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/127975
World Champion Bob Moore has brought together a very strong team for the fast-approaching tour. Leading the way in the West Region will be Grand Prix veteran Tallon Vohland. Vohland, who spent seven years following the GP trail in Europe - winning a number of GPs in the process - was talked into coming back home to America to provide some much-needed experience and savvy to the team. While many fans may not be aware of it, Vohland once beat Jeremy McGrath at the Houston Supercross - on January 19, 1991 before heading across the big pond. Expect Vohland to be a threat. Riding along with the former expatriate in the West will be young Honda recruit Chris Gosselaar. Riding in the East Region will be Buckeye Brock Sellards and Danny Smith. After flying the Honda flag for a number of years, Ohio native Phil Alderton came to terms with the Yamaha Motor Corporation to manage and develop their 125cc stadium program. Now known as Team Yamaha of Troy, Yamaha has provLded the friendly Alderton and his partner in crirrie Erik Kehoe wLth all the tools and resources they'll need to make a spirited run at both the AMA 125cc East and West Region Championships. Perennial frontrunner and 1998 125cc supercross winner Stephane Roncada of France will team with Erne to Fonseca, a multi-tlrne AMA Amateur ational Champion from Costa Rica, in the East Region. Meanwhile, it will be the two Caseys, Lytle and Johnson, who will run Yamaha blue in the West. Team Primal Impulse makes a return engagement as Suzuki's 125cc support team. Managed by the highly"respected and highly rated Mike Raring, the yellow-and-blue-liveried outfit will line up the fast and stylish David Pingree - now free of injury - and Jiri Dostal in the West Region. Then, when the series swings back east, Michael Brandes and rookie Branden Jesseman of Pennsylvania will reap the benefits of factory backing. Adding colorful pieces to the mosaic that is the U.S. Supercross tour are a bevy of small and determined private race teams. Out on the road to make a name for their backers and supporters, the independent teams are a merry lot that· help make the sport the great spectacle tha t it is today. Kenny Watson will call the shots for the Moto XXX race team. Backed by Arnette, Etnies, Whitmore Wirenetics (an aerospace company), Pro Circuit, and the Phat, itro and Epitaph Record labels, Moto XXX will field Suzuki RM250s for the highly competitive Phil Lawrence in the 250cc eries. In addition, Moto XXX will prepare bikes for Travis Preston in the 125cc West Region Series. Team IMS/Pro Series Honda will operate a 125cc West Region race program consisting of freestyle star Mike Metzger, John Sereika and Jose Polasek. Team Kawasaki of Mexico will send up its colorful race truck hom Monterey, Mexico, to be a part of the 1999 campaign. ow receiving additional support from global air carrier DHL and Troy- Lee Designs, the popular team, managed by Javier Martinez, will send out Pedro Gonzalez in the 250cc class and Erick Vallejo in the 125cc West Region. Noleen, Cummings Diesel and Yamaha have combined forces to create a team that will sponsor Florida sand king Tim Ferry in the 250cc division and Jason Thomas and Josh Demuth in the 125cc West and East Coast regions, respectively. Last but not least, a new 125cc team has recently been created by DeMarini/Planet Honda and Torco Oil. The fledgling effort will consist of Michigan Mafia member Matt Maximoff and Brad Hagseth. Team manager Dave Riggs will oversee both riders in the West Region. There you have it: the unabridged version of the 1998 AMA/Toyota Trucks U.S. Supercross Series. And within one week, the long off-season of testing, planning, dreaming and scheming will all be put to rest when the gate clanks into the Southern California