Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Round 11: Memorial Stadium In front of 24,ODO-plus spectators, Je ff Emig (6), Mike laRocco (2) and Ward battle for the lead. laRocco would later break his arm after landing short over a triple Jump. move up to Lamson. But my arms were pumping up just a litt le bit through the whoop-de-doos every lap, and by the 15th lap I was just too tight. I knew that I had better slow down or I was going to crash." When asked if he saw LaRocco's mishap, Ward answered, "I was behind him when it happened. We were going back and forth passing each other and he was doing that triple, while I stayed inside and jumped out of it. The first time I even tried to jump that th ing I cased it pretty hard and just said, 'No more: I don't know if he missed a gear or hit a rut, but he didn't come close to going ove r it. He looked like he was five feet short. He just nosed right into it:' Once he got back into seco nd Ward kept going after Lamso n, th ou gh he hi mself had become the next targe t of a charging McGrath . With in another lap Wa rd was back in th ird, a spo t he wo u ld hold to the checkered flag. "The track go t rea l slippery and there we re lots of g u ys b anging a rou n d the re," sai d Ward. "I just tried to be con sistent, becau se I wa nted to ge t on this podium bad . I saw Kiedrowski back in the pack an d I kne w 1 would do a lot of good for myself if I just got up in the top th ree to nig h t." Ward also sent out hi s b est w is hes to his friend a nd riv a l LaRocco. "I hate to take over a position fro m him like that. I really ho pe he' s okay." "I tho ug ht Mike's bike brok e," said M cG r ath . "I wasn' t sure wha t happened, bu t I rea lly am sorry to hear that he broke his arm. He was riding good and he was righ t in front of me. We p robably wou ld have gone 1-2. Maybe not. Maybe we would've gotten to battling andLami would have pu lled away from both of us." "I've been working a lo t la tely on putting the competition out of my mind and jus t trying to use my head and ride smooth," sai d Lamson. "I knew Jeremy was coming and th at was what finally mad e me get a little bit ner vou s. That last lap I just lost the front wheel in the comer because I tho ught that if Jerem y was goi ng to pass me, tha t was the place to do it. I just went in too hi gh in the berm and my fron t e nd washe d on a led ge. I was reall y lu cky th a t I did n' t cras h." "Lamson pus he d it up high in tha t last comer an d I just stayed low and I got him ," said McGrath of the race-winn ing p a s s . " I was co nfi dent that I co u ld've passed him further alon g on that triple because he was tripling to the outside and I was going two-and-one on the inside. If it came down to it I would've tripled to the inside - I would've had to." In the end, McGrath did not have to take any drastic measures. But he did feel that the victory was his closest ever. "That was real close:' said McGrath. "Real close! 1 was just trying to ride a consistent race because I felt really nervous all night long. This was the race that I really wanted to get back on track but, jeez, after 1 got another bad start I started thinking things weren't going to go according to plan. I tried to ride smooth, not do anything dumb or make any mis takes. 1 just took my time and wai ted for my chance to win this race. "Before tonight I was worried abo ut the title, but now 1 have a pretty good points lead:' conti nued McGrath. "Now I can worry abo ut nothing bu t havin g fun, winning races an d ge tting through the series on a high note." When posed with the question of whether the thought of letting his long-frustrated teammate Lamson go ahead and win one, McGrath answered, "Of course it crossed my mind, but 1 would never do it. I didn't want to have to stuff Lami or anything - he 's my teammate - but I would've had it come down to it. I want to win every time 1 go out on the track, and I wou ld've stuffed him only if I could do it under control. After all, second is better than broken arms or b roken legs and not getting any points at all:' "I don't think that I've ever even led any laps until tonight. I k now that I haven't th is year, anyway . Us ually when 1 get out fro nt 1 rid e a little nervo us an d tense . I d idn't do that until the ve ry en d tonight. Jeremy co mi ng u p was the thing that got me thinking." "I made up a lot of points on both laRocco and Kiedrowski tonight, so getting second in the series is not out of the question," said Ward, who is presently just one point behind 1Ith-place Cha rlotte finisher Kiedrowski. "I'd like to wi n a race and make the podium from here on out," said Ward. "I don't know what my problem is:' reasoned Emig after leading another main event only to come away wi nless. "I ride better on lap 18 tha n 1 do on lap eig ht. I get rea l tight in th e midd le of these races. I get the p ressure until the guys pass me, then I relax and go after the m and fee l fine . I' m reall y d isappo in te d in m ys e lf because I know 1 coul d have do ne beller than 1 do. This should've bee n my night. For the life of me, 1 ca n't exp lai n w hy 1 don"t ri de smooth when 1 get the holeshot. It ' s been like th is for the last five yea rs. 1 know that I've led more laps tha n anyone who has never wo n one of these:' "I found one p lace I could pass:' said Hughes, who was 12th p lace after one lap but came through for fifth . "I had to hit some people an d make some stuff happen, but that's just me doing what everyone else out there is doing - trying to win." Craig and Swink finished sixth and seventh, while Albertyn. just back from an inju ry-ind u ced hiatus in his native South Africa , finished eighth. "I've been wo rking ha rd the last twoand-a-half weeks and it's good to see so me progress: ' said Albertyn. "I wasn't really chargi ng ou t th e re but I ha d a smooth, consistent ride. There were very few m is ta kes and th at' s th e way I'm go ing to kee p it from now on." / Roundin g o u t th e top 10 b ehind Su zuki' s Al be rty n we re H enry an d Team Yamaha's Dowd . sand people after an ' early-access promotion The rider ent ry count for'the' 1t"th round 01 the and Homer decided he was going.to pull his 1995 U.S.