Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Below) Try as he might, Mike LaRoc co couldn't fin d the rhythm needed to reel in and beat his teammate. laRocc o settled for a distant secon d. (Right) Mike Kiedrowski (7) sco red his th ird Daytona Supercross win In a row. Here, he leads third-place fin isher Doug Henry (4). Ryan Hughes, Brian Swink and Alber, tyn nabbed th e last three direct transfer positions. Honda of Troy riders dominated th e two sem if i na ls. Todd Del-loop smoked the fi eld in th e first semi, while M ike Craig d id the h onors in se m i tw o . Hond a priv at eer Joshua Steel w as th e 'w i nner of the last ch ance qu alifier . After stru ggling through hi s heat and sem i , D owd finall y put it together m omentarily - at the star t of the ma i n. The likab le New Englander led the fie ld into turn on e, bu t took a tr i p over th e b ars w h en he hit th e squa re-e dged face of th e, first ju m p . "I did n't an ti cipate th e w ay i t wou ld kick m e," said Dowd. " It wa s em bar rassing." D owd w ou ld charge back to 15th at the finish: M cGrath was th e most notable rider to go down in th e fi asco, and w as nearl y last when he fi nally rem ounted and took to the track. ~ ri e f ly ,----,--~ ,.'•• the ' weather throughout most of ihe week, but our suspension is set up the same as we had All er being hampered by severe arm pump at used for the Gainesville Nationa l." Arnaradlo the Gainesv ille 125cc National, Team Yamastill managed to pay a' 'midweek visit to Main ' raced to 18th in the feature. . . ha's Kevi n Windham 'reported that he and the Street to check out all the Hariey-Davldsons. "I Yamaha crew -solved his proble m during his was wearing my blue and white. Yamaha jacket; Team Suzuki's Craig Deck er competed in his Aller Mike laRocco was knocked out of con- , stay at Bike Week. "When I first started the , and 1ihink the bikers were looking'at me a little season arm pump wasn 't a pro ble m," said first-ever 250<:c supercross atDaytona Interna- ' tention at last week's Gainesville 25Oci: National bit," he said, ' ' , . tional Speedway: "It should suit him just fine," with a' broken front hub, Team Kawasaki opted , Windham. "But at each supercross, 'they start' said D ecker's' father" "Craig is up to '170 Ibs. to play itsatelor the rest of the season. The hub' ed to pump more and more. We couldn't figure Honda's Steve La~SO~ and NOI~n nder,Larry no w"maybe a litt le big for a '125 ." Decke r ' , that faile d at Gainesville was a works piece " , it out - whether ii was 'nerves, my training, or ' Ward did more 'than' walk down Main Street . ' ' struggled early in the day, failing to qualify via ' made out of billet aluminum. ~It was a lot lighter even my diet.", So, what was the final solution? they went cruisin'. Lamson borrowed a Honda a heat of semifinal. The first-year Suzuki facto: than the stock hub," said Mike laRocco Sr. "But , Throughout his stellar amateur career" WindShadow from the Honda Rider's Club.of Ameri- ' we've decided.to run stock hubs from now on: ham was 'sponsored by RenthaJ. The factory ry rider made the cut- barely - in the LCa. It all . Yamaha team is sponsored by Answer, and as ca demo ride fleet, while Ward has a tricked-out came toqether for Decker, however.Jn ttie 25- : ' Stockis best." laRocco Sr. had.an interesting lap ma in. He 'fi r ished a ve ry res pe cta ble point to make ab,?ut th~ unlikely failure. "Mike , a result, runs their popular Pro Taper handle- Harley of his own. "Larry's Harley is' bad ass," eighth, one spot behind Jeremy McGrath, and took It pretty well, he said. "The way.we look at bars. Wind ham swapped .to Answer's lower- ' said Lamson. "We went cruising down Main , model, mere- traditional Alumilite handlebars Street one night, ii was'alot 01fun. I think Ward ahead of his teammates Danian Huffman and it, how can Kawasaki make their bikes any betGreg Albertyn. . , ter w ithout trying new things? As always, when . and re por ted ,that his ar m,pump vani shed ' , may have fit in a little better, though." .,', ' you try new things, you're bound to have a fail- almost instantly. "I'm really excited that we figured it out," tie said. '"Now I really have some- ' Alle r winning the Ga ines~iIle t zs ccNauonal. : And speaking of Cra ig ,Decker, and ,Damon , ure once in a while." thing to look forward to." And yes, Windham's Huffman, the 125cc specialists competed in the " ' . , , Robbie Reynard still felt the urge to train hard,250cc class with up side-down Showa forks , . Former Western Regional 125cc Supercross "t-win-and-you-shave-your-head bet with team- ' er, and managed to over-do it just before race