TIme: 15 minut6;13.152 seconds
US HEAT 1 (U laps): 1. David Vuillemin (Yam); 2Craig Decker (Kaw); 3. Tony Begue (Hon); 4. David
Pingree (l: 1. Stephan< Roncada (Hon);
2. David Pingree (Kaw); 3. Tony Begue (Hon~ 4. Serge
Guidetty (Hon~ 5. Nicolas Charlier (Kaw).
Saturday
250 MAIN (20 laps): 1. Damon Huffman (Kaw); 2.
Jeff Emig (Kaw); 3. Larry Ward (Hon); 4. Ryan Hughes
(Kaw); 5. Jeremy McGrath (Hon); 6. JImmy Button
(Yam); 7. Mike Craig (Hon); 8. Ezra Lusk (Yam); 9.
Sebastien Tortelli (Kaw); 10. Brian Swink (Hon); 1l.
jiUlles Dobb (Suz); 12. Greg Albertyn (Suz); 13. Thierry
Bethys (Hon); 14. John Dowd (Yam); 15. Mic.k.ae.1
Maschio (Hon); 16. Mkkael Pichon (Suz).
Tune: 15:01.348.
US HEAT 1 (12 laps): 1. David Pingree (Kaw); 2.
David VuHlemin (Yam); 3. Craig Decker (Kaw); 4. Serge
Guidetty (Hon); 5. Philippe DupMquier (Kaw).
us HEAT 2 (12 laps): 1. Craig Decker (Kaw); 2.
David VuiJIemin (Yam); 2. Serge Guidetty (Hon); 4.
Stephane Roncada (Hon); 5. Nicolas Charlier (Kaw~
Sund.ay
250 MAIN (20 lap.>: 1. jeremy McGrath (Hon); 2.
Ryan Hughes (Kaw); 3. Jeff Emig (Kaw); 4. Damon
Kuffman (lCaw); 5. Mlckael Pichon (Suz); 6. Greg
Albertyn (Suz); 7. Sebastien Tortelli (Kaw); 8. j,mmy
Button (Yam); 9. Thierry Bethys (Hon); 10. Brian S\.4,'ink
(Hon); n. Cyril Porte (Hon); 12. Ezra Lusk (Yam); 13.
Frederic Vialle (Yam); 14. Xavier Fabre (Hem); 15. Larry
Ward (Hon).
Tim., 15:00.160.
125 HEAT 1 (n laps); 1. David Vuillemin (Yam); 2Stephane Roncada (Hon); 3. Craig Decker (Kaw); 4.
Tony Begue (Hon); 5. Edgar Torronteras (Kaw).
US HEAT 2. (ll lilpS): 1. David Vuillem.in (Yam); 2.
Craig Decker (Kaw); 3. Stephane Roncada (Hon); 4.
Serge GUidetty (Hon); 5. David Pingree (Kaw).
250 KING OF BERCY: 1. Ryan Hughes (47); 2.
(Above) French rider Serge
Guidetty won the popular
jump contest
(Left) The Paris Supercross
In Bercy Stadium features a
tight track layout and never"
ending action.
Briefl
•••
They call lhe overall winner of the six 125cc races at Paris the
"Prince of Bercy" and reward Le Coupe D'Europe. but they might
as well have c'alled it the Coupe D'Vuillemin. French leenager
David Vuillemin gave his compatriots the French wins lhey
wanted by takin'g three of lhe six-main event wins to wrap up the
title. VlJllJemin. competing aboard a Yamaha. was challenged
throughout the weekend by Americans Craig Decker and David
Pingree. each of w~om won a main event but crashed or poorstarted their way out of conterilion the other times. The only other
rider to score a main-event win was rising French star Stephane
Roncada. who split wins Friday night with Vuillemin.
The top two ridern in the Coupe D'Europe are USA-bound. French
125cc pilots Stephane Roncada and David Vuillemin will
be heading to America in December to begin their crusades
against America's finest. Roncada will compete in the 125cc East
Region. SX Championships and the 125cc AMA Nationals as a
member of the Dayton. Ohio-based Honda of Troy team. Vuillemin
is going to Califomia to compete in. the firnt four rounds of the
1997 125cc West Region SX Series before retuming to France to
fulfill hiS current sponsorn' obligations. While in the United States
Vuillemin will be getting some assistance and advice from fonner
U.S. and World MX Champion Danny laPorte. who is himself
returning to America to pursue industry-reJaled business interests.
Mickael Pichon, France's two-time 125cc Eastem Regional
Supercross Champion. will also be relurning to America in
December to finish prepping for his firnt full 250cc season. Pichon
has switched to R0ger DeCoster's Suzuki team. where he will join
Mike laRocco and Greg Albertyn in the marque's bid to win their
first 250cc Supercross main event since LaRocco's victory at the
Las Vegas SX in May 4, 1991. However. for the second year In a
row. Pichon's Paris "homecoming" was a let-down for French
fans. Pichon ran 12-16-5 at Bercy but pledged that by' the time the
first AMA Supercross rolled around in Los Angeles in 'January he
would be a conlender.
