After getting spit off his bike and
ringing his bell in his earlier heat race,
Suzuki support rider Charlie Bogard
carne back to win the Last Chance Qualifier over another Suzuki rider, Tony
Lorusso.
Carmichael and his Chad Wattstuned KXl25 were simply a level above
the rest of the field in the 125cc main on
this night in Florida. By the second lap,
Carmichael had already opened up a
lead of a few seconds over the secondplace rider, Deegan, and would just
about double that distance with each
passing lap.
But there was plenty of racing action
going on behind the leader. Deegan ran
second for a while ahead of Schnell,
Dowd, Ferry, Sheak and Roncada. By
the fourth lap, Ferry had taken control
of second and a couple of laps later,
Dowd had third all to himseU. Dowd
was the rider to watch as he closed the
gap on Ferry and was threatening to
pass. At one point, Ferry climbed out of
a rut in a tum and Dowd saw his chance
and took it. He 1lived to the in ide and
passed Ferry, but, in the next tum, Ferry
came back with vengeance and stuffed
Dowd, nearly taking him out. The move
seemed to stun Dowd, who was unable
to get his speed back. A few laps later,
Sheak, running fourth, moved in and
zapped Dowd two laps from the end.
"1 wasn't riding too good at the
beginning - a little tight," Dowd said. '1
made a pass on him (Ferry) and he came
across on me on the inside of the tum; 1
guess 1 left a little too much room there.
1 thought I cut to the inside but I guess
he cut in a little more and got my front
Scott Sheak
worked his way
up from a sixthplace start to
finish third In
the 125cc main.
wheel there. I almost went down and it
kind of screwed me up down the entire
next straightaway. 1 rolled a couple of
jumps before I got going again.
"I was kind of having a problem with
staying smooth and relaxed. "1 was
struggling a little bit myseU. I'm just a
little unhappy with my performance. I
just hope I can get over this."
Schnell took the checkers in fifth, followed by Roncada, Deegan, Team
Green/HSKS of Ocala's Paul Currie,
Morgan Racing's Doug Deehan and
Buehl.
With three rounds left in the East
Coast Series, Ferry holds a slim twopoint lead over Dowd, 88-86.
Carmichael is third but some 20 points
off the pace.
CN
Citrus Bowl
Orlando, Florida
Results: March 29, 1997 (Round 4 of 7)
us HEAT 1 (6 Laps, 1·9 Innsfer to main): 1. Tim
Ferry (5u2:); 2. Stephane Roncada (Hon); 3. Robbie
SkaggJO (Hon); 4. Brian Deegan (Suz); 5. Greg Schnell
(Yam); 6. Josh Demuth (Suz); 7. Doug Dehaan (Suz); 8.
Jim Neese (5u2.); 9. Trey Owens (Kaw); 10. Brock
Sellards (Kaw); It .. Ryan Oark (502); 12. James Eva.ns
(Kaw); 13. David Kratz (Suz); 14. Scott Pinson (Suz); 15.
Ken Jones (Hon); 16. Chad Rhine (Kaw); 17. Charles
Bogard (5uz); 18. Tommy Johansson (5uz); 19. Chad
Pederson (Yam); 20. Matt Shue (Suz).
Time: 8 min., 22.310 sec.
US HEAT 2 (6 laps, 1·9 trans~r to main>: 1. Scott
Shcak (Hon); 2. John Dowd (Yam); 3. Ricky Carmichael
(Kaw); 4. Jcromy Buehl (Yam); 5. Robbie Horton (Kaw);
6. Chari.. Dunaway (Kaw); 7. Jeff Pestana (Kaw); 8. Keith
Johnson (Kaw); 9. Jeff Dement (l.,.1 (Kaw); 2.
Tim Ferry (Suz); 3. Scott heak (Han); 4. John Dowd
(Yam); 5. C.reg Schnell (Yam); 6. Stepha~e Roncada
(Hon); 7. Bnan Deegan (Suz); 8. Paul Cume (Kaw); 9.
Doug Dehaan (Suz); 10. Jeromy Buehl (Yam); 11. Trey
Owens (Kaw); 12. Jeff Dement (Kaw); 13. Tony Lorusso
Time: 15 min., 51530 sec.
Margin of Victory: 8.435 sec.
.125 EASTERN REGIONAL SUPERCR05S SERIES
POINT STANOlNGS (After 4 of
7 rounds)' I. Tim
Ferry (88); 2. John Dowd (86/2 wins); 3. Ric.ky
Carmichael (67/2); 4. Scott Sheak (64); 5. 5tephane
Roncada (63); 6. Greg Schnell (48); 7. Jeff Demenl (43);
8. Robbie Skaggs (42); 9. Chad Pederson (38); 10.
David Pingree (37); 11. Brock Sellards (29); 12. Keith
Johnson (26); 13. Jim eese (22); 14. Robbie Horton
(20); 15. Barry Carslen (19); 16. (TIE) Charlie
Bogard/Paul Currie (1n: 18. James Povolny (16); 19.