dlrt at Anaheim, signaling the start of the world's most successful and prestigious motorcycle racing series. "It's all working," says Gary Becker in conclusion. "The great racing, along with the strong economy, the improvement in the outdoor events shown by the promoters, and rapid growth in the sales of entrylevel motorcycles all add up to a sport which is very, very healthy. This is our cycle, and our turn to take advantage of that cycle. We want to continue to improve our relationship with the riders and team and have the ability to take the events and presentation to the next level. We are starting to gain the attention of the mainstream press, and we want to capitalize on tha t and take su percross and motocross to another level." CN Jeff Emig of Team Kawasaki will be seeking his second supercross crown. Team Honda 250cc Team Planet HondalPro Grip 250Cc Team Moto XXX/Suzuki 125/250Cc Ezra Lusk #4 Kevin Windham #14 Mickael Pichon #5 Sebastien Tortelli #44 Manager: Cliff White Jean-Sebastien Roy #21 . Mike Craig #19 Manager: Paul Lindsey Phil Lawrence - 250cc #37 Travis Preston - l25cc (West) #43 Manager: Kenny Watson Team FMFlHonda (Factory Support) 125cc Team IMSlPro series Honda 125cc Tallon Vohland (West) Brock Sellards (East) #27 Chris Gosselaar (West) #68 Danny Smith (East) #58 Manager: Bob Moore Mike Metzger (West) John Sereika (West) Jose Polasek (West) Manager: Mike Farmer Team SplitFirelPro Circuit/Kawasaki (Factory Support) 125cc Team Kawasaki of Mexico! DHUTroy Lee Designs 125/250cc Team Kawasaki 250cc Jeff Emig #11 Damon Huffman #31 Ricky Carmichael #9 Manager: Bruce Stjernstrom Team Suzuki 250cc Scott Sheak (West) #26 athan Ramsey (West) #25 Nick Wey (East) #23 Billy Payne (West) Shae Bentley (East) #47 Manager: Mitch Payton Greg A1bertyn #8 Larry Ward #7 Robbie Reynard #17 Manager: Roger DeCoster Team Yamaha 250cc John Dowd #6 Jimmy Button #10 Doug Henry #2 Da vid Vuillemin Manager: Keith McCarty Team ChaparraVYamaha (Factory Support) 250cc Jeremy McGrath #1 Steve Lamson #24 Managers: Dave Damron/Larry Brooks Team Factory Connectionl Jack in the Box/Honda (Factory Support) 250cc Team Yamaha of Troy (Factory Support) 125cc Stephane Roncada (East) #22 Casey Johnson (West) #16 Ernesto Fonseca (East) Casey Lytle (West) #33 Managers: Phil Alderton/Erik Kehoe Pedro Gonzalez (250cc) #53 Erick Vallejo (125cc West) #98 Manager: Javier Martinez Team Noleen/Cummings DiesellYamaha 125/250cc Tim Ferry (250cc) #20 Josh Demuth (] 25cc East) #32 Jason Thomas (]25cc West) #39 Manager: TBA Team Planet Honda/Pro Grip 12Scc Jason McCormick (East) #36 Ryan Huffman (West) #34 Manager: Paul Lind ey Team Primal Impulse Suzuki (Factory Support) 125cc David Pingree (West) #60 JLri Dostal (West) #57 Michaell3randes (East) #49 Branden Jesseman (East) #67 Manager: Mike Raring Team DeMarinilHondaITorco 125cc Matt Maximoff (]25cc West) Brad Hagseth (]25cc West) #79 Manager: TBA Mike LaRocco #3 Manager: TEA 1999 AMA '"----_--:.......:-_January 9 Edison International Field Anaheim, California January 16 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, California January 23 Bank One Ballpark Phoenix, Arizona January 30 Seattle Kingdome Seattle, Washington February 6 Edison International Field Anaheim, California February 13 Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida ercross chedule February 20 Georgia Dome Atlanta, Georgia February 27 Texas Stadium Irving, Texas March 6 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida March 13 Houston Astrodome Houston, Texas March 20 Metrodome Minneapolis, Minnesota March 27 Trans World Dome St. Louis, Missouri April 10 Silverdome Pontiac, Michigan April 17 Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana April 24 RCA Dome Indianapolis, Indiana May 1 . Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas, Nevada 17