One of the alrangest road trip stories of recent history took place
in the Honda camp on the way 10 Paris. On lhe way to Los Angeles' LAX Airport Wednesday evening. Jeremy McGrath's longtime mechanic Skip Norfolk realized to his horror that he had
lost his passport. Norfolk was unable to board the intemational
Right wilhout lhe required documents. so McGrath drafted roommate Lawrence Eugene "Lew" Lewis inlo I;>eing hiS
mechanic until N9rfolk could get things sorted out with Passport
Control and take a: later Right to Eur9pe. "I was on my way 10 see
my girlfriend when all of the sudden j'm on a'plane to Paris: said
Lew. who wrenched and signaled McGrath through an uncharacterislic 10lh-place showing Friday. Lew took some ribbin9 in the
pits for the poor showing and was relieved when Norfolk finally
showed up for Saturday's race wilh a brand-new passport in
hand. But when McGrath puI in another mediocre shOWing (a
forearm-pumped fifth). Lew felt vindicated. "See? It wasn't my
faultl" said the amicable amateur mechanic. And when McGrath
got back on track wilh a gate-Io-f1ag victory in Sunday's finale. he
credited both of his mechanics for the efforts.
By the way. there's still no word on who will replace the departing
Skip Norfolk as McGrath's mechanic. In the lasl six years
McGrath and Norfolk leamed up to win four 250cc SX titles, two
125cc Western Regional SX crowns. a 250cc National MX title. a
coupie of FIM World SX Championships. and a pair of rides on
-winning Motocross des Nations teams. With a new family. Norfolk
wants - deserves - more time at home in California and will be
working at the Carlsbad-based No Fear clothing company.
McGrath and American Honda will be hard-pressed to find a more
professional. reliable and likable man.
Another "fill-in" mechanic at Paris was Davey' Castillo. A
founding member of the now-defunc.t CTi/Great Westem Bank
team. Castillo was drafted into helping former teammate Phil
Lawrence in Paris after Lawrence's regular mechanic Kenny
Watson failed to make the journey. Lawrence had a miserable
shOWing in Paris. making just one main event on his new Chaparral Yamaha. But with two months to go before the 1997 AMA
Supercross season begins, "Factory Phil" fans need nol panic:
He and teammale Jimmy Button (9-6-8 in Paris) have plenty of
time to adapt to their new rides. As for Castillo fans, he will be
working with his family's Innovalion Sports knee brace company
throughout the 1997 season and riding. "selected" events..
When a'sked the secret to his remarkable Improvement in super"
cross racing, 18-year-old Sebastien Tortelli simply said
"Davey Castillo." then busted out laughing. Tortelli and Castillo
are friends and Tortelli and his manager Jacky Vimond usually test
and train at Castlllo Ranch in Sanla Barbara when in Califomia.
"Taught him everything he knows," said Castillo. who has guali"
fied for more 250cc main events in America (one) than Tortelli
Damon Huffman (46); 3. Jeff Emig (43); 4. Jeremy
McGrath (37); 5. Larry Ward (36); 6. Sebastien Tortelli
(31); 7. Jimmy Buttnn (25); . Ezra Lusk (22); 9. Greg
Albertyn (22); 10. Mike Craig (18).
US COUPE lYEUROPE: 1. David Vuillemin (97); 2.
Craig Decker (9]); 3. Stephane Roncada (75); 4. Tony
Begue (66~ David Pingree (59~
Upcoming Rounds;
Round 5 " Tokyo, Japan, November 23
Round 6 " Geneva, Switzerland,
November 29"30
(zero). "Sebastien comes to my house. I show him the track. I
show him some videos. and send him off riding. Then I go to
lunch." In all seriousness. Tortelli, the record-breaking 1996
125cc World MX Champion, 'is tentatively planning to come to
America in January for selected supercross events before returning to France in February 10 begin his 1997 assault on the 250cc
Grand Prlx class.
Brian Swink was making one of his last appearances on a
Honda of Troy bike before embarking on the privateer path in
1997. Swink will leam with Brian Deegan on the Moto XXX
team and will ride a Kawasaki 1O<250.ouI of HSKS Motorcycles of
Ocala. Deegan plans on riding a Suzuki and Kenny Watson (Scott
Sheak's old mechaniC'! will be team manager/main mechanic.
"NoFX and Strung Out (altemative bands) are the main backern
and they work together on QUickfix Films and we might have
some more record companies involved." Swink said. He will be
riding both the AMA Supercross and National MX Series.
Among the no-shows at Paris were several big-name Americans.
Suzuki's Mike LaRocco. Honda's Steve Lamson and Yamaha's Kevin Windham and Doug Henry all passed on the
event for reasons of vacation and/or testing. Current privateer
Damon Bradshaw was also absent from Paris after hurting
himself at another international supercross al lhe end of October.
No one in the pits had any clues as to where Bradshaw would end
up next year. though the popular opinion was a private Honda deal
with AXO funding.
The original King of Bercy. Johnny D'Mara. was on hand in
Bercy to help out his Oakley ridern and be a part of the whole
spectacle. O'Mara was given the honor of presenting the 1996
King of Bercy Trophy to Kawasaki's Ryan Hughes. O'Mara is still
highly regarded in Europe as an American motocross hero and
signed numerous autographs every time he made the rounds in
the pits.
Video jumping star Mike iI/I';tzge. was brought back to Paris by
the generous race promoters for a command performance of lasl
year's jumping contest, where the remarkable Metzger' got
"homered" by Serge Guidetty for the win. But before Metzger
made it to Friday's first jump-off he suffered a terrible heat-race
crash that left him in a Paris hospital. It was at first thought that
Metzger had two bro~en legs and a broken arm. but it was later
confirmed that he'oniy had one broken femur. Cards and lettern
can be sent to Metzger. clo Fox Racing. 15850 Concord Circle.
Morgan Hill, CA 95037.·
