Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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SUPERCROSS THORIPARTS UNLIMITED AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES S: Houston Astrodome Team Kawasaki! Shift's Jeff Emig goes inverted after winning his fourth supercross of the season in the Houston Astrodome. With the comefrom-behind, win Emig extended his points lead over Jemermy McGrath by 11 points. By Cameron Coatney Photos by Kinney Jones "I'm HOUSTON, TX, MAR. 22 not letting Jeremy McGrath's win last week faze me one bit - I'm going to ride to win. That's all I can do," Team Kawasaki/Shift's Jeff" Emig stated before Saturday evening's main event at the Houston Astrodome. Fazed was the furthest word from the truth as Emig battled his Jeremy Albrecht-tuned KX250 to the front of the pack and held off an ever-charging Ezra Lusk and company to take his fourth AMA Supercross Series win of the season in front of 41,011 fans. "I felt great all day long:' Emig said from the Kawasaki pits. "In practice I set the fastest time. In my heat I posted the fastest time and same thing in the main. When I went out of tbe gate in the main I accidentally knocked the bike into neutral and started in the middle of the pack. I just shook my head like, ,-Oh boy, this is going to be fun: but it worked out. I rode my own race and picked everybody off like 'boom, boom, boom: and worked my way right to the front quickly. I think it was probably my best supercross ride yet." "I really don't think about the points lead:' Emig continued. "I'm just having fun winning races and even the ones I don't win. I'm having a pretty good time. I'd like to thank Kawasaki, Bridgestone, Shift, Arnette, Troy Lee Designs, Shoei, Alpinestars, Cytomax, everybody." on the inside and just washed out the front end and that's when Jeff (Emig) got around me. I wasn't down long but it takes a little out of you when you fall, so then I had to charge back up to get to third. Had I not fallen things could have been different but it was just one of those nights. I at least I got better starts this week, vs. what I've been getting." Team Chaparral/Yamaha's Jimmy Button showed the fans he cold run with the'big boys as he finished fourth this week, one position lower than last week's confident finish in Minneapolis. Button was involved in the passing frenzy-filled first 12 laps and cleanly passed McGrath on the seventh lap before having an altercation with Team Yamaha's Doug Henry that put the New Englander out of the race. "I rode really well last weekend, made a few passes on some top guys and it's helped my confidence a lot," Button said. "1 felt really good on the bike yesterday and toaay and everything fell together in the main. A couple little things could have gone better like the incident with Doug Henry that shot me off the track. I got passed· oy LaRocco and Ward then, but I was able to get back around. 1 think I could've gotten closer to Jeremy without the trouble. Yamaha, Chaparral, my mechanic Anthony Paggio and myselI have all been working hard and hopefully we can win one of these things this year." Henry was credited with 20th, earning just one chaJ;llpionship point, and the once series leader now sits in third, 28 points off the pace. Reportedly, after further exatnination on Monday, March 24, his hand was found to be broken and badly cut, requiring over 20 stitches. Team Yamaha's Ezra Lusk rode well and held off McGrath to finish second. Lusk nearly grabbed the holeshot in the main .and would run in the top five before getting to second by lap seven. He held off Team Suzuki/Suzuki of Troy /1-800-Collect's Jeremy McGrath for the rest of the main to finish second on the podium for the second time this season. "Usually I start the race a little bit faster than I did tonight, "Lusk said. '1 was being a little patient and'I wasn't going as fast as I knew I could. I got into 'a groove but I couldn't pick up the pace once Jeff (Emig) started leading. Then Jeremy (McGrath) started pushing me and it made me go a little faster. I just hung in there and I'm happy to be on the podium again." McGrath gated good and was every bit a part of the passing melee that was the top five to seven positions for the first 13 laps. He was happy with his ride, but thought he could have done better. He moved up to second in the . points battle and is now 11 points behind series leader Emig. "I blew a perfect opportunity," McGrath said while signing autographs' a t the back of the Suzuki semi. "You can't fall down and win races. I was right in the hunt there and I made a stupid mistake. I tried to pass Ezra '(Lusk) Henry will reportedly be out for six to eight weeks and hopes to return by the Hangtown National MX on May 4. Team Honda of Troy's Larry Ward finished fifth and may have finished much better had he not tipped over while trying to make a pass on the holeshotting Team Manchester Honda Racing-rider Damon Bradshaw for second at the end of the second lap. Ward lost about five positions but steadily worked up by the finish. Team Mota XXX/O'Neal/HSKS of Ocala's Brian Swink turned in his best finish of the year with sixth, followed by Bradshaw and Team Suzuki/I-800-Col-