SUPERCROSS
THORIPARTS UNLIMITED AltA
SUPERCROSS SERIES
going to go home now and train hard
for next week."
"This was the one and only shot I
had, and I pulled through," Windham
said of his win. "I feel really good about
the race because we (Carmichael and
Windham) started so close together.
That was one of the important things
about the race - I wanted to make sure
there were no excuses."
I.'"
sam Boyd Silver Bowl
Las Vegas, Nevada
Resuns: May 17, 1997
125 HEAT 1 • EAST (6 laps, 17 riders, top 9
tra.nsfer): 1. Tim Ferry (Suz); 2. Stephane Roncada
(Hon); 3. Ricky Carmichael (Kaw); 4. Scott Sheak (Hon);
5. john Dowd (Yam); 6. David Pingree a (Yam).
Time: 15 min.• 24.020 sec.
Margin of victory: 8.002 sec.
Ricky Carmichael was an early leader In
the 125cc main, but a couple of crashes
took him out of the running.
Word fro"; Europe 'has it that the 1'998
;.
,
Mot~cross des
Nations wili take 'place at the Foxhill circuit in Eng/and. The
1997
. edition.of the event. its 51 st consecutive running, will take,place i~
.'
'.'
.
Nismes, ·Belgium.
.. .'
JHK Kawasaki in Europe (whose conlract would have te< be bought
oull, Kevin Windham and Ez.... 'Lusk of Team. Yamana...a·nd
Rya,,' H~h""o.fTeam KawasakL
.
.
.. Immediately following the. 2~Qcc mai~ event: a m~ssive fire~~rIui
Dilvid Pingree of Team .Pro CireuiVSplitFire/Kawasakl won:the .
.On Satu;.qay morning: Mike
the ambitiou~ promoter.of the· display took place in ·the ai,?pace above the Sam. Boyd Silver
.,-goo.:Pro Race ,H......hot Award in the 1"25cc class; .while
PJ1 Arenacross Series, announced the PJ1 East/West
Bowl. If crowd reaction is the gauge of a.successful fir~works
DOug Henry c1aim<;d the prize 'in the 250cc division.
II8C.-s .T _m Chelleilge. The award was' established in co,,"
show. the ynexpected'" o\l.erwh~lming coloifest" was well-received.
jynction with·the evening's AMA 125cc East/West Shootout and
Team Yemaha M'ana:ger KfHtl! McCarty and the entire Yamaha
awarded the reg'on with the highest overall point total in the event.
The much,anticipated EastlWest Showdown' turned into a real
crew were understandablY edslatic with Doug Henry's win in LBs
grudge match:between'the nation's twc p,eeminent 125co.' pilots,
Vegas and the dE.velopment of the factory YZM400F four, stroke.. Eleven racers competed for each region. with $1100 to De split
R"oc:ky Carmic:liael and Kevin Windham. In an effort to stamp'
" Everybod}! here hasb.eenworking very hard on this bike," McCar, , equally. When the eiteA.t was over, all 11 members of the East
their- individual autliority'on the class. it was quite apparent that both
region each left the facility with $100 each.
ty explain.e9. "l' m not really sure Which is more exciting - to see th~
Carmichael and Windham wahlei:lthe race badly. At the conclusion
four,stroke win' or to see' Doug Henry win. There are ~ lot of things
"I think it was a real successful year for the sport: said Suzuki
of ihe 125c9 main, Windham'vomited repeaiedly, likely from nerves
to look at" ,He won this year o~ tIie two-stroke, and the four-stroke,
and exhaustion, "'(hile Carmichael. frustrated by a few small misTeam M,anger and five-lime AM 500cc World Motocross Champion
Dou.9 Henry is1ust a class ,act. He's done a terrific job for us and
Roger DeCoster. echoing the sentiments of much of the industry · takes during a truly spirited and determined effort, wa~ seen 'in
we're really happy to be assOciated with him and all the effort he's
.
.
.
tears after. pulling' off the track. .
in. regard to the .1997 AMA Supercross Series. "There really
put in. This bike has, obviously, been.a learning experience for us seemed to be a lot of interest in the sport thiS year. I t1iink thattele-.
carburetion mostly. It (ca.rbureponl"is something ihat we're working
vision had a lot to do with it. and it Was great to see aU of the specWhile the event doesn't haV!! a'long'history ,- first running 'in 1990 with most of the time, trying, to understand it. For Doug. ifs a differ'
tators "tthe races. •
oc a substantial amount of herilage, Ihe Las Vegas Supercn>ss
ent bike to ride than a two-stroke. so he has to learn ·new techhas certainly been the site'of a number ofsignificant events in AMA
niques. Thafs why we brougbi ittlere..!t didn't make sense to jump
Another young European rider said to have his eye set on AmericaSupercross history. ~y McGr:atfi WOn his first supereross at
on the four,stroke for the Nationa!.s, then swileh back to the twois Claudio Federici of Italy. Federici raced a iight. exotic and
the Sam Boyd venue. aboard a Kawasaki KX 125 in 1990: Jeff
stroke this week and back" to the four-stroke for the rest of the
potent H'usqvama 1~5oc, .which bike was reportedly the cl;lss of the · Matia-":h of Team 'Kawasaki'and ll8ike La~ of Team
Nationals. When his injury came up, Doug (jecided Ihat we were
Suzuki won their first 25pcc suPeTeross. rounds in 1gOO a~d 1~ 1.
