LODI, CA

The "California Kyd," Mikey Martin (91Y, above), put everyone in the Open A class on notice as to why is he has become the "Prince of Lodi TT." Aboard his Shy/Arai/Alpinestars/RAB/Lightshoe/Arlen Ness Honda, Martin put an aggressive pass on National number 49, Chad Cose, as the laps were winding down to take the win in the season-opening TT.

"He got this one," Cose replied, "but I owe him one now."

The Lodi Motorcycle Club has traditionally held the season-opening round of the AMA District 36 Dirt Track Championship, and this year's opener had more than 200 entries. The LMC made several improvements this year, but the one that was most appreciated by the riders was a pole barn-like cover over the line-up chutes. The cover provides some much-needed shade to the riders while they wait to go out for practice.

Four heat races and one semi would cut the field from 20 riders down to 12 for the Open A main event. Many of the AMA Pro Racing regulars came out to give the Lodi Cycle Bowl TT a shot. Current AMA Supermoto Lites Champion Danny Casey and AMA Road Racing regulars Bobby Fong, Elena Myers, Tony Mering and Tyler "Mr. Do It All" O'Hara, to name a few, were among those in attendance.

When the light went green, it was the Motion Pro/Bell Helmets/A&A Racing-backed Cose getting the jump on the field, with Martin, current black-plate number-one rider Stewart Barber, Sammy Knox, O'Hara and Casey giving chase. Cose and Martin quickly pulled a gap on the rest of the field, with Barber close behind. Behind them was a dogfight over fourth, as Knox did all he could to hold off the advances of Casey, O'Hara and Mering. The pressure proved to be too much, as first Mach 1 Motorsports' Casey and then O'Hara got by. Mering was next, and by the time he got by, he'd been rewarded with an extra position, as O'Hara had lost the front going into the second right-hand turn.

Meanwhile, up front, Cose had put his head down and put some space between himself and Martin. With five laps to go, a determined Martin made up a bunch of ground and was now back on Cose's rear wheel.

When the white flag came out, it appeared that all Cose had to do was get through the two right-hand turns and the win would be his. However, Martin had spotted a little opening, and he pushed his Stockton Honda-backed CRF450 underneath Cose. With only two turns left, Cose had no opportunity to retaliate.

Barber stayed within striking distance on his Stockton Moto-tuned Honda. Casey and Mering rounded out the top five.

Results

50 HON/YAM C SHIFTER: 1. Tyler Raggio (Honda); 2. Blake Myers (Honda); 3. Reid Rodriguez (Honda); 4. Damian Ryan (Yamaha); 5. Zane Rodriguez (Honda).

50 P/W C SHAFT: 1. Blake Myers (Yamaha); 2. Angel Gepford (Yamaha).

60 A: 1. Kyle Raggio (Suzuki).

60 C: 1. Jonathan Pierce (Kawasaki); 2. Eddie Colon Jr. (Kawasaki); 3. Evan Souza (Suzuki); 4. Nolan Reitz (Kawasaki); 5. Riley Strong (Kawasaki).

80 C: 1. Dominic Monaco (Honda); 2. Jamie Knox (Honda).

100 YTH STK A: 1. Alec Espos (Honda).

100 YTH STK B: 1. Damon Coca (Honda).

100 YTH STK C: 1. James Pelley (Honda); 2. Lyric Emmons (Honda).

100 YTH MOD C: 1. Zach Nichols (Honda).

100 STK SPTSMN A: 1. William McDonnell (Honda).

100 STK SPTSMN B: 1. Sam Cullom (Honda); 2. Jim Nichols (Honda).

100 STK SPTSMN C: 1. Christopher Krusemann (Honda); 2. Roy Luft (Honda); 3. Kevin Smith (Honda); 4. William Van Zandt (Honda); 5. Samantha Raynal (Honda).

100 MOD SPTSMN A: 1. Larry Krusemann (Honda).

100 MOD SPTSMN B: 1. Sam Cullom (Honda); 2. Jim Nichols (Honda).

150 MOD 233 MAX AIR-COOLED: 1. Robert Curry (Honda); 2. Jim Nichols (Honda); 3. Dan Cowan (Honda).

150R WATER-COOLED (12+): 1. Dominic Fabiani (Honda).

