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RPM
Extreme Weekend
Virginia Beach, VA
April 27th – 28th, 2002
Editor’s
Note:
Randy
Dinkins did such a fine job with the Virginia Beach Race
report that we just had to post it as is.
We only made a few minor changes and included just
a hand full of the fast-action shots taken from our
video. Hover
your mouse over the pictures for our caption
description. Also,
check out the pics of the Sand Drags held Saturday
Evening.
Press
Release
Randy Dinkins
May 15, 2002
RPM's
Extreme Weekend
 What a gorgeous weekend, the
skies were blue with temperatures in the low 80's. The
sand was beautiful, the staff was friendly and it was
the perfect setting for some of the fiercest racing this
sport has ever seen.
By weekends end we saw a great
crowd of more than 250 ATV riders take part in an event
that is quickly growing to be the premiere event in ATV
racing. With full media coverage, the support of the
city's businesses, the local government, and both local
and national sponsors lining the boardwalk, there's no
wonder why everyone had such a great time.
This weekend saw the appearance
of some of the worlds best ATV riders turn out for the
2002 RPM Superstar Challenge, such as Kentucky's 2001
National Champion- Jeremiah Jones who was hands down the
weekends favorite to take the win. He was joined by the
likes of New York's Nathan Dallas, Pennsylvania's Jason
Dunkelburger, Dave Diver, Eric Paglinghi, Virginia's
2001 Open Pro-Am National Champion- Chad Lohr just to
name a few. The list of stars in this lineup was awesome
and promised to make this one of the best ATV races ever
held.
 So who won? Just a minute, first
we need to tell you of all the other weekends
activities. We saw the support of our industry being
lifted to new heights as RPM showed up in full force and
with full staff to sponsor and fully support this event,
and they were joined by other industry leading companies
like ATV Scene.com, Rem-N-S Productions, ATV Source.com,
DirtWheels Magazine, TCS Shocks, Outerwears, and
newcomers like Liquid Performance ATV Wash and Quinn
Motorsports. We also saw support from national companies
like Verizon Wireless, Clear Channel Entertainment,
Polaris, Cannondale, as well as a whole host of local
companies such as Dirtworks, Club (Nassau) Land/Or
International, 96X radio, and All Outdoors just to name
a few.
The weekends events would not
disappoint as the amateur racing proved to be some of
the best racing ever seen by any spectator audience and
that was just a warm up for the Saturday evening main
event - The 2002 RPM Superstar Challenge, open to anyone
who dared to enter, event has stardom written all over
it. With no
points to worry about, no rider levels designated, it
was a run what you brung dog fight from the word go.
 Qualifying heat #1 saw some of
atv racing's best riders rise to the top of the heap
just as everyone expected and that was shortly followed
by Qualifying heat #2 and basically the same results.
But then there was the main event, where the racers
slate is swiped clean, all gloves are off, and chaos
rains supreme and this years main would once again not
disappoint.
As we were lining up for the
start, we were looking the field over, making sure all
was ready, everything was OK then we pointed to the
starter for the green flag and then it started, one
rider jumps, the start is red flagged, but the entire
field is unable to see the red flag as they motor hard
into the first turns where is quickly becomes a major
traffic jam with quads piling on top of each other.
With over half of the field piled together on the
far side of the track, it takes a few minutes to sort
everything out, but in the end the rider causing the red
flag was sent to the back row, who was it you ask? Well,
let's just say it wasn't one of Jeremiah's, I mean his,
finer moments. Did I say that?
After all the controversy seemed to be settled we
got the 2002 RPM Superstar Challenge underway. With the
fan favorite on the back row the crowd roared off into
the first turn. By the time the field made its way to
the first jump on the other end of the course, everyone
was looking ahead to see who was in the lead, it looked
to be Lost Creek Cycle's Dave Diver. But the crowd let
out a giant roar as the saw who had launched his way
into second place, it was Jeremiah Jones.
He started on the back row!
There's no way he should be up there, but he was
and he had his sites set square on Diver's back. By the
time they came around to complete the first lap everyone
watching was standing in disbelief. By the time they
came around the second time, Jones had made short work
of Diver and assumed command and looked to be on his way
to a large payday, but just as fast as he got to the
front it all changed, In an effort to avoid a tie-up at
the end of the front straightaway, Jones now found
himself upside down. Falling all the way back, well out
of the top ten, Jones really had his work cut out for
him now. He rose to the challenge without a second
thought. Diver reassumed the lead, with 2001 Open class
National Champion, Duncan Racing's Chad Lohr hot on his
tail. This would prove to be one of the best races of
the night as Lohr continued to look inside and outside
every
 time they hit a turn or ran down a straight. But
then with just a handful of laps to go Lohr looses a
clutch. Now thinking he had it covered, Diver was all
alone up front, but then wait, where's Diver? After a
brief search around the course we see Diver setting over
by the water. He looks to have broken a spindle and now
limps around back to the pits. So now who's in the lead,
it's another Lost Creek rider, but not one anyone
expected to see out front, it's no other than Eric
Paglinghi with Lost Creek's Jason Dunkelburger close
behind and East Coast ATV's Gilbert Attixx in third.