field at the recent Italian 125cc Grand Prix in Maggiora. Federici set
, coming here'with the lciur-stroke and it really paid off.".
the faslesttime in practice - the first time Husqvama ·has. ever exper!"spectively, at. the facility: Doug ~enry bec.ame the firstfoyr- .
rienced that honor in 1250c Grand Prix racing - and easily.won the
stroke winner in SX'history; .Jeff Emig won his first supercross "t
Roger Penske, overlord of the migtity Penskef.Marlboro IndY "Car
first moto.· A fali in the second moto sabotaged his chances at the' the infamous boycott raCE! (another firsll in 1995 and ultimately
team that fields cars for AI Unser Jr. and Paul TraCy in the 'CART
overali.
. " ,
clinched his first title attbe staaiurh Saturday ni\lht, while the event,
Indy Car World Series fand winner of· the last iwo series' events),
through selling all 32.000. se~ts by.:Friday aftemoclA. ~came the.
was in attendance at the Sa.m Boyd Silver Bowl. Watching. the race
.
Team Kaw.asaki of Mexico7Tecate Beer team manager Javier
first pre,race sellout in seri.~s histoiy. .
with the auto-racing impresario yvere. 'the .Sima. brothers. who corn·
Mo!rtinez reported that the team is looking at a 6igger 'and mOre
'pete in the SCCA Trans-Am Serie.-and Daryle Powers, prpmotions
prolific effort io.1998, ·We're setting up a bigger1.eam for 1998:
Priveteer Ryan Huffman won the coveted C.E. Altman
.
manager Of MCI! 1-8qO-Cqllect., . '.
said Martinez from the baking-hot pits in Las Vegas: ." Pedrt? G6nza- .,,"ward.for being the 1997. AMA Supercross $eries top-finishing
. Due to a tweaked t~uinb. suff~rE!d .in a big highside shunt at I~SI 'Iez will race.a 250 for us, while Eric Valiejo will r"ce the 1250c West , privateer in 16\h. Among .all· privat~ers, Huffr:nan generated the
series. We are al~o going to be looking for a 125cc East seri!!s
mo~t'ov~rall series points: reoeiving a well-deserved $5000 bonus'
Sunday's 'Glen Helen National. Team. Suzuki"s Greg Alberty;'
','
from the .;'upercross prOmoter grpup.
rider. Tecate Beer (a maJor' brand of the, Cerveceria Cauhtemoc
elec'ted not to ride the'1 997 AMA.SupercrOss Series finale in Las
"Vegas.. "The thumb feels pretty good." Albertyn said while fiexing . Brewery, which is based in Monterrey, Mexico, and is a significarit
sponsor of Indy Car driver Adrian Femandei, who hails from MexiManchester Honda's Oamon Bradshaw made it obvious that lie
~ .• But I just had trye stitches removed and if. still t09 weaK and
'co City) will stay with us in 1998. Their support was smali in '97, but
was thrilled with his fine toird-piace effort Saturday evening. in pers'?fe to race with. I'll" be back for .Mount Morris, and hopefuliy in a
we' are talking about a bigger budget for more support for '98. They
haps his strongest display of emotion since t~e glory ,day!, at Yamabig ~ay."
.
ha, Bradshaw did an enthusiastic fist-waving cool-down lap. waving
appear to realiy like the sport.• The smail but extremely friendly and
to the crowd along the·~ay. adamantly high-fived new champion
professional team is guite pcipular in the .pits in America (especialiy
Due to 'Injuries aod illness, a number of other racers did not
with a few journalists), as they ani known to pass out cans of coid
Jeff Emig, and lof!ed his. patented, fender-dtagging wheelie in t~e
compete in Las Vegas: Team Moto Triple XXX rider Brian DeeTecate Cerveza for those who come around and visit.
starting-gate area.
gan experienced a nasty fall in practice, banging himself up enough
to. miss the evening's festivities. Mike Kiedrowski was also a
"In order to have a presence in the class," said Kawasaki of MexiDespite the best efforts of the track.buildef'l, Dirt Wurx, tbe 100no-show after breaking an elbow and dislocating his thumb at the
colTecate team manager JaYier Martinez. in a preview of their 1998 degree temperatures and. high winds did a number on the Sam
Glen Helen National. Moreover: Team Chaparral (ider Michael
plans, "We are going to support Mike .Jones and .Jeff Dement
Boyd circuit. By the time the gates dropped on .the main event, the
Brandes called in sick due t
