Friday At Mammoth Mountain
| June 24, 2005
With near perfect weather, and track conditions greeting the riders, the first day of pro-class racing wrapped up today at the Mammoth Mountain Motocross track in Mammoth Lakes, California on Friday. And when all was said and done Honda rider Jeremy McGrath (2) took a dominating win in the Open Pro class, proving to everyone that he means business this weekend.
McGrath started second in the opening moto behind young Suzuki sensation Michael LaPaglia. LaPaglia held off McGrath for a few laps but it was not enough as McGrath got around him and pulled away to take the win. Meanwhile, KTM rider Michael Sleeter circulated the track unchallenged in third, which is where he finished.
The second moto was all McGrath. He jumped out to the early lead and never relinquished it. At one point it appeared as if Honda mounted Tim Weigand would give the seven-time supercross champion a fight, but nothing materialized. Young LaPaglia circulated the track unchallenged in third. In the end McGrath took the win after pulling away from Weigand, who eventually finished second. LaPaglia completed the top-three. The unofficial overall went McGrath, LaPapalia and Sleeter.
In other racing, after passing LaPaglia just before the halfway mark, Team Kawasaki’s young hopeful Ryan Villopoto (615) took a convincing win in the competitive Schoolboy class main event. In Pro Women competition Yamaha rider Tarah Geiger swept both motos, taking the overall.
Tomorrow the 125cc class is set to go off, with McGrath, LaPaglia, Villopoto, Weigand, Sleeter and others all slated to compete.
