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/127731
MOTOCROSS . AMA t25125OCi: Nalional C hampionship Motocross Series Round 3:High Point Raceway ttJ" By Donn Maeda Photos by Kinne y Jon es' MT. MORRIS, PA, MAY 28 amon Bradshaw's retu rn to racing may n o t ha ve b e en as s pect ac ula r as everyone had ho ped, but th at d idn' t sto p th e race action at th e H igh Poi nt National from being th e best of the stillyo ung ou tdoor se ries . On and off rain sto rms kep t th e tra ck in co ns ta n t ly 3 6 cha ngi ng condi t ions, and the four Na tio na l championsh ip motos yielded four d iffer en t w inners. No, Bradshaw was n' t o ne of those winners, but the popular North Carolinan showed flashes o f brill ian ce throu gh o ut the d ay w hic h proved that he hasn't los t much if a ny - of his d istincti ve form .. Brad shaw slithe red to' an eig hth-p lace finish in the opening 250cc mota after leading bri efly, as he wa s amo ng many w ho fell victi m - literall y - to the muddy conditions. Th e reju venated rider crashed hard and "rang his bell" in th e second mo ta, an d returned to the Yamah a pits semi-dazed and confused . . But eno ug h of Bradshaw, w hat of the w in ners? In th e hi ghl y co m pe ti tive 250cc class, Te am Hond a / I -800-Col lect /Fox ri der Doug Henry score d th e first 250cc Na tiona l victory of his caree r aft er tr ading mot o wi ns with his teammat e, three-tim e Su pe rcross Cha mpi o n Jerem y McGrath . The likabl e New Eng lander excelled in the muddy mot e-one con d itions, and finis hed a dista nt th ird to the fast-disappearing McG rath and Jeff Emi g in the d ry second ou ting. "Everyo ne thinks that I look forwa rd to the ra in, but th at ' s no t com pletel y true," said Henry. " I hate the rain and mud just as much as everyone else doe s. I just happen to go fast in the stuff." Sec ond o verall in th e quarter-liter division went to the circuit's o the r "mud specialist," Team Yama ha 's John Dowd. The scrap py 29-year-old turned in less spectacular - albei t consistent - 3-4 moto sco res ' for hi s best fini sh of th e season thus far. McGrath ro unded out th e top three, d espite a n a d m itt edly " la me" first -mot o ninth-pla ce finish . Th e charismatic Californian slipped and fell four times in the firs t go- ro und, but ab solutely trounced th e competition when th e going got dry for moto two. In the ev en more competitive 125cc division, Team Suzuki's Tim Ferry made up for what ha s o therw ise bee n a di sapp ointin g y e a r b y ea rn ing the fir st National win of his career. The friend ly Floridian turned in two runner-up moto fini shes, proving hi s speed in th e w et and the dry. "I wou ld ha ve liked to ha ve won at least one of the mot es, but I'll take the overall wi n an y way I can get it," said Ferry. 'Td have to say that this is a good way to come back after breaking my jaw and losin g my sho t at the 125cc Supercross Champion ship." Se cond a nd th ird overa ll w ere th e tw o moto winners , Ho nd a of Tro y' s Mike Bro wn and Tea m Split Fire / Pr o Circu it / Kawasaki rid er Mickael Pichon . Brown hammered the field in the mu d and fini shed fourth in th e drier conditio ns, sco r ing his fir st Na tiona l .moto win and highest-ever Na tio na l finish all in one . Pichon, meanwhile, finish ed a di stant fifth in th e fi rst m ot o , b u t ex cell ed in m ot o tw o and ran d o w n race-lon g leader Ferry for the win. Wi th th r ee o f t h e sc h ed u le d 12 rou nds in th e record books, th e 1995 season has to be one of the most com pctitive ever. So far, the 125 and 250cc classes ha ve vie lded I I di ffere nt moto w inn er s and six differe nt overa ll victors . McGrath is th e o nly rid er to have sco red tw o mot o w ins , his first co mi ng at the series opener in Gai nesville, and his second at Mt. Morris . And speaking of McGrat h, he continues to hold a slim one-point lead in the 250cc Na tional C ha m p ionship p o int stand ings. Hen ry's w in va u lts him into a dose second , and the Red Rider s lead the series, 118-117. Yam aha 's Jeff Emig fifth overall at Mt , Morris - is third with 112 , whil e Han gtown winne r M ike Kiedrowski dropped fro m s eco n d to fourth after having a d isappointing, seventh-ov erall showi ng. In th e 125cc cl a ss , a no th er s u percrosser extraordinaire control s the point lead. Despite not having' won an overall, Suzuki's Damon Huffm an h as turned consistent fini shes into a hea lthy 15point lead over Team Sp litFire /Pro Circu it /Kawasaki 's Ryan Hughes, 122-107. Hughes had a miserable day, cra shing in both motos an d finishing eighth overall . Ferry's win catapulted him into a tie for third wi th Pichon . Both rid ers have 106. 250cc Large drops of rain began to fall from the gray sk y just befo re the start of the ' first 125cc class moto, and by th e time th e 40 250cc class racers lined u p, the tr ack was a q uagmi re . Beca use of the co n ditio n s , sev e ra l rid e rs opted to decl in e t h e wa r m -u p s ig h ti ng la p . A mo ng the rid ers w ho s ta yed at the ga te we re th ree-tim e World Champion Greg A1ber tyn, Brad sh aw and Noleen's