Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

SUPERCROSS THORIPARTS UNUlllTfO AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES (Above) For the second week In a row, Honda of Troy'. Stephane Roncada won the 125cc East Coast main event. (Right) Another second-place finish by Suzuki's Tim Ferry Iea_ him in good shape to win the 125cc East Coast Championship st the aeries finale In next week st Charlotte. (Below) Honda'. ScottSheakhad come from behind to lead the 125cc main, only to crash a couple of times and finish fourth. whoops, and everywhere else I just seemed to kind of relax," Lusk said. "1 wanted to keep that same margin between us till the last few laps. I started closing on him there and we got into a lot of lappers and (I) lost a lot of time (on McGrath). I wanted to try to reel him in, but kept running into lappers. I started wondering if 1'd ever get a smooth four or five laps'together to catch him." ."1 felt fine," McGrath said of the relatively small distance between him and Lusk. "1 was keeping my set distance and everything was fine." And everything was going "fine" for McGrath, Late in the race, it appeared that he would hold on and post his third win of the series, then, the relatively quiet crowd roared to Ii fe when McGrath, all alone, washed out while going into a left-hand torn that followed a triple jump. "1 landed off that triple and there was this bump and I just washed out the front end," McGrath said. "It was a fast jump and didn't have much room to stop. I was on the front brake trying not to go into the ruts and just fell over. I couldn't believe it. I knew I was going down - I was starting to get up before I was down. I was trying to get up quick." McGrath might have lost just one position had his bike not come to rest inverted: Lusk simply rode around the downed Suzuki rider and into the lead. ''My bike tipped upside down and (1) couldn't save second," McGrath said. "I cannot believe I did it." "When I saw him (McGrath down), I tried not to let it go through my mind that I just passed Jeremy for the lead," Lusk said. "But once I came around and Steve (Butler, Lusk's tuner) said, 'two laps: I thought, 'oh oh:" After having just passed Bradshaw 'and then Windham for third, Ward came around the turn and slammed into the back of McGrath, who had just swung his leg ovet his bike and was trying to get going up the face of a double jump. Ward barely saved it, but not before Windham went by both riders. "1 was in a real good battle there with Windham and Bradshaw:' Ward said. "1 think I was a little stronger there at the end and passed them both, but when McGrath picked his bike up I thought for sure he would go. I don't know if he had a rock (stuck in his wheel) or what, but I rearended him and I almost looped out." Ward still managed to get around McGrath, as did Bradshaw. With just two laps to go, Lusk found himself with a huge lead over Windham, followed by Ward, Bradshaw and McGrath. Wanting to salvage as many points as possible, McGrath went after Bradshaw with a vengeance on the last lap and ducked underneath him in the tum before the checkered flag to take away fourth place. "1 knew I had to get him (Bradshaw)," McGrath said. "That was a big pa?s. He was trying to block me, block me, and he cased a triple, and he went inside on th.at Oast) comer. I knew what he was doing, I thought out his whole plan before, and I just went to the outside and turned inside:' Lusk had plenty of time to slow his pace considerably on the last lap, taking the checkers some three seconds ahead of his teammate. "I saw I had 10 seconds (on the last lap), I thought I could just cruise on in:' Lusk said. ''I'm pretty happy:' '1t feels great:' Lusk added. "It's not quite as exciting (as his first win at Orlando) 'cause not everybody is here from my family. I mean it's great. Jeremy made a mistake and I ended up winning it, but I'll take 'em any way they come." "I had really no plan but to go out there and survive:' second-place Windham said. "1 had to dig deep because I haven't been riding for a while, kind of wasn't riding as smooth as I would've liked to, but what can I expect for being off for so long? I'm just happy to survive this thing." Way back in the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-place positions, Emig, Albertyn . and Hughes were going at it tooth and nail. Albertyn knew that passing Emig would greatly help his teammate's (McGrath) cause but had to play it safe because Hughes, Emig's teammate, was hounding him. Their struggle went down to the late stages when Hughes got by both Albertyn and Emig, then Albertyn bobbled, letting Kiedrowski by. Hughes finished close to Bradshaw in sixth, followed by Emig, Kiedrowski and Albertyn. As far as Emig, he was disappointed with the way his evening turned out. He was unavailable for comment afterward, but his team manager, Bruce Stjernstrom, said, "He (Emig) admitted that since last Friday (practice) that he hasn't felt like himself. I don't know, he just says he hasn't felt right. I think it's just been an off week for him more than anything. He's fine, he's 100 percent, 1).0 injury. He says the bike's fine, (he) just wasn't on." Despite coming so close to winning and taking over the points lead, McGrath still feels good about his title hopes. . "I feel great right now:' McGrath said. "My bike is working excellent, I mean, the momentum is definitely there:' fN Silverdome Pontiac, Michigan Results: April 12, 1997 (Round 12 of 15) 250 HEAT 1 (8 laps, 1.. transfer to main): I. Jeremy McGrath (Suz); 2. Kevin Windham (Yam); 3. Ezra LusI< (Yam); 4. Ryan Hughes (Kaw); 5. Greg Albertyn (Suz); 6. Phil Lawrence (Yam); 7. Todd DeHoop (Yam); 8. Grayson Goodman (Yam); 9. Anthony Pocorobba (Suz); 10. Blair Morgan (Kaw); 11. Jeff Hedden (5u,%); 12. Marco Oube (Hon); 13. Jeff Tilton (Yam); 14. Christopher Pomeroy (Hon); 15. Buddy Antunez (Hon); 16. Mike Kiedrowslci (Hon); 17. Bany Carsten (Suz~ 18. Heath Voss (Hon); 19. Jose Demuth (Suz); 20. Karter Busse (Suz). Time: 8 min., 1.080 sec. 250 HEAT 2 (8 l.lps, 1-4 transfcr to main): 1. Robbie Reynard (Hon); 2. Jeff Emig (!

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