Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

SUPERCROSS Round 15: sam Boyd Silver Bowl THORIPARTS UNLIMITED AliA SUPERCROSS SERIES (Left) Team Kawasaki's Jeff Emig rode conservatively in front of a sellout crowd of 34,025 at the Silver Bowl In Las Vegas to finish fifth and lock up his first-ever AMA 250Cc Supercross Championship. (Above) Team Yamaha's Doug Henry rode the works Yamaha YZM400F four-stroke to victory In what was the bikes' very first supercross appearance (and win). By Cameron Coatney Photos by Kinney Jones LAS VEGAS, NY, MAY 17 ,-.-- earn Yamaha's Doug Henry and Team Kawasaki's Jeff Emig wrote themselves into the AMA Supercross history books as they each achieved milestones in the final round of the series. Henry made history by taking his works Yamaha YZM400F four-stroke to the top spot on the podium, thus becoming the first four-stroke rider ever to win an AMA Supercross main event. .Emig made history by winning his first AMA t'-.. 250cc Supercross championship, 0\ dethroning Jeremy McGrath from his 0\ four-year reign in the class. ..... Henry proved that he and the four00 stroke were more than ready for the N slick, hard-packed track which, 'by the >. end of the night, had formed blue ~ grooves in most of the main racing lines ~ - the perfect scenario to take advaI\tage of the four-stroke's abilities in the slick conditions that suit it so well, and to 6 showcase Henry's versatile riding talents. The ew Englander has won two supercrosses on his two-stroke YZ250, and t-ook his Pete Steinbrecher-tuned four-stroke YZM to the win in its very first supercross race in Las Vegas. Henry diced with Emig in heat two before taking the win, and then holeshot the main event, leading every lap of the race to take a seemingly easy win. He and the entire Yamaha team were ecstatic, to say the least. "This win means a lot to me and Yamaha," Henry said. "We've really been putting in a lot of long days busting our butts out there testing. We would get so frustra ted some of the days and Keith ~cCarty) or Bob (Oliver) would say, 'It's hard work for a good cause: and tonight we definitely did it. The bike was really hooking up good out there on the hard stuff and it ran . really good tonight. 1 also want to congratulate Emig on his championship. 1 was in there for the points lead early and 1 know it takes a lot physically and mentally, and he c4d it." Emig got a good start and ran a close second to Henry for the first few laps of the main, but the pressure to win the championship took over and the Californian concen tra ted on finishing - in front of title rival Jeremy McGrath, who trailed Emig by 13 points coming into. the final round. Emig rode conservatively and finished fifth, two positions in front of McGrath, and won the title with 15 points to spare. He is the oldest AMA 250cc Supercross Champion at the age 0£26. "I was a little disappointed With my ride tonight:' Emig explained. "I was just so damn nervous. It was like 1 was a bundle of everybody's advice. Everybody told me good luck, do this or do tha t, and 1 was trying to focus and the pressure got to me. That's why I give a lot of credit to Jeremy McGrath for handling the pressure so well for four years. ! tried to put in the best ride 1 could tonight and that was it. 1 was cautious, because it was one of those hard-packed tracks that if you went down you were going to be hurting, and 1 just tried to keep the rubber side down. A title is a title and I have the cash coming to me now, boy. I'm just going to go hang out with my buddies now and spend some time with the people who are real important to me." Emig's Kawasaki teammate Ryan Hughes was out to prove something and passed McGrath to win his heat. Hughes got a good start in the main, passed Emig to take over second early in the race and finished a strong second to Henry in his first podium-finish ride of the year. 'Tve done good here in the past and I've been trying real hard to get a good finish lately," Hughes said, "I've just been running into mistakes and bad luck. Tonight 1 felt strong and I just wanted to make a nice clean pass around Emig - I knew 1 was a little faster and 1 knew he was cruising, trying to get the championship. 1 don't think Kawasaki would have wanted me behind him pressuring him the whole race, so 1 made my pass in the whoops, took off and rode my own race. 1 was catching Henry at the end, but it was hard to make up time because the track was so slick and 1 didn't want to go down and ruin this good finish." Team Manchester Honda Racing's Damon Bradshaw also turned in his best finish of the season to take the final spot on the podium in third. Bradshaw missed a heat-race transfer by one position but won his semi with relative ease. A good start and a steady ride in the

• Cover