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/127765
ing to his new Honda ride, crashed in a w h oo p secti o n . Though W ard wa s unhurt in the incid ent, he was sidelined with a broken throttle housing. . "It's not the way 1 wanted to end the se ries," sai d Ward. "I felt 1 was riding good enough to win the championship, an d 1 wanted to wi n it bad, 'maybe too bad. Thi s is the second time this year I've fini sh ed second in su pe rcross to McGrath , and I'd really like to beat him. 1 think next yea r I'll have my best shot at the title now that I'm on Hondas." Up front, Huffman continued to lead McGrath . It was a rare sigh t conside ring that it took a ll of McGrath' s skills to match Hu ffman 's spee d. McGrath, ho wever, mad e no excuses, even though he appeared really so re during the midafternoon p ractice sessions. Dowd, meanwhile, moved into third ahead of Brown, Lawrence, Lamson and Pichon, That ord er changed when Lamson accid ently took ou t Lawren ce in a pass attempt. "I thought I could mak e a good block pass on Phil, but he didn't wan t to give me any roo m and I can't blam e him . He was ridi ng really good." The inci den t d ropped Lawrence to ninth behin d David Ping ree, while Lam son got going in 15th. As the race wound down , it became ap parent th a t McGra th desperatel y wa nted to win. The one-second cushion that H u ffm an m ain tain ed for over 10 laps had been cut to a bike length. During the closing laps Huffman was forced to rid e defensi vely as McGrath st arted using in novated lines to force a pass. This wen t on for at least three laps when Huffma n' s lead , w hich lasted fo r 12 laps, came to an end . "I hit this rut and it threw me over a d ouble kind of wei rd," said Huf fman. "It threw me left, ins tead of righ t, and once that happened I knew that Jeremy had the ad van tage." Huffma n was ri ght. McGrath took away Huffman's line and stuffed him on the second-to-last lap for the win, his sixth of the series. Huffman finished seco nd, followed by Dowd, Pichon and Brown. "It was close," sai d McGrath . "A lot closer than 1 would like. This track isn't really that techni cal an d it allowed a lot of guys to go fast." "Even th ou gh 1 finis hed se co nd, I p roved a point," sai d Hu ffman. "No w everyone knows what I ha ve to offer on a 250. On a good bike 1 can run with the best of them ." l~ Palexpo Convention Center Geneva, Sw itzerland Results: December 9-10, 1995 Satur day 250 M AI N: 1. Damon H u ff m a n (Kaw ); 2. Phi l L1WreT1ce (l(aw); 3. Larry Ward (Ho n ); 4. Mike Brown (Ho n ); S. Ryan Hughes (Kaw); 6. James Dobb (Hon~ 7. Steve La mson (Ho n) ; 8. Kyle lewis (Y.am) ; 9 . Guy Coope r (Suz); 10. Larry Broo ks (Ya m); 11. Fred er ic Ytalle (Kaw ); 12. John Dowd (Yam); 13. Thie rry Bethys (Ho n); 14, Da vid Pin gr ee (Kaw); 15. Jer em y McGrath (Hun); 16. M ickcel Pichon (Kaw). Ti me: 14 m in.. 32.920 sec. Su nday 250 MAIN: 1. Jerem y McG rath (Hon ); 2. Da mo n Huffman (Kaw); 3. John Dowd (Yam); 4. Mickael Pichon {Kaw]: 5. Mike Bro wn (Hon); 6. Iames Dob b (Han); 7. R.yan Hughes (Kaw); 8. David Pingree (Kaw); 9. Phil La wrence (Kaw); 10. Guy Cooper (Suz); 11. Daniel Obelisco (Hon); 12. Steve Lamson (Hon); 13. Fred eri c Vialle (Kaw); 14. Kyle Lewis (Yam); 15..Th ierry Beth ys (H un); 16. Larry Wand (Hon ). Ti me: 14 mi n.• 15.427 sec. FIM W O RLD CHAM P JO S SH IP SERIES FISAL POI NT STA..'tDINGS <.aftn 8 o f 8 rounds): 1. Je rem y McGrath (135/6 wins); 2. Larry Ward (112/1); 3. Steve Lamson (96); 4. Ryan Hu ghes (96); 5. Damon Huffman ohn Dow d (48~ 7. Mike Brown (43); 8.)df Emig (62/1); 6. J . (43~ 9. Mike Craig (41); 10. Jimm Button (41~ 11. ) = y Dobb (32~ 12. Thierry Bethys (30~ 13. Phil Lawrence (29~ 14. Guy Cooper (21 ~ IS.)eff Matiasevid> (21); 16. Kevin Windham (20); 17. Kvle Lewis (16); 18. Daniel Obe lisco (IS); 19. MiOOd Maschio (15); 2D Fred eric Vian. (14). . (Above) Honda of Troy's Larry Ward cameto Geneva with a chance at the World Supercross title, but crashed in Sunday's final 10 finish second In season points. (Left) The lone American in the 125cc class, TIm Ferry rode to second place in both motos. (Right) Priveteer Phil Lawrence was Impressive Saturday w~h a dramatic charge through the pack to end up second behind DamonHuffman. Brieflv.••• . the championship going into Geneva but opted to climb aboard 250s for a ' shot at the much larger purse . In Sunday's final. . Tim Ferry, Pingree's replacement as the only Ameti can 125 rider, placed second in both motos. . . Select 125and 250 riders w ere invrted to participate in ajump Honda-of Troy' s ' Larry Ward almost sat ciutthe final tw o co ntest following Sunday' s racing. Each rider was.allowed one . nights of the sertesafter gett ing injured in the non-series race ·full lap around the course• which provided six enormous jump s · .in .Boloq ne, Ward tw eaked his thllmb, but elected to endure .' for air-time antics . .Jeremy McGra.th and S teve . Lamson . the pain beca use he sat .second in the cham pionship poin t : tied, forci ng a shootout ~ich McGrath won, standings and had an outsi de shot ~t the titl e. . . · Team Honda's Steve' Lamson' was One 'of a handful of riders How exc ited .was D amon Huffman. abo ut winning Satu r· wh o ' race d four consec utive days during the. week. Lamson . day' s final? The normally calm. cool and collected child prodigy won both days [n Boloqne, Italy. and then drove eight hours to was yeliing at the top of his voice immediately after crossing . ·make it to the 250cc W orld Championship Supercross Serie s , the finish line. in Geneva.. . ' . . Honda of Troy's Mik~ 'C nii g had a~' interesting jciurn~y to Frenchman Sebastia'n ·To rt. 1Ii wra ppe d up 'the first -ever Geneva - we ll..sort of . You see: C raig actually never made the entire trip . -The southern Californ ian stuck his 'passport in a . 125cc European C up Supercross Championship after winning both motos during .Sunday' s unique tw o-mota fonn at for the ' si de pocket ofhrs luggage. and when his plane landed h e fou nd out that It-had been lost or stolen . Asa result, Cra ig small-bore class. David Vuillemin trailed Tort elh in series w asn't allowed to .enter Switzerland and had to immediately points. 190-1 64 . while Stephane Ro n cad a claimed third tum around and go back home . with 133. Team SplitFire's David P i ng ree had been leading