Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Ezra Lusk (43), Jimmy Button (25), eventual winner Doug Henry (16) and Mike Brown (54) blasted off the line at the start of the IS-lap 125cc Eastern Regional main evenl mark the order of the top four was set. Bradshaw would win by about four seconds, Kiedrowski was second with Craig hot in pun;uit. Matasievich was alone in fourth in front of Lamson, also alone. If Bradshaw was having any trouble adjusting to his new mechanic, he didn't show it. "Bob's been a part of the team for a long time and he knows how me and Brian operate," Bradshaw said, adding that he was hoping to improve on his win' total. "It's the seventh race and I've only won one, and that's not like Damon Bradshaw." The reason he hasn't won more was in the second heat, Jeremy McGrath, and he owned it from the drop of the gate, putting his stamp on it early by waving to the crowd while flying through a set of jumps on the first lap. Teammate Stanton gave pursuit, and closed in late when McGrath had a few off-moments, but never got close enough to attempt a pass. "1 made a few mistakes on the last lap," McGrath said after winning the slower of the two heats, thereby denying himself a shot at the Coors bonus money. He was also unconcerned about keeping his win streak alive. "Racing's racing. I'll do the best I can. If I don't win, I can come back next week and win." For the first half of the race, Suzuki's Larry Ward kept the pressure on Stanton, but by the fifth lap, the defending Supercross champion was able to gain some breathing room. Ward, however, couldn't relax with teammates Brian Swink and Phil Lawrence looking for a way past. Swink would take over third at the start of the sixth lap with Lawrence dropping the fading Ward back a notch later the same lap, and forcing him into the semis. 250cc Semis Fast-starter Musselman took the lead at the start of the first semi, but Steve Lamson dropped him back with a midair pass on the second lap, after which Musselman fell out of contention. Suzuki's Denny Stephenson moved up to challenge, along with Antunez, leaving a large margin back to Jones and Jeromy Buehl. But Stephenson would fall starting the fifth lap, allowing Lamson and Antunez to pull away. In the late stages, Lamson pulled away for the safe win, Antunez was a solitary second, with Stephenson being chased by Buehl to the end. Jones got the final transfer from this semi to the main. The second semi wasn't much of a, race for the lead - Yamaha's Jeff Emig going wire-ta-wire - but Larry Ward put on a show the fans appreciated. Ward got tangled up at the start and was away nearly last. At the end of the second lap he was 10th, improving two spots at the end of the third lap, the halfway mark. Then, on the fourth lap, he jumped four spots, moving into fourth and setting his sights on Ray Sommo, who he passed on the fifth lap. Starting the final lap Ward was in third, but when Kurt McMillen bobbled coming onto the start straight Ward moved into second, where he would finish behind Ernig, who was racing for the first time since the Seattle supercross round. McMillen held onto third with Sommo fourth and Yamaha Japan's Kohji Ohkawara fifth. 250cc LCQ Once again, Musselman gated best and moved to the front of the Last Chance Qualifier, with Honda of Troy's Todd DeHoop an early second. and Kawasaki-Yamaha of Selby's Brian McElroy third. McElroy crashed out on the second lap, handing the spot to DeHoop, with KTM's Cliff Palmer in third and pressing. On the third lap, the order at the front changed with DeHoop moving to the lead. Palmer was second and Musselman third, though he later crashed without losing a spot. The race would be between DeHoop and Palmer, with Palmer taking over the lead as they ended the fifth lap, then quickly separating himself from the pack. DeHoop was a safe second and the final rider into the main, with Henry nabbed his fust-ever series win and padded his Eastern Regional point lead. 5

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