Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

IN THE WIND Mike Lafferty (KIM) scoreCIthe oveiall win at the AMA Northfork Two-Day ISDE Qualifier in Bellingham, Washington, June 7-8. The event was also round six of the AMA Acerbis National Enduro Series. Finishing second in Washington was David Lykke, followed by Ty Davis (Vam), Destry Abbott (Kaw) and Randy Hawkins (Yam). Rodney Smith (Suz) grabbed top honors at the Grand National Cross Country round in Manahawkin, New Jersey, June 7. The runner-up was Steve Hatch (Suz), followed by Paul Edmondson (Suz), Brian Keegan (Kaw) and Joel Dengler (Suz). Team Honda's Johnny Campbell (Hon) and Bruce Ogilvie combined efforts to win the SCORE Baja 500 in Baja California, Mexico, on June 6. The winning team, riding a Honda XR628, finished the race in 9 hours, 28 minutes and 18 seconds, with a speed average of 48.5 mph. Campbell and Ogilvie finished six minutes ahead of Team Honda's Craig Smith and Greg Bringle, also riding an XR628. The Smith/Bringle duo completed the race in 9:34:27. The third-place finishing motorcycle team was made up of Honda XR600 riders Marc Burnett and Ricardo Malo. aiff Matlock and Marty Moates, aboard a Vamaha YZ400F, took top honors in Class 30. The top-finishing four-wheel vehicle was a Toyota truck driven by Ivan Stewart, who took third overall, 17 minutes off Campbell and Ogilvie's winning pace. Tony Rickardsson picked up where he left off at the previous Speedway Grand Prix - as the man the rest follow, taking the decisive win at round two of the World Individual Championship series, Everts back on top efending 250cc MX World Champion Stefan Everts (Hon) returned to his winning ways at the FIM Italian GP in Asti, Italy, on June 7. Everts won the first moto in front "f 9000 spectators, ending Sebastien Tortelli's recent streak in the series. After finishing third in the first moto, however, Tortelli (Kaw) came back to win the second moto over Everts, thus scoring second overall on the day. Tortelli has beitten Everts in five of the last six motos of the series. Still, Tortelli's third in the first moto cost him two points to Everts on the day. After the Italian GP, Everts extends his series points lead over Tortelli to eight, 252-244. Filling out the rostrum in Italy was French rider Frederic Bolley (Hon), who posted 2-3 moto results for third overall, while German rider Pit Beirer (Hon) finished fourth with a 4-4 tally. A pair of fifth-place moto finishes earned Swedish rider Joakim Karlsson '(Hon) fifth. An injured Tallon Vohland made the trip to Italy but did not race. Yamaha's Vohland was competing in the Belgian Championships the week before and injured his finger when he and Everts tangled over a jump during a practice session. "When we came down, both the bikes tangled with me," Vohland said of the crash. "Stefan was concerned and helped me up, but it was just an accident. I have a hairline fracture on my clutch finger, so this makes riding difficult." Vohland hopes to be back in action for the next race at Jinin, in the Czech Republic. Team Suzuki suffered a major setback at the Italian GP when team rider Werner Dewit crashed and crushed his ankle, as well as breaking his tibia and fibula (lower leg). "The break in his ankle is very much worse than we thought," said team manager Sylvain Geboers. "He (Dewit) also has some 'serious joint damage and the healing process will be long." D . J held at the Roltalstadion in Pocking, Germany, on June 6. It was another supercool display of control in heat-wave temperatures of 95 degrees, as Rickardsson took the lead in the final right from the start. Billy Hamill was second, followed by Jimmy Nilsen and Tomasz Gollob the same four who made the final at the previous round. Reigning World Champion Greg Hancock fared little better McGrath out with injury_ ive-time AMA Supercross Champion and current series points leader in the 1998 AMA National Championship 250cc MX Series Jeremy McGrath (right) has been sidelined with a wrist injury and, according to Chaparral/Yamaha team manager Larry Brooks, will be out of action for up to six weeks. McGrath has been keeping it a secret that he actually has been racing with a broken wrist since the Pontiac Supercross in Michigan on April 4, having suffered the injury in a crash while leading the race. It was the same incident in which the handlebars were broken off his motorcycle. "The pain began after that get-off," Brooks said. "At first, we figured it was something (a significant injury), but we kept hoping it was just a sprain. After that, we kept taping it and trying to keep it (the injury) as quiet as possible - when they (your competitors) know you're injured, they go after it" '1t's been broken all along," McGrath said. '1t's the navicular bone, and it's been sore ever since Pontiac, and it's really been bothering me since Mount Morris (High Point National, on May 24). At Mount Morris, I fell Qver - it was a little fall, really - and I turned my wrist the wrong way. I couldn't finish the sec0!ld practice. "I got home after that and saw four different doctors, had more X-rays, then a CAT scan showed that the crack (in the navicular bone) was all the way through. Actually, we saw it (the crack) in the first X-rays (taken after Pontiac) but it didn't look as bad - not all the way through. Luckily it's not displaced, which means that it can heal on its own." "Jeremy's pretty upset about it," Brooks said. "He has shown that he wants to win the outdoor championship and is really upset about not being, able to continue while leading the series. "We've already raced 10 races since then (Pontiac), but now that we know it's broken, we have to take care of it and get it ·healed. DoctOrs have told him not to operate, as it is still healing F G ~ 00 ~ ,...... r:' S ...... ,.J -.. 