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/127546
__ ewnEW~W~cl ~ _~_SS_~_~_~_OO_&_11/ 12_~ _ _ ~ Brian Swink swept the 125cc mains and saluted his hometown fans after he clinched his second straight 125cc Eastern Regional Supercross Championship. Damon Bradshaw was thrilled after crossing the finish line for a Silverdome sweep . Silverdome sweep puts Bradshaw back on top By Nate R au ba Photos by Karl O ck er t and Rauba 4 PONTIAC, MI, APR. 1l·12 amaha's Dam on Bradshaw moved back to the top of the Camel Supercross Series point stand ings by sweeping both Coors Light Chal- Y len ge ma in events in the Pontiac Silverdome doubleheader. The 19-year-old North Caroli n ian came into the event I I points o ut of first, but left six po ints ahead of ri val J eff Stanton, 250-244, with four even ts remaining i n the 16-round series. Stanton, who crashed here last year and separated his sho ulder, fin ished second in Saturday n ight's 20-lap main, but first -turn troubles Sunday afternoon left him seventh at th e fini sh of the mai n . Sta n to n 's H onda teammate J ean-M ichel Bayle a lso had trouble wi th starts and recorded 7-4 finishes whi ch d ropped the defending Camel Supercros s Champion from first to th ird in th e standings, one point beh ind Stanton. While Bradshaw walked away with a more than 15-second win on Saturday night befor e a cro wd of 52,063, Kawasaki's Mike Kiedrowski made him work for Sunday's victory in front of 26,813 spectators. Kiedrowski led for 15 of the 20 laps befor e Bradshaw fou nd a way past h im in lapped traff ic. Bradshaw then opened a two -second margin on his Brian Lunniss-prepared factory Yamaha YZ250 that he maintained to the finish for his seventh victory of the series. Bradshaw ha s won at least one main in the Silverdome doublehead er for the past th ree years. He earn ed $5000 for each victor y from each event's $45,000 purse . H e took home an addi tio nal $6000 from Coors for winning Sunday's fastest heat and the main. No o ne had cla imed the $1000 Coors Light Silver Bullet Showdown award at th e p revio us five ro unds. . Kiedrowsk i finish ed ' second on Sunday and was way ahead of thirdp lace fin isher, tea m m a te Mike LaRocco. Suzuki's 30-year-old Guy Cooper finish ed third in Saturday's main, but was involved in a first-turn cra sh at the start of Sunday's main and finished 12th. "It's hard to accep t that I had a 26point lead and I'm o nly now back in the hunt," said Bradsh aw aft er Saturday's win put him five points behind Stanton. Alt ho ugh he went six poi nts ah ead with hi s victory on Sunday, Bradshaw knows he's become th e hunted. "A six-point lead helps, but the series is far from over." Although one round remains in the 125cc Eastern Regional Supercros s Series, Suzuki's Brian Swink ended the race for the title as the 19-year-old from nearby Fenton, Michigan, swept both 15-lap 125cc main events and clinched his second straight Eastern Regional Chmpionship. Swink passed Peak ! Pro Ciruit H onda rider Mike Brown early in Saturday's main then pulled away on his Marshall Plumb-tuned Suzuki RM 125 to record a four-second victory. Since DGY Racing's J immy Button, Swink's closest pursuer in the point standings, fini shed third on Saturday, all Swink needed to do was fin ish no wors e than 17th on Sunday to wrap up th e title. ButSwink led from th e start and after 'a late-race battle with teammate Ezra Lusk, which saw the two riders exchange the lead a few times, Swink had his second victory in his home stadiu m. Lusk finished second and Button was aga in th ird. Swink 's sw eep ga ve him seven victories in th e 125cc Eastern Regional