Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

.M T C O S· OO R S ..World Championship500cc MolocrossSeries Round 3:Swiss GP scorched past the Honda and Kawasaki ahead of him in an effort to escape, but the Husaberg clung to his rear wheel as the y proved their dominance. Even King had to admit, "Their pace is just too hot for me." While the handicapped Martens battled bravely th rough from an initial 15th, his two title rivals had the crowd rapt as they fought out a classic tactical duel, which both saw differently, of course. "I was always contro lling my advantage," said Parker. "I could leave him (Smets) whenever I wanted." "I was ge tting peppered with rocks," said Smets. "I d rop ped back out of the firing range and tried to rush him (Parker) , but I could never ca tch enough befo re we came to one of the tight sections w here he could get away again. In the end I let him go ." King's apparently safe third was lost in the last three laps when the rear tire went flat. "I had two security bolts in and it wasn't turning on the rim, but I had to take care on the off-cambers and the jumps," said King. The Kiwi was fifth just ahead of brother Shayne who rode a strong second half. "I couldn't attack early on after I took (Left) Being en the Dutslde In the fi rst co rner was net a good Idea at the HilflkDn track. John Van den Berk wasn 't and hol esh ot bDth motos, though he was soo n pu shed back. (BeIDw) Joe l Smets took the overall on his Husaberg and nDWstan ds seco nd In over atl points. By Alex Hodg kinso n WOHLEN, SWITZERLAND, MAY 7 oe l Smets rode his thundering Husaberg to its second GP win in three rou nd s of the World 500cc MX series at a hot and hu mid Hilfikon track just outside the town of Wohlen, west of Zurich, but it was Trampas Parker on the 360 KTM, the smallest-displacement bike in the race, who moved further ahead in the overall standings after sharing top points on the day at the Swiss GP. In blistering heat with humidity so high that even the 10,000 spectators were gasping for air, the na tive of Louisiana, lead ing the overall by one point coming into this round, withstood everything that Smets could throw at him in the first 45-minute moto, and was more than relieved to salvage a runner-up finish in moto two . "My front wheel hit a rock which didn' t wa nt to move on a downhill in the first 10 minu tes of that race, and I cracked my balls on the gas tank," said Parker. "I had stomach cramps for the rest of the mo to, a nd I felt sure I was going to throw up before the finish." Sme ts was also in pain after follow ing Parker for much of the first race. The Belgian bared his torso to show dozens of bloody wounds, saying 'There are so ma ny rocks. I was getting shot-blasted all the way round." But bo th were better off than twotime SOOcc cha mp ion Jacky Martens . Entering the race carrying injuries to his back and thigh, not to mention a hernia, and having been out cold for several min u tes in a race crash six da ys earli- J er, the 1993 cham pion lasted just half an hour in the first moto. Ho ldi ng an advancing sixth in the tracks of Husqvarna teamma te [ohan Boonen, the unfortunate Martens broke a bone in his right hand. "[ohan (Boonen) hit the fence with his rear wheel and dragged it into the track," said Martens. "My front wheel slammed into it and I flew over the bars and landed with my hand under me on what seemed like a rock garden. The doctor says (I must rest for) four weeks but I'll be in Czecho to race in two weeks. Trampas (Parker) is already 38 ahead; I can 't afford to drop an y further behind." John Van den Berk holeshot moto one but was soon being pushed back. "I watched him in race two," said Swedish Jury delegate Peter Hansson. "He was looking toward the starter rather than the gate. Either John or someone in his team could see the guy on the handle." For once the sta rt favored the twostrokes. "It 's only about 60 yards to the first turn. I ca n get the jump on the fou rstrokes at the gate, but they normally come past me on horsepower at 50-60 ya rds. If they try tha t here they'll go straight on into the fence," dec lared an enthus iastic Parker before racing. And sure enough, Parke r's KTM was third up the long hill from the first turn, with only Berk and Darryll King ahead of him. The Huskys were buried in the pack, bu t Smets was out to nullify his Austrian misfor tu nes and was already fourth by the end of the lap . Pa r ke r k new he was there and

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