Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

"A fter I caught u p to Joh n, he slid out in one of the tight comers before the finish line and I just went around him," said Bro w n. "It's kind of one-lined out there and to ma ke a pass you have to be p repared to get a little rough. Luckily for me, he slid out a nd I got around him the easy way." With Ca rmic hael now solid ly in the lead a nd the tw o-la p boa rd showing, Button fell under attack from the hardcha rg ing Brown but, so mehow, managed to keep the inspired Honda of Tro y rider at ba y until the finish . Carmichael went on to take the decisive m ot o wi n, foll owed by a seaso nb es t secon d -p lac e rid e from Button . Brown wa s th ird and vi sibly ex ci ted about his strong fin ish . "I feel great:' Brown said . " I got a pretty good sta r t, and then went down on the firs t lap and d ro p ped ba ck a few place s. I' v e b een r id in g goo d e very week end, but I just haven ' t been getting good starts. Thi s tim e, I go t a good start, we nt down and was still able to sco re a good finish, so I'm reall y proud of m y rid e." Dowd, the current points leader, finished fo urth, follow ed by a stro ng ride fo r fi fth fr om 1997 Easte rn Regi on Sup ercr o ss Ch ampion T im Ferr y . Bro wn' s teammate St ephane Roncada was sixth. Johnson rolled in for seventh , fo llow ed by Reynard in eighth . Early moto leader Brandes hel d on for ninth, w it h T eam S tiffie's S haun Perolio round ing ou t the top 10. MOTOTWO W hen th e gate dropped for m oto two , itwas Team SplitFire/Pro Circuit' s atha n Ram s e y rocketi ng t o th e hol eshot, closely pu rsu ed b y Brow n . Ca r michae l was third , followe d b y Dowd and Team Stiffie's Brian Deegan. Button and Ronc ada we n t d ow n in th e firs t tu rn and re-entered th e race well behind th e pack. Ramsey was the next rider to fall victim to t he slick Budd s Creek su rfa ce , with th e ea rly lead er goi ng d own in a dry, lef t-ha nd corner _before the end of th e first lap - s urrenderin g the lead to Brown. With Carmichael in close pursuit , Brown put in one of the strongest rides of his career, pulling out to a fou r-seco n d lead o n t he d efend in g o u tdoo r cha mpion . As Bro w n and Carmich ae l wen t a t it fo r the lead, Carmichael's teammat e Nicho las Wey; w ho started jus t o ut s ide of t he to p five , m o v ed aro und D owd fo r third . Brown an d Carmichael 's intense battle for the lead , whic h push ed the dueling pair out to a 12-se cond lead o n the rest of the field , co nt in ued un til the ha lfway point. At that poi nt, after making several aggressive a tte m p ts a t th e lead , Car michael too k command of the moto when Bro wn fell in o ne of the track' s tight, rutted turns. " I tri ed a new line on the ins ide of th e tu rn : ' ex p lained Brown . " It was really slippery w here they ha d wa tered it an d I just slid out." Wit h a substantial lead on the next pack of-ride rs, Brow n was able to qu ickly re-join the race befo re losing positi on. As the la ps sta rted to wi nd d own, both Dowd a nd Joh nson sto rmed pas t Wey, dropping the yo u ng rid er to fifth , a s th e y be g a n a b attl e fo r th ird . Carmich ael. with bot h fists in the air, rolled ove r the Budds Creek finish-line drop-off to take th e moto win and overall, pulling to w ithin on e point of Dowd, 