Diamondback
Motocross
"RP" Report: by Rich Price
|
Diamondback
Motocross |
Leavitt Puts An End to Coen’s Consecutive Moto Win Streak
Diamondback Motocross
Modena, NY
October 15, 2000
With beautiful skies and cool temperatures, the day was ideal for racing at Diamondback
Motocross. The rider turnout was excellent, and many of the top riders were on hand to
give the crowd more than they bargained for. The “Triple Threat” of James
McNeill, Mike Leavitt, and Ryan Mills were all present and ready to do battle.
Mike Leavitt came into Diamondback on a mission. He was knocked down and battered at
Englishtown two weeks prior, and he was out to prove that his new Kawasaki KX 250 is
working perfectly. The 16-year-old put
a whipping on Carlo Coen, thus, ending his consecutive moto win streak at 24. Not only
did he win the first moto, after battling with Coen all race long, he also won moto two
after passing Coen and pulling distance on him. Although he whipped the 250 Expert class,
Leavitt had his share of trouble in the 125 Expert class.
The spoiler on the day was Moroney’s Honda-backed Paul Corey out of Goshen, NY. Paul
took the overall wins in the 125 Expert by being consistent. His scores of 3-1 as compared
to Ryan Mills’ 1-3, gave him the overall and bragging rights. He then went on the
sweep both Collegeboy motos, and take fourth overall in the 250 Expert class.
Montgomery, NY native, Jay Weller
piloted his Kawasaki’s to four moto wins on the day, taking the Senior Mini and
Super Mini classes with ease. His rival, and main challenger in the Super Mini ranks, Phil
Nicoletti, couldn’t quite keep with Weller’s blistering pace.
Carlo Coen was on his Stamford Motorsports/Maxima-backed Suzuki for this Diamondback race.
He won the +25 and +30 Expert classes on the day. He was defeated by his teammate Kenny
Blackwell in moto one of the +25 Expert, but came back to win moto two. He swept both
motos of the +30 Expert class, with his main competition coming from Chris Clark in those
2 motos.
Mark Costa wanted everyone to know that last week’s four moto sweep of his classes
was no fluke. Mark was riding smart aboard his YZF machine and once again won every moto
that he entered. This gave him the overall in the +35 and +40 Expert classes.
125 EXPERT MOTO# 1
#461 Dave Ginolfi grabbed the holeshot, with Dave Olsen, “Flyin” Ryan Mills,
Paul Corey, and Ray McLaughlin in tow. A pile-up collected Tom Hamilton,
Mark Wundrack, Carmelo Santos and Cameron Eccles. All the riders were quick getting to
their feet and all were un-hurt. This was the first Expert moto ever for Santos, and
things did not start out the way he had hoped. “Jumping” James McNeill had
a less than stellar start on his Engine Ice-backed Yamaha, and he was running in
eighth. “Mighty” Mike Leavitt was right behind him in ninth. This was not the
kind of start that these two wanted, now they would have to battle to get back near the
front.
Mills would move past Olsen as they headed towards the back of the track. He wanted a
piece of Ginolfi as well. The two pulled out a few second gap on the battle for third
between Olsen and Corey. McLauglin was fading quickly, and McNeill would be the benefactor
as he moved up into fifth. Leavitt was holding down seventh, but still a long way from the
front.
As the leader’s came by the “Dave Olsen Sludge Pond“, named that because
Olsen took a spill into it a few years ago, Mills was right on Ginolfi’s back fender.
As they made the sharp left-hander, Mills cut to the inside of Ginolfi,
taking over the lead. Right behind them, Corey moved past Olsen and was into third.
McNeill saw that Olsen was vulnerable and he moved by as well. Running order Mills,
Ginolfi, Corey, McNeill, Olsen, and Leavitt. “Triple Threat” riders were running
1-4-6, and it looked as though the three would not get to battle during this moto. Or
would they? Leavitt was charging and Olsen was the only rider stopping he and McNeill from
dicing. Leavitt followed Olsen for a few corners and then got around him.
