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/127559
was suffering from a head cold. McGrath followed in fourth. Young slid_ back through the pack and finished an eventual 17th. McGrath soon overtook both Emig and Lamson for secgnd place, but couldn't make a dent in Kiedrowski's lead. Lamson and Emig seemed to be having problems, .and Team Noleen's Yamaha-mounted Shaun Kalos passed them both for third place on lap three. "I feel a little better each race, but I keep worrying about the guys behind me," said Lamson. "I need to be looking forward, and trying to pass the guy ahead of me." After s.lffering a poor start, Team Kawasaki's Mike LaRocco, the series opener winner, worked his way through the pack and passed Emig and Lamson for the final transfer spot, then challenged Kalos for third on the final lap. Kalos held him off, though, and the finishing order was Kiedrowski, McGrath, Kalos and LaRocco. Emig and Lamson finished fifth and sixth, respectively, and would have to compete in a semi. "I'm glad I missed (the race behind me)," said Kiedrowski. "Usually I'm in the race instead of riding out front. That's okay though; I got to ride my own race, and that's what I've gotta do in the main. The track is really tough and tight - a lot like our Kawasaki test track. I like it; it's technical." Stanton pulled the holeshot in the second heat and led Kawasaki support rider Michael Craig through the·first turn, setting up what was to be the most exciting race of the night. Cooper was fourth off the start, but mounted a charge towards the front. Bradshaw was mired back behind the majority of the riders.. "A couple guys ran into me and I ran into a couple guys, and I ended up in the back of the pack." said Bradshaw. To everyone's surprise, Craig made a clean pass on Stanton in the first lap. Seemingly flustered, Stanton tried to retaliate, but almost stalled in a turn and 'let a hard-charging Cooper get by. Cooper took off after the leading Craig, and passed him in a whoop section at the beginning of lap three. Unlike in his heat race at the ·previous round, Cooper rode conservatively once in front, opting not to show off for the crowd over the jumps. On lap five, Craig made a challenge for the lead spot, attempting to pass Cooper over a set of triples, but the Suzuki rider held on to the lead and Craig slowed slightly. Stanton was ready, and put a block-pass on Craig to resecure second place. After suffering a seventh-place start, Team Suzuki's Brian Swink was on a rampage, tripling a section of jumps near the finish line that everyone else was doubling. Swink passed at least one rider a lap until he swooped by Craig for third place with one lap to go. On the final go-round, Stanton tried to pass Cooper in the same corner where he had overtaken Craig, but Cooper gassed it out of the turn with the lead. The move cost Stanton a little momentum and a position as Swink took advantage of the situation and immediately throttled by him in the whoops that followed the tum. With only half a lap remaining, Swink began to chase after Cooper, and he closed to his teammate's rear fender by tripling the section of jumps near the finish line. Cooper just barely managed to stay in. front as the two riders launched off the steep finish-line jump, and he tossed his Suzuki sideways in a huge crowd-pleasing clicker, his rear tire just inches from Swink's right"shouJ00.. "I could hear (Swink) behind me in every comer, but I didn't know he was that close," said Cooper. "Brian and I Team Honda's Jeremy McGrath passed defending champ Jeff Stanton for the lead on lap three, then rode uncontested to score the win. Erik Kehoe (22) holeshot the main event, but Jeff Stanton (1) passed him on the first lap. Stanton eventually finished second. 7