With the laps winding down it looked, at least for a
second, that we had finally found our top finishers for
the night, but wait! Who's that, the white flag comes
out, but instead of going to Paglinghi it goes to Legacy
ATV's Nathan Dallas, the officials have watched Dallas
come storming from behind and pass Paglinghi as well as
many other lappers as well. All the while, we have
another red machine flying up through the field like a
man possessed, if this machine had been painted black
you'd swore it was a stealth bomber flying in under
radar, because he was flying over the sand that everyone
else was riding through. After the white flag, he's
sixth, now fifth, now fourth. The pilot in question was
none other than Jones, showing everyone in attendance
why winners never quit and that he wasn't done yet. This
guy had the crowd as excited as they were on the start
just seeing how many more he could get on the last lap.
As the checker flag waived big in the air, here comes
Dallas, the winner. Or is he? In true Extreme Weekend
fashion, we had to have some controversy. After some
confusion on the official’s part they realize that
Dallas was the one in the pile up way back on lap #2 and
the one who caused the Jones crash. Dallas was actually
getting lapped when the mishap occurred and was simply
getting back on the lead lap when he passed Paglinghi
and was actually passing others for positions after that
point.
 Many thanks go out to all the
riders, some of which drove and even flew many hours to
attend this event. I truly hope it lived up to your
expectations. While we all know that not everything is
perfect, please just know that there is at least one
promoter who still remembers what it was like to just
ride for the fun of riding, and hope that you will all
come again and help to make this the crown jewel event
for our industry.
Thanks for coming and I'll see
you again next year...see you at the races.
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Official Results |
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2002 RPM Superstar Challenge
1-Eric Paglinghi(73) Lost Creek Cycle
2-Jason Dunkelburger(11x) Lost Creek Cycle
3-Jeremiah Jones(1)
Curtis Sparks/Klotz/JPMX/Baldwin
Motorsports
4-Gilbert Attix(309)
East Coast ATV
5-Brent King(8)
6-Jason Sheaffer(31)
7-Kerry
Simmons(6)
8-John Porterfield(4)
9-Nathan Dallas(10)
10-Josh Starrett(64)
11-Robby Whitehead(238)
12-John Rosenbaum(47)
13-Lane Coile(5)
14-Mack Lester(17)
15-Tyler Mitchelll(81)
16-Chad Lohr(11)DNF
17-Dave Diver(37)DNF
18-Scott Morris(4x)DNF
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Open Pro
1-Nathan Dallas(10)
2-Dave Diver(37)
3-Jason Dunkelburger(11)
4-Gilbert Attix(309)
5-Mack Lester(17)
6-Kerry Simmons(6)
7-J.D. Hartman(15)
8-John Porterfield(4)
9-Scot Morris(4x)
10-Jason Sheaffer(31)
11-Eric Paglinghi(73)
12-Jeremy Crute(00)
13-Brad Matthews(110)DNF
14-Brent King(8)DNF
15-Keith King(36)DNF
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Open 4 Stroke Pro
1-Nathan Dallas(10)
2-Gilbert Attix(309)
3-Eric Paglinghi(73)
4-Dave Diver(37)
5-Jason Sheaffer(31)
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Open Pro Am
1-Gilbert Attix(309)
2-Nathan Dallas(10)
3-Tyler Mitchel(81)
4-Jason Sheaffer(31)
5-Stephen Barnes(20)
6-Jason Dunkelburger(11)
7-Chad Laughorn(118)
8-Donnie Allgood(28)
9-Hugh Bolton(17)
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Open A
1-Chad Laughorn(118)
2-Tyler Mitchell(81)
3-Charlie Abbott(357)
4-Brian Thomas(70)
5-William Moore(33)
6-Mike Wilkinson(570)
7-Kyle Pritchard(42)
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Open B
1-David Baker(61)
2-Jason Porterfield(4)
3-Austin Turner(44)
4-Michael Hansin(67)
5-Rick Morningstar(238)
6-Larry Jenks(13)
7-Ethan Blau(22)
