Tim Ferry and Ben Townley School Washougal -ozzy go- Alpinestarsinc.com Race Report

In 1992, a young kid from Florida named Tim Ferry was
announced as the AMA Motocross Rookie of the Year. A presumed
portent of things to come for the kid from Palm Beach, It was the
beginning of what would become a 15-plus-year-long Odyssey
through the sport. Astonishingly, in a sport not regarded (not by
any means) for its longevity, Ferry is still at it, and performing at
unprecedented levels. That was proven on Sunday, July 29, 2007
when the Team Kawasaki rider — hired on by the lime green
marquee at the last second from the modest Unbound Energy
Honda team, For whom he had delivered into the top 10 year in
2006 — won his first AMA National in well over six years. In fact
the last time Tim Ferry won a National was on May 13, 2001,
when, by riding to 2-2 moto scores, won the opening round of
that year’s series at Glen Helen Raceway Park in San Bernardino,
California.

Then came the 2007 AMA National at Washougal, Washington,
and, strangely, Ferry yet again used 2-2 moto scores to win his
fist National since Glen Helen in 2001. All before over 26,000
fans, teeming through the thicket of evergreen tress so ubiquitous
at Washougal, Ferry was the benefactor of a late second moto
crash by teammate James Stewart. While Team Yamaha’s Grant
Langston won the second moto by15.959 seconds over Ferry,
Stewart’s crash, more or less, gifted the overall to the veteran
Ferry, as Langston only placed fourth in the opening heat.

“I was doing the math as we were getting close to the end, but I
still didn’t realize that I had won when we came off the track,”
said a thrilled Ferry after the moto, now a scant seven points
adrift from the erratic Stewart in the 2007 AMA Motocross class
standings. “The point’s race is definitely something to think about
now. I’ve never been in this position before, but I’m confident and
looking forward to the final four races of the season.”

Second overall in the Pacific Northwest was Team Yamaha rider
Grant Langston, his 4-1 combined moto total adding up to his best
result of the season. Third fell to team Honda’s Andrew Short.
Seemingly becoming stronger with each passing moto, Short has
been the upstart of the 2007 AMA National Motocross
Championship series. Fourth was claimed by Team SoBe/No
Fear/Samsung/Honda’s Kevin Windham, while Red Bull KTM’s
Mike Alessi rounded out the top five with 5-7 moto placings.

With just four rounds left to be run, Ferry, the consummate
professional who placed third overall in the 2007 AMA Supercross
Series, is now a mere seven points away from sharing the lead
wit teammate Stewart in the AMA 450cc national Championship
points race. Andrew Short, still very much in striking distance, is
third with 275 points.

Eight rounds into the 2007 AMA Motocross Lites National
Championship, the fight for the title between teammates Ben
Townley and Ryan Villopoto is every bit as intense as the fight for
the 2007 Formula 1 World Championship between McLaren
teammates Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. And just as
international. While Washington State native Villopoto is the
reigning National Championship in the Lites division, Townley,
from New Zealand, won the 2004 MX2 World Championship and
placed a dazzling third overall in the 2005 MX1 World
Championship. The duo were tied on points leading into
Washougal, yet Villopoto rode a masterful race in moto one,
clearing out and defeating his teammate by 18.307 seconds.
However, a dreadful start in moto two, forced Villopoto to race his
way through the field, desperate to catch Townely who was way
out front, running in the rarefied air of Position #1. Try as he
might, Villopoto could only get... click on ozy go to the full story