Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

EVENTS' ... .' Edited by Scott Rousseau , . Results O /A: 1. Donnie Schmitt (CCM ); 2. Lance Sm ail (H bg) : 3. G reg Zi tte rko p f (KTM); 4. Gord on Ward (ATK); 5. Dav e Co upe (H bgl. Lomm Prestige-cross el Albertyn's European vacation By A lex Hodgkinson LaMMEL, BELGIUM, MAY 14 reg Albertyn took advantage of a break in the AMA MX schedule to return to Europe for a long weekend, but the South African-born threetime World Cham pion found life just as difficult at his old stomping grounds, as the local sand-riding experts pushed him down to seventh place overall in the Prestige-cross at the tortuous Heerserbergen track at Lommel in northeastern Belgium, the same location where the Motocross des Nations will be held in 1997. The race had been billed as the confrontation of the big guns from the 250 and 500cc GPs and, despite the absence of the Italian teams, the entry list literally sparkled even before Albertyn signed up . Unfortunately local matador Jacky Martens was an injury-enforced specta- . tor, and 250cc World series pace-setter Tallon Vohland also withdrew at the last minute, but the remaining famous names from the GP scene provided . some classic action for a disappointingly low crowd of only 2000; erroneous forecasts of showery weather, plus the counter attraction within a five mile radius of an international triathlon and a drag race took their toll. The track also took its toll on both man and machine, and no tea m fared worse than the official Johnson-Bieffe Suzuki GP squad. Debuting new bikes wh ich fitted their factory engines and Showa works suspension in 1996 pre-production frames, both Marnicq Bervoets and Werner Dewit were embarrassingly eliminated from the firs t 30-minute-plus-two-lap moto when their engines sucked in sand through the new larger airbox . Dewit saved face with a runaway second moto win, but the team had wo rries of another kind as World title contender Bervoets was taken to the medical tent from a first turn collision with ankle injuries which th reaten his participation in the Finnish GP. . Five support races had already roughened up the track before the first confrontation of the star names, but the big bikes still dominated proceedings. Carlo Hulsen was the man to watch in the first race as he quickly passed [ohan Boonen to storm away from the pack. "I've got my confidence back again after all those crashes at the start of the year," said Boonen. "It all seemed too easy." His fastest lap was a full three second s faster than anyone else. Albertyn, rid ing hard bu t with an eye to the upcoming U.S. Nationals, was never a factor among the leaders. "[eez, those big four-st rokes go fast ," said Albertyn of ge tting passed by Srne ts, "but I got him back when he fell down! " They finished 5-6. Another block of support ra ces, including one for the sidehacks, gave the more maneuverable 250s the advantage in race two and Dewi t nee de d no second invitation to be up and away, the Dutch 250 star Leon Giesbers only getting close when the Belgian eased his pace in the closing laps. G Schmitt victorious at Hangtown "Sound of Thunder" By David Lutz SACRAMENTO, CA, MAY 7 on nie Sch mitt roared to d ou ble moto victories at roun d one of the ' Sound of Thunder four-stroke racing series run in conjunction with the Hangtown Nationa l Motocross. Schmitt, a two-time World Champion motocrosser from Minnesota, emerged from a short-lived retireme nt to easily dominate the field. Schmitt, who retired from the 250cc Grand Prix circuit at the end of the 1994 season, will contest all four rounds of the series mounted on a 600cc CCM new ly imported from Great Britain. ' Husaberg-mounted Gary Beyer took the holeshot in the first moto, followed by Terry Fowler and Kenny Olsen, also on Husabergs. Number-one-plate holder Greg Zitterkopf took his KTM to a fou rth-place start. Schmitt set the tone early, however, advancing from a back-of-the-pack start to the lead position by the end of the first lap. Ano ther prerace favorite, Husaberg's Lance Smail, experienced mechanical difficulty at the start and got away half a lap down. Schmitt immedia tely began to stretch out his advantage, leaving the ot hers to argue over second. Gordon Ward was the first to move up and challenge Beyer for second spot, swapping the position back and forth . Zitterkopf had faltered early in the race D Donnie Schmitt came out of reti rement to contest round one of the Sound of Thunder series held at t he Hangtown MX in Sacramento, California, and thumped t he competition with his Rota x-powered CCM. an d slipped back in the pack, but began to steadily move up, regaining sixth place by lap four . At the same time, Smail was mounting an impressive charge from last place. Zitterkopf was eventually able to challenge and pass Ward for third place, and close in on Beyer for second. Zitterkopf then passed Beyer on the penultima te lap, with Smail following suit shortly th er eafte r. With one-half lap remaining, Smail ducked underneath Zitterkopf for second. Small's