250 AM (12-29) B/C: 1. Evan Prado (Yamaha); 2. Ron Krusemann (Honda); 3. Charles Vanderlaan (Honda).

250 A: 1. Michael Inderbitzin (Honda); 2. Bronson Bauman (Honda).

250 B: 1. Charles Vanderlaan (Honda); 2. Ron Krusemann (Honda); 3. Matt Anderson (Yamaha); 4. Erik Fleming (Honda).

250 C: 1. Evan Prado (Yamaha); 2. James Monaco (Honda); 3. Bobby Bolin (Yamaha); 4. Caleigh Ryan (Suzuki); 5. Rawni Darrah (Honda).

JUNKYARD (250 MAX): 1. Michael Lopez (Triumph); 2. Manny Fernandez (Triumph).

MINI AM (HODGEPODGE): 1. Hunter Brooks (KTM); 2. Evan Souza (Yamaha); 3. Eddie Colon Jr. (Honda); 4. James Jory (Honda); 5. Hayden Farriester (Honda).

OPEN AM (14-29) B/C: 1. Jake Strong (Honda); 2. Jacob Schneider (Honda); 3. Bryan Grier (Yamaha); 4. Ryan Poffenbarger (Honda).

OPEN A: 1. Michael Martin (Honda); 2. Chad Cose (Honda); 3. Stewart Barber (Honda); 4. Danny Casey (Honda); 5. Tony Mering (Kawasaki).

OPEN B: 1. Justin Lovelace (Honda); 2. Life Kelley (Honda); 3. Kevin Keeran (Kawasaki); 4. Chris Ryan (Yamaha); 5. Matt Anderson (Yamaha).

OPEN C: 1. Michael Dukes (Suzuki); 2. Nathan Amies (Yamaha); 3. Ryan Poffenbarger (Honda); 4. Robert Bacosa Jr. (Honda); 5. Jeffrey Lundy (Honda).

WMN: 1. Samantha Raynal (Honda); 2. Kimi Valentine (Honda); 3. Samantha Bacosa (Honda).

VET 30+ A: 1. Joseph Knight (Honda); 2. Kenneth Holland (Yamaha).

VET 30+ B: 1. Kevin Keeran (Kawasaki); 2. Frank Corsetti (Honda); 3. John Johnson (Yamaha).

40+ A: 1. Joseph Knight (Yamaha); 2. Michael Krusemann (Honda); 3. Jon Eichelbaugh (KTM); 4. Anthony Mitchell (Honda); 5. Jeff Spohr (Suzuki).

40+ B: 1. John Johnson (Yamaha); 2. Jim Monaco (Yamaha); 3. Greg Valenti (Yamaha).

40+ C: 1. Mike Fowler (Yamaha); 2. Jim Hoogerhyde (Honda); 3. David Valentine (Honda); 4. Merle Emmons (Honda); 5. Dan Rogers (Honda).

50+ A: 1. Dorrey Ingoglia (Yamaha); 2. Jon Eichelbaugh (KTM); 3. Donnie Darrah (Honda); 4. Thomas Knight (Yamaha); 5. David Holland (Honda).

50+ B: 1. Greg Valenti (Yamaha); 2. Gary Cordeiro (Honda); 3. John Cowgill Sr. (Honda); 4. Vic Fanelli (KTM).

50+ C: 1. Robert Stettler (Honda); 2. David Valentine (Honda); 3. Robert Anderson (Honda).

VINT AM B/C: 1. Chris Sage (Yamaha); 2. Van Martin (Yamaha).

VINT A: 1. Robert McDonnell (Yamaha); 2. Robert Lanoy (Yamaha); 3. William McCants (Yamaha); 4. Jeff Taylor (Yamaha); 5. Richard Lopez (Yamaha).

VINT B: 1. Ron Kilby (Triumph); 2. Van Martin (Yamaha).

VINT C: 1. Mike Fowler (Yamaha); 2. George Hintz (Yamaha); 3. Lawrence Darr (Honda); 4. Robert Crane (Yamaha).

VINT 50+ A: 1. Jeff Taylor (Yamaha); 2. Jon Shaffer (Yamaha).

VINT 50+ B: 1. Randy Hall (Triumph); 2. Mark Farriester (Yamaha).

VINT 50+ C: 1. Joseph Simas (CZ).

VINT TW HEADS-UP: 1. Robert Scally (Triumph); 2. Randy Hall (Triumph); 3. Jim Hoogerhyde (Triumph).

VINT 250 HEADS-UP: 1. Robert Lanoy (Honda); 2. Lawrence Darr (Honda); 3. Joseph Simas (CZ); 4. Michael Lopez (Bultaco).

VINT PUSHROD 500: 1. Al King (BSA); 2. Steve McCants (BSA); 3. Michael Lopez (BSA); 4. Ron Kilby (Yamaha); 5. Alvin Webber (Moto Morini).