2 Dewit had been running among the top 10 in the standings. In Osuna, Spain, on June 7, Andrea Bartolini (Yam) scored the overall win in front of 5000 spectators in round six of the FJM J World Championship 500cc MX Series. In the first moto, Bartolini was running second behind series leader Joel Smets (Hbg) when Smets fell late in the race. Bartolini assumed the lead and rode off to victory some 12 seconds ahead of Darryll King (Hus). Then came Smets, German rider Bernd Eckenbach and Shayne King (K'rM). Smets scored a wire-to-wire win in the second moto, while Bartolini took second, despite a so-so start and a small crash. Great Britain's Rob Herring (Hon) finished third in the moto, followed by Darryll King and Eckenbach. Overall on the day went to Bartolini, followed by Smets, Darryll King and Herring. Smets still leads the series points chase over Darryll King, 186177. Bartolini is third with 152. With 3000 spectators looking on, Team Yamaha riders went 12 at the fifth round of the FIM World Championship 125cc MX Series on a cold, wet and muddy day in Nismes, Belgium, on June 7. David Vuillemin and Claudio Federici filled out the top two spots on the rostrum after Vuillemin went 1-3 for overall honors and Fed~rici went 4-1 for runner-up honors. It was Vuillemin's first overall success of the year. In the first moto, Vuillemin crossed the finish line 16 seconds clear of Italian Alessandro Puzar (TM), who was followed by series leader Alessio Chiodi (Hus), Federicci and French rider Mathieu Lalloz (Yarn). b Federicci took the checkers six seconds ahead of Belgian rider Cedric Melotte (Yam) in the second moto, with Vuillernin finishing seven seconds back of the winner in third. Fourth went to France's Frederic Vialle, while puzar rounded out the top five for third overall. Chiodi did not score any points in the second moto. I However, he still owns a comfortable lead in the series standings with 160 points to PUZaTS 123. Vuillernin is third with 119. than at the Prague GP, scraping through to the consolation final only. to trail the field in last place. Lance Smail (Hbg) continued his winning ways in the AMA Western FourStroke National MX Series in Salt Lake Oty, Utah, on June 7. Smail again won both motos for his fourth straight win, while Greg Schnell (Vam) took runner- itself, but it won't heal completely if he doesn't stop racing. We don't want any complica tions like (Rick) Johnson (who suffered a more serious, career-ending wrist injury)." "It's terrible," McGrath s!tid. "I could continue to ride, but I would probably end up needing surgery, so there's no real benefit to keep riding. I'm really bummed because I was pumped for Southwick (June 14), because I really like that track." Brooks did hint that McGrath might return to racing earlier, but that is not likely to happen. McGrath claims his decision to sit ou t the Nationals had nothing to do with the $100,000 U.s. Supercross Open in Las Vegas scheduled to take place at the end of the outdoor series in October. "Even though Chaparral is a major sponsor of the supercross race, as are many of McGrath's sponsors, the Vegas race had nothing to do with McGrath's decision to sacrifice his chance for another outdoor title," Brooks said. "The supercross was not factored into the problem (with the wrist). It's an injury, it's broken and it has to' heal. We can't keep pushing it." 'Tm contracted to ride all these races (Nationals), and that was my plan," McGrath said. "I just can't risk it. Not only could I risk my career but the future of my wrist if I keep riding. "This is the first time in 12 years I've had to wear a cast," McGrath added. The Chaparral/Yamaha team hauler will still be attending all of the National MX rounds, continuing to support team rider Jimmy Button in the 125cc Nationals.. McGrath says he is not yet sure whether or not he'll spectate at the rounds he'll miss, but he did say.he will probably attend a few. up honors. Finishing third overall was J athan Woods (Yam), followed by , Dustin Nelson (Yam) and Rich Taylor i (Yam). 1 1 Grayson Hart (Hon) was the big winner at the 14th annual Dino Daze Vintage, Extravaganza, held in McCleary, Wash- ) ington, June 6-7. Hart won the 125cc, > .250cc, Over 30 and Grand Prix classes, ' while former Team Bultaco rider Tom I Rapp (Bul) won the Over 40 clasS. Dirt track racing took place on Sunday and former AMA Expert Steve Kendig (Tri) , topped Butch Cochran (Tri) to win the ~ Open Twin A main event. ' Sam Ennolenko won the 1998 American Spe'edway final on June 5 in Auburn, California, scoring a IS-point maximum. Mike Faria was second with 13 points, one ahead of Chris Manchester andCharlie Venegas. Ted Wilkins (Rtx) and Willie Price (HD) came away with victories from the second round of the AMA ational Championship Hillclimb Series, held in York, Pennsylvania, on June 6. Wilkins topped Paul Pinsonnault (Hon) and Terry Thompson (BSA) to win the 540cc class while Price was able to beat James Large (H-D) and Bobby Templeton (HD) to win the 800cc class. Lonnie Pauley (Rtx) held off Steve Mayfield (Rtx) and Billy Martin (Rtx) to win the Pro Expert main event at Perris Auto Speedway in Perris, California, on June 5. The Pro Sport main-event win went to Kenny Noyes (Hbg) over • Tony Souza (Rtx). The race was round two of the West Coast Flat Track Series and was held on the half mile oval at Perris. Don Munroe (Kaw) and Martin Gaudreault (Kaw) won the opening two rounds of the Toyota Canada Superbike Championship at Mosport Park on June 6. Gaudreault held off Jordan Szoke to win the first race, with Munroe beating Joshua Hayes in the _ second race. With his 1-4 tally, Gau-

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