Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

MOTOCROSS AMA 1 50ccNational Championship Motocross series 2512 Round 1: Gatorback Cycle Park ',,- McGrath passed Hugh es on th e sec ond lap, using the insi de line before th e "eleva to r" to s teal H ughes' li ne away and move into second . Hug hes immediately began to lose touc h with McGrath bu t stayed well ahead of the rest of th e field . "M y upper body just got tired," said H ughes. "I guess you really do have to be stronger to race a 250. Those g uys rode good - I just could n't keep up tod ay. It'll come, though." McGrath sta lked Emig for the next 25 minu tes, sometimes running right on the Kawasaki ride r's rear fender, sometimes as far back as three sec onds. McGrath was visibly faster in the start/finish area, whil e Emig gained gro und in the far section of the course. "By the tim e I go t into seco nd I wa s out of Tear-Offs," said McGrath. "I was trying to just wipe my lens with my hand but th at wasn' t w orking so ho t. I w as m aking so me mistakes ou t th ere, that 's fo r su re. I would try to relax, and he'd get away a little, then I would ge t pissed and think, 'I can' t let th is guy win.' Th en I would hammer it ou t an d close back in." (Left) Lamson (1), Scott Sheak (26) and Damon Huffman (10) battle for the lead in the 125cc National. Privateer Sheak, riding a Suzuk i, surprised many with a second overa ll finis h, going 3-3. (Below left) Ryan Hughes grabbed third overall with a pair of th irds in the 250cc National. (Below right) Mickael Pichon won the first 125cc National, but a crash relegated him to 121h In the second. Once in to seco nd, Albertyn tw ist ed th e th rottle of his fac to ry Su zuki an d closed in on McGrath. "I wa s nervou s," ad mi tted McGrath. "A lbee was s how in g me so me fender. Then I s ta r ted to lo osen up and p ull away. Onc e I got going, it was easy." O n lap five, McGr ath began ano the r o ne o f hi s p aten ted brea ka w a ys a nd wo uld stretch his lead to eight seconds in the end . Albertyn held down second until the 12th lap, w he n he lost his balan ce in an off-camber left-hander and allowed the cha rging Kawasakis of Emig and Hug hes to sneak past. Hughes ho u nded Emig thro ugh out . the entire moto, but was unable to find a way past. " It took me a whil e to loose up," said Emi g, unhappy with his second -place finis h. "I d idn't ride eno ug h before this . rac e - practi ce was ra in ed /out, th en I broke a wheel on the second lap of practice and didn't get to rid e." Hugh es, meanwhile, seemed sa tisfied \0 wit h hi s per formance . Th e once-hy per 0\ 125cc pilot di splayed a smoother, more ~ controlled riding style abo ard the bigger ('(') machin e. "I don 't get as tired on a 250," , ,..... said H u gh es . "W he n I fini shed a 125 moto I'm all ou t of breath, but I was 100 '.] pe rcent the whole time on the 250. I just .ct: cou ldn't find an opening to try and pass Jeff." ~ Alber tyn came home five seconds after Hughes and was quite upset with his late-race mistake. G ~ 8 "I just lost the front end," he said. "I wa s rid in g w ell in th e firs t lap s, but I mad e too man y mistakes. "Mike laRocco started the race seventh and worked up to fifth, while Dam on Brad shaw spen t the enti re race battling wi th Great Western Ban k's Phil Lawrence and ended up sixth. Det ermin ed to be tter his m ot o one p erformance by o n e p os iti o n , Em ig pulled a spectacular holesh ot in the sec. ond race and led Hu ghes, FMF Suzu ki's Guy Cooper, McGrath a nd Bradshaw th ro ugh th e first few turns and down into th e rock quarry. McGrath went to wo rk quickly, and passed Cooper as they raced alongs ide a spectator-lined fence. That se t the stage for the remaind er of the race, as Emig, Hughes and McGrath quickly outdistanced the rest of the pack. "I was totally relaxed ," said Emig, who rode smooth and steady. "I had my fast lines and he had his." McG rath made his move with five laps to go in th e s ta rt/ finis h area, but Emig tried to re talia te in th e following corner and we nt down. "I lost my drive in a so ft be rm and McGrath got by me," said Emig. "I tried to cut un de r him in the next corne r but the inside berm was blown ou t and I lost the front end. But that' s all a part of racing. Secon d sucks, I ain't kidding ya.' McGra th's version of the incident was a bit different. "I passed him and he went nuts in the next tu rn ," McG rath said . "He tried to plow m e. He came inside and ran in to me - look at the marks on my bike. He just spun out and high-sided." No m atter w hic h way it happened , th e race fo r the lead was over a nd McGrat h race d off with a po pu lar win. Emig r ecovered fo r second a head of H ughes and a d istant Brad shaw. "I' m fairl y happy with my r id e today," said Bradsha w . "I rod e better in the second moto than the first. I can feel m y strength comi ng back , a nd with strength comes speed." 0 Gatorbac k Cycle Park Gainesville, Ro rida Resu lts: March3, 1996 (Round 1 of 13) 125 MOTO 1 (30 m inutes plus 2 laps): 1. Mickael Pichon (Ka w ): 2. Steve Lamson (H on ); 3. Scott Sh eak (Suz); 4. Damon Huffman {Ka w): 5. Mike Brown IHon ): 6. James Dobb (Suz) : 7. Larry Brooks (Yam) ; 8. Ca se y Jo hnson (Kaw ): 9. Brian Deegan (Ho n): 10. Jeff Curry (Suz) ; 11. Barry Carsten (Su z): 12. Tim Ferry (Suz): 13. Tom Clowers [r, (Suz); 14. Tony Lorusso (Hon): 15. Pedro Go nzalez (Hon): 16. Buddy Antune z (Kaw): 17. Kim A. hkenazi (Ho n): 18. Anthony Poco roba (Suz); 19. Ryan s Hu ffm an (He n): 20 . Co ry Kee ney (Ya m) ; 21. Rus ty H ollan d (Suz ): 22. Rick y Skaggs (Kaw): 23 . Den y Step he nso n (Kaw ): 24. David Kratz (5uz ); 25. Jeff Willoh (Han); 26. S. Carter (Hon ): 27. [ca kim Wan nstrom (Ya m); 28. Mike Treadwe ll (Suz); 29. S. Herman (Su z) ; 30. Sha ne O' Connor (Han); 31. Ch ad Sanner IKaw): 32. Mike Karin IHo n); 33. H eath Voss (He n): 34. John Do wd (Yam); 35. [eff Pes tana (Hen): 36. Mike Brandes (Suz); 37. Brett Sa lande r (Kaw): 38. Ez ra Lusk (Suz); 39. Ca rlo Coen (Suz); 40. James Eickle (Yam) . 125 MOTO 2: 1. Ste ve Lamson (He n): 2. Mike Brown (He n); 3. Scott Shea k (5uz.); 4. John Dowd (yam): 5. Damon Huffman (Kaw): 6. Tim FCTT)" (SUz): 7. Brian Deegan (Hen): 8. Larry Broo ks (Yam); 9. Lames Dobb (Suz); 10. Casey Jo h nson (Kaw ): 11. Bud d y An tu nez IKa w): 12. Mickael Picho n (Ka w) : 13. Ezra Lus k (Suz) ; 14. Barry Ca rs ten {Suz ); 15. Rus ty Holl a nd (Suz ); 16. Tom Cl o wers Jr. (Suz) ; 17. Kim As hke nazi (Hen): 18. uz): 19. A nthony Pocorobba (Suz); 20. Mike Treadwell

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