Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127944
finishes. I have some more confidence and now, hopefully, I can go to Mount Morris and get a top-three overall." Team Factory ConneetionlJack in the Box/Honda's Mike LaRocco recorded fifth overall with a 4-7 score and maintaine'd third in the point standings over Henry, 72-71, while Pichon and Ward are tied for fourth in the championship standings with 70. Emig rode a steady pace to €arn sixth overall (6-6), Pichon took seventh (5-8), Team Honda's Ezra Lusk finished eighth (10-5) overall after an early crash in the first moto, Honda of Troy's Mike Craig raced t9 ninth with a 7-9, and Windham - stiLi fighting a separated shoulder - closed out the top 10 with a 9-10. The two top-finishing privateers came next, with Team White Brothers/ Yamaha-backed veteran raCer Doug Dubach in 11th (11-11) and Team Race Tech/Motorex/DSP's Tony Amaradio in 12th (12-12). MOTOONE McGrath blasted off to grab the lead • in moto one, followed closely by Dubach, Yamaha of Japan/Holley Racing's Takeshi Koikeda, Pichon, Ward, Albertyn and Craig. Lusk got into trouble with a few other riders and went down hard, the front end throwing a wave of soil; he remounted near the back of the pack. As the pack shuffled and McGrath and Pichon pulled away, Albertyn was being talked in third by a pack of riders that included Craig, Henry, LaRocco, Windham, Emig and Ward. Pichon kept McGrath on radar-lock for several laps, finally passing him after a few attempts on lap nine, but it was very short-lived, as McGrath took the lead back a lap later on one of the downhills. "That was a good battle, but I knew Pichon would get tired," McGrath said. "He's in shape but not quite, and I didn't want to let him get too far out in fJ:ont of me. [ wanted to get him back just as fast as [ could. It worked for a while, but [ was out front for so long that I didn't know how fast to ride. The track was bumpy and I didn't know what lines they were taking, so it was tougher for me." Then, as soon as McGrath got back Briefl (Left) Last year's winner, South African Greg Albertyn, tied McGrath on points for the day but settled for second overall with a 1-2. Albertyn has now moved into second In the point standings behind McGrath, 88-73. (Right) Kevin Windham led early in the second moto stalked by McGrath (2), Lusk (out of frame), Albertyn (7) and Larry Ward (4). Windham eventually faded to eighth. around Pichon, Albee surprised both unsuspecting riders by passing the Frenchman and then McGrath for the read within a lap. "Albertyn kind of snuck up on me because I thought it was Pichon behind me," McGrath said. "He was hanging it out a little more than I was and I learned a lot from him (Albertyn). I almost caught him by the finish." McGrath stayed close and showed Albertyn some fender for a few laps and then dropped back, but reclosed to within just a bike length when the checkers waved. Behind these two, Pichon immediately began to fade, perhaps demoralized from the McGrath/ Albertyn spanking. Whatever the case, Pichon dropped off ••• The winners of the Copenhagen RacinglTough Company Pro Privateer Challenge in the 250cc class were Team White Brothers/Yamaha/O'Neal-backed Doug Dubach <11thJ and Team Race Tech/ MotorexiDSP's Anthony Amaradio <12th). In the 125cc class. it was Team Mot? XXXlPro Grip/Siml Valley Cycles' Michael Brandes (5thJ and Kawasaki of CarrolltonlThorsupported Josh Demuth (7ihJ faking the honoes and cash. The Privateer Challenge awards $750 to the top-finishing privateer and $250 to the next-highest-placing privateer in both classes. and simi· Iarly awards $5000 and $3000 to the two high~st-placing prlv"teers in the points standings at the end of the season. For the Nationals. Team Chaparral/Yamaha/Fox's Jeremy McGrath has switched over from the 1994 Yamaha VZ250 cylinder he used to win the SX Championship to a 1998 cylinder like the one· used by John Dowd and Kev.in Windham on their YZ250s. "This motor is a little more revvy and it's got more top end. It doesn't have the instant power for supercross-type obstacles. but it .runs great.