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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127846
MOTOCROSS AMA 1251250Cc NAnONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MOTOCROSS SERIES By Davey Coo mbs Photos by Karl Ockert SOUTIiWlCK, MA, jUJ\E 22 ' e fore the st a rt of th e firs t 250cc National moto at his "hometown" Southwick track, Team Yamaha's Jo hn Dowd d ed icated the ra ce to hi s teammate an d fello w local hero Dou g Henry, who broke both arms at the previous Nati ona l just seve n days ago. So w he n Dowd crossed the finish lin e to complete a two- mo to sweep of the 1997 Southwick Na tionals at MX 338, it was only fill in g that st anding there in the winner' s circle to greet him was Henry himself - two brok en arm s a nd all. "I d on't know if it' s actually hit me yet that I won Southwick, but it feels great, " said the ecstatic Dowd, after a slow, well-earned parade lap followi ng his runaway win in the second moto . "I was so nerv ou s for the seco nd mot o. After 1 wo n th e first rnoto, 1 was just thinking, 'Man, 1 hope my bad luck here doesn't show up aga in.' It seems like 1 B 8 Rounds 616: Motocross 338 always have one good mot o and o ne bad moto, so I spent the wh ole moto just tryin g to slay oul of trou ble. But then I'd see Doug there along the track, wa ving his cas ts a rou nd, and it made me jus t want to rid e harder and hard er." Dowd 's luck held ou t to cap a perfect da y: two holesh ots , lead ing every inch of every lap, and two moto ' ins on the w Brian Berry-tuned YZ250 . His d ominance came in" the face of nume ro us inco ns is te n t d a ys among the pla yers behind him . Team Kawasa ki's Jeff Emig (6-2) a nd Ryan Hug hes (3-5) roun ded ou t the podium steps, while Yama ha's Ezra Lusk, Suzuki's Greg Albertyn and Je re my McGrath , a n d inde p en de n t Hond a riders Larry Ward and Damon Bradshaw all failed to string together two top-five finishes . "I have passed more riders in thes e last three races than I have in the las t three years:' said Emig, who crashed on the firs; lap of the first mo to for the third s traig h t tim e. " I was p ass in g g uys everywhe re, and actually having fu n, too. In the second moto , 1 didn't fall, but I didn 't get the holesh ot, either, and, on a track like this, you can' t do that if you want to beat [o hn Dowd. He was riding perfect to day, and I give h im all th e credi t for winning the way he did." Dowd has always been known as one of the fastes t sand riders in America (as has Henry, for that matter ); add Ricky Carmichael's nam e to the list. For the fifth time in six roun ds, the sensational 17-year-old from Ta llahassee, Flor id a, do mina ted the 12Sec class on his Chad Watls-pre pped Kawasa ki KX125. After passing early leade r Kevin Windham in the first 125cc moto, the Sp litFire /Pro Circuit/ AXO / Oakley-backed Kawasaki rider was o ve rcome by it surprisingly smoo th Robbi e Reyn ard in th e fir st che ckered flag ahead of Su zuki team mates Mickael Pichon and Timmy Ferry Even though Carmichael had nev e vi s ited the notorious Southwick trac be fore this weekend, he was well-pre pared for th e roughest circuit o n th ationa l tou r. Crowing up in sa ndbo: rid in g areas lik e Croo m gay Carm ichael am ple riding experie nce ' deep whoops and ruts su ch as the on that carpet MX 338. "I grew up riding in this sluff, trac li ke Cocoa Beach a nd Croom a nd al tha t:' Ca rmichael sa id of h is not-so long-ago ama teur days. 'This track wa d efin it el y ro ugh b u t it w as goo d . fo u nd a ll the right'lines a n d got : rhythm going - that was pretty much it. moto . the first time in the '97 outdoor seven races to go, so I'm pretty happabou t th e way this w hole thi ng i going:' added Carmic hael , who becam the first rider to win five of the firs t si: 125cc Nationals since Mark Barnett wo the first seven races in a row en route t th e 1981 title. "I got a littl e bit tired i series that Carmichael has been passed whil e leading. . In the second moto, Ca rmichael a ga in pa ssed early le ader Wind ha m, and then checked ou t to a lead of more than 20 seconds before crui sing past the "I've go t fiv e wins behind me an