mounted on their factory RM250s, rather than ,.Champion Ty ' Dav is comp eted in the 250cc , mate Jeff Emig is still on. ' day . "I worke d out' really hard and l'rnsore .the huge 51mm conventional S howa forks that ' class aboard 'a Dave Gowland·tuned Kawasaki today," sald Reynard. "I lilled too many weights." ' graced the 'bikes of Greg Albertyri and Ezra KX250. Davis, who has in recent years become Joel Smets rounded out his week-long stay in ' The highlights of Reynard's Bike Week leisure , -Lusk. '"These forks are actually last' year's works , . one of the sport's most feared off-road cornpeti- the U.S, by racing his Husaberg FE501 fouractivities? "I played putt-putt (miniature golf) last forks," explained Huffman, "There aren't enough tors, showed that he'still has what it takes on a - stroke in the.250ec crass. The friendly Belgian , of the conventlonats for all of, us to use right . stadium course by racing to 23rd in the 3D-man' loo ked a bit out of place onthe super cress . night," he said. "Main Street? Nah, I'm not into ' now. These work just 'fine." According to Huff- 'main event. "I really wanted to race in the 125cc track, but nonetheless managed to qualify for that stuff." '. man's mechanic, Tony Berlutt( the lack of spare ' . class here," said Davis. "But I would've had to the day 's pro qrarn.' ", am in the race!" sai d I Frenchman Mickae lPichon spent the week furparts for the trick suspenders was the reason change my address and all that, because it's an ' Smets, quite excited about making it through ther south mOrtando, "I rode and tested atew they were not used. . ' , , Eastern round. I wish some of my.on-road bud- the preliminary heat races. :'1 am not doing all dies would come out here and back me up... No" ' of the jum ps, 'but I am doing most of them. It is times." he said. "One day, we went to Universal I wish some of my off road buddies would come fun." When asked ' it' he would perform a nac- . Studios. 1like the Back to the Future ride the Two' riders who did compete with conventional forks, though, were Team KTM riders' Anthon y . out here and race so I could watch them! I really nactor the crowd, Smets chuckled and replied, .best." :.,' ' Amaradio and Jeff Dement . Marzoccbi Mag- had to 'get my rhythm back. In the woods, you "Oh, that will be next time." The 500cc GP, rfder num 45mm conventional forks come stock on 'have to shut off when you see a square edge ran ' in qualifying position several times during Quote of th e week: Honda of Troy's James here, you have to pin' it.. wheelie and hold on." the day, but eventually,missed t he cut for, the 'Dobb a" his visit to Main Street "Down there on KTM 250SXs, b ut untilthe Daytona round.Arnaradio and Dement,have been competing with An interesting note: Davis is the first rider ever to 3D-rider main. ' '" , Main Street it is pretty interesting. There is quite upside-down White Power forks; At the Orlando compete in a supercross main wearing Moose a mix going on.: All of the proper bikers stay .series opener, Amaradio reported ,that the stock , . Racing off-road apparel. ' So how' did ' the rtoe rsspenc the ir brea k' 'down there on Main Street all night. All of the forks flexed a bit too much lor stadium use, and ' .' between the Gainesville National and,the Daypo sing doctors and lawyer s" thou gh , they .the WP units were better suited to the extremity', Helmet painter extraordinaire Troy Lee stopped tona Supercross? The entire Hon da of Troy parade around and .then. stay the night in the ofthe stadium obstacles. At Daytona, though, by thepi ts to wish Ty Davis luck. Asthe two team opted to stay away from Daytona's .Bike . ' Amaradio had a different explanation.' "We've conversed about D avis' results earlie r in the , Week festivities , and instead' spent the week fancy hotels." ' been working real hard to get the MarzOcchis week at the Ocala National Hare Scrambles and figured out, and th'ey're working pretty good ' AII;'gator Enduro,' a puzzled look came over now," he said. "Actually, Daytona is so much like Lee's face when Davis began to talk about' his an outdoor track, that we figured that the extra ' ' day at the enduro: "What the heck is a bumed flex would ,be a good thing, As a matter of fact, ' check?" asked Lee. " ' ', practicing at HoT rider Brian Swink's,house in nearby Ocala . "Brian has' a pretly ,killer track," said Mike Craig, ' , , Team Yamaha's Kev in ,Windham was under ' Spon sor plug of. the week: Greg Albertyn, on . whether or not he likes the biker image: "Yeah, I like Harley s a lot, but 1 like ,Suzuki Intruders much better:" '. '

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