Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Camel) just wasn't comfortable with it. This definitely puts the future of the event in jeopardy." Ironically, a Marlboro billboard sits right next to the Diamondvision screen at the Kingdome, though its future is also precarious and it wi11like1y be removed prior to the start of the Seattle Mariners' baseball season. Stanton was one of many riders who made a plea to spectators prior to the start of racing: "Due to a city ordinance (actually a county ordinance...editor), it's up to all of you. if we're ever going to come back here to race." After finishing second for the past two weekends in 12Scc Western Regional competition, Cherry Valley, California's Phil Lawrence became the series' fourth different winner in as many 125cc support events when he ran away and hid from the pack in the main event. Lawrence and his factory Suzuki topped 16-year-old French sensation Mickael Pichon and his Honda France/Elf/Pro Circuit Racing-backed Honda. Nevada's Jimmy Gaddis, Frenchman Cyril Porte and Mexico's Pedro Gonzalez rounded out the top five as foreigners made their mark on the 125cc class for the first time. For his efforts, Lawrence pocketed the $2000 winner's share of the $10,000 125cc purse and also took over the championship points lead, 69-65, over Gaddis. Unlike last week's Anaheim race track which carne under criticism from a few of the top riders, the Kingdome's layout drew nothing but adulation. The Rich Winkler-built track featured a variety of obstacles, many different racing lines, and an off-camber turn prior to the start/finish line jump which longtime Supercross a ttendees claimed they'd never seen before. 250cc Heats Again, the Coors Light Silver Bullet bonus sat unclaimed, adding incentive to win the fastest heat race of the night. The bonus was up to $4000 after the fastest heat race winners from the previous three events failed to repeat their performances in the main event. McGrath's chances of earning the four grand were quickly voided when he'was left behind at the start of the first. of two eight-lap heat races. "1 think the gate had a little problem," McGrath said later. "1 went when it flinched and 1got stuck in it." Having no such problems were Team Suzuki's Jimmy Button, Jeff Matiasevich and Team Honda's Steve Lamson, the three charging into the first comer unscathed to lead the 20-rider strong pack. Matiasevich didn't wait long to rid himself of his teammate Button. The Anaheim Hills, California resident taking charge early and pulling away to an easy victory, his first as a member of Team Suzuki after many years on factory Kawasakis. Kiedrowski, meanwhile, was the first to be caught off guard by the off-cambered right-hander, the Team Kawasaki rider slid out and found himse1f well out of contention by' the time he remounted. He was. still doing better than McGrath, however, with the Honda rider charging up to ninth by the third lap after his runin with the starting gateo Team Suzuki's Guy Cooper was another who was finding the going tough. The crowd favorite the past two weeks after stirring come-from-behind rides in both Houston and Anaheim, Cooper went down in the slow left-hand comer that immediately followed the start/ finish line jump. He ended the third lap in sixth place, but quickly went on another Cooper-like rampage to work his way all the way back up to third place by the completion of the eight lapper. Again, Cooper seemed to be able to Jeremy McGrath held off the late-race advances of Brian Swink (19) to win his second straight 250cc Supercross main event. get away with things the others couldn't, his confidence seeming to build with each and every jump, most of which he did completely different than the others. Up front, Matiasevich was having things all his way as Lamson settled into a comfortable second place. Behind them was where all the action was taking place, with Cooper moving by both Kiedrowski and Swink in one move. At the finish it was Matiasevich, Lamson, Cooper and Swink taking the four direct transfers to the main. The rest, McGrath included, would go to the semi. "Suzuki's been working really hard for me," Matiasevich said. "We've been working out the bugs and I'm starting to feel really good." Much to the delight of the partisan crowd, former Seattle winner and hometown hero Larry Ward managed to grab the holeshot at the start of the second heat race. And then he started to pull away. Stanton was second with Team Yamaha's Jeff Emig third, LaRocco fourth, and Kawasaki's Michael Craig fifth at the end of lap one. Bradshaw, meanwhile, was seventh on the Brian Lunniss-tuned YZ250, but on the charge. Just when it appeared that Ward was looking comfortable out front, the Seattle native who now makes his home in Florence, South Carolina, started to fade. On the fourth lap, Stanton suddenly jumped past Ward on the triples, the Damon Bradshaw (8) sailed past Jeff Stanton (1) early in the 2a-Iap feature. 7

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