Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127711
1995 U.S. Supercross Series Predictions UPERCROSS· --------~---"~J e finally go t it right again . About this time last year - after erring th e previous two seaso ns - we pi cked th e 1994 Supercross Championcorrectl y. And what' s more, we also guessed right with both the Easte rn a nd We st ern Regi on al champs. In fact, you couldn' t really ask for a better overall set of predictions. Nine of the riders we called for the top 10 finished there, with ou r Wild Card pick taking the remainin g spot. And most finished up within a position or two of wh ere we thou ght they would. But before we start crowing too loudly, it sho uld be pointed out that 1994 - while an exciting season, to be sure - was n't exactly hard to call. The odds were stacked very much in favor of Jere- my McGrath repeating as champ, with ~ By Chr is Jon num #2 #1 JeremyMcGrath Team Hondal1-80O-Collect Murrieta, California , again taking the easy way out and kay okay, sowe re . , can goi~g with thedefending champ..'YOUMwl~psihw: bit hear you saying. ' Isn't picking c ra ' O well...predictabl~' t i 't "predicting' what it's allabout? Sure, Pom taken, u IS~ bytaking chances but we'd rather t n's nice to grab atten on McGrath is the rider who has IY;he 1995 U.S. Supercross title. be right. And to put It sl':1 P the best chance 0\ w~n~~~inant lastyear than in hisrookie We realize ~~:~~in~ the competition will close in a bit more season, an . , th will have to fight off outside disin '95. In l~dd~I~~~~:ntract negotiations and other diver- , . tractions I e I t there's noreason tothinkthat McGrath IS sions that come withthe glory.ofbemg a ~amplo~~~~iIY for him, and that may in fact be what not upto the task. Disregarding the hoopa com makes himso good. . son and equa Rick Johnson's mark for the l Can McGrath win another nine rounds ~lSth~~: so but we do feel hehas wha n ~kes.to tie t most supercross wins(28)?Honestly. we don ~ross ch~mpionships . Jeremy McGra ISstili the th Bob Hannah's record of three stratght supe rld dhe shouldbethe champion in June. most naturally talented stadium racer 10 thewo , an /fl . 3 Mike Kiedrowski Team Kawasaki Canyon Country, California e were genuinely surprised at the slow start Mike Kiedrowski got off to last year. We had picked him to finish second, but actually thought '94 might be the year he would finally get the coveted Supercross Championship • the only U.S. title he has yet to garner. The 'MX Kied' came on strong later in the year, winning the Daytona and Seattle rounds and finishing an eventual third, but a broiously challenging teammate ken finger kept him from ser MikelaRocco on theoutdoor circun. Personal problems may have alsoplayed a role, as Kiedrowski and laRocco are not exactly the best of friends, and word has it that Kiedrowski and tuner Shane Nalley weren't getting along either, The two nearly parted waysone year ago, and now that the break-up is official, Kiedrowski will be teamed with the 'tuner ofthe stars,' Brian Lunniss. As usual, he also the most physically Itt rideraround, 's and he's hungry for redemption. Will that be enough to take n all? Mike will probably win supercross rounds - including the brutal Daytona race- and hemay win the outdoor championship, but McGrath and laRocco's natural indoor talent sho be too much forthe veteran to overcome. uld W #6 Vo J u #5 4· SteveLamson Team Hondal1 -80D:C0I1~1 pollackPines, cahfo~la the last two years, andhehas yet e's fimshed filth or but Steve Lamson has to win a supercross round, s ' Lami prob' . ood ndes oversea . , recently put In some g ' such a nice guy (but hes ably gets sick of heanng hO~ i~e ~ome people say that's a too nice to complam't~boIUputtl~g on an arlificial 'tough guy' detnment, butwe don ee Steve is steady and depend· image would