211-210, in the champions hip points battle. Brown put in an outs tand ing ride for second, follow ed by Dowd. Johnson was (Above) Casey Johnson (20) took the holeshot In the first moto ahead of Carm ichae l (1), Dowd (9), Michael Brandes (25), Shaun Pero lio (41) and the res t of the pack. Johnson ended up going 7-4 for fourth overall. (Left) Honda of Troy's Mike Brown led much of the second moto before Carmicha.1 went past. Still. Brown had a good day. taking second overall via a 3-2 tally. (Below, left to right) Brown, Carmichae l and Dowd celebrate their top -three placings . (Bottom) Brandes led much of the first moto before dropping back to ninth. He did not race the second moto beca use of a sore thum b. fourth, while We y rounded out the top five . Reynard , who put in his most consis tent rid e of the outd oor season, was sixth. Deegan and Team FMF Honda's Brock Sellards were seventh and eighth, res pectively. Honda of Troy's Casey Lytle was ninth, followed by his French tea m mate Ro ncada , who after an aggressive charge through the pack, finished 10th. I"X Budds Creek MX Park Leonardtown, Maryland Resu lts: Ju ne 21, 1998 (Round 5 of 12) 12$ MOTO 1: 1. Ricky Ca rmichael (Ka wk 2. Jimmy Button (Ya m); 3. Mik e Bro w n (H a n); 4. Joh n Dowd (Yam); 5. Tim Ferry (Ya m); 6. Stephane Roncada (Ho n); 7. Casey Johnson (Kaw): 8. Rob bie Reyna rd (Suz) : 9. Mich ael Brand es (Suz) ; 10. Shau n Pc rolio (Suz) : 11. Ryan Hu ffman (Suz ): 12. Na tha n Ram se y (Ke w): 13: Sco tt Shea k (H an ); 14. Da nn y Smith (Ha n); 15. Pau l C u rrie (Ka w) : 16. Robbie H or ton (KTM); 17. Bud d y Antu ne z (Su a): 18. Ba rr y Ca rsten (Su z): 19 . Brock Sellard s (He n): 20. Nick Wey (Ka w): 21. Robb ie Skagg s (Ya m ); 22 . St e ven He rm a n (Suz): 23. Eric k Val lejo t (Ka w); 24. J..rn es Po volny Jr. (KTM ); 25. Ryan Cla rk (Ha n); 26. ja son McConnick (Ha n); 27. Dami en Plott s (KTM); 28. Casey Lytle (Ha n); 29. lsiah John son (Ka w ): 30. Brad Woo lse y (Kaw): 31. Trav is Preston (Suz): 32. Ronnie Renner (Yam); 33 . C ha d Sa nne r (Ka w ); 34. Ieff rev Will oh (Suz) : 35 . St ev e n On isk o (Ya m ); 36 . Na tha n Juerge ns (Su z); 37. Brian Dee gan (Kaw): 38. Ryan Duff (Ha n ); 39 . Tom Welch (Su z ): 40 . C ha d Pederson (Kaw). 12 5 MOTO 2: 1. Rick y Ca rmi ch ae l (Ka w) : 2. Michael Brown (He n ): 3. John Dowd (Yam); 4. Ca sey Johnso n (Ka w ): 5. N ick Wey (Kaw); 6. Robbie Reyna rd (Suz ): 7. Brian Deegan IKaw): 8. Brock Sellard s (l-ion ): 9. Casey Lytl e (Hen ): 10. Stepha ne Ronca da (He n): t 1. Ryan Hu ffm an ISuz) : 12. Je ffr e y Will ow (Suz ); 13. Na tha n Ramsey (Kaw ); 14. Budd y AnhJn ez (Suz) ; 15. Barry Carste n (Suz) : 16. Tom Welch (Suz ); 17. Ti m Ferry (Yarn); 18. Robbie H orton (KTM ); 19. Scott Sheak (Hon); 20. Jimmy But to n (Yam ); 21. Stev en He rman (Suz ); 22. Pa u l Cu rri e (Kaw) : 23. Rya n Cla rk (H e n): 24. Isai ah jo hnson (Kaw): 25. Chad Sanner (Ka w): 26. Ryan Duff (Ha n); 27. Damien Plott s (KTM); 28. Ronnie Renner (Ya m) ; 29 . Shau n Perol io (Suz); 30 . Robbi e Skaggs (Y am); 31. Na than Juerg ens (Suz); 32. j ames Po volny Jr. (KTM); 33. Jason McConnick {Hon) : 34. Stev en O nisko (Yam); 35. Brad Wool se y (Kaw): 36. C ha d Ped e rson (Ha w); 37. Erick Vallejo (Kaw); 38. Danny Smith (Ho n]: 39. Michael Bran des (Suz) ; 40. Trav is Preston

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