Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127362
RmnEW~W~I~_oo_~_sS_~_~:_b_M_dl _ ~ m Damon Bradshaw (11) briefly led Jeff Stanton (1) after they both passed Ronnie ITichenor (12) early in the main. Here, Stanton sets Bradshaw up for his final pass. Jean.Michel Bayle (8) didn't want to risk a crash, so when he reached second place he didn't charge after Stanton, who was three seconds ahead. - Stanton awesome in the Citrus Bowl By Nate Rauba Photos by Kinney Jones and Michael Snyder ORLANDO, FL, JAN. 1 2 his is supposed to be the year of the Frenchman . Qui ck, somebody tell JeffStan ton - before it's too late. Poised with th e big n umber one on his Honda for the second successive season, Stan ton sho wed that he's not qui te read y to pass th e plate. From the moment th e first wheel wa s .tu rn ed on the £l oor of th e Ci trus Bow l, th e Michi gan rider dominated. And Jean-Michel Bayle? Well , Fran ce's hope for a Supercross Cham p ionship rode accordi ng to plan, and finished second to Stanton in th e first battle of an 18-race war . Stanton viciously attac ked the track in his first practice session, and soo n had a trail o£ his rivals following him tryin g to learn his lines. Later, they foll owed him again in his' heat race as he breezed to victory. T hen , aft er working up from a . mi dpac k start, Stanton battled hi s way to the front near the halfway mark of the 20-lap Coors Light Challenge and led everyone to the finish line to take the checkered £lag before 31,912 spectators. Stant on collected $5000 of the $30 ,000 250cc class purse for. his winning effort. " I just felt good from the start," said T 4 Stanton. "It was one o£ those days when everythi ng clicked." The on ly thing Stanton didn't do was collect $1000 in the Coors Silver Bull et Showdow n. That award is to be given to the rider who has the fastest winning heat race tim e then wins th e main, and i£it isn 't claimed the money rolls over into the next round. Everythi ng clicked for Brian Swink as well as he won the 125cc Eastern Regional ma in by less tha n a bike length. Swink con tro lled mu ch of the 15-lap race until Ryan Hughes charged from nearl y last p lace to snatch first with only a couple o£ laps remaining. Swink foug ht back on the fin al lap, and when H ugh es was delayed by lapped rid ers in the final turn, Swink sq ueezed ahea d to collect the $2000 winner's share of th e $8200 125cc class purse. T all on Vohland finished a close third. Whil e Stanton 's co m p eti ti o n decided to play it safe in round one, the champ wasn't afraid to hang it out in order to get a jump on the season . " I told everyone I was going to be aggressive from the start," Stanton said. "But one race won't decide the championship...