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/127371
GSUPERCRass AMACamel Supercross SerieS: Round 7 e ---~ Team Honda's Je£( Stanton became the first rider to win the Daytona Supercross by Honda three times in a row. Jeff Ward finished second on the rain-soaked and rutted track. Jean-Michel Bayle survived this near endo to score third. Stanton makes it three straight By Ken Faught P hotos by Henny Ray Abrams DAYTONA BEACH, FL MAR. 9 ea m Honda 's Jeff Stanton rack ed up a record third straight Dayton a Super cross win on the Gary Bai lev-d esi gn ed track at Daytona Internati on al Speedway. Wh ile Bob H annah also won three tim es a t Daytona, hi s victo ries carne over a r 12 nine-year period, in 1977, '83 and '85. The victory also moved Stanton closer to the AMA Camel Supercross Seri es points lead, whi ch hi s Honda teammate, Jean-Michel Bayle, held go ing into the event and still hold s after finishing third on the day. Only four points separa te the two, Bayle leading 155·151. "It feels good," Stanton said. "It's just another stepping stone to make hi story - a goal of mine. Now I just have 10 concentrate on the future and see wh ere it leads me." Former Supercross champ Jeff Ward fin ished second, the fourth time the factory Kawasaki rider has been the runner-up in the Daytona Supercross in the past seven years. Ward is still looking for his first win at Daytona. Bayle managed to salvage what could have been a devastating day. After crashing three times, the former 125 and 250cc MX World Champion completed the rostrum. In the I25cc Eastern Regio nal Supercross Series race, Michigan's Brian Swink collected his third win of the young season. Swink's Peak Anti freeze/Pro Circuit/Honda teammate Jeromy Buehl trailed him across the finish line a short distance ahead of third place finisher Eric McLear. The weather was a factor as it showered on and off the entire day , making the track very sloppy. Deep ruts developed around the entire course, and th ey contributed to a higher-than-usual attrition rate . Stanton collected $8000 of the $48,850 250cc class purse, whi le Ward and Bayle earned $4000 and $2000, respectively. Swink received a $2000 check from th e $7500 I25cc purse, with Buehl earning $1000 for second and - McLear $600 for third. Stanton got the main event off on the right foot by leading from the start. His good fortune was made even better, thanks 10 a massive first -turn pileup that claimed Mike Fisher, Mike La Rocco, T y Davis and at least eight other competitors. While those riders struggled to get back into the race, Stanton was on a roll out in front and he quickly stretched out a co mfortable cushion between himself and Ward. From that point on, it was all Stanton, as the Mi chigander cruised to the win , finishing approximately 15 seconds ahead of Ward. ' 'I' m pleased," said Stanton who was all smiles after the race. " Once I got into the lead 1 settled into a pace and decided not to pick it up unless Ward began catch ing me. " The race felt long," said Stanton. " I don't think we've ever gone 20 laps on this lo ng of a track before." For Ward, it was his best finish of the yo ung Supercross Series. . " I got a good start , but I was five seco n ds behind Stanton from the beginning, " Ward said. " I fell down with a couple of laps to go , but then I actually was able 10 make up ground on him. I am real happy, though, 10 be up th ere." On the o ther hand, Bayle appeared to be disappointed with his performan ce. Had it not been for a crash at th e start of the race, the Frenchman quite possibly could have .cha llenged Stanton for the win . He was arguably the fastest ride r on the co urse, having corne from midpack and used the track to hi s full advantage. " I crashed at the start, but it wasn 't my fault. " sai d Bayle. " After that I just wanted 10 mak e the top three. 1 just .. tried to pass everyo ne. I also crashed two tim es after the start whi ch made it more difficult. " Kawasaki teammates Jeff Matiasevich and Mike Kiedrowski rounded out the top five. " I carne into the first tum and was ab le to miss the big pileup," said Kiedrowski, who crashed ·\00 yards fur ther down the track. "I tried to get at a tear-off when the rider ahead of me stopped, I hit him and fell over." Suzuki's Mike LaRocco, who's been nursing an injured wrist, made his first a p p ea ra n ce since th e January 26 Anaheim Supercross. The Indiana rid er finished sixth. " At first 1 had some trouble, but 1 was fine once I settled down," said La Rocco.