Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Team Honda's defending Camel Supercross Champion Jeff Stanton (1) led from start to finish to earn his second consecutive Daytona Supercross victory. Stanton replays Daytona win By Tom Mueller Photos by Henny llay Abrams DAYTONA BEACH, FL,MAR. 9 eam Honda's Jeff Stanton played, a repeat of his 1989 performance and won the Daytona Supercross by Honda at Daytona International Speedway. Completing a Honda sweep of the top three spots was Jean-Michel Bayle, the French 250cc MX World Champion, in second, and 125cc AMA ' National MX Champion Mike Kiedrowski in third. It was also the eighth consecutive year that Honda has won at Daytona, ever sinc e David Bailey started the streak in 1983. "I shot off the start like a cannon, and then started to run a consistent pace," said Stanton. "I planned to start the season cautiously, but that's behind me now. I'll go feet off the pegs, do whatever it takes, to show what it means to carry the # 1 plate." Kawasaki's Jeff Matiasevich gated well and claimed fourth in the main, which kept him in the Camel points lead with 109. Stanton is third with 100, three points behind Suzuki's Larry Ward who posted eighth at Daytona. Honda's Rick Johnson, who was running fourth in points, came to' Daytona on a comeback high after winning last weekend's National MX opener in Gainesville. But bad luck prevailed, and Johnson was once again injured. Johnson was attempting a pass on Kawasaki 's Jeff Ward when he tumbled over the bars and broke two bones in his right hand. Hot, sunny skies and 'tem pera tures in the 80s drew an estimated crowd of , approximately 30,000 to the grandstands centered over Daytona's infield area. For the 25th consecutive year, track-master Gary Bailey designed a tough, yet rideable course, which, churned into bone-grinding terrain as ., r 12 the day progressed. Bailey also shor- ' tened the course and this year's final was 20-laps in duration, opposed to the 12-lappers of previous seasons. In 125cc racing, Suzuki's Denny Stephenson had it his way all day with a win in his ' heat, then a clean ride in the final for the victory. The AMAIFIM-sanctioned Daytona Supercross posted a $60,000 purse. Stanton's payday was $8000, Bayle claimed $4000, and Kiedrowski earned $2000. Stephenson made $2000 for his 125cc main event win. 250cc Heats Stanton fired out front with authority in the first of three eight-lap heats, and was unchallenged to the finish. Yamaha's Damon Bradshaw, a twotime winner on the 1990 Camel circuit, came up with a brief challenge during the first two laps, but then dropped back to defend his position over Johnson. Suzuki's Mike LaRocco came up to put a bead on Johnson, but then caught his front wheel in the treacherous front straight ruts. He was up quickly and back in the chase. By lap seven LaRocco regained the ground he lost, and fired past Johnson for third on the straightaway next to Daytona's pit lane. At the finish it was Stanton, Bradshaw, LaRocco and Johnson. The front-runners had half a lap on the rest of the field. In fifth and sixth was Suzuki rider Dean Matson and Kawasaki-mounted John ' Dowd, Fred Andrews was the seventh , and final rider claiming a direct ,heat transfer to the main. "I felt strong in the whoop section," said Stanton. "I just kept riding at the same pace lap after lap." "I started cautious, but once you fall then you might as well get up and go for it," said LaRocco. Bayle pulled the start off heat two, and was chased by Larry Ward. Suzu- , ki's Guy Cooper tangled with a hay bale and crashed. Bayle looked in control through the second circiiit, but then ' fell. Larry Ward took the lead, Jeff Ward plugged into second, and Bayle picked up in third. Cooper charged to ninth, but then tumbled again on the front straight. First Jeff Ward, then Bayle and Kiedrowski moved past Larry Ward prior to the finish . Steve Lamson, Billy Whitley and Cooper rounded out the transfers. "I just kept pushing, and when the guy in front of you falls, that's the opportuni ty to pass," said winner Jeff Ward. " I just keep pluggin' away at these guys race to race, and keep the pressure on." "I tried to pin it too fast off the start, and then hay baled it on a tight inside line," said Cooper. "I knew I had to hang it out to get into the main." Matiasevich looked like a runaway winner in heat three, but threw it away on the grandstand straight with two laps remaining. "I decided to do a cross-up on the whoops, but it wasn't like a tabletop (jump) and I endoed," said Matiasevich, Suzuki 's Ronni e Tichenor and Kawasaki 's John O 'Mara were dicing for second, but when Matiasevich went down, it was O'Mara in position to take off with the lead. Tichenor held down second, and Yamaha's Doug Dubach was third. Kawasaki's Mike Fisher led Matiasevich across the line, and in sixth was West German National MX Champion Roland Diepold - the European star was in the States tuning his skills against American competition. Earning the final transfer was Tuf Racing's ' Keith Bowen, on a Suzuki. "I have nothing to lose, all I can do is pull all the strings out and try to get to winner's circle," said O'Mara. , "Gary Bailey really did a job, this track is tough, and if you don't watch it, your bike will get away from you," said Tichenor. "I had to hold my line and take a berm away from Doug (Dubach) to get to the front, but I like that kind of racing," 250cc Semis Suzuki rider Chris Young won the first semi. He led Carl Vaillancourt, Mike Treadwell and Keith Johnson , across the line; the top four riders ran in formation the entire race and earned spots in the main. "I'm riding with a broken hand, but you don't think about stuffIike that. You just get mentally ready and ride," said Young. Suzuki rider Cliff Palmer holeshot the second semi, but David Hand and Brian McElroy moved up to fight for the lead . McElroy pushed an outside line and took over the lead, but then stuffed it in the front straight. Hondamounted Hand took the win over Palmer, with Kerry Mulligan and Earl May earning the remaining transfers. Last Chance Qualifier Kurt McMillan led off the start of the LCQ, but Erik Kehoe got by to run his Pro Circuit Honda to the win. "I flew off th e race in my heat, and ended up underneath a pile-up in th e semi. It's no secret that I'm pretty tired for the main event," said Kehoe. 250cc Main Stanton and Bayle forged through the right-hand first turn and plugged into 1-2, while Matson, Matiasevich, Jeff Ward, Johnson, Kiedrowski, O'Mara and Bradshaw funneled out behind. By the fourth circuit Matiasevich and Ward moved to 3-4, and Kiedrowski found a line around Johnson for fifth. A Suzuki freight-train consisting of Tichenor, LaRocco, Larry Ward, Whitley and Matson were running 7-11. Kiedrowski used the first half of the

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