·: McGrath said. "Bob Ol.iver did agrea) job with my engine and everybody at Yamaha.has peen very good to me this year, so I'm happy to be winning for them. '". Great Lakes Airlines' .Heath Voss', Team Honda's Ezra Lusk' . and Yamaha rider Cory 'Bauder were the winners of the 250cc preliminary heat ra'ces, while Team Primal Impulse/BUI's Pipes/Suzuki·s·Robbie Reynard'. Team Honda of Troy's Mike Brown and Team Mota XXXlPro Grip rider Brian Deegan won heats to qualify for the 125cc class. Team Kawasaki of MexicolThor/Tecate's Phil Lawrence was the pace, allowing Henry to pounce from fourth onto third, a position he held to the finish. Pichon's fall from grace stopped in the number-five spot by the checkers. By then, LaRocco had charged his way around him up through the fairly spread-out field. After a number of lapped riders came through, Pichon finished wcll behind LaRocco, and Emig finished sixth by moving around Craig and then Ward. Windham finished n.inth, and Lusk moved all the way from 37th to 10th by the end of the 30-minuteplus-two-Iap moto. MOTOTWO The second mota was led by McGrath agaiTI, but this time Wind- not in Sacramento due to the fact that his broken collarbone. which has been on the mend. was again aggravated in' a second-mota crash last week at Glen Heien. Lawrence is expected to' return for the Southwick. Massachusetts. National on June 16. Speaking of Team Kawasaki of MexicolThorlTecate. ~ may be tough for .Lawrence to retum if the team does no! travel to the upcoming East Coast races, as has been speculated by industry insiders. Rumors circulated that the team was out of money and that Sacramento would be the final race for the outfit this year. Nei- ham, Lusk, Emig and Tom Morgan Racing / Roseburg Suzuki / FMF -supported Ryan Terlecki were hot on his rear tire. When the mid lap shuffle started to sort out, Windham was all over McGrath, as Lusk, Albertyn, Emig, Ward, Henry, Craig, Koikeda, Pichon and LaRocco followed in formation. When McGrath overshot a turn at the top of one of the rough, rutted uphills, Windham scooted by to take over the lead. Two laps later, though, McGrath closed the gap back up and retook the position in the same corner. From that point, Windham started to slide backward, as Lusk took third from the Louisiana native at the bottom of the following hill. The onslaught continued for Team Mota XXX's newest rider, Michael Brandes. competed with a broken nose in Sacramento. The injury was sustained in a crash last weekend while unsuccessfully trying to qualify for the program at Glen Helen. -It's not too easy to ric;le with a brok.en nose, '" Brandes explained. "The roost is killing my nose. even though I'm wearing a guard. What's really bugging me is the wrist (his righU I sprained about a month ago. It really hurts when I Ry oft" that 10-foot drop·off in the back section. plus the track is really rough everywhere else. I feel like a gimp out there. but my lap times are still pretty good. '" Indeed. they were good. and Brandes raced to a fine fifth overall in'the 125cc class with a 5-9. ther team manager Paul Lindsey nor any other team official was available in Hangtown for comment. Team Yamaha's Kevin 'Windham is still nursin'g a separated shoulder sustained in Dallas about three weeks ago. '"The iess I do Team Kawilsaki""s Ryan Hughes continued to sit out at Hangtown during the week. the better I h'.el," Windham explained. "I'm just due to a knee injury that has kept him out of action since before the . staying off the bike and trying to work on my cardia. Right ·now. it"s Las Vegas SX on May 2. but team manager Bruce Stjemstrom was the best I can do. '" Windham rode to ninth in the first malo and finally able to shed some light on the situation. "Hughes should be actually led the seco~d moto for a while, but ~entua"y settled for back for Southwick Uune 16J." Stjemstrom said. "f-ie underwent 11th 'in the mota and 1Oth overall. 'Irthroscopic knee surgery. on Tuesday of this week and things went very well. He can start riding in two weeks if everythi"ng goes as Even fighting the injuries. Kevi':' Windham was very upbeat and plahned. '" appreciative of the Glen Helen crbwd that cheered him on so diligently last week during his second mota: which was somewhat disDefending champ JeH 'Emig's uncharacteristic second-mota DNF astrous. .. After my crash. in the second mota. I was quite a ways last week in. San Bemardino was traced to a defective lower-end back a~d struggling with my shoulder. '" Windham said. ,: Basically. I . bearing, "We suffered a big-end bearing seizure. '" Bruce Stjern. coul~n't heip but have a smile on' mY face, knOWing that the·fans strom explained. "It just got hot. '" According to the team. the bear- were rooting (Oe on so well. even· though Iwas way out of the race, ings are usually run for four races and then replaced... Even when Great support like that kept me going. 'Ind I just want to thank all we won the 'championship last year. I was going six races On those the fans from Glen Helen," ·At Glen Helen. Windham finished sevthings, '" Emig's mechanic. Jeremy Albrecht. said before the first' enth overall (3-16J. mota. '"I'm going to tear the bike down and check them right now. They've only got about an hour and a half on them. but it will sure Team SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Ricky _Carmichael took a make us all feel better. '" They obviously lasted. as Emig (aced to spill in the first practice session on Sunday. injucing his left shoulsixth. overall with a 6·6. Continue 011 Page 18 ell ~ 17