Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

four when Kiedrowski crashed at high speed after passing Dowd for third. The four-time National champ quickly remounted and rejoined the race a distant fifth but would never be a major factor among the front-runners for the rest of the moto. Up front, Emig had opened up a modest lead over Ward, who had Dowd breathing down his neck, and close behind him was LaRocco. Dowd soon roosted by Ward for third, as did LaRocco for fourth, making the top five Emig, Dowd, LaRocco, Ward and Kiedrowski. By the halfway point, LaRocco had slipped by Dowd for second and still had enough time to catch Emig, who had built up a five-second cushion. But Emig had the classic Unadilla track mastered and, as a result, LaRocco couldn't gain an inch on the Yamaha rider. Instead, Dowd began making a second run on the defending champ, and though he got to within striking distance before the checkered flag came out, he was never able to mount a serious challenge. Emig scored a strong win followed by LaRocco, Dowd and a distant Kiedrowski. Ward looked to have fifth sewn up before his bike acted as though it was running out of fuel in front of McGrath. McGrath, who had been battling back and forth with Honda of Troy's James Dobb for the last half of the race, said, "I passed Dobb (for sixth), then my arms started to pump up and he passed me back," said McGrath of his long climb to the front after crashing on the first lap. "1 eventually passed him back and, on the last lap coming up that Screw-U sec-· tion, I ran into the back of Larry when his bike ran out of gas. I literally pushed him up the hill, then I passed him (for fifth)." With what turned out to be a bad ignition, Ward managed to nurse his bike to finish sixth just ahead of Dobb, then came Ward's teammate Kyle Lewis, Honda of Troy's Todd DeHoop, and Kawasaki of Mexico's Phil Lawrence, who rounded out the top 10. Finishing way back in 12th was Yamaha's Damon Bradshaw, who ran into problems early in the moto. "1 was coming up this hill behind some guy when I went to put on the brakes and nothing happened and I rammed into (Opposite pege) Kawasaki's Mike laRocco scored his first 250Cc National overall victory of the . year at Unadilla after posting 2·2 mota finishes. A brief rain storm left the Unadilla track a muddy mess during the second round of motos. (Right) Team SplltFlre's Ryan Hughes easily won the first 125cc National mota and had the second mota In the bag before crashing. He stili scored the overall win. Both laRocco and Hughes won here lastyear. (Below) The moment of truth for Jeremy McGrath. At the start of the first mota, Larry Ward took the holeshot, got sldewaya, and McGrath hlghslded over Ward's rear tire. McGrath eneled up finishing fifth but carne back and won the second mota. Ward would laler suffer Ignition problems. him from behind and crashed. A big rock had wedged in between the brake pedal and I had to pull it out." By the time the 250s came out for their second moto, the brief shower had left the track extremely muddy, and the start would now be critical. Knowing that a good start would mean clear vision, McGrath shot his Skip Norfolktuned Honda into the lead, but between turns one and two, Bradshaw shot to the outside and railed passed the leader. But in the same tum that had· claimed McGrath in the first moto, Bradshaw bailed when he slid out in the mud. "Stupid," said Bradshaw. "I wasted a good opportunity." The popular rider got back up at the rear of the pack but would quickly pick off riders in bunches and eventually finish a respectable seventh. '1 was pissed after getting a good start (only to crash) and I just tried to pass everyone in front afme." Meanwhile, McGrath had gladly taken over the lead from Bradshaw and would never be seriously challenged. "I was so stoked; it was rad getting out in front like that, especially after what happened in the first moto," McGrath said. "I was so confident out there."

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