Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ning well ahead of Dowd and Stiffie's Shaun Perolio . Huffman led the first ha lf of the race u nt il McCormick got aro u nd him and sta rted pulling aw ay . After an earl y tussle with Perol io, Dowd settled down and caught up to Huffman, who seem ed to have lost his momentum afte r ge tt ing passed by McCormick. Dowd passed ' him two laps from the finish, making the fina l finishin g ord er McCormick, Dowd, Huffman and Perolio. McCormick w as sto ked to tak e th e first heat-race win of his career. "This is a tota l dream of mine," McCormick said. " Bu t the main is so mething I w an t so bad. This is the best I've felt." Willo h carne ba ck to w in th e la st chance qualifier, ahead of Deegan, Isaiah Johnso n and Brad Hagseth. Huffman too k th e h ol es h ot in th e main a nd led for a la p before getti ng passed by Vui llernin , Matiasevich, Roncada and, on the next lap, McCormick. Way back in 11th place was Dowd. Once ou t in front , there was no catching the Frenchman. "I ro de like I d id at Houston a nd Phoenix," said Vuillemin. "I got a good start - third place - and on the second lap I passed Matiasevich and Huffman. I then pu shed a little bit to take a good lead . I had about a seven-second lead after three or four laps, so I started to concentrate. I tried to think about the track, take good lines and not make mistakes . It was good. On a track like this, with lots of ru ts, you have to take good lines." McCormick , wh o rounded th e .fir st lap in seventh, was on the gas and actually passed Roncad a and Matiasevich en rrou te to second place by the fourth lap . Matiasevich, mean while, was feeling .serious p ress u re fro m Ron cad a. On the 'third lap, Roncad a execu ted a block-pass on Matiasevic h in a tum bu t mad e little e ffo rt n ot to hit h im , Th e two riders 'slammed into each other, w ith Matiase- . vich getting the wo rst of it. (Left) Stephane Roncada (18) c leaned Jeff Matiasevich's clock in the 125cc ma in. Roncada went on to fin ish second, while Matiasevich ret ired to the pits. (Above) Jason McCormick rode well, taking fourth in the 125cc main . "After two laps , h e (Ma tiasevich) wa s slowing m e down , so I block-passed him," Roncada said. " It wa s a race and he was going to do something to me ." "I felt him corning in," Matiasevich said. "I tried to keep on the pow er and ' sw eep it (th e turn ), and he jus t ca me straigh t in . Th ere'sa lw ays n ext week, and I won't let that go unnoticed, what hedid. He left me on the ground and he stayed up ," Matiasev ich wen t ba ck to th e p its wi th a sore knee. Roncad a th en se t hi s sig h ts on the high -flying McCormick, an d it wasn' t until the 12th lap that he passed him for seco nd . Butby th at time Ron cad a ha d no cha nce of cat chin g Vuillern in, wh o w as long since go n e. A cou ple of lap s later, Dowd al so p assed McC ormick , makin g th e final fin ishin g o r der Vuillemin, Roncad a, Dowd , McCormick and Pingree. rx 125 HEAT 1 (6 laps, 1-9 tra ~5fer 10 main): 1. Nat han Ramse y (Kaw): 2. Da vid Vuillemin (Yam) ; 3 . Je ff Ma tia se vich (Kaw) : 4. Greg Schne ll (Yam ); 5. Er ick Valle jo (Kaw): 6. T ravis Pr es to n (Su z) : 7. Ste pha ne Ron cada (Hon): 8. Ty le r Eva ns (Suz): 9. Da nny Sm ith (Hon): to. Chris wheeler (Suz); 11. Jeff Willo h (Suz); 12. Brad Hagseth (Yam); 13. Doug Parsons (Ya m); 14. Da x Kastrin (Suz): 15. Dustin Len abu rg (Yam); 16. Espen Blikstad (Yam); 17. Eric Waunch (H e n): 18. Gio Ted esco (Yam); 19. Travis Gage (Suz): 20. Larry Linkogle (Yam ). Tim e: 5 min., 38.840 sec . • 125 HE AT 2 (6 laps, 1-9 transfer to main): 1. Ja son McCormick (Hen ): 2. John Dowd (Ya m); 3. Rvan Huffman (Suz); 4. Sha un Peroli o (Suz); 5. David Pingree (H e n ): 6. Jerome Hemery (Suz); 7. Mich a el Brand es (Suz); 8. Jin Dosta l (Su z); 9. Jimmy Lemas tus (KTM ); 10. Isa iah Johnson (K aw ): 11. Brian Deegan (Kaw ): 12. Scott Davis (Suz ): 13. Kris Rourke (KTM); 14. Tony Graves (Ya m); 15. Kris Pap worth (Ya m); 16. Dustin N e lso n (Yam); 17. Monte Mon ta gu e (Yam); 18. Chaun McAlister (Suz ); 19. Jake Windham (Suz ): 20. Ryan Duff (Ho n). , Tim e: 5 min., 42.870 sec. 125 LCQ (4 lap s, 1-4 transfer to main): 1. Jeff Willoh (Suz ); 2. Brian Dee gan (K.1W); 3. Is aiah John son (Ka w): 4. Brad Ha gseth (Ya m); 5. Kn s Rourke (KTM ); 6. Tony G ra ves (Ya m); -7. Ryan Du ff (H o n); 8. Espen Blikstad (Yam) ; 9. Dou g Parsons (Yam ); 10. Dax Kastrin (Suz) ; 11. Kris Pa pworth (Yam ); 12. C ha un McAlister (Suz) : 13. Mont e Monta gu e (Yam) ; 14. Du stin Lenaburg (Yam); 15. pallets of lime on the track to sop up the moisture in the soil. Even though the track,still rutted up some onSaturday night the track held up bett er than most previo us Seattl e tracks. Briefly.---'7----,---_ ·.. Honda team' manager We'ss McCoy di'd not make the trip to Sea ttle, and report s have it that M cC oy will no' lo nger be the '.,team' s manager. Filling in for McCoy at Seattl e ",ere Cliff White and Jeff Stanton: "Wess is still a crucial part of our race team , a t this point." Stanton said : ~ He' s just going to be stayin'g home fo r five ' to six w eek s and -doinq all the paperwor k back h ome , ' Between Cliff Whit e and myself, we 're going to be handling things • here," , , Eric Wa un ch (Hen ): 16. Sco tt Da vis (Suz): 17. C hri s whcele- (Suz): 18. Du stin Ne lson (Yam); 19. C ia Tedesco (Yam) ; 20. Tr avis Gage (Suz); 21. Jake Windh am (Suz ): 22 L<1tyY Linko gJe (Yam). T ime : 3 min., .59.430 sec . 125 MAIN (15 la ps) : 1. Dav id Vuille mi n (Yam) ; 2. Step hane Ron cada (Hen): 3. Jo hn Oowd (Yam); 4. Jason McCo rmick (H en): 5. David Pingree (H e n): 6. Na than Ramsey (Kaw): 7. Jeff Will o h (Suz ): 8. Travis Preston (Suz); 9. Ty ler Evans (Suz ); 10. Brian Deegan (Kaw): 11. Isaiah Johnso n (Kaw); 12. Greg Schnell (Yam); 13. Erick Va lle jo (Ka w): 14. Michael Brandes (5 uz); 15 . Ryan Huffm a n (Su z) ; 16. Jerome Hemery (Suz); 17 . Brad Hagset h (Yam); 18. Dann y Smith (H a n); 19. Sha un Pero tic (Suz); 20. jimmy Lemastu s (K"J'!v1); 21. [ iri Dostal (SU7.) 