BUCKEYE, AZ

Scott Thode (37, above) took the overall in the Amateur class at the Arizona Old-Timers motocross race at Arizona Cycle Park. The event was run in conjunction with the Cactus State MX Championship. Thode used up-front starts and a consistent pace to net a 2-1 score. Motos were run for both the Old-Timers class and the Young-Timers class. Several participants decided to double up in classes to maximize their riding time.

Don Lowenberg grabbed the holeshot, followed by Scott Thode. Thode moved by Lowenberg in the hill section for the top spot. After completing lap one, it was Thode in first, pursued by Lowenberg, Mark Adams, Chris Goodman, Smiley Miles, Mitch Mullican, Ron March and Pam Edgerton. After lap two, Miles dropped down two spots, moving Mullican and March up.

Lap three saw Goodman picking up the pace, as he went by Adams in the sand pit for third. Lowenberg had a run on Thode as the two came down the hill into the 180-degree right-hander, but Lowenberg went to the wide line and had a bobble, while Goodman took the inside. The two were side by side on the uphill double, with Goodman having the better drive to the next corner, and he took over second.

Then March went by Lowenberg at Shotgun Hill for third. Midway through the final lap, Goodman got by Thode for the lead. Goodman pulled away for the moto win, with Thode taking second, followed by Adams, John Vargas (57, top photo), Lowenberg and Mullican.

Thode absconded with the lead in the second moto, pursued by Steve Richardson and Miles. As the pack came down the side hill, Miles and Vargas went by Richardson. T.R. Smith was fifth, followed by Lowenberg, Mike Edgerton and March. (Goodman did not race second moto.)

Thode completed lap one in front, with Vargas right behind him. The next few spots had different but familiar faces, as Lowenberg was in third; then came Adams, March and James Howell. March and Howell touched bars several times as the two came into the sandpit section; neither one went down, with March retaining fifth.

Thode and Vargas battled for the next three laps: Thode would pull away from Vargas for three-quarters of a lap, but Vargas would close down on Thode on the last part of the rhythm section and the finish-line corner. Two laps in a row, Vargas was alongside Thode at the finish line, though each time Vargas was on the outside of Thode and could not get enough steam to go around for the lead. Then, as the two were getting the white flag, Vargas started from the outside, broke early, and tried to cut back underneath Thode, but Vargas stalled his Honda 450 and Thode rode away from him. Then Adams moved by Lowenberg.

The Advanced Water Systems-sponsored Thode took the second-moto win. Second went to Vargas, followed by March, Lowenberg, Howell, Mullican and Mark Stockton.

Results

AZ Y/T BEG: 1. Johanna Huber (Kawasaki).

AZ Y/T NOV: 1. Kristopher Martin (Yamaha); 2. Aaron Milner (Yamaha); 3. Bryan Griffith (Kawasaki).

AZ Y/T AM: 1. Todd Martin (Honda); 2. Chris Goodman (Honda); 3. Dan Lowenberg (KTM).

AZ Y/T EX: 1. Rodney Clemens (Honda); 2. Gary Chaidez (Honda); 3. Mark Martin (Kawasaki).

AZ Y/T MSTR: 1. Ed Foedish (Honda).

AZ O/T NOV: 1. John Gilbert (Honda); 2. Mike Edgerton (Kawasaki); 3. Wayne Stockton (Kawasaki).

AZ O/T AM: 1. Scott Thode (Honda); 2. John Vargas (Honda); 3. Mark Adams (Kawasaki).

AZ O/T EX: 1. Gary Chaidez (Honda); 2. John Pesqueira (Honda); 3. Greg Camron (Yamaha).

AZ O/T MSTR: 1. Dan Szafranski (Honda).