Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

SUPERCROSS TOYOTA TRUCKSITHORIPARTS UNLIMITED AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES/,-'- - - - - - Roncada, '~ho finished third' to Dowd and David Vuillemin (who did not race in Las Vegas) in the West Coast Series. Roncada did not get the start he wanted if he had any hopes of hanging with Carmichael and Dowd; instead, Roncada made the best of a midpack getaway to finish third 'ahead of SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's athan Ramsey and Stillie Suzuki's Shaun Perolio. Rounding out the top 10 were Primal Impulse Suzuki's Ryan Huffman, SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Nick Wey, Motoworld of El Cajon's Greg Schnell, F&S Suzuki's Tom Clowers and Moto XXX/Pro-Grip's Brian Deegan. HEATS In the first heat race, consisting of the East Coast Series regulars, the top nine riders transferred directly to the main, and Carmichael got through that first 125cc heat just fine, winning it with ease. Seemingly unaffected by his earlier practice-session crashes, he put his Chad Watts-tuned KXl25 into the lead right off the start and never looked back. Sellards positioned his FMF/Honda CR125 into second and opened up a comfortable advantage on third-placed Robbie Skaggs on the Tom Morgan Racing/Lemonds Yamaha YZl25. Skaggs, however, had Moto XXX/Pro-Grip's Paul Currie to contend withior a wh.ile, until Currie suddenly dropped back, handing fourth over to GRP/Munn Racing's Cory Keeney. Keeney, however, was passed on the last lap by Honda of Troy's Casey Lytle, making the top-five finishing order Carmichael, Sellards, Skaggs, Lytle and Keeney. Tommy Clowers put his F&S Suzuki into sixth, followed by Wey, Currie and Suzuki support rider Charlie Bogard. In the West Coast riders' heat, it was Roncada taking the win. He shot his CRl25 into the lead and never looked back, but had he €lone so, he would have seen Dowd running just a little too close for comfort. Dowd gave Roncada a close look early on before backing off slightly, being content with second. Ryan Huffman, who actually grabbed the holeshot in the race, settled 'into a distant third, and then he had SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Casey Johnson breathing down his neck. Two laps from the finish, Johnson passed Huffman for third. Fifth place went to Perolio, who ran in that position all race long. He was followed across the finish line by Kawasaki rider Isaiah Johnson, Greg Schnell, FMF/Honda's David Pingree and Brian Deegan. LAST-CHANCE QUALIFIERS Two LCQs were run at Las Vegas, one for the East and one for the West, and the top two riders from each transferred to the main. Team Green Kawasaki's Shae Bentley led every lap of the first Eastern LCQ to score the win, and Kawasaki of Mexico's Ryan Clark looked to have the final transfer spot in the bag until he crashed all alone on the last lap, handing the number-two slot over to James Povolny Jr. on his Dennis Medsker /The Cycle Shed KTM. In the Western LCQ, Team Stiffie's Jeff Willoh grabbed the holeshot, followed by Ramsey and FMF/Honda's Jason McCormick, who passed Ramsey early on. McCormick was sitting pretty for a transfer until he swapped off the track, giving Ramsey second place again. Ramsey went on and passed Willoh and opened up a big lead. The' race for the final transfer spot went down to the wire in a four-way dogfight involving Primal Impulse/Suzuki's Jiri Dostal, F&S Suzuki's Travis Preston, Willoh and. FMF/Honda's Danny Smith. When it was all over, Preston had gotten around Dostal and made the main by the skin of his teeth. MAIN When the gate dropped for the start of the IS-lap 125cc shootout, it was Huffman and his Suzuki grabbing the holeshot again, ahead. of Lytle, Skaggs, Dowd, Carmichael and Casey Johnson. Dowd wasted little time getting aroUnd Skaggs, Lytle and Huffman, and he had control of the lead before the first lap was over, It took Carmichael another full lap t.o get around the same riders, and the duel for which everyone was waiting and hoping was in full gear. "John got around those guys really fast," Carmichael said. "I knew I had to get around those guys fast, too, or he was going to gap me. He gapped me a little bit, but I was able to catch back up." Dowd did, in fact, open up about a two-second lead on Carmichael, as they both pulled clear of the rest of the pack. Early on, Lytle went down in a turn and Johnson had no place to go but straight into Lytle and his bike. Both riders got going again but not until most of the pack had ridden by them. Meanwhile, up front, Dowd continued to hold his own, though Carmichael began inching closer, By the halfway point, Carmichael had closed to within striking distance, and when Dowd hesitated (losing momentum to attempt a ~carmlchael (left) and second-placed John Dowd congratulate each other immediately after the race. This was Carmichael's ninth win In a row. triple jump that he was forced to double), Carmichael saw his chance and tripled past Dowd. "I passed. him in the triple," Carmichael said of the pass. "Then he kind of made a block-pass on me, and then I cut underneath him in the whoops." About the same time, Roncada passed Huffman for third, but was too far back to be a concern for either Dowd or Carmichael. As the leaders began to encounter lapped riders, Dowd kept things interesting as he kept close tabs on Carmichael. Lappers, however, stalled Dowd's efforts a few times, as he was forced to double the triples at least two times. "I made my own mistakes before I got passed," Dowd said. "Once I got behind him (Carmichael), it did seem like, man, I had some more problems with the lappers. A few of them got in my way pretty good, and that got me a little ways away from him." . Still, Carmichael was in control, riding a flawless race and getting through the slower traffic with relative ease. When the checkered flag came out, Carmichael took the win by just a few seconds, while Roncada finished a distant third, "I was running as fast as I could, but I was just staying the same (as Carmichael and Dowd)," Roncada said, "It's too bad, because if I could just get a good start and run with those guys, I could win the race. I only have me to blame." "I knew John was going to be strong," Carmichael said after the race. "Man, that guy is in incredible shape. But I'm really happy to win. This is also my first win with the number-one plate." Perolio looked to have a lock 0 fourth, but in the very last turn he los the front end of his bike and fell over, handing Ramsey a present. Perolio go up with time to spare over sixth-placed Huffman. He was followed over the fin ish line by Wey, Schnell, Clowers and Deegan, in that order. Oi sam Boyd Silver Bowl Las Vegas, NevadB Results: May 2, 1998 us HEAT 1 (8 laps, 1~ transfer to main):1- Rick Carmichael (Kaw); 2. Brock Sellards (Han); 3. Rabbi Skaggs (Yam); -4. Casey Lytle (Han); S. Cory Keeney (Yam); 6. Tom Oowers (Suz); 7. Nick Wey (Kaw); 8. PauJ Currie (Kaw); 9. Charlie Bogard (Suz); 10. Rya Clark (Kaw); 11. James Povolny (KTM); 12. Tony Lorusso (Suz); 13. Shae Bentley (Kaw); 14. Jim N (I(TM); IS. Jeff Hedden (Yam); 16, Jon Boruff (Suz); 17. Jason Thomas (Kaw); 18. Anthony Pocorobba (Suz). Time: 5 min., 40.910 sec. 115 HEAT 2 (8 bps, 1·9 transfer to main): 1. Stephane Roncada (Hon); 2. John Dowd (Yam); 3. Casey Johnson (Kaw); 4. Ryan Huffman (Suz); 3. Shaun: Perotio

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