CALIFORNIA CITY, CA

Alta Vista Events found out a couple of weeks before round three of the Cal-City SuperCourse Desert Series that THR Motorsports/Monster's Mickey Childress (24, above) was coming out to race. Immediately, AVE put a "bounty" on Childress' head by offering to anyone who can beat Childress for the overall victory would get three complimentary entries to the remaining three events in the series. Little did the organizers know that Childress had suffered a nasty get-off in Baja and, as a result, had 10 stitches on his hand and had gone several weeks without mounting a bike, so he was a bit rusty, and maybe a bit out of shape. Race promoter Lou Peralta didn't care.

"One slightly hurt Mickey Childress is faster than most [other racers]," Peralta said. "I've known Mickey since he was a pup, and I've never seen anyone ride so fast while hurt."

Round three featured a 20-mile loop around the deserts of California City. It was a semifast course, but it still had enough "gotchas" that everyone was warned that getting off here at high speeds would hurt more than most get-offs.

The start for this event was a Le Mans-type start (AVE changes starting methods often), and no sooner had the green flag dropped than Childress lit up his bike and flew out of the pack. Behind him was another THR Motorsports stablemate, Honda rider Garrett Osteen (36, above), and behind Osteen was yet another Expert Open-class rider, Michael Allen. In fact, there were a number of Expert riders who'd showed up to take the challenge and go after the "rabbit."

During the first lap, Childress held a slight lead of only 35 seconds over Osteen. Childress had completed the first lap at an average of 49.6 mph, while Osteen was a miniscule few seconds behind, averaging 48.6 mph. Everyone thought that Osteen would eventually catch the slightly hurt Childress, but by the time the second lap came around, Childress had upped the ante and logged a 52.1-mph lap, over Osteen, who'd posted a 50.0-mph lap. The die was cast: Even though SuperCourse number three had a two-hour time limit, Childress usually gets stronger as a race goes on, while others begin to fade. Such was the case at this round, as he posted the fastest lap of the day, completing the 20-mile loop in a time of 19 minutes and 35 seconds. From then on, it was a battle for second place; as Childress went on to complete six laps in two hours, four minutes and 57 seconds. Osteen finished second overall and second in the Open Expert class, also with six laps, in two hours, 10 minutes and four seconds. Third overall and third Expert Open was Allen, who also completed six laps, in two hours, 16 minutes and 25 seconds.

Yamaha-mounted Open Novice rider Corey Byrd was fourth overall with a time of two hours, 22 minutes and four seconds, and rounding out the top five overall was Yamaha rider Brenden Throckmorton, who completed only five laps in a time of two hours and 20 seconds.

The "rabbit" was free to ride another day!

Results

O/A: 1. Mickey Childress (Honda); 2. Garrett Osteen (Honda); 3. Michael Allen; 4. Corey Byrd (Yamaha); 5. Brenden Throckmorton (Yamaha).

250 BEG: 1. Cody Boucher (Honda); 2. Justin Van Orsdol (Yamaha).

AM: 1. Jim Tietz (Yamaha); 2. Christopher Tietz (Kawasaki).

OPEN BEG: 1. Anthony Muneton (Honda); 2. Brad Wright (Suzuki).

OPEN NOV: 1. Corey Byrd (Yamaha); 2. Ryan Parrish (Honda); 3. Derek Butler (Honda).

OPEN EX: 1. Mickey Childress (Honda); 2. Garrett Osteen (Honda); 3. Michael Allen; 4. Brenden Throckmorton (Yamaha); 5. Mark Bradford (Honda).

WMN: 1. Olivia Rich (Honda).

30+ NOV: 1. Brian Woleben (Kawasaki).

40+ NOV: 1. Richard Parrish (Yamaha).

40+ EX: 1. Chris Griffin (Kawasaki).

50+ NOV: 1. Jim Byrd (KTM); 2. Bryan Boucher (Yamaha).

50+ EX: 1. Tim Tarry (Yamaha).

SR NOV: 1. Mark Ornelas (KTM); 2. Davin Banks (Suzuki); 3. Jay Young (Yamaha).

SR EX: 1. Bill Markel (Yamaha); 2. David Knight (Yamaha).