Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

SUPERCROSS ) THORIPARTS UNLIMITED AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES Windham's lead, and Lusk tucked in right behind the Suzuki rider, while Albertyn maintained a distant fourth ahead of Ward and Hughes. ' "Me and Jeremy were riding together," Lusk said. "I always ride good when I'm with Jeremy. I don't know what it is. We flow pretty good together, because we kind of ride the same. I have confidence in Jeremy that he's going to ride a smart race and he's going to go as fast as he can and not hold us up." Near the halfway point, McGrath started actually losing ground on Windham, then he came around the pit area on the ninth lap and pointed to his rear wheel, letting his tuner Wyatt Seals know that he had gotten a flat tire. Suddenly, the race became a battle of survival for McGrath. "There was nothing I could do," McGrath said. "I can't believe it. 1 was riding pretty good, flowing, pulling a little bit from Lusk. I was going to work on Windham - I mean, he wasn't that far ahead of me. Maybe I could've reeled · him m. " Lusk quickly repassed McGrath and settled into second place, while McGrath slowly but surely started dropping off the lead pace. Soon his teammate Albertyn got him, then a steadily climbing Emig got by, as did Hughes and Ward later on. "I was trying to hold it on - hopefully the tire wasn't going to come off the rim," McGrath said. "I have no idea how I got the flat. Wyatt said the tire is sliced up pretty good." "There's a slice just a little bit off the top (of the tire) and through the sidewall, too," Seals said. "Pretty 101'\g. Looks like maybe some kind of spike. I don't think it was caused by a rock, it would've had to have been pretty sharp." As the race wore on, Windham's lead began shrinking. His one-time nine-second lead had sh,runk to five seconds by the 18th lap, then to two seconds on the 19th lap. On the last lap, Lusk was right behind the tiring Windham. ''I'm not used to those last five laps," Windham admitted. "Honestly, I'm in shape but it's something different. Those last four laps were pretty hard." Still, Windham managed to find the extra effort he needed to hold back Lusk to take his first-ever 250cc main-event win, with Lusk finishing about two seconds behind his teammate. "I was so nervous before the race," Windham said. "The reason why was because I knew that I actually could win, after my performance last week. Man, I'm just so happy that tonight is really over, 'cause pow I can have this night with me for the rest of my life, and hopefully carry with me into next year (when he'll start riding the 250cc class full time). "I had some good lines out there. Me and Ezra worked together all weekend if I found something I'd tell him, and if he found something he'd tell me. Man, 'I'm just ecstatic. We work good as a team and I'm so glad to get on the podiUIn again." "I had a terrible time with lappers the whole race," Lusk said. "I worked my butt off the last few laps, I reeled him in, 11 seconds, but couldn't make it stick." During the late stages, the rest of field had become quite spread out, with Albertyn finishing in third place some 17 seconds behind Lusk. Finishing approximately five seconds behind Albertyn was Emig, who was all alone in sixth. Ward and McGrath crossed the line a few seconds after that. Eighth- place LaRocco rapidly caught up to McGrath during the last couple of laps but obviously held back and did not try to pass his teammate. A distant ninth was Kiedrowski, then Button. "Those Yamaha boys are riding awesome," s.eries leader Emig said. "They'Ve got nothing to think about (as far as the title chase) but go win the Kevin Windham (64/1); 18. Brian Swi.nk (58); 19, John Dowd (49); 20. Cliff Palmer (41). . KIM JR. SUPERCROSS CHALLENGE, 1. Brett Slater; Z. Bradley Pace; 3. Zach Osboroe; 4. Brad Haar; 5. Broe Tickle; 6. Jeremy Boyd; 7. Sawyer Barrow; 8. Chuckie Fox; 9. Johnny Church; 10. Samantha Farr; 11. Michael Small; 12. Kimberly Kocher, Upcoming Rounds: Round 14 - Dallas, Texas, Apnl26 Round 15 - Las Vegas, Nevada, May 1 (Above) Tim Ferry captured the Eastern Regional 125cc Supercross title at Charlotte with a thlrdplace finish. It was lils first title. (Left) Jim Neese (85) grabbed the holeshot in the 125cc main, but Ferry (22) would take control before the first lap was over. race. That's what I need to think about. J know that I'm fast enough to win these races. I've got to get my head on straight and I could do th.e same thing." £N AMA Eastern Regionall25cc Supercross Series Round 7: Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte, North Carolina Results: April 19, 1997 (Round 12 of 15) 250 HEAT 1 (8 laps; 20 riders, top 4 transfer): 1. Jeremy McGrath (Sut); 2. Ezra Lusk (Yam); 3. Mike laRocco (Suz); 4. Mike Craig (Hon); 5, Mike Kiedrowski (Han); 6. Buddy Antunez (Han); 7. Anthony Pocorobba (Suz); B. Mike Jones (!Caw); 9. Ryan Hughes (Kaw); 10. Ty Wallace (Yam); 11. Jason Frenette (Kaw); 12. Doug Dubach (Yam); 13. Blair Morgan (Kaw); 14. Joseph Oehlhof (Kaw); 15. James Eickel (Kaw); 16. Joseph Schueler (Yam); 17. CliffPaJmer (502); 18. Jason Thomas (Kaw); 19. Kenneth Jones (Hon); 20. James Evan'> (Kaw). Time: 9 min., 29.67,0 sec. 250 HEAT 2 (8 laps; 20 riders, top 4 transfer): 1. Kevin Windham (Yam); 2. Damon Bradshaw (Hon); 3. Larry Ward (Han); 4. Greg Albertyn (Suz); 5. Phil Lawrence (Yam); 6. Jefl Emig (Kaw); 7. Ryan Huffman (Kaw); 8. Mike Katin (Yam); 9. Grayson Goodman (Yam); 10. Tom Clowers (Sux); 11. Greg Rand (Han); 12. Tommy Johansson (Suz); 13. Tom Welch (Suz); 14. Erik Anderson (Hon); 15. Timmy Pustelak (Suz); 16, Jeff Giese (Suz); 17. Barry Carsten (Sux); 18. James rovoloy (54Z); 19. Jimmy Button (Yam); 20. Heath Voss (Hon). Time: 9 min., 25.270 sec. 250 SEMI 1 (6 laps; 16 riders, top 5 tr;:msfer): 1. Ryan Hu,ghes (Kaw); 2. Mike Kiedrowski (Hon); 3. Buddy Antunez (Hon); 4. Anthony Pocorobba (Suz); 5. Mike Jones (Kaw); 6. Cliff Palmer (Suz); 7. Doug Dubach (Yam); B, Joseph OehIhof (!

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