Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

make up on current leader Jeremy McGrath (121-95). Victimized by poor starts, the Chaparral Yamaha-backed McGrath didn't have a good day in Mount Morris, finishing sixth overall with a 4-6 showing. After severa] consecutive years of poor weather, the 1998 version of the High Point Nationals was held on an almost perfect afternoon for racing. Overcast skies in the morning gave way to warm sunshine by the time the first rna to. got under way. The track itself was a hilly, well-groomed circuit with several steep elevation changes and three large jump sections thrown into the mix. The consensus was that the High Point facility was in the best shape it has ever been in it 22-year history. When the gate dropped for the first moto, Windham mastered a perfect start and led everyone around the first corner. His Yamaha teammate Henry was next on the four-stroke YZ400, followed by the fast-starting Mike Katin, Albertyn, Lusk, Suzuki's Larry Ward and McGrath. Emig was about 10th, but his position quickly improved when Henry fell off the first tunnel jump and went back to last. He restarted his bike more than a straightaway behind the last-placed rider and spent the entire moto working his way back up to 10th place. Katin also slipped off the pace before pulling out all together later on. Windham seemed to be in a race all by himself, and the Yamaha rider more or less checked out from the .rest of the pack. After building a lead of more than 15 seconds, Windham eased it back down after the halfway mark and cruised home with his first outdoor moto win as a 250cc pilot. "1 was just riding really well and the track is definitely my kind of track," said Windham. who won the 1996 High Point National' in the 125cc class. "My shoulder hasn't been hurting as bad as it has the first two races and I was feeling pretty strong, but I don't know what I have left for the second moto. 1 haven't been able to train like I've wanted to." Lusk moved into second early and would hold the position firmly all the way across the finish line. "1 rode a little bit with Kevin in practice and I knew he was going to be fast," said Lusk after his best moto of the season to date. "I knew if he got the holeshot, he would check out. By the time I got into second, he had a lead he kept the whole race. I think we rode dead even once I got up there. Next time out I hope to get a better start and maybe we can have a pretty good race." With Windham and Lusk so far gone, the huge crowd focused on the battle for third that featured Albectyn, McGrath, Ward and the resurgent Emig. For most of the moto, the four duked it out until Ward seemed to lose the pace. Albertyn fell once early and slipped back to seventh before clawing his way back into third with five laps to -go:But Emig was riding like his old self and th four-time AMA National Champion raced past McGrath and Albertyn for third before falling with two laps to go. "It was in the dumbest corner - the same place where Albee looped out a couple of years ago," Emig said of the spill. "The funny thing was, I was thinking about that right when I did it! It was like, 'Take it easy and relax and don't do what Albee - oops!' Down I went." Emig was up quickly, but Albertyn and McGrath were already back by him. Emig still finished an outdoor seasonbest fifth. "It was a tough moto and I didn't .help myself by falling once," said Albertyn, who has been showing newfound patience and consistency outdoors. "I can't make those silly mistakes and (Above) The gate drops at the start of the first 250cc National moto. (Below) Yamaha's Kevin Windham won the first mota but could only manage a 10th in the second.

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