:SUPERCROSS· Round 14: Spartan Stadium
AMA Camel Supercross series
8
The heat
races promised
good things for Team
Sp litFire /Hot Wheels/Kawasaki. Hughes won the first heat despite a poor start,
passing Honda of Troy's Craig Decker
on the last lap and doing a no-footer
over the finish-line jump. Gonzalez was
the winner in heat two, while Huffman
finished secon d, the victim of a huge
first-tum pile-up. Terry Parsons w on the
Last Chance Qualifier.
In the IS-lap main ev en t, Hugh es led
Huffman off the start, but an alterca tion
kept th em from slugging it out fo r th e
w in. With Huffm an a hearbeat behind,
Hughes ca me up sho r t over a double,
the two collid ed and went d own.
" H u ff m a n la n ded on m e, " sai d
Hughes. "He says he didn't, but w e've
go t it all on tape, and that's what h appened . 1 ca m e up short, but 1 saved it
and was going down the jump, and
that's when he h it me. On the tape, it
looks like he came off the first jump all
sid eways. So he took me out, and bro ke
off my clu tch lever."
" I w as pretty ha p py with my sta rt,"
said Huffman. " I w as behind Ryno
(H ughes) on the second straight, and he
s ta r ted m ov in g ove r and p in chin g me
into the hay bales . If 1 was off to one side
on the take-o ff, and if 1 h it h im fro m
' stra ight behind, d oesn't that mean he had
to m o ve over on m e? H e cased it a nd
was going over the bars, and I had no
w here to go. I hit him and felL 1 don't
kno w if he d id it o n p u rp o se , but it
wouldn't surprise me if he did. 1 think
he 'd have done it to anybody . 1 was
more worried about getting landed on
(than los ing the title). We were right in
front of the pack, It d idn't feel good."
Gonzalez ca p ita lized o n the crash,
snea king in to th e lead spot and immedia tely establishing a huge advantage over
Decker. Huffman re mou nted dea d last,
and Hughes was also back in the pa ck.
" I sa w Da mon and Ryno fall down,
and 1 d idn't w ant to hit them," said Gonzalez. "I saw a place to go, and 1 wen t
through it. It wa s close!"
Decker closed th e gap a li ttle, b u t
dropped his bike in a tum on lap 11, and
Gonz ale z took the easy win - the first of
his career.
" I want to say gra~ias," sai d Gonzalez,
a native of Mexico. "I feel gr eat! 1 d on 't
know wha t to say. To be hones t w it h
you, 1 felt good when 1 wake up th is
morning. I rod e good in practice, and 1
felt like 1 could win. I d id good here last
year and 1 th ink that h e lp my confid ence."
Decker was a distant second. "Pedro
got a good start and rode good," he sa id.
" H e deserved to win. 1 tried to push
ha rd an d catch him, but he was too far
ahead."
H uffman tore through the pack,
advancing as high as third before the
checkered flag fell. It was good enough
to clinch the title. " I had a little trouble
passing people; 1 don't want to talk
about tha t," said Huffman. "I wish it (the
championship) felt a litt le better. 1 feel
like I' m the best rider, and it's too ba d _
stuff like th at has to happen . At least
there's next week."
With no clu tch, Hugh es had less luc k
moving forwar d , and his ride came to an
en d with a scary cras h on the 11th circuit. H ug hes an d his bike parted compan y h igh o v er a lo n g triple, and the
Ka w a s aki p il ot land ed hard. " I w a s
d oing those triples and my bike cut out,"
sa id Hughes . " I did t hem in second
(gea r), and I w as usu ally d oing them in
third. lover-revved it, and the bike cu t .
out. I was thinking, 'Ouch !' I jumped off
ps;22 rid ..., top 2 .... os f.r!: 1. Denny
Step bereon (Suz ); 2. Phi l Lawrence (Suz) ; 3. Mike Brown
(Hon); 4. Mike ,osher(Kaw); S. Budd y Antunez (Kaw ); 6.
Tony Amaradio (](a w); 7. Rich Taylor (Ho n); 8. Do ug
Dubach (Ya m); 9. Chris Young (Suz); 10. Billy Mercier
(Yam); 11. Davi d Casti llo (Yam); 12. Rick Ryan (Yam);
13. Bra ndon Lacey (Kaw); 14. Shay Fretwell (Ho n); 15.
Brett Ha milton (Yam); 16. Tod d Downs (Hon); 17. Mark
Easlcy (Ya m); 18. Alex McElyea (Suz) ; 19. Ray Cru mb
(Yam); 20. Mike Chamber lain (Ya m); 21. Brian Walters
(Suz); 22. Pat Go mm (Yam).
