eMOTOCROSS
125/250cc MX Series: Rounds 1/1
m
The Gatorback ~Ie Park track runs right through the middle of an abandoned rock quarry and is one of the more challenging courses on the National Ol.ampionship MX circuit
A crash in the first 250cc moto dropped Damon Bradshaw out of contention.
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"The anxiety had been building up for
a few days before the race," said Emig.
"The weight of the number one plate was
a Iitile nerve-wracking and I never felt
very comfortable."
When the white flag came out, many
expected the race between McGrath and
Craig to heat up. It did, in fact, but the
expected exciting climax didn't happen as
Craig's bike slowed considerably with
half a lap to go.
'The power valve came undone," said
Craig, who threw his hands up in frustration. "I just babied it after that and hoped
that it would make it to the finish line."
Emig swooped past the ailing Craig
and into second, and then Craig putted
across the line well out of reach of fourthplace Henry. Kehoe, RRP-sponsored
Timmy Ferry, TUF ~cing's Mike Healey,
Suzuki factory rider Damon Huffman,
OCY's Chad Pederson and Suzuki's Ezra
Lusk rounded out the top 10.
"I knew Craig was back there the
whole time," said McGrath. "I love races
like that, they're bitchin'."
"I was trying as hard as I could," said
Craig. "I was waiting for McGrath to
make a mistake, but he never did. I was
scared when my motor started to bog, but
New Englander John Dowd finished third overall in the 250cc class via a 4-3 moto tally.
I knew we had a big lead on everyone
else."
McGrath ripped off the line in moto
two with Kehoe, Henry, Team Splitfue
rider Jimmy Gaddis, Kawasaki's Ryan
Hughes and Emig in tow. Like in the first
moto, McGrath began to pull away from
the pack, but this time with Kehoe in his
shadow.
Kehoe stalked McGrath, waiting for a
mistake.
"I followed rum real close, but he
never messed up," said Kehoe. "So it got
to that point where I just had to go for it"
Kehoe pulled alongside McGrath in
the stadium-style section and nipped
him for the lead with three laps to go.
McGrath tried every trick in the book to
regain the lead, but to no avail. Kehoe
sailed across the finish victorious, inches
ahead of McGrath.
After a race-long duel with Henry,
Craig got a handle on third and finished
there,ll seconds behind McGrath.
Henry held on to fourth, ahead of
Huffman, Swink, Healey and Rughes.
McGrath's 1-2 scores netted him the'
overalI, while Kehoe's 5-1 edged Craig's
3-3 for second overall.
"I rode real tight in the first moto,