he hiS results. Ie know it he's among the lp able, and though not many pee: With Jer~my McGrath and best jumpers on the CIrcUIt; alo g f the first riders to attack Brian Swink, Lamson ~ oftel~S~~~~ fast, and the confidence a dlfficu" obstacle. He s sty . h Id makehim a bit more ined from his European Wins: ~ Lamson to get his first . ga 't be a factorinthe title chase, butwe xp competitive. Heprobably won ryIn . U.S. supercross VictO '95. H 6 5 JeffEmig Team Yamaha Highland, California Ions rna .hough initial impress' Ing Jeff Emig to finish fifth is Ysuggest otherwise, pick. Our part. In fact he rna / ot an opnmlstic move on . yet won an AMA sup~reross ~ we do better. 'Jeffro' hasn't finIshed last season in fourthl : d, but believe it or not he asa 125cc .outdoor rider, but 'whe~ghh?s.gained a reputaiion can hang With him on a stadium es Inspired, few people ~ders W can boasttohaVingp~~ur~; heis one ofthe few G ho c rathlast year, n onest pass on Jeremy Some will argue that Emi ' . mer arch·enemy MCGrath w.ijs recent reconciiaton with for. l i essennal 1 Emig, but we thi~ rob a bit of that inspiration so 0 For example, at just'24 he is ~~pected to provide a le~dershi;~~ ~e undi?puted captain of th: ~:~W~' fmd it in other areas. ci ?r indham and John Dow: ~qUad, and he'll be irit ? Expenence in itself is a gOQdeth KevmW Iml ated by anyone. look forh' 109, and the former 125cc N n - th first year factory , 1m to wm hiS firstSUpercrossroundath.onal MX champ will not be IS season. 2 Mike laRocco Team Kawasaki . SouthBend, Indiana don 't know how badl ,laRocco to Win the 199 y we wanted to pick Mike . that we don't like MCGra~ U.S. Supercross title. It'snot bl~ makes a more interestin - o~ the COntrary, heproba. et, Who can be a bit glum 'gchampIon than Would 'l aRock. ~/se, we want to see a 90~ ;~:ervlews. But just like anyone e able to provide that even ~ he race, and laRocco sh ould onsh lp. ' e doesn't take the ch . a La . mpl' ; Rocco IS at times th f . has no doubt gained con~i astest nder on the track, and Nanonal MX title. He's h dence with hiS recent 250 ~e~r. Buthe'll have 10 overcome h' should easilyW inmore th~~~ f~ the S upercross crown ~~ al~~gdya~~ with his brace) and t~= ~fe:~e flOOr starts, a fragile w:~~nocco at het~k last ds th LaROCCO curse' _ echa' none tille ('92 125cc M ' ISCOnSidering ~ue~ closer to McGrath last year ha:)itslIp away due to breakdo~s n~ gremlins. Mike has s ImprOVed his wrist a , not been fora cracked : an e would have been ~~~~? actually ready t~~a~~ ~;~and we think his bad ,:f:;s'"oo ~~e~m. Still, his gating ~ eng. McGrathwon thatse ri ' un the overseas WOrld 5 til 1 To be honest m. es and we thinkhe'll do the sam . Upercross Championsh ' , ip e In the U.S. #4 Doug Henry Team Honda/l -80"-" olCford, ConnecticUi _fleet ...... ne of Doug Henry distractions s many fort s is his abil' e . skill that Will and co .ncentrate on the fa k Jty to Ignore at the ce t prove inv U al able tho s at hand - a n er of a bllter IS year. 'Oh H . ,he had administered be~~:oversy regarding the i v :a~~ IS ernalic digestiv races last year Wh .. . on was only d ' e system once again be . en hiS preb· tor aceus:n~;'t for hiSown health, but ~'::;, acnng up. Henry s Ryan Hughes e~e~f cheating; at the final 1~5C:ChiScompeti· sugar added ' se wore ndlng panls with th MX round, , e words, 'No Henry was alwn on the rear. ' sors Honda so involVed in a tug-o'. O T __ to the logo space . . ~~~~ ~~ ~~,;~:~~eh~Sq:~6,I;;~~dW~~ ~s w~~d;~~:~:~g:~oa~a: fe~~~e~eh:~~~es~~~; ironically, Fox will p~~ C ld°thing conflicts this ye~~ ~ecHond National outdoor till 7ediary, Doug was : We thou ht VI e them. ' s onda nders will wear n a row. He won't ing the sam;pr~f~7 WO~Id Win his first SUperc offiCial team uniforms; ..uon In 95. ross last year. W . .e Were mistaken but we' , remak- 17