T ime: 5:42.39.
250 MAIN (20 l~ ps;20 r ide rs) : 1. Mike la Rocco
(Kaw); 2. Je rem y McGrath (H a n ); 3. Stev e La mso n
(Hon); 4. Do ug Henry (Ho n);5. Jeff Emig (yam); 6. Brian
Swink (Suz); 7. Jeff Matiasevich (Ya m); 8. lorry Wa rd
(Yam ); 9. Ezr a t us k (Suz); 10. Jcff Stan ton (Ha n); I I.
Denn y Stephenson (Suz); 12. Mike Kiedrowski (Ka w );
13. Mic ha el Craig (Vam ); 14. lorry Brooks (Va m); 15.
Todd DeHoop (Hon); 16. Sha un Kales (Yam); 17. Jimmy
Gaddis (Kaw); 18. Ph il Lawrence (Suz); 19. Kyle Lewi s
(Yam); 20. Jimmy Button (Suz).
Time: 18:27.70.
AMA CAMEL S U PE RC ROSS C H A M P IO NS H I P
SE R IE S POINT STANDI NG S: 1. Jerem y McG ra th
(3 10 / 8 wins)· ; 2. Mike La Rocc o (265 /3 ); 3. M ike
Kiedrowski (25 1/2); 4. Jeff Emig (209); 5. (TI E) Je ff
Stanton /Stev e Lam son (200); 7. Larry Ward (188); 8.
Dou g Henry (187); 9. (1lE) Michael Cra ig /8rian Sw ink
(173); 11. Jeff Matiasevich (1 34~ 12. Cliff Palmer (85); 13.
Eri k Kehoe (72); 14. La rry Brooks (71); 15. De nny
Stephenson (70) ; 16. Damon Huffman (52); 17. Rya n
Hughes (49); 18. Kyle Lewis (48); 19. Todd DeHoop (46);
20. Doug Du bach (42).
12.5 H EAT 1 (6 bps; 20 riders, top 9 transfer): 1.
Ryan H ughes (Kaw ); 2. Cra ig Decker (Ha n); 3. Tra vis
Hod ges (Kaw); 4. Tony Gra ves (Ho n); 5. Grq; Schnell
(Suz); 6. Ty 8irdwell (Han); 7. Michael Braodes (Kaw); 8.
Ray Crumb (Yam); 9. Axel Holvoet (Yam ); 10. Forrest
T ra ns ue (H a n) ; 11. Steve Andrich (Su z) ; 12. Eri k
Lindstrom (H o n); 13. Te rry Pa rsons (Ka w) ; 14. Jos h
Boy ki n (Yam); 15. Alex McElyea (Suz); 16. Benja m in '
Vitale (Hon ); 17. Jeff Brownlee (Suz); 18. Lowell Moura!
(Han) ; 19. Da mn Hoeft (Suz); 20. C hris Ridgeway
(Kaw ).
TIme: 6iXJ:J7.
115 HEAT 2 (6 taps; 20 riders, top 9 tnnsfer): 1.
Pedro Go nza lez (Ka w) ; 2. O",mon H uffman (Suz ); 3.
D.nid Pin gree (Suz) ; 4. Bria n Deega n (Kaw); 5. Je tf
Pestana (Hon); 6. Dettk Natvi g (Kaw); 7. Brian Walters
(5uz); 8. Vuichiro Kawashima (Ho n); 9. urry Linkogle
(Ho n); 10. Rus ty Holl and (Suz ); 11. Bran d on Lacey
(Kaw); 12. Dennis Dahlin (Suz) ; 13. 5<0" Myers (Yam);
14. Shane Tri"ler (Suz ); 15. Vy-lom Nguyen (Hon); 16.
Des Piihl (Suz); 17. Sha un Palm, . (Suz ); 18. Cory Keeney
.
(Kaw); 19. Shawn Highland (Suz); 20. Tada tsune Kiyota
(Kaw) .
Ti me: 6:54.95.
125 LeQ (4 ti PS; 22 rid en , top 4 transfer): 1. Terry
Parsons (Kaw ); 2. Shane Trittler (Suz); 3. Rus ty Holland
(Su.); 4. Co ry Keeney (Kaw ); 5. Seo" Mye " (Vam); 6.