8-RC Sifford(68)
9-Chris Hawkins(49)
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Open C
1-Doug Bird(911)
2-Richard Bryant(26)
3-Michael Moore(05)
4-Stephen Denning(15)
5-Thomas Brantley(317)
6-Charles Curry(305)
7-Jimmy Burkey(37)
8-Jason Raynor(8)
9-Chad Salesberry(316)
10-Travis Warberton(77)
11-Mark Bunting(14)
12-Roger Jenks(13)
13-Darrell Bolt(04)
14-William Kern(22)
15-Raymond Steele(67)
16-Robert Moore(991)
17-Shawn Pratt(124)
18-Gary Daily(9)
19-Jesse Aurich(238)DNF
20-Jessica Laws(4)DNF
21-Christopher Link(660)DNF
22-Joe Nutter(84)DNF
23-Timothy Hall(58)DNF
24-Elmer Smith(8x)DNF
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Vet +30
1-David Baker(61)
2-Todd Roach(24)
3-Charles Andrews(31)
4-Donnie Allgood(28)
5-Brian Thomas(70)
6-Cameron Daniels(27)
7-Robby Whitehead(33)
8-Johnny Heaps(60)
9-Hank DeHart(48)
10-Mike Wilkinson(570)
11-Glen Vaughn(47)
12-Hugh Bolton(17)
13-Matt Doshier(22)
14-Bill Putnam(26)
15-Rick Morningstar(238)
16-Duane Scritchfield(77)
17-Brent Morgan(3)
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4 Stroke A
1-Charlie Abbott(357)IB
2-Scott Terry(7)
3-Cameron Daniels(27)
4-Dan Owen(44)
5-Brad Parrish(00)
6-Rudy Shelley(66)
7-Matt Doshier(22)
8-Shawn Lambert(76)
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4 Stroke B
1-Todd Roach(24)
2-Glen Vaughn(47)
3-Mike Hansin(67)
4-Bobby Woolard(19)
5-Lee Dickerson(7)
6-Shawn Powell(63)
7-Brian Butler(23)
8-Adam Smith(131)
9-Cameron Wood(31)
10-Tracy Wainwright(98)
11-Kevin Reynolds(5)
12-Patrick Davis(67)
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4 Stroke C
1-Josh Williams(58)
2-Allen Bullis(82)
3-Joseph Constock(96)
4-Shawn Lozy(47)
5-Chris Ward(59)
6-Chase Davenport(44)
7-Timothy Gibson(34)
8-Candace Lee(26)
9-Jim Holt(32)
10-Jeremy Hartman(16)
11-Bryant Finch(76)
12-Gene Fowler(118)
13-Mark Hoggie(23)
14-Mike Banton(911)
15-William Brown(35)
16-Patrick Davis(67)
17-Chris Burris(4)
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Senior +40
1-Hugh Bolton(17)
2-Raymond Steel(67)
3-Rick Morningstar(238)
4-Latney Fowlkes(41)
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Beginner (1st year racers)
1-Michael Miller(51)
2-Jeff Ferrell(81)
3-Rick Brignor(93)
4-Jim Holt(32)
5-Clay Minton(77)
6-Jerry Taylor(10)
7-Hansol Smollich(41)
8-David Watson(47)
9-Hugh Jorgan(469)
10-Matt Stonnell(30)
11-L. David McClostey(131)
12-Randy Steele(91)
13-Paul Reese(213)
14-Joe Nutter(84)
15-Gary Daily(99)
16-Bruce Bigham(02)
17-Ruffin Howell(59)
18-Howard Holzmader(13)
19-Nicholas DeHart(201)
20-Ethan Blau(22)
21-Christopher Link(660)
22-Rick Taylor(321)
23-Jason Malloy(33)
24-Allen Nicholson(77x)
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Women
1-Candace Lee(26)
2-Jessica Laws(4)DNF
3-Danyel Warren(68)DNF
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Sportsman
1-Clay Minton(77)
2-Davey Seda(2)
3-Christopher Rowe(81)
4-Davis McCloskey(131)
5-Dustin Burroughs(69)
6-Latney Fowlkes(41)
7-Michael Peters(420)
8-Christopher Hawkins(49)
9-Jed Hinson(8)DNF
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Junior 12-15 yrs old
(modified)
1-Devin Grindstaff(7)
2-Jason Freeman(88)
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PeeWee 0-6 yrs old
1-Madison Matthews(96x)
2-Zachery Harris(22)
3-Charles Shanker(6)
4-Emilee Walker(13)
5-Ashtyn Thomas(94)
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Youth 7-11 yrs old (stock)
1-Kyle Nance(11)
2-Shawn Vick(01)
3-Brandon Wilkinson(999)
4-Elise Wilkinson(16)
5-Cara Anderson(1)
6-Charles Shaver(6)
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Youth 9-13 yrs old (super
stock)
1-Codi Perry(8)
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Sand Drag Pictures
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