|
PERRIS, CA When the riders stormed off the line for the first moto, it was AMA Women’s National Amateur Champion Vicki Golden absconding with the holeshot, over Lindsay Didlake, Lauren Hammond (38), Lacie Price, Heather Miller, Weishin Wolte, Heather Majcherek, Lauren Jung, Taylor Cannon, Jessica Lane and Lisa Rolland. As Golden checked out, Miller dropped it in a corner, allowing the entire pack to scream by. Wolte jammed into the point position among the Beginner class, over a stunned Didlake, Hammond and Price. Majcherek held a solid fifth. Jung, meanwhile, sliced through the Beginner and Novice riders and now ran in second overall, behind Golden. In the Beginner class, with Wolte out front, Didlake and Hammond engaged in a dogfight that lasted the entire race. Hammond dived to the inside and passed Didlake, but Didlake blasted the outside berm to inch back in front. Their battle raged from corner to jump, with neither rider giving an inch, while Price was lurking close behind, just waiting for the opportunity to pounce. Wolte pulled out a commanding lead on the Beginner class and was flat out gone. As Hammond and Didlake entered lapped traffic, Didlake got balked by a lapped rider, losing three seconds to Hammond and falling into Price’s clutches. At the flag, it was Golden taking the Intermediate win and Cannon topping the Novices. Wolte led the Beginners across the line, followed in quick succession by Hammond, Didlake and Price, all less than a second apart, and Majcherek took fifth, over Lane, Miller and Rolland. Moto two’s holeshot also went to Golden, who was soon in her own private ZIP code. Cannon was next, followed by Miller, Hammond, Price, Didlake, Majcherek, Lane, Rowland, Wolte and then Jung, who was riding injured. Miller was the first to error out, cross-rutting and allowing Hammond, Didlake and Price to go by. Price zapped Didlake as the riders scattered to avoid Miller. Wolte rebounded into fifth. Miller remounted just ahead of Majcherek. Price surprised Hammond with a pass for the Beginner lead, over Didlake, Miller and Wolte. Hammond managed to slingshot back around Price. Wolte stalled her bike, moving Majcherek up a notch. On the final lap, Hammond held a split-second lead over Price, with Miller closing the gap, and Didlake and Majcherek rounded out the top five. Price nailed the inside with a pass, only to have Hammond hammer the outside and rail back into the lead. Price set sail over the next jump as Hammond dived to the inside to set up for Suzuki Hill. Hammond’s inside move proved the wiser strategy, as Price got hung up in traffic. Miller jammed into second in the comeback ride of the century, followed by Price and Didlake, but Miller bobbled again in the ruts, allowing Price to get back in the game, making it an all-out sprint to the finish. Hammond put her head down and her throttle to the stops, willing herself across the line just inches ahead of Miller. Price, Didlake, Majcherek, Rolland and Wolte followed. Results
|