Forres t Trans ue (Hon) ; 7. Chris Ridgewa y (Kaw); 8. Josh
Boykin (Yam) ; 9. Dennis Da hlin (Su z); 10. Des Piih l
(Su.); 1I . Tadatsune Kiyota (Kaw ); 12. Erik Linds tro m
(H on); 13. Brandon Lacey (Ka w); 14. Ale x McElyea
(Suz); 15. Benjam in Vital e (H on ); 16. Lowe ll Mou roill
(Ho n); 17. Shawn Highland (5uz) ; 18. Vy· lom Nguyen
(Han); 19. Jeffre y Brownlee (Suz) ; 20. Sha u n Palmer
(Suz); 21. SIeve Andrich (Suz); 22. Danin Hoeft (Suz).
T im e: 4:07.14
.
125 MAIN: 1. Pedro Gon zal ez (Ka w) ; 2. Cra ig
Decker (H on ); 3. Dam on Huffman (Su z) ; 4. Da vid
Pingree (Suz ); 5. Jeffery Pestana (Suz); 6. Travis Hodges
(Kaw); 7. Derek Natvig (Kaw ); 8.
Ra y C rumb (Ya m) ; 9. Greg
Sehr.. 11 (Suz); 10. Bria n Deegan
(Kaw) ; 11. Brian Walters (Suz);
12. Shane Tri ttler (Suz); 13. Axe l
Hol voct (Yam); 14. Tony Graves
(Hon); 15. Cory Keeney (Kaw);
16 . lo rry Linkogle (Hon) ; 17.
Rusty H o ll and (S u .); 18 .
Yu ichiro Kawa shima (Ho n); 19.
Terry Pa rsons (Ka w ); 20. Ryan
Hughes (Kaw) ; 21.
Birdwell
(H on) ; 22. Michae Bra n d es
Tr
(Kaw ~
TIme: 14:26.47.
125. ' .' .
crash. "It mUst belrom'HoUSton: Said DObb, . The Coors Llghl Silver .Bullet Showdown '
: Who didn't"r ce the neX1 day.:He·expectsto .· p~e w~nt unciaiined yet agatn al :San·Jose. .
a
be' back for' las ·Vegas ; however,.and even ' .. Jeremy Mc'Grath se t ·the fastest .heat time,:
Pt3!"'S io cOntest the British 250ccMX G~ 00 . ·bu.t faileCr to w i,"! ·the. maln e.vent., so .t he .
· Ju ne 19. . ". . ' .. '
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" money roDs ovar to .Las yegas, 'where ~ win
..' ::: total $7000..:. . '. '.' ..... . .. .
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TOO' bad not all police a re. as cool" as the San .... . ... :-:. .. ..
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Jose motorcycle cops; who were .oil' patrol . ··· Team Honda perSonnel and 'frie nds celebrat: .
· in tlie pili!- The .office rs ride .Honda XR650L. 'e d their" seventh~ollsecutiVe Ca.meISuper.-.
dual~spoit bikes ,. complete with'Fox ·Racing .. 'cross Charilpionship'In the Honda hospitality'.
· rear .hindar b!l9S; an.d th~y. wear ·,blli c k. ,': la·nt .alier the . race . ~ Ilryd Sjn i~alo.·s .BOb ·
·Alpi.nestars b90ts. .. , , : , ,: . .:: :: ....: . Rathkamp a~ready hill!special championship '
. . .. : . . ' ..: : . ,: : ' . ..
. . ~ . ' :'. ': :. :T:Cshirtsprinted up; The sl!irts'Jeatured.a
'W hile in SilicOn Valley; Mike Kiedrowski got"- . rather'obese lady singing "J e re myl" (the :
a'cbance :to test-drive a $400 ;000 '.1994 Fer~ . · .Peart 'Ja m sOng?)." Under the lady 'we re the .
'.am F,40. arid alsO got a gift fOr his own' '90 :: wordS:· ~EitcOrel 256Cc SUperCfassChampion:
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Feram 512. Marlc Spencer. service managet: .:.Jeremy McGrath.· -::-: '.: '. . : .': :
I' for"i_o~ Gatoo FerBl)"L·prese nted Kiildroy!ski . ·, .' : ' ..: .: '. : '. :. . . . ' ' .. >' .': .-: .'
with an 1"-40 gas .cap .ttult was inscribed with '. . Jeff ·S~ nto(l. was bac?< 'in action after·sitting·.
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' a 'mesSage: "Thanks. Mike: From ·the .moto- . '., out the .laSt motOcross with an ·injured back.'
· headS at Los Gatos Ferarn.&Kiedrowski and : . "it feels fine: ·said Stanton. "It's .noi t:llJrtlng at.
Spencer .~ aye. been..frlends· .f ~nhree years, ... .a".~ Stant!>~ pla,c~. 10t!l.i.n themai~ ·e~enl. . :
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