Paul Carruthers | May 9, 2001
Non-defendng Formula USA Pro Singles Champion Kenny Noyes, now living and road racing in Spain, gave Spanish fans a taste of American style dirt track racing when he won the “Champion of Champions Dirt Track of Lérida” on Saturday, May 5.
Noyes used the same 400 cc Lineaweaver Husaberg that he rode to the FUSA title in 2000 to beat a field of 600cc supermotard machines ridden by Spain’s top dirt track and SuperTT riders under the lights on the bumpy and rutted Lérida quarter mile.
“It was a strange night,” said Noyes. “To make the main we all had to ride in six heats and the total points determined grid positions. I won five heats and had the carb come loose in the sixth so that meant I started seventh on the grid. The hardest part was the start. They started us 16 wide back of turn four out of a motocross gate and I had a hard time getting the Husaberg over the gate gratings, but the SupertTT bikes with their long suspension travel just launched out of there and left me spinning. I ran up high all night and everybody else stayed down low, but they steamrolled the track before the main and I had a hard time hooking up at first. The main started at 2:30 on Sunday morning under a full moon… those are normal hours for Spanish dirt track racing. The fans come to party all night.”
Noyes went from last to first in 11 laps and then cleared off to win the 20 lap main by a comfortable margin.
Paul Carruthers | Editor
Paul Carruthers took over as the editor of Cycle News in 1993 after serving as associate editor since starting his career at the publication in 1985. Carruthers has covered every facet of the sport in his near-28-year tenure at America's Daily Motorcycle News Source.
