Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

SUPERCROSS' " THORIPARTS UNLIMITED AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES For Lusk, this was the fifth time in a row that he's finished on the podium. "I'm kind of learning how to ride up front," Lusk said. "It took me too long to get started (tonight). I was a second and a half off the pace at the beginning and that's what really cost me. Staying strong at the end doesn't do you any good if you've got an 11-second deficit between you and first. I just kept working on him (Windham). "This is the third time Yamaha's been 1-2 on the podium this year," Lusk added. "And that says something for Team Yamaha this year. Kevin and I are young and eager to win races." Joining Windham alld Lusk on the podium was Team Suzuki's Greg Albertyn, who started off in fifth place and ran fourth for much of the race before By Kit Palmer Photos by Karl Ockert CHARLOTTE, NC, APR. 19 ith the final round of the 1997 Thor / Parts Unlimited Supercross Series finale at Las Vegas looming on the horizon, it seems almost appropriate that the two motorcycles finishing 1-2 at the Charlotte Supercoss would carry the numbers seven and 11 on their number plates. You might say that these two riders are certainly on a roU right now, and the two riders piloting these numbered seven and 11 motorcycles are Team Yamaha's Kevin Windham and Ezra Lusk, respectively. For the second week in a row, Lusk and Windham filled the first two steps on the rostrum, the only difference this time being in reverse order. At the previous round in Michigan it was· Lusk scoring his second win of the year with Windham taking the runner-up spot, which was at that time his best 250cc finish ever. This time, however, in front of 37,078 spectators at Charlotte Motor Speedway, it was Windham, the current 125cc Western Regional SX Series leader, scoring his first 250cc victory after edging out teammate Lusk at the finish. Windham becomes the seventh different rider to win a 250cc main event this year. For the most part, Windham ran out 6fPu "I don't know, another night of bad luck," McGrath said. "Actually, I was more mad last week, because that was in my control. This, there was nothing I could do." Despite still jumping almost aU the doubles and triples, McGrath dropped back to just seventh place, while Emig did his best to take advantage of the situation, taking fourth. "As far as the championship goes, the evening went okay," Emig said. "To me, it turned out to be a good evening because the way I rode at the end of the main, because the last couple of weeks I haven't been riding so well. Just one of those things, a lot of stuff going on. People don't even understand. I've got an amount of respect for McGrath to be able to do what he's done in the last four moving up into third in the later stages. "I was riding smooth for a while then I started making some mistakes, and it scared me a little bit," Albertyn said. "I blew apart a few hay bales, but I just settled down a bit." As far as the two title contenders Kawasaki's Jeff Emig and Suzuki's Jere:my McGrath - their battle for the cham- . pionship took another interesting turn. Emig went into the Charlotte race with a slim two-point lead over the defending champ and left with slightly more.· breathing room. McGrath, who came within a small crash of winning last week's race at Pontiac, suffered more bad luck at Charlotte. While running second to Windham and within striking distance, McGrath came around pit row on the ninth lap pointing to his rear wheel and a flat tire, and he would spend the rest of the race salvaging as many points as possible. . years, because of the pressure that comes with leading the points in supercross and beiI1;g up there, and the amount of people tugging at you left and right. The phone rings 35 times a day, there's always someone there either wants to get something from you or give you something. I've got a lot of respect for McGrath for what he's done. To me, to go out at these races and to beat him every now and then is a great honor. (But) I think I got my act together in the main event. I mean I started way back, I'm more happy about the way I rode than anything else." Ironically, the two riders - McGrath and Emig - finished in reverse order of last week's race and are now, once again, separated by six points, 252-246, with just two rounds to go. If McGrath wins the last two races and Emig finishes second both times, then McGrath and Emig will be tied on points. Plus, both (Above) Yamaha's Kevin Windham became the seventh different rider to win a 250cc main this year. At Charlotte, Windham led from start to finish. (Right) Jeremy McGrath (1) led the pack going into the first turn but drifted too wide. Third-place finisher Greg Albertyn (8) cuts underneath McGrath as well as Ezra Lusk (11). in front and all alone throughout the 20lap main event, but Lusk got close at the end after taking advantage of a tiring Windham, who would later admit that he is not used to the five extra laps run in the 250cc main, as compared to the 15 laps he's more accustomed to in the 125cc class. ''I'm not used to those last five laps being on a 250, and I was definitely watching Yogi (Lusk) catch up with me," Windham said. "He was just so strong at the end of that race, and I was trying my hardest to keep myself in front of him. I had to dig deep." Still, Windham proved to the world at Charlotte that he has winning speed on not only a 125 but a 250 as well. "I felt really good out there," Windham said. "Last week gave me a big boost of confidence. I just can't ask for anything better, coming off an injury and two times on the podium."

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