Mills had pulled 3 seconds on Ginolfi, who in turn, had 2 seconds on Corey. McNeill was
still there, should Corey make a mistake. Leavitt went off the course after the downhill
rockers section, and he missed the double, but did not gain any positions. Andrew Pingotti
was up into sixth, also getting past Olsen. Pingotti still had a long way to go to catch
Leavitt.
Mills took the white flag with 5 seconds over Ginolfi. Corey was hounding Ginolfi for that
second spot and they were holding one another up. McNeill fell 3 seconds behind Corey, and
he would settle into a lonely fourth spot.
Mills did a Carmichael-style whip over the tabletop and took the checkered flag. He just
rolled through the whoops section one last time, without anyone to challenge him. The
battle for second would come down to the final turn. Ginolfi took the better line, and
took home second over Corey by less than a bike length. Fourth place would go to James
McNeill who had a gap over Leavitt in fifth. Leavitt pulled one of his usual tricks over
the big tabletop, pulling a Laz-E-Boy for the fans. In sixth was the Moroney’s/JB
Grafix-backed Suzuki ride of Pingotti.
125 EXPERT MOTO# 2
Paul Corey took the lead heading into turn one, with “Jumping” James McNeill,
“Flyin” Ryan Mills, “Mighty” Mike Leavitt, and Carmelo Santos right
behind him. Mark Wundrack was in sixth spot, just outside the top five. Santos was happy
to be running up front, this being only his second Expert moto of his young career. With
the “Triple Threat” running second, third, and fourth, the crowd was
anticipating a great battle for the win.
Corey had other intentions, as he wanted to win the moto, and prove that he is a force to
be reckoned with. The trio of Corey, McNeill, and Mills were pulling out some distance on
Leavitt and Santos. Leavitt’s bike was not running up to par, and it was hurting his
performance. Wundrack had problems and pulled off of the course, leaving Ray McLaughlin in
sixth.
The battle for the lead heated up as McNeill and Corey tripled through the whoops section.
McNeill didn’t have the drive though, and was unable to make the pass. This allowed Mills to close in on
his back tire, and pressure him. The leaders were out of sight for Leavitt as he was
circulating alone in fourth. Santos was a few seconds behind him in fifth. Ryan O’Malley
came up and passed the elder McLaughlin for sixth, just as the leaders were battling for
first spot.
As the white flag flew, Corey was still in control of his own destiny. He was out front,
and had a small 2-second lead on McNeill. Mills was still hounding McNeill, but time was
running out for him to make a pass. As they came into the sharp left-hander before the
starting line, Mills slid out and went down. He kept his Honda running, but lost his shot
at passing McNeill. He would have to settle for third. The real question was whether
McNeill could get close enough to make a move on Corey.
As the leaders hit the last few turns, Dave Ginolfi put the move on O’Malley and took
sixth spot. Ginolfi is plagued by bad starts, but makes up huge ground during the moto.
Santos was not in his sights, and he would have to settle for sixth.
The checkers came out for the kid from Goshen, NY, Paul Corey. Second place would go to
McNeill, with Mills coming across in third. This would give Corey the overall via his 3-1
moto scores, as compared to Mills’ 1-3 moto finishes. Leavitt took a solid fourth,
with bike problems and all, while Santos brought his Honda across the line in fifth.
Ginolfi would take sixth, with O’Malley in seventh.
250 EXPERT MOTO# 1
As the gate fell, it was the #113
of “Mighty” Mike Leavitt getting the holeshot. In tow were Carlo Coen, Kenny
Blackwell, Dave Ginolfi, and Mark “Wonderboy” Wundrack. Coen was hounding
Leavitt in every turn, looking for his chance to get around. Ginolfi was all over the back
of Blackwell, and it only took him a few turns to make his move. As they hit the whoops
for the first time, Coen cut to the inside of Leavitt and took over the lead. Leavitt had
the momentum on the outside, but Coen had the better line for the next left-hander.