22. Jeff Matiase vich (Ka w ). ; T ime: 14 min ., 20.310 sec. Margin of victoryr 8.007 sec . U See A MA WESTERN RE G IONAL SU PE R CROSS C' SHIP SERIES POI NT S STANDI N G S (Aft e r 4 of 7 rounds); 1. Da vid Vuillemin (89/ 3 w ins); 2. Jo hn Dowd (87/ 1 win): 3. Stephane Roncada (SO 4. Davi d Pingree ); (69); 5. Micha el Brandes (54); 6. Natha n Ramse y (53); 7. Gre g Sch nell (SO); 8. Jason McConnick (48); 9. (TIE) Jeff Willoh /Rya n Huffman (37); 11. Danny Smith (30); 12. Tr a vi s Pr e s ton (26 ); 13 . (T IE) Tyl e r Eva ns /Jeff Ma ttasevl ch (25); 15. (TIE) Isaiah Johnso nlJiri Dostal (23); 17. Sha un Per o lio (20 ); 18. Eri ck Va llejo (19); 19. egan (16); 20. Jason Partridg e (14). Brian De Kingdome Seattle, Washing10n Results: January 31, 1998 (Round 4 of 7) For the first time thi s season,' Jeremy McGrath took the 1900~PRO ,RACE Holeshot Awar d - and the $1 000 that goes along with it - for gett ing the holeshot in the 250cc main..Suzuki' s Ryan Huffman pockete d the $ 500 up for grabs in 'the 125cc class after taking the holesho t in the 1 .25cc main, , ' ' Upcoming Round s: Round 5 - San Diego, California, February 6 ' Round 6 - Minnea polis, Minnesota, March 21 also broke his f ingers at the same race . ' However, Deegan si ill managed to race at' Phoenix, The Kawasaki rider qualified for the 125cc main event by finishing second in the last-chance qualifier." then took 10th in the main. . " Also riding injured was Team ,Siiffie's Michael B randes, The Suzuki ride r bruised hisheel while practicing during the wee k. but, . despite the paln.he'fintshed 14th in the 125, c main" c . '. . .... After h is ,get-together with Stephane Honcada.in the '125cc main event, Pro Circuit' s Jeff Matiasevich was hobbling around with ' a sore k nee.. Mati,;sevich said he oouid not stand on the ieg 'right after the 'c rash but felt much 'bett er late r that night backin the' pits, " lt 's alittle hurt . but it' s not bad, It' ll be fine: ' said Matiase', ' vich of his knee, ' The FMF Honda 'team' was also without its hauler 'at Seattl e. Their rig 'was back at the shop, having new cabinets installed, and should be back on the road soon. ' Honda offered the FMF teani t he useof theirprts . but FMF chose towork instead out of box . . Acco rdin g to Kawa saki team manager Bruce' Stjer nstrorn . Los . vans for the eveninq, Ang'eles Supercro ss winner Sebastien Tortelli willbe back in ac tion at next week 's su pe rcross ro und i n San' Di eg o'.,·Torteltj · ·. D uring ope ning cer emonies : a nice tribute w as paid to fo rmer di,rt ·Injur ed his knee dur ing a practice-session -crash at ,Kawasak i's ' track champion Ricky Graham , who w as killed in a house fire a training 'ground ,in California tw o weeks ago and is already ridinq ' little over a week 'ago: ESPN's Art Eckman said a few words from again: It was first believed , th~i Torte lli had to rn his anterior eructthe floor of .the 'stadium,' and then video. relivinq sonie ofGra.', ,ate ligament 'in his knee, but h i~ MRI tests came ba.ck negative. ' ham's great racing rnornents .. was , shown' on the stadium's big . television screen.'. " Graham was a dirt, track .racer. and 'the sport . On the Thursday before Saturday's race: the soft , tacky dirt was - of motorcyclinq lost one of its family members. " Eckman said. . . . ' rui ting up so badly' that the Kingdome eeuese .look edltkea slot-car track when the press-day session' was over: To alleviate .. T ~ani Mo to XXX is rack ing' up some' medical bllls.' Not only did :the moist ureproblem, the track builders - Dirt W eirx- dumped four ' Mke' Metzger break his femur at Phoenix. but .Brian Deegan 'a . '. .. ' . . . . . 7

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