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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127948
the pack in the second moto. Second
place was as high as the Georgian could
get, and he settled for second overall.
'Tm happy that I was consistent, but
I wanted to come here and win both
motos," Lusk said. "1 felt I was strong
enough, my bike was working good
enough - I just had problems with some
lappers, like Doug did, but that's just
the way it goes. My first start was great,
but in the second moto I had to be a little ball y on the first lap to get around
some people quickly. I took me a long
time to get around Emig, but once I did
was able to start catching the leaders. I
just ran out of time:'
Team Suzuki's three-time World
Champion, South African Greg Albertyn, rode very well to claim the final
podium position in third. "Albee" got a
good start in the first moto and ended
up third, but a first-turn crash in the second mota saw him start near the end of
the 40-rider field. A fter a n a mazing
charge that involved another untimely
and painful crash, Albertyn eventually
moved up to seventh on his Ian Harrison-prepared ~250.
"Obviously, I'm very shocked to get
third overall with a 3-7, but ['II take it
any way I can," Albertyn said. "I just
unfortunately went down on the start in
the second mota due to Emig being out
of control, again. He came right across
on me. It co t me pretty badJy and then I
went down on my own in the back section and hurt my right shoulder pretty
badly. It's bruised and I'm worried
bout next weekend, but it should be all
right. [ was catching the pack well untiJ
I went down and then I was on my own
a lot of the time."
Fini hing fourth overall wa Team
Factory Connection/Jack in the
Box/O' eals Mike LaRocco. After
rounding the first lap in 25th place,
laRocco blazed through the pack to finish sixth. A slightly better start in the
second moto helped the multi-time
National MX Champion to a slightly
better finish in fifth.
"[ struggled on the starts and on the
first lap of both races," LaRocco confirmed. "Both times, I got stuck on tile
big uphill. I felt and rode good and
everything, but as wet as it was and as
one-lined as it was, it was real tough to
get through traffic. I actually got a better
start in the second. mota, but then I got
stuck on the uphill again. [ just didn't
get any breaks today - [ was always in
the wrong place at the right time. ['m
more worried about points and Henry
getting 50. Next week, I'll turn it
around:'
The surprise of the weekend had to
be the performance turned in by local
Keith Johnson, from nearby Plympton,
Ma achu ett , who rode his Brockton
Cycle Center/Team Green/Pro Actionacked KX250 to fifth overall. A track
anner that read "KJ Rules" must have
gone to his head, as he blazed off to
two great starts before turning in a 4-9
mota score to na b the top privateer
award.
"This feels good; I'm happy," Johnson said. "I wanted to do better in the
second moto, but my goggles got
fogged up on the third or fourth lap
and I had to take them off. I was getting
sprayed by lappers and it was hard to
ass anyone. 1 knew Lusk was going to
et third from me and I felt pretty good
in fourth untiJ I fell and got stuck in the
mud. Then Emig pa sed me on the last
lap because of another lapper and that
was it. I got ninth, but it should have
been a lot better. I wanted to get a top
10 today, so to get a top five is very
nice."
After going "berserk" and crashing
on the first lap of the opening mota,
Team Yamaha's Kevin Windham put
together a 12-3 for sixth overall. Suzuki's Mickael Pichon fini hed seventh
with a 104, followed by Team Kawasaki's Jeff Emig (11-8), Team Kawasaki of
Mexico/Thor/Tecate's Phil Lawrence
(9-13), and Team Honda of Troy/Sini ala's Mil