Tony Lorusso (15); 20. (TIE) Doug Dehaan/Mati Shue
(12).
(Suz); 14. Jim Neese (Suz); 15. Robbie Horton (Kaw); 16.
Keith Johnson (Kaw); 17. Charlie Bogard (5uz); 18.
David Krotz (Suz); 19. Josh De'muth (5uz); 20. Charles
Dunaway (Kaw); 21. Robbie Skaggs (Hon); 22. Jeff
Pest.."lna (J(aw).
vas off the top of the team's hauler and disassembling the huge aluminum poles, some of which were bent like pretzels. 'I just can't
thank everyone enough. the other teams that came over to help."
Roger DeCoster. Suzuki's team manager said. "Honda. Chaparral,
KTM and .other teams loaned 'us
EZ·Ups to use for the rest of the
day."
Injuries have hit the 250cc
class hard lately and more riders were added to the disabled
list at Orlando. Already on the
list are Suzuki's Michael Pichon
(leg), Kawasaki's Damon Huffman (ankle), Honda of Troy's
Mike Kiedrowski (thumb) and
Mike Craig (shoulder). and
Honda's
Steve
Lamson
(thumb). Now on the list is
another Suzu.ki rider. Greg
Albertyn (below>' Albertyn
has competed at the Orlando
Supercross three times in his
career and all three times have
ended in a trip to the hospital.
The previous two times at
Orlando. Albertyn walked off
the track with a dislocated
shoulder. This time he was carried off the-track on a stretcher
with a back injury. Albertyn lost
control of his Suzuki diJring a
.
heat race and was launched over a Jump at speed. Albertyn let
go of .his motorcycle in midair and landed on the side 'of the
track on his back. Albertyn cracked two bones in his 10'('ler back
and will be out of action for a few weeks. Overall .. Albertyn·says
Upcoming Rounds:
Round 5 - St. Louis, Missouri, AprilS
Round 6 - Pontiac, Michigan, April 12
he will be fine. Also injured at Orlando was Brian Swink. who
bailed on the first lap of the 250cc main. It has been reported
that Swink suffered broken ribs in the craSh. Team
Chaparral/Yamaha lost a rider rof an undetermined amount of
time - Chad Pederson crashed in his heat race in the 125cc
class and, at last report, suffered a torn tendon in his hand. Yet
another 125cc rider, Pro Circuit/SplitFire/Kawasaki's David
Pingree. was hauled off to the tiospital with a possible punctured lung after crashing in his hea\ race.
The AMA was busy handing out fines in Orlando. The hardest
hit were Damon Bradshaw .and Pedro Gonzalez. Bradshaw and
Gonzalez got into a post-race shOVing match that cost them
$2000 each. and they were both fined another $1000 each - as
was Phil Lawrence - for jumping a double jump unde.r the redcross flag whE1'l Brian Swink craShed.
Honda of Troy's Larry Ward was awarded the 1-900·PRO·
RACE Holeshot Award of $1000 'in the 250cc class, and
Ricky Carmichael took home an extra $500 for holeshotting the
125cc main.
Faces in the crowd: So';"e of those who reportedly spectated
the' Orlando Supercross were a couple of members of the Orlando Magic basketball team. Penny Hardaway and Dennis Scott.
NASCAR's Mark Martin was also on hand. as was MTV's
Kennedy.
Speaking of Ken.nedy. she along with Team Kawasaki's .IeH
£mig and MTV's film'crew got together at the Orlando track Friday morning to film an upcoming show for M1V's spring break
coverage. The filming was for MTV's how-to specials where
Kennedy gets lessoos from top people in their respective field of
expertise. On Fricay. Kennedy rode a Kawasaki KXloo with Emig
over a couple of jumps specially built just for Kennedy to ride
over. The show will also include segments with tennis pro Pe.te .
Sampras. Metallica drummer· Lars Ulrich. actor Martin Short (on
ballroom dancing) and chef Emiril. The production wraps up 01)
April 21 and should. be aired sometime soon after that
Also on Friday. Team Suzuki"s Jeremy McGrath. Greg Albertyn,
\,',Iyatt Seals (McGrath's mechanic). Roger DeCo~ter (Suzuki's
tea m maneg·er). Pro: Circuit/.splitFireJKawasaki· S Ricky
Carmichael. ChaparrailVamaha's Jimmy Button, supercro'ss
announcer Leanne Tweeden and journalist Oavey Coombs', panlCipated In the Richard Petty' 'Drlving Experience at Disney
World, where people get the chance to drive NASCAR-type race
cars on a track. Reportedly. McGrath's limes were the quickest
with a speed average of 141.3 mph. and the slowest speed average was Coombs' at 116.5 mph. Tweeden's speed average was
faster than that of DeCoster's, Carmichael's, Seal's and. of
course. Coombs'.
