Glen Helen QuadCross, Devore, CA 2-26-04
- Updated: February 26, 2004
Ellis and his Alba Action YFZ were too much for the local pros. He won easily.
ITP QuadCross
Glen Helen Raceway
Devore, CA
Feb 26, 2004
by Lance Farwick
with special thanks to dirtfiendracing.com
Without a GNC mx race this weekend meant that GNC pro and ATV Scene’s own Kory Ellis (Alba Action, Kenda, PEP, Fox) would be in town for the ITP Quadcross, — thus making him the target for all the local pro racers. The Quadcross seems to get bigger and better with every race, drawing racers from California, Utah, Arizona and beyond.
This week’s event took the racers to the back track at Glen Helen Raceway. The back track is carved out of the side of a mountain and provides constant elevation changes, lots of sharp turns and extreme close action-packed racing.
Ellis leads Jeremy “the So Cal Hick” Schell early in early heat race action.
Heat 1
The first heat was saturated with talent. The holeshot winner was Kory Ellis, Jeremy Schell(Kawasaki, Duncan Racing) and ATV freestyle great, August Goebel (DFR, Duncan Racing) rounding out the top three. Not much changed during the race except for Kory Ellis’ gap on the rest of the riders and 17 year old Ricky Nickell’s (DFR, Laker Custom, LSR, DMC) move through the pack. Nickell was last into the first turn but made it all the way up to fifth place by the end of the race. By the time he earned the 5th place position the 4th place finisher Darrell Patton was too far ahead with only a couple laps to go. On the back track it is very important for you to finish in the top six positions because the starting gate only holds 12 racers. If you don’t make it into the top six, you will be forced to start behind someone that has earned a front row spot.
Freestyle great, August Goebel rode well until he crashed after overshooting a berm.
Heat 2
The second heat provided fewer big names but more of an exciting race. Danny Ragan (IMS, Maxxis, Elka) pulled the holeshot with everyone else in a serpent line of quads throughout the first couple of laps. Dustin Nelson and Ragan battled during the first couple of laps until Nelson made the pass for the lead. Nelson began to pull away from the pack as the rest fought for the other top positions. 1st place went to Dustin Nelson, 2nd Mike Machado who unfortunately broke an axle during the final moto and 3rd went to David Lindsay who made the trip from Utah.
The final
The final race had a lot of action going on, between the carnage of crashes and the intense racing it was hard to keep your eye on anything for more than a second. It was obvious the smooth track of early morning was no longer. Instead it was developing huge braking bumps all over it. The braking bumps claimed a few riders. Jeff Spooner (DFR, LSR, Rat Industries) seemed to get the worst of it by crashing in the back of the track. Luckily he was pretty much OK and able to finish the race, but it looked as if broke his nose.
Here Yamaha Motor Corp. test rider, Dustin Nelson holds off Schell’s bid to pass on the outside. He went on to take the runner up spot respectively.
Kory Ellis came out with the same intensity as in the first heat. He pulled the holeshot with Schell, Nelson, Mike Machado(Wiseco) and Danny Ragan giving chase. Once again Ellis was pulling hard on the pack. He distanced himself from the rest after just a short while. August Goebel was making an impressive showing as he moved into 5th place after Ragan overshot a berm. Unfortunately for Goebel, during lap four, he launched out of the whoops and clipped a nasty hole during the landing. Goebel was trying to save it, but momentum eventually sent him over the handlebars. It kind of looked like he was practicing a brand new freestyle trick but I highly doubt it. Goebel was pinned underneath his quad until a bystander helped him out. By the time he was freed a 16th place finish was all he could handle.
Cody Smith finished up top five.
Darrell Patton took over Goebel’s spot as the 5th place finish with a strong solid race. The most fierce battle of the race was between 3nd place Jeremy Schell, and 2nd place rider Dustin Nelson. The two clearly wanted second for themselves as they were fighting and changing positions back and forth. Schell led most of the way but just couldn’t’t hold on to the all-mighty two spot. Schell commented “I was beating him in the turns but Nelson’s Yamaha was pulling me in the straights.” Schell was pouring everything he had into his Duncan KFX40, which has a 470cc big-bore-kit in it, but it still couldn’t’t keep up with Nelsons’ relatively stock YFZ.
All in all, it was another safe day of racing. The next ITP QuadCross will be July 17th at LA County Raceway. See ya there!
Pro top five:
1. Kory Ellis
2. Dustin Nelson
3. Jeremy Schell
4. Cody Smith
5. Darrell Patton
