Future motocross stars charge out of the gate at Loretta Lynn's
Aug. 6 - The dirt started flying for real Tuesday at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, as some up-and-coming riders turned in strong performances in the opening motos of the 2002 AMA Amateur Motocross Championships sponsored by Air Nautiques.
Among the most impressive rides was the win by Evan Laughridge of Forest Ranch, California, aboard a Suzuki in the 250/Open A class. About four other bikes beat Laughridge into the first turn, but by the end of the first lap, he held the lead and never let the field catch him. Behind him, a furious battle for second raged until Brian Gray of St. Augustine, Florida, finally took the advantage. Gavin Gracyk of Blisfield, Ohio, worked his way forward through the field and made a last-lap pass to claim third.
An equally impressive performance followed in the 125cc Modified
(12-15) class, as Davi Millsaps, of Cairo, Georgia, pulled away to a
convincing win in his first year on a 125cc machine. Nick Adams of
Hastings, Michigan, took the early lead, but Millsaps passed him on the
third lap and steadily built his advantage, looking not at all like a
class rookie. Ryan Mills of Clintondale, New York, eventually passed Adams
and took second. "They're both riding phenomenally, so it'll be tough to win the championship," the 14-year-old Millsaps said of the two older competitors sharing the podium with him. It was Millsaps' second win of the day. In the morning session, he dominated the 125cc Stock class. One of the most closely watched races of the first day of competition was the 250/Open A/Pro Sport class, which featured the return of former national motocross and Supercross champion Jeff Emig. Coming back from injury and retirement from the pro ranks, Emig relived a bit of his youth at the Loretta Lynn Ranch. But he found that the competition was anything but a pushover.
After a mediocre start, Emig picked his way forward through the field, but never caught up to race winner Josh Hansen of Elbert, Colorado. Emig was looking forward to the rest of his return to the motocross nationals, however. "I feel like I'm just getting loosened up," he said. "I'm just happy to be back here." Emig found the going a little easier in the Vet 30 Plus class later in the day, finishing first ahead of defending champion Kevin Walker. The AMA Amateur Motocross Nationals are about a lot more than fast guys on 250s and 125s, however. In fact, some of the fast guys aren't guys at all.
In the Women 105cc, 125cc and Up class, the tables turned for the top two contenders. Last year, 2000 champ Jessica Patterson crashed and seriously injured her leg, clearing the way for Steffi Bau to take the 2001 title. This year, the two battled right out of the gate in the first moto, but Bau crashed on the second lap. She got up limping and managed to finish 11th, but Patterson motored on to an uncontested win. "I've been training hard to get back to where I was," Patterson said of her comeback effort.
The first half of the Tomac father-son act set a high standard to hit when Eli Tomac, son of famed mountain bicycle racer John Tomac, ran away with the win in the 65cc Stock (7-9) class. He won despite a broken silencer on his KTM. Later in the afternoon, his father finished 18th in the Vet 30 Plus class. In one of the last motos of the day, the Alessi brothers of Moorpark, California, led the way in the 85cc Modified (9-13) class with Mike finishing first and younger brother Jeff coming in fourth. Racing continues through Saturday afternoon. © 2002, American Motorcyclist Association |
