Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ PREVIEW u.s. 250cc MX Grand Prix ~ . For the first time ever, a u.s. Grand Prix will be held at southern Maryland's Budds Creek MX Park. The event will be the only MX GP th,at will take place in the U.S. this year. The world's best arecoming to Budds Creek By Kit Palmer here's nothing quite like the aura of international motorcycle racing. Not only are riders comp eting against one another, but countries are, competing against countries - at least in the rid ers' and spectators' hearts. And there's nothing, absolutely nothing like the tension in Grand Prix racing. And when the GP is being hosted in your own country, it's not just country against country, it's " u s against the ' world." On July 18, on the scenic and hill y track at Budds Creek MX Park in southern Maryland, it will be us against the world; as a World Championship 250cc MX Series race takes place on American soil. Budds Creek? Yes, Budds Creek. Why not Unadilla, the track tha t for years has hosted the event? Well, simply put, motocross fans , it was a case of money. Traditionally, American promoters have paid more money to host a GP than ha ve their counterpa rts in Europe; chalk that up to the expense of transporting bod ies and bikes to these shores. In the near fut ure, that will all change, because at last year 's FIM Congress in Westerville, Oh io, it was T 26 agreed that the cost of GPs sho uld be equal, i.e. a European promoter will pay the same fees as an American promoter. In the meantime, tip your helmet's vi sor when you se e Bu d d s Creek' s [onathan Beasley. He step pe d forw ard and took on the resp onsibility of hosting the U.S. 250cc GP after Una dilla said, "No thanks." Ditto for the 500cc GP that was held in southern California's Glen Helen the last se ver al ye ars . N o one stepped forward to take the responsibility for hosting the 500cc GP but that should change once the "eq ual fee " standards kicks in. The us, 250cc MX Grand Prix is the 11th stop on the IS-r ound GP tour. A rider is only eligible to compete in one of the three World Championsh ip MX Series in a given year, and with just the one GP taking place in the U.S. this year, if you're lucky enough to be at Budds Creek youll no doubt see every top U.S. , motocrosser as well as the cream of the crop from Europe, in cl u d in g the Americans wh o ar e campaigning th e 250ccGP circuit full time. At Budds Creek , th ere's absolutely no holding back. You'll see the likes of m ulti- ti me National and Supercross Champ ion Jeff Stanton, two-time 12Sec and 500cc National MX Champion Mike Kiedrowski, newly crowned Camel Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath, Damon Brad shaw, Mike LaRocco, Guy Cooper, Steve Lamson, and the list goes on and on. The list of American racers includes se veral GP circuit regulars, such as 250cc World Champion Donny Schmit, Tallon Vohland and Billy Liles. Unfortu nately, a few Yanks won't be makin g the trip back "home;" both former World Champion Trampas Parker and Bob Moore are recuperating from injuries. Perhaps the rider who tops everyone 's hit list at Budds Creek is the se ries points leader Greg Albertyn of Sou th Africa . Albertyn, who rides a JHK Boonen -sponsored Honda, enjoys a 90-p lu s po int lead o ver Belgium's Stefan Ev er ts , of the Bieffe Suzuki Team, going into the Budds Creek U.S. 250cc MX GP . Schmit, riding a Chesterfield -sp onsored Yamaha, has , b een h ampered by bad luck and inju ries throughout the season and is currently. thi rd in the ser ies po int standings, more than 140 points behind Albertyn, who has alread y won five GP rounds thus far. Schmit has three wins to his credit and Everts one win. ' Technically, everyone has to quali fy for the GP's 40-rider field. While the FIM rules that determine who and who isn't qualified to enter the GP are confusing, to say the least, basically the eligible list includes the top eight riders in last year's series point standings, plus eight riders from each visiting country and 10 from the host country. The 10 riders from the U.S. (in addition to those who qualify via a top eight pos ition in the point standings) who have been tentatively selected are Stanton, Kiedrowski, Bradshaw, McGra th , LaRocco, Lamson, Cooper, Eastern • Regional 125cc Supercross Series Champion Doug Henry, Cliff Palmer and Marylander Mike Moore. There are at least 15 other entries from the U.S. who are available as alternates, in case more riders ar e needed to fill the 42rider starting gate . That list includes Ray Somrno, Todd DeHoop, Keith Johnson and Gene Naumec.

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