momentum could take him no further, however, as Schmitt held a more t ha n 20 -second advantage . Schmitt took the vic tory, followed by Smail and Zitterkopf in second and third, respectively. . Moto two opened with Smail in the lead, followed by Fowler, Zitterkopf and Schmitt. Schmitt moved into second on the first uphill, while Zitterkopf retained third place and all three front-runners began to pull aw ay from the rest of the field. . Zitterkopf put a move on Schmitt for second on lap two and held the position for the first half of the race, although not by muc h. Schmitt was able to regain the position on the big downhill and set off after Smail. Schmitt caught Smail and we nt b y over the finish-line jump, pulling out to an immediate six-second lead . With tha t move the finishing order was se t, Schmitt taking the win over Smail and Zitterkopf. fN . H ulsen, sensing a major win, had snatched second on lap two but had to quit midrace in pain from an injured knee. That threw the overall wide open as Boonen moved up to third, while Everts clawed his way through the pack again. The Kawasaki turned the tab les on the Husky with a pass through the roughest section of the entire track with jus t over two laps to the finish . Smets recovered magnificently from the collision which had put Bervoets out to finish a strong fourth, while Albertyn, initially fifth, dropped down to eight h at the finish . . The last man to nail him was fellow South African Paul Cooper, who had come from 13th after 15 minutes. fN Resuhs MOTO 1: 1. Carlo Hu lsen (He n): 2. Stefan Everts (Kaw), 3. joh an Boonen (Hu s): 4. Rud i Van Leeuwe n (H on) : 5. G reg A lbertyn (5uz ); 6. Joel Smets (Hb g): 7. jaim y Scevene ls (Han) ; 8. Gert Jan Van Dom (Hen): 9. Oscar Vromans (H e n): 10. Leo n Giesbers (Suz ). MOTO 2: 1. Werner De wit (Suz); 2. Leon Gies bers (Suz); 3. Ste fan Everts (Kaw) : 4. Joel Smets (Hbg): S. john Van den Berk (Hen): 6. [chan Boonen (Hu s): 7. Paul Coop er (H a n ); 8. Greg Alb ertyn (Suz) ; 9. Kurt Ni coll (Hon); 10. Peter Iven (Ka w ). OIA:.l . Stefan Everts IKaw ): 2 Johan Boonen (Hus): 3. Leon Giesbers (SUZ)i 4. Joel Sm ets IHbg), 5. Werner Dewit (Suz); 6. Car lo Hulsen (H on); 7. Greg Albertyn (Su z); 8. Rudi Van Leeuwen (He n): 9. Oscar Vromans (Hen) : 10. John Van d en Berk (Han) World Championship 125cc Motocross Series Round 4:Polish GP Chiod ifalters SZCZECIN, POLAND, MAY 14 lessio Chiodi came back to beat arch rival Alessandro Puzar in the second moto of the Polish GP, but a first- race fall which saw him finish one place out of the points not only lost the Rinaldi Yamaha teamster the GP but also the lead in the standings of the Worl d 125cc MX Series after four rounds. Track conditions were terrible after non-stop rain on Friday and Saturday d eluged the track, which was within the city limits of the town of Szczecin, for wha t it once was - the municipal dump. Fast qualifier Sebastien Tortelli was eliminated by mecha nical problems in the opening moto and never made the start of the second; he was one of half a dozen riders who thought that the second moto would start 10 minu tes later after delays to the fi rst race, but it wasn't and his mechanic was denied access to the pre-parc after getting there to o late with the De Groot-tuned Kawasaki. f:N A Resu lts MOTO 1: 1. Ales sandro Puzar (Han); 2. Charrel Sweebe (H en ): 3. Frederic Vialle (Kaw) : 4. Massim o Bartolini (TM); 5. Paul Malin (Yam); 6. Claudio Federici (Yam); 7 Dave Strijbos (Suz) ; 8 Fabio Balducd (Horn; 9. Erik Cemerlengo (Yam); 10. Mauro Oal'Lago (Hon); 11. Sebastien Hanni (Yam); 12. Michele Fanton (Kaw): 13. Collin Dugmore (Suz ); 14, Philippe Dupasquler (Yam); 15. jimmy Button (Han), MOTO 2: 1. Ales sio Chiodi (Yam) ; 2. Alessandro Puzar (Han); 3. Dave Strijbos (Suz) ; 4. Charrel Sweebe (Ho n), 5. jimmy Button (Hon); 6. Ma x' Ga zzarata (Hen), 7. Fabio Balducci (Ha n ); 8. Co llin Dugmore (Suz); 9. Sebastian Carric o (Kaw): 10. Mika el Maschio (Han ); 11. Iochen Jasinski (Yam); 12 Leonardo Leoni (Hen): 13. Roy Snelling en (Suz ); 14. Brian Kjaer Jorgensen (Hon): 15. Edwin Evertsen (Han). O /A: 1. Alessandro Puzar (Hon); 2. Charrel Sweebe (Hon); 3. Dave Strijbos (Suz); 4. Alessio Chiodi (Yam); 5. Fabio Balducci (Han); 6. Frederic Vialle (Kaw); 7. Massimo Bartolini (TM); 8. jimmy Button (Han); 9. Paul Malin (Yam); 10. Collin Dugmore (SU2). WORLD C H A M P IO N S H I P 12 5,e MX SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (Af ler 4 of 12 r oun d s ): 1 .Alessa nd ro Puzar (118/1 win); 2. Alessio Chiodi (]I2!I); 3. Dave Strijbos (84); 4. Mikael Maschio (77 /1); 5. Jimmy Button (70); 6. Claudio Federici (63/1 ); 7. Mauro Dal'Lago (54); 8. Erik CamerIengo (5]); 9. Collin Dugmore (SO); 10. Massimo Bartolini (48); 11. Frederi c Viall e (46); 12. Sebastien Tortelli (43); 1. Michele Fanton (39) ; 14. Paul Malin (33); 15. Charrel Sweebe (30); 16. Fabio Balducci (20); 17. Cristian Ravaglia (17); 18. Max Gazzarata (0 ); 19. Lu igi Seguy (9); 20 . Stephane Rcncada (9).

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