Eloy, AZ Oct. 18th, 1998
Amx Grand Canyon State Championship Series.

Hamman hammers at Ocotillo MX

by Johnny Whiteboots

Ryan Hamman used a perfect 1-1 moto score to capture his first career 125 Novice overall win on a beautifully sunny Sunday at Southern Arizona’s Ocotillo Raceway. Racing his Thor/ Wiseco/ Pro-Circuit/ Maxima/ Smith/ One Industries backed Honda in the Grand Canyon State Championships, the win improves his momentum and his chances to achieve his goal of Arizona State Champion for 1998.

The gate fell for moto 1, and Jeremy Lastovica’s YZ lead everyone out of the first turn, followed by Hamman’s CR, Ilan Grossman’s KX, Brian Schott’s YZ, Jason McTygue’s YZ and the pack. Everyone was working hard to maintain their positions and look for opportunities to pass, but the order remained unchanged up front. Hamman was pressuring Lastovica all around the track during lap 2, and the two riders had pulled away several bike lengths from Dirt & Street/ BeeTee/ Valley Kawasaki sponsored Grossman, PJ1/ Pro-Circuit/ Piper/ EVS backed Schott and P&D’s McTygue, and the tightly grouped pack. Disaster befell Lastovica on lap 3 when he crashed coming out of the tight left hand turn in the back, allowing Hamman into the lead. Grossman, Schott, and McTygue also got by before Lastovica could remount and resume the race. Lap 4 had Schott working hard to find a way around Grossman as Hamman was pulling away with a comfortable lead of 5 bike lengths. Schott worked the outside of several turns, but Grossman wasn’t giving up the position easily and maintained his 2nd place position. During lap 5 it was clear that Grossman was holding up the train of Schott, McTygue and Lastovica, as they were trying to get around on both the inside and the outside at the same time. Diving into the triple step-down known as "The Pit" they were three wide, coming out over the big double McTygue held on the throttle longer and moved from 4th to 2nd. Grossman managed to hold off Schott to hold 3rd place. At the line, Hamman brought out the white flag, followed by McTygue, Grossman, Schott, Lastovica, and the rest of the field. Suddenly McTygue let off, and pulled off the track, going from 2nd to 5th. "I thought I saw the checkered flag when I went by the flagman, but when everyone blew by me I took a 2nd look, saw the white flag, and got back on the gas. I know, I know, but don’t say it [Dork]" said McTygue later. Grossman had resumed his original 2nd place standing, but couldn’t hold off Schott when he bobbled a turn. The tight left hander in the back must have been trouble as McTygue swapped and wadded coming out of the turn. To add injury to insult, he went down right in front of Schwanbeck, who had nowhere to go and ran over him. At the finish it was Hamman several seconds ahead of Schott, Grossman, Lastovica, and the rest of the field.

The crowd swelled along the fences in anticipation of moto 2 for 125 Novice, and they got their monies worth right from the gate drop. Lastovica nailed a great jump off the gate and looked to have the holeshot going into the first turn, but Hamman drove deep with the inside line and came out in the lead, followed by Lastovica, Grossman, Aston Racing/ JT/ FMF sponsored Justin Myers and the rest of the pack. Lastovica raced hard, showing a wheel every chance he could get, but Hamman maintained a cool head and protected his lines and the lead. As in the 1st moto, the pair of racers pulled out several bike lengths over the pack. 3rd place Grossman and 4th place Myers also pulled a gap over their nearest competition. McTygue was in 5th being dogged by YSA’s Brad Millikan, Schwanbeck and PJ1/ Noleen’s Kyle Orr. Myers, who recently moved off 80’s, set up Grossman perfectly and passed him over the finish line to start lap 3. Schwanbeck found a way around Millikan, but couldn’t make it stick as Millikan passed him back at the line to start lap 4. This was turning into the best battle on the track as Schwanbeck passed Millikan again to take 6th place. Back up front it was a battle royal between Hamman and Lastovica inside the 12 acre fenced cage known as Ocotillo Raceway. Lastovica had found Hamman’s only weakness, the tight left hander in the back Lastovica dived to the inside on lap 5, almost pulled alongside, but Hamman shut the door and continued to lead. McTygue managed to drive inside Grossman in the sweeper after the 90 ft. tabletop, and passed to take 4th place. The white flag came out for the leaders, and it seemed to charge up Lastovica, who applied even more pressure on Hamman. He pulled up again in the back section, but Hamman maintained. He pulled up side by side through the whoops, but Hamman had the inside in the next turn. They went side by side over the 90ft. table, but again Hamman held the inside and railed the turn. At the finish it was Hamman with his second moto win of the day, Lastovica in 2nd, Myers with a surprising 3rd, McTygue with 4th, Grossman 5th, Schwanbeck 6th, and the rest of the pack.

Jeremy Johnson also posted a perfect 1-1 moto score to win 60 9-11 aboard his YSA/ Answer/ Maxima/ Bridgstone/ Bell sponsored Kawasaki. Moto 1 began with Johnson getting the holeshot over Lumby Concrete/ Bernie’s backed KTM of Travis Lumby, the KX of Bell/ BeeTee supported Karl Orr, the KTM of Tucson Motorsports sponsored Steve Walker and the Tortillita Landscape/ Go Huge rider Brandon Carlson racing his KX. Johnson had pulled out a several bike length lead after the whoop section where Orr passed Lumby to take 2nd. Carlson found his way by Walker over the Go Huge tabletop, then passed Lumby over the finish line tabletop to start lap 2. Carlson’s 3rd place position didn’t last long, as Lumby nailed the throttle and got back by Carlson. On lap 3 Carlson had some trouble and Walker went by into 4th. At the finish it was Johnson with a nice lead, then Orr, Lumby, Walker and Carlson.

Moto 2 started as a repeat of moto 1 with Johnson out front, followed by Lumby, Orr, Walker and Carlson. With Johnson pulling away, the race was for 2nd between Lumby and Orr. At the finish Lumby’s KTM held on to take 2nd and 2nd overall, with Orr settling for 3rd. Walker was 4th and Carlson was 5th.