Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Right) Suzuki's Jimmy Button (34), privateer Buddy Antunez (50) and Team NoleenlSizzierNamaha's Larry Brooks (31) charge into the first turn nearly three-abreast in the 250cc National. (Below) After finishing sixth in the first mota, the defend ing 125cc cham p, Team Honda's Doug Henry was sidelined in the second mota with stomach cramps. McGrath, who admitted to being quite nervous prior to the race. "1 jus t need to get a better start; I got totally hacked in the first tum." Dowd managed to sneak past Dubach for fifth, while KTM's Palmer crashed out of th e race near the h alfw ay poi nt with a flat front tire. Button faded to seventh, on e better than multi-time Supercross and 250cc National Champion Jeff Stanton, who suffered a horrendous start. Dowd ripped off the line with the holeshot in th e second moto and led Team Noleen /Sizzler/Yamaha's Larry Brooks, Swink, Button and Jeff Matiasevich. laRocco was eighth, Stanton 10th, and Kiedrowski 14th. "1 actually didn't get the holeshot, but I flat-tra cked it and came out in the lead," sai d Dowd, "That actu ally made me nervous, I hate getting the holeshot." No worries. Dowd's moment in the spotligh t lasted only ha lf a lap before Swink shot p ast both he and Brooks for th e lead. Ju st as he did in moto one, Swink began to pull away. "1 knew that I used up a lot of energy in the first race, so I wanted to ge t away qu ick," sai d Swink. Jus t as he did in the first moto, Butto n sud denl y appeared a t th e fro n t of the pa ck and moved in to third , beh ind Swink and Brooks. Lap two spelled d isas ter for Button, ho w ever, as h is bike slipped into neutral approachin g a huge uphill double jump and sen t him on an impressive trip over the bars. Tho ugh he remounted uninjured, Button fail ed to finish aboard his severely bent Suzuki. Matiasevich was the n ex t rid er to come alive, and scooted into s econ d place. Early front-runner Brooks dropped off the pace, while LaRocco joined the ba ttle for second. Six seco n ds behind Swink, Matiasevich, Dow d and laRocco circu lated the track in close forma tion. "It really sucked being at the end of the (three rid er) pack," said laRocco. "It was supe r dusty out there." With Lakocco pushing Dow d , and Dowd pushing Matiasevich , the threerid er formation began to quickly close the gap on Swink. "1started to get really tired jus t be fo re the half way point," said Sw ink, who eventually faded to eighth . "I just couldn't hold on." Ma tia sev ich was the first r id e r to pass Swink, and the spectators roared whe n the p op u lar priva teer took over the lead. Matiasevich's moment of glory lasted only one lap, however, as Lakocco stormed past Dowd and - soo n after in to the lead. Once in to first, LaRocco began to es tab lis h a lead tha t -would stretch to seven seconds at the finish. "1 wasn't too w orri ed wh en I go t a lousy star t," said Lakocco. "But when 1 saw Brian up fro nt I kne w tha t I had to -rnov e quic kly. But wit hin two or three laps 1 got in to thi rd, an d he was rig h t there." At the finish, Dowd held second as Matiasevich d ropp ed to an even tual fourth behind a cha rging Stanton. "That was an interesting four-way ba ttle for a w hile," said Dowd. "When I was running second near the end, 1 started getting nervous . 1 d idn't know it was Stanton - maybe it was better tha t 1 didn't. Sometimes I get nerv ous when 1 know the good gu ys are behind me." Stanton could do little to pass Dowd and crossed the finish line thi rd . "T he track wa s a piece o f cra p . It was absolutely wide op en an d there were hardly any p laces to pass," said Stan ton. "After Stan to n got me I go t a little tired ," sa id Matiasevich, who h ad worked up to 12th in' the first moto after a firs t-tum cras h. "But this feels good to get in ther e w ith the top gu ys. Thi s is the best I've eve r done her e, and 1did so as a p riva teer." Kiedrowski finished a distant sixth, all alone, after suffering a terrible start, while McGra th finished equally alone in sixth. "1 go t a bad, bad start," said McGrath. "Then in one of the rutted comers, 1 hit my nu ts real bad. 1cruised after that." 125cc Suzuki 's Damon Huffman led the way in the opening 12Scc moto with Team Splitfire / HotWh eels / Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Ryan Hughes, Emig and his Suzuki teammate, Ezra Lusk, in tow. Hughes m uscled his way in to first on the opening lap and led for five laps befor e falling prey to Emig. "1 was riding good , but my arms started to p ump up," sa id H ug hes . "I think it may be because this is the first outdoor race." Once into the lead, Emig said "goodbye" and romped away with a convincing win. Ho t-shot 12Scc supercrossers Lusk and Huffman teamed up and also managed to work past Hughes, while Lamson followed at a distance. Things fell apart for Hughes wit h on ly two laps remaining, as a faulty clutch left him without the ability to match the leader's pace. "1 was jus t following Ryan, waiting for a mistake ," said Emig . "But he didn't make any so I had to sort of push him wid e._ ce I go t out front, I just concenOn tra ted on turni ng perfect laps. I didn't, th ough, so I' m a little disappointed in myself." "1 ju st ran out of time ," sa id Lusk. "There wer e five seconds between me and Emig, and I fig ured tha t I' d jus t wait for moto two ." Huffma n finis hed only a few bikelengths behind Lu sk, and was happy with his strong performance. "1 got off to a grea t start," said Huffman, referring to his holeshot. "It go t a little choppy ou t there. Lus k got me in the far back section, an d after tha t 1started taking his lines." Lamson was the rider who benefitted most fro m H u gh es ' misfortune, as he zi pped past the ailing Kaw asaki rider and suddenly found the speed to reel in H u ffman and Lusk. In hi s firs t 12Scc National moto after a full season aboa rd 2505, Lamson finished a close fourth. "1 rode a 125 at Mammoth las t year and had so mu ch fun that I told Dave Arno ld that 1 wa nt ed to ride one this season," sai d Lamson. "It's a blast out there. I felt really good. All I need is a better start." Hughes h eld on to a distant fifth, well out o f the re a ch o f d ef end ing champ Henry, who finished sixth. "I felt like 1 was riding well," said Henry. "1 just wasn't able to keep up the pace through the entire moto." Reynard s u ffe re d a near-last-place start and was able to work up to ninth by the mote's end . "1 just hesitated off the line, and I was a lmost last," said Reynard. "1 had some trouble working through the p ack - this track isn 't so great for passing."

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