·Supercross Series numbered 72 in van through them: We asked Homer to wait ·the 125i:c class and 52 in' the 250 'division, ' . . for five minutes while we got the crowd out of down sev eral riders from last -year 's entry The rain expecied .for Saturday night d'id not the way 'a nd he informed tis that he wasn't. level. In fact, nine out of the 11 events have show up in Chariotte, but Damon Bradshaw' going towat t. Then.his mechanic .began to do been 'dowri on entr ies. Only the rounds at . did. With rumors swirling through the industry so me damaq eto the facility. At that point Seattle and Daytona had 'any.increase , and ' · that'the retired superstar might be soon return- . there we asked the police to intervene. They ' . that was by only acouple .of riders.."My per-. irig to the race track after an 18-month hiatus', . asked Homer to leave the facility and at that . .sonal opinion is that the race track itself is dis-: the Charlotte' round had some added energy. point we think that's the last we'll.see of . couraging casual riders, 'goodr iders',n their. 'areas, from.coming out to race," says A.I.R.'s Bradshaw lives just 30 minutes up the road in . Homer, pending further notice.". . . Roy Jansen. "The tracks are so technical arid nearby Mooresville and always considered the Injuries took their .toll on the talent pool C!f this difficult that guys don't want to be emba rChartott e event to be .his "hometown" race, making' it the perfect place lor his supercross round of the 125cc Easte rn' Reg ,ona l SX . rassed in front of·their.friends and sponsors.". comeback. Bradshaw passed on the race and Series. Team Yamaha's Kevin Windham , . Janson also cites the discontiruration of the was non-eommittal when asked about a possi- Kawasaki 's Robbie Reynard a nd Suzu ki's AMA's one-day Pro-Am license as 'contributing . . ble return. "I've bee n out in California riding TIm Ferry all missed .the Charlotte round due - tactort o iIle downward spirai. . . . '. bikes with the Yamaha guys and I am thinking to injuries. Windham' broke his shoulder 'in a iJSUPerabout coming back;" said Bradshaw on Friday crash at the Pontiac Supercross a fo'rtnight: By winning the 125cc Easte m.Regiom attemoon betore the race, "If the timing's right ago and is expected to be out until the High c ross title Fre nch man Mickael Pich on ' l. n and i feel like I can go out and ride like my oid Point Nationals at M Morris O Memorial Day became the third foreign rider to win'a U.S. . · self, have fun and be competitive, that's' when weekend. Reynard, also injured at Pontiac, stadium litle: In'1991 countryman Jean-Michel ' could be back for this weekend's Dalla s event,': Bayle won the 250CC AMA Supercross ChamI'llcome back." ' . Ferry, who broke .his jaw a t the Houston : pionship (along with the 250 and 500cc outRoy Jans on suspe nded the' license of racer ' Astrodome, ·is also expected back by the' end door titles). And way back in 1974 Yamaha. mount ed Dutchma n Pier re Karsmakers Homer Wools layer foHowing an incide nt in of May. . cap tured the abbre viated three-race 250cc the Cha rlotte pitarea, Woolslaye r a nd his crew. were trying to leave the pits after the With Reynard already out and Mike laRocco .Supercross title over the likes of·Penton rider a fternoon qua lifiers in orde r to make it to . breaking.his a rm in Charlotte, Kawasa ki's big .Buck Murphy.and Bultaco-backed Gary Bailey.. another event but 'instead had 'a nother run-in rig Willoffer lots of room for Kiedrowski in Dal- The series included three races that year - a with series organizers. "The producers .over ' las next weekend. It is doubtful thai Kawasaki ' Oaytoria, the .Houston Astrodome and th·e.Los the yea rs have ' had a number of incide nts would bump Team SplitFire/Pro Circuit's Mick- Angeles Memorial Coliseum's "Superbowl of regarding Homer's behavior," sa id Jan son of ael Pichon crRyan Hughes upinto the facto- Motocross " - and a 500cc. class; which.was . American international RaCing. "The was ari ry rig; so Kiedrowski should have the place to . 'won by Husqvarna-mounted Gary Semics : 're earlier incident this .year at Houston when himse lf'at least until Reynard 's scheduled More than 20 years later Karsrnakers is saidto ; cycle business in his native ' Homer had given his credential to other folks return at the .Hanqtown Nationals 'on May 7. be running a motor to use and at that time it was confiscated. The It's a situation similar to the orie-rider/one-18- Holland , " Prc fess or" Bailey . is teach ing.. -' · AMA informed usat that time tha t he had 'wheeler setup Jeff Emig had 'at Yamaha last motocross schools and still designing the Day been put on proba tion. This a fternoon we year after Bradshaw sat out the season 'and . tona track, andSernlcs ass ists McGrath in his . were trying to clear the pits of several thou- Mike Craig .mis sed several races betore part: training. . .ing ways with the company. . Brieflv... . . '

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