum. MOTO TWO: Naughton had the holeshot coming out of the first turn sweeper with LaMastus in second followed by Carpenter and Walters. But in the second corner everything changed. "Two guys went down I went launching over one of the bikes but I happened to get through it," said Gurnee. As the pack came roaring out of turn two, Carpenter, LaMastus and Boller were picking up their motorcycles. Walters said, "I got a decent start and I followed Carpenter into the second corner. Unfortunately for Carpenter he got taken out there and I was lucky to get around." Decker added, "I had a bad jump off the gate but I stayed to the inside and made some passes in the first few corners and missed everything(fallen riders)."
Naughton would lead the pack for the first lap but would go down in turn two. "My front end compressed into the rut as I entered the corner, then my wheel hopped out and climbed over the rut and I went down," said Naughton. Walters took over second followed by Decker. "I worked up to second and by then Walters had a gap on me. I couldn't push any harder because the track was a little slippery in the second moto." said Decker. Gurnee was in third followed by Karlsen, Baron, Nelson and Shaun McCallister. On the next lap Baron would drop back as Nelson, McCallister and Thomas moved up. Carpenter was slicing through pack being urged on by his mechanic Alan Olson. Nelson caught up with Karlsen and after a couple of laps used the "Dustin Double" to out jump and pass for third. Nelson was pleasing the cheering crowd that was at the "Dustin Double, since he was one of a few that was doing it consistently. "I hit 'my' jump successfully every lap except for one, where I went wide into the next corner and lost a little time," said Nelson. The gap between the leaders stayed the same throughout the race. "I could see every lap where Decker was and all I tried to do was ride with no mistakes," said Walters. Carpenter moved into tenth by getting around Naughton who was also charging back to the front. On the final lap Carpenter passed Baron on the east side for ninth. Walters came away with the moto win while Decker was second. Third was Nelson followed by Karlsen, Woods, Gurnee, McCallister, Thomas, Carpenter, Naughton and Baron. Phoenix: Arizona
OVERALL: AMA Western
4-Stroke National Motocross Series (after 1 of 10 rounds):
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