The two leaders were setting a lightning fast pace and started pulling away from Ginolfi
in third. Wundrack also decided to put some heat on Blackwell, and it didn’t take
long for him to move into fourth place. Blackwell was fading fast, and there was nothing
that he could do about it. Moroney’s/JB Grafix-backed Paul Corey also blitzed by
Blackwell in the back whoops section on lap 2. This moved Corey into fifth, and relegated
Blackwell back to sixth.
Out front, Leavitt was not letting Coen get away. Leavitt was there should Coen make a
mistake. As they headed towards spectator row, Leavitt held the power on a bit longer and
cut to the inside of Coen on the big sweeper. The pass stuck as they hit the uphill rocker
section, and Leavitt moved back into the top spot.
While all this was happening, Corey was all over Wundrack for the fourth position. Corey
was on a hard charge from the back of the pack, and it was evident that he was the faster
of the two riders. They diced in a few corners, but Corey got by and was into fourth.
Ginolfi was still holding strong in third, but he was 10 seconds off of the leaders pace.
The white flag came out, and Coen was trying everything that he could to get around
Leavitt. Orient Express-backed Ryan O’Malley closed up on Blackwell and the battle
for sixth was on. The dicing between Corey and Wundrack was still going on , but Corey had
the upper hand and held the fourth spot as they circulated the course one last time.
Ginolfi was all alone in the third spot.
The checkers flew, and Leavitt took the exciting moto win, with Coen right behind him in
second. The two gave each other a thumbs up, and rode off. They knew that they were in a
dogfight. This brought an end to Carlo Coen’s consecutive moto win streak at 24. It
was an astonishing feat, but Leavitt proved that he was the better rider in moto one.
Ginolfi took third after riding hard, but not hard enough to catch the leader’s.
Corey came across in fourth, with Wundrack in fifth. O’Malley tripled through the
whoops, while Blackwell only doubled, and that was enough for O’Malley to take sixth.
Blackwell would take home seventh after running third in the early part of the race.
250 EXPERT MOTO# 2
As they lined up for moto two, Mike Leavitt and Carlo Coen were lined up right next to one
another. Coen would get to the first turn first, but he had trouble hooking up. Kenny
Blackwell railed the oustide line on his Stamford Motorsports/Maxima-backed Honda, and
took over the lead. Coen was in second with Leavitt in third. Mark Wundrack was fourth,
with Ryan O’Malley right behind him in fifth.
Leavitt wanted around Coen, but Coen was not about to give up the spot. O’Malley was
under pressure from the Moroney’s/JB Grafix-backed Suzuki of Andrew Pingotti.
Pingotti would follow for a few turns, and then blast past O’Malley moving himself up
to fifth. Just a half lap into the race, as they came down spectator row, Coen and Leavitt
both made the move around Blackwell, setting up the showdown for the overall win. Leavitt
was trying inside, and outside lines in order to make a pass. He was dogging Coen like a
veteran rider would.
Blackwell’s bad luck didn’t end there. He had Wundrack to deal with, and
Wundrack tripled by him in the whoops section as they took the green flag. Dave Ginolfi
was making his way up to the front after a horrible start and was already into fifth by
the end of lap one, after disposing of both O‘Malley and Pingotti.
The two leaders headed up over the big uphill elevator, and Leavitt took the inside line.
This proved to be the better line as he moved into the lead passing Coen. Coen had the
outside momentum, but couldn’t come back. Wundrack was not letting the leaders get
away, he was only 2 seconds behind Coen.
As they hit spectator row, Coen tried the outside line, and inched in front of Leavitt.
Leavitt was hard on the brakes and used an inside line to hold him off and maintain the
lead. The action was fast and furious up front. Paul Corey also had a terrible start and
was inching his way towards the front. He jumped passed Pingotti after the whoops, and
moved into sixth with plenty of time left to catch a few more riders.
