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/127372
Jeff Stanton (1) gra bbed the holeshot and led the 250cc main for 16 laps until Jean-Michel Bayle passed for the win. A disappointingly small crowd of 16,809 braved an unseasonably cold evening to watch the action in Sun Devil Stadium. Bayle bails, comes back to win in Sun Devil thriller By Ken Faught P hotos by Kinney Jones TEMPE, AZ, MAR. 16 ren ch ma n Jean -Michel Bayle appears to be on his way to becoming the first foreigner to win the AMA Supercross Series since Dutchman Pierre Karsmakers won the title in 1974. F 6 Bayle served notice in a spectacular way in the Sun Devil Stadium after he recovered from a fall and charged through the field to beat defending Camel Supercross Champion Jeff Stanton and the winner of the 1987 Tempe event, Jeff Ward, in what was arguably the best race of the season. Stanton took the lead at the start and appeared set to coast home the winner after he turned back early race challenges from Ward. Bayle's charge through the field after his crash was a spectacular display of his ability and once he caught up with Stanton, he quickly passed him with three laps to go and immediately opened up a commanding lead. Bayle's win added three points to his lead over teammate Stanton in the standings, 180-173. " It was real close," said Team Honda's Bayle. "I had a tough time from the start, but I was riding fast and had good lines. This (win) sho uld really help me when it comes time to count points. " The victory was Bayle's ninth career Supercross win and moves him closer to the $100,000championshp bon us by Camel for the 1991 title. This was only the third time a Supercross event has been held in the Sun Devil Stadium, home of both the Arizona State University and NFL Phoenix Cardinals football teams. Rain the night before raised havoc for ' track builder Jerry Stansbury. H is crew was forced to cover the man-made course with plastic earlier that day in . hopes of preventing damage and their efforts paid off. With the aid of a few truckloads of sand, the track was dry by race time and made for great action for the disappointingly small crowd on hand. Only 16,809 spectators attended the event on an unseasonably cold evening. Aside from bonuses from sponsors rumored to be worth around $12,000, . Bayle's share of the $35,000250cc purse was $5000. Stanton collected $3500 Ior., his efforts while Ward earned $2000. In the 125cc Western Regional Supercross Series, Yamaha's Jeff Emig also collected a pocketful of greenbacks . The Grand Terrace, California, rider earned $2000 of the $10,000 125cc purse after leading all but one lap of the main event. Mike Craig pocketed $1000 for second with current series point leader Jeremy McGrath earning $750 for third. "It seemed easy," said Emig. "After the start there was really no one around to battle with. I really want to win one where I go at it with someone like ' McGrath. Everytime I win it's a runaway." The evening's program got underway with the first of two 20-rider, ' eight-lap 250cc heat races. Jeff Ward , took the win , leading nearly all the way, on a course that took up nearly every available foot of space on the Sun Devil Stadium playing field. Ward's lap times were in the 45-second range. Ward crossed the finish line with a commanding 10-second lead in hand over runner-up Stanton, who had been delayed in the mad rush through the tight first turn, Larry Broo ks an d Damon Bradshaw. The top four transfered directly to the main event while fifth -placed Keith Bowen and those who followed him across the li ne wou ld have to ride one of two six-lap semis where the top five transfer to the feature event. ,The second , heat featured another field of heavy hitters and it was Jeff Matiasevich the heaviest hitter of them all as he led the race from start to finish, leading runner-up Mike Kiedrowski across the finish line by approximately three seconds . KTM's Mike Fisher ran most of the race in third after bein g passed by 1989 125cc National Champion Kiedrowski on the second lap. Bayle finished fourth, a spot he seemed content to ride in after the initial sorting out. T he Frenchman obviously used the heat to try different lines in the corners, preparing himself for the feature event. Matiasevich's heat race gave him a shot at the Coors Silver Bullet Showdown bonus" a $1000 award that goes to the rider who has the fastest winning heat race timeand then wins the main. If the award isn't claimed it then rolls over to the following round. The award was worth $4000 in Tempe and with Matiasevich unable to pull off the main event win, it will be worth $5000 at the next series round in St. Petersburg, Florida, on April 6. Former 250ce G P contender Rodney Smith walked away with the win' in the first of two six-lap semi-final races that would advance the top five riders from each to the main. The Antioch, California, rider topped Keith Bowen