Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Craig ran into him. Both riders stalled, though Craig was away first and took the final direct transfer. In the end, it was McGrath, Stanton, Emig and Craig. 250 Semis After getting a poor start and finishing ninth in the first heat, Suzuki's Jeff Matiasevich was forced into the first semi where he would meet Kawasaki's Kiedrowski. The jump went to the Suzuki rider, with Kiedrowski in pursuit, though not challenging until the second half of the race. Just past the crossed flags, Kiedrowski closed to within 10 bike lengths, but a bobble in a heavily-whooped section dropped him back and Matasievich won by over four seconds. "I felt really good. The track is real slick and hard for passing," Matasievich said before making a bold, and unpopular, prediction. "In the main event the start is going to be everything. It would make me really happy to kick Bradshaw's ass in his own hometown." Like his Suzuki teammate Matasievich, Larry Ward had finished ninth in his heat. And in the semi, the result was similar, though it took a little more effort. Away second behind teammate Denny Stephenson, Ward waited until the third lap to take the lead along the straightaway on the east side of the stadium. Once out front he skied over the triple jump on the west . side, building up a lead that would be over eight seconds at the end. "That jump was a lot of fun. Once I got out front I wasn't going to do it, then I heard the crowd," Ward said. "If I win the main event, I'll be upside down over that jump. This is like being in a big-time wrestling match." Stephenson held on for second after being challenged by KTM's Cliff Palmer in third late in the race. Palmer would come up just short, with Honda of Troy's Erik Kehoe taking the last direct transfer from a semi to the final. 250cc Last Chance Qualifier There were 22 riders lined up for the six-lap LCQ, but only two would progress further. Suzuki Canada's Carl Vaillancourt was away first, with Kawasaki-Yamaha of Shelby's Brian McElroy right on his tail and Yamaha's Doug Dubach stuck back in the pack. Dubach was up to fourth by the third lap and into third on the fourth. Dubach set his sights on McElroy, who was about 10 bike lengths away, a margin that Dubach would gobble up on the fifth lap. Dubach tested McElroy on the inside of a left in the south end zone, McElroy holding his ground, though just briefly. Later on the fifth lap, Dubach jumped into second on the east-side straightaway and set out for Vaillencourt. With about five corners to go, Dubach made his first attempt at a pass, but was rebuffed. He shadowed Vaillencourt for a few more bends, then tried to scoot under him in the final hairpin left before the finish line. They collided, both went down, and McElroy sped by for the win. Yamaha Japan's Kohji Ohkawara interited second, and the final spot in the 20-1ap main. "As soon as I saw them go down, I knew I had it," the suddenly fortunate McElroy said. "It took a little more work than I thought to get there, but I'm in the main event:' 250 Main Having talked the talk, Matasievich set out to walk the walk, getting the jump at the start of the main, followed by Kawasaki's Craig, Yamaha's Emig, Jeff Emig, the 125cc National Champion, was impressive at Charlotte, finishing a career-best second overall in the 250cc main event Honda's Stanton, Suzuki's Cooper, and Honda's McGrath. But by the end of the first lap Ma tasievich had been re1ega ted to second and he would be a non-factor in the race, dropping out after overjumping the finish line jump. No matter. Craig led by the end of the first lap, with McGrath up to fifth, then up to third after passing Stanton in the deep whoops on the second lap. By the third circuit, McGrath was smothering second-placed Emig, and he passed the Yamaha rider in a hairpin in the open end of the stadium and set out for Craig. McGrath would catch the leader on the seventh lap, and he took the point after Craig fell in the whoops. "I bobbled and made a mistake in the whO

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