Coen was using every inch of the track, and he even hit his helmet on a bush as he came
down the downhill roller section. Blackwell got passed by Ginolfi and Corey, and was now
running sixth after leading earlier. Wundrack lost sight of the two leaders as the white
flag came out.
Leavitt did a heel-clicker for the fans, and Coen knew that he had nothing left for the
young 16-year-old. He was just cruising around now. Leavitt would take the checkers, with
Coen taking home second spot. Wundrack would take a lonely third, ten seconds behind the
leaders. The battle for fourth saw Corey make a last lap pass on Ginolfi and take home
fourth. Ginolfi would take fifth, with early leader Blackwell in sixth. In the lucky seven
spot was Pingotti.
125 SCHOOLBOY MOTO# 1
With two members of the “Triple Threat” in the Schoolboy ranks, this would prove
to be a great race. “Flyin” Ryan Mills would take the holeshot on his Moroney‘s/JB
Grafix-backed Honda, with “Triple Threat” companion James McNeill in second. Dan
McMahon was in third on his #329 Yamaha, with Chris Spear in fourth. John Lawrence was in
fifth, with Michael Hallinan in sixth. Lawrence just moved up to the YZ 125 last race, and
he has been adapting to it quite well.
The two Expert leaders pulled out a few seconds over the Amateur riders, McMahon and
Spear, by the end of lap one. Brian Dempsey moved passed Hallinan and was up into the
sixth spot by the end of lap one. Spear was falling off of McMahon’s pace, as McMahon
built a 4-second lead on him. Lawrence had trouble and dumped his bike. He would remount
in the back of the pack. Dempsey was still charging and was up into fifth after Lawrence’s
misfortune.
Mills and McNeill were ripping around the track like the Experts that they are. Mills was
holding on to a 2-second lead, but McNeill was not letting him out of his sights.
McMahon was in a lonely third, looking smooth, but unable to match the speed of Mills and
McNeill. Spear battled with no one all race long and was still in fourth. Dempsey held
fifth, but was gaining fast on the #67 machine of Spear.
McNeill was unable to get close enough to make a pass on Mills, as Mills took the win.
McNeill took second, 20 seconds in front of the third place ride of McMahon. The battle
for fourth came down to the last whoops section, as Spear held off Dempsey by a bike
length to nail down fourth. The hard charging Dempsey took fifth. Hallinan came home in
sixth, right where he started the race.
125 SCHOOLBOY MOTO# 2
As the Schoolboy class lined up for the second moto, a notable rider was missing. It was
the winner of moto one, “Flyin” Ryan Mills. This would mean that James McNeill
would be left all alone out front without a challenge. Or would it?
The card went sideways and it was McNeill taking the holeshot. In tow was the #127 of
Michael Hallinan, the #329 of Dan McMahon, and the #337 of Nikhail Grichin. Hallinan had
trouble and let everyone go by. McMahon inherited second, with Grichin in third.
McNeill wanted to show everyone who is the boss, as he pulled a 5-second lead on McMahon
by the end of lap one. Brian Dempsey got a bad start and was working through the pack
well. He was into sixth by the end of the first lap. McNeill was hauling, pulling out to a
12-second lead by the time the white flag flew. McMahon was also fast in second, but
couldn’t hang with the pace of McNeill. John Lawrence was on a mission aboard his
Yamaha as he closed in on Dempsey for fifth.
McNeill would take the win with a 16-second lead over McMahon. McMahon had a 10-second
advantage over Grichin who took home third. Dempsey moved up into fourth by the end of the
race. If only he had gotten a better start, he could have challenged the leaders.
That is all of the RP Report for this week. I know that it was a few days late, but I had
3 classes to do instead of 2. I promise that the ACE RP Report will be done no later than
Tuesday night!!
It should be a great day for racing, as the temps stay cool, and the action heats up!
It is almost midnight and I have to get up early to head to ACE. Hope to see everyone there!
RP
