Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Huffman, who finished one spot behind Ramsey. "I wasn't running into the corners like the rest of the guys. I was running in about third for a while and then someone stuffed me and I wrecked. I had some problems with the clutch cable when I went down. It ended up pretty much being a bummer night." Holland also tangled with another rider, ending his hopes of a good finish. '1 got four laps into it, running about eighth," Holland said. "I was going on the inside of Bogard and we both kind of collided in the air, and I did a 180 and was not able to tum it around. I got back on the bike, and I don't even know where I ended up." By lap four, Brandes had made his way into the third spot, behind Lytle and Schnell. Johnson's sixth-place charge was slowed down when he bobbled in the whoop section, giving up ground to fourth-placed Payne and fifth-placed Chiodi. "In the main, I really did not get off to a good start," Johnson said. "I kind of spun out off the gate. I worked my way through the pack but 1 also made a couple of mistakes. I went off the track in the whoops one time." On lap six, Chiodi and Johnson both found their way around Payne at the same time that Brand.es was pressuring Schnell hard for the second spot. On the ensuing lap, Brandes passed Schnell, who was already in a sea of lapped traffic. Brandes found himself in the same position that Schnell would be in six laps later when Johnson was pressuring to take over the runner-up spot. At the end of the lap, Johnson dived into a turn, forcing Brandes to go high. The clean pass was all Johnson needed to catch teammate Lytle. "I kept trying to do that quad, just to get a little bit more of an advantage, because I knew he was coming," said Lytle about Johnson's charge. "I came up short a few times and that didn't help, because he caught me. On the last lap, I started to go wide in a turn, but at the last second I dove back inside, because I knew he'd be there, but it was too late. He already had me set up and he pas ed me. I tried to put together a little charge on the last lap, but it was too late." Johnson continued the final lap without a challenge. Brandes fell off the lead duo's pace on the la t couple of laps, but he still held on for a strong third-place finish, ahead of Schnell. Chiodi and Payne battled back and forth for fifth throughout the main, with the advan- Brieflv... '!"" Injuries and illness took a toll even before racing began on Saturday night. While' practicing on Thursday, Steve Lamson cased a jump and split his· chin open on his handlebars. Lamson's laceration called' for five stitches. but the Team ChaparrallYamaha' ,ide, was back in action in no time. FMF/Honda's new '125cc sensation. Chris Gosselaar. was not as lucky, however. Dur- ing Thursday's press day, Gosselaar came up short on a triple and broke both of his ankles. The rookie may be out of action for up to two months. Suzu~j's Greg Albertyn stayed on !wci wheels throughout the festivities at Anaheim, but a severe case of the flu held him 'back to a' slower,than,usuaJ pace in the main event.. According to Jeremy McGrath's mechanic, Ran.dy Lawrence, the ·1999 YZ250 that McGrath is ridin9 is hugely different from hi~ '98 mount. Last year, McGrath won the series with a '94 cylinder on his bike. This ye.ar. McGrath is running a '99 motor. According to Lawrence, and unfortunately for the competition, the new motor is much faster than last year's. tage going to Chiodi. Evans, Isaiah Tohnson, Pingree and Preston rounded out the top 10. ell Edison International Field Anaheim, California Results:, January 9, 1999 (Round 1 of 7) 125 HEAT 1 (6 laps, 1-9 transfe.r to main): 1. Greg Schnell (VilOl); 2. Michael Brandes (Suz); 3. Alessi.o Chiodi (Hus); 4. Casey Lytle (Yam); 5. Rusty Holland (Suz); 6. Charles Bogard (Suz); 7. Casey Johnson (Yam); 8. Donald Upton (I-Ion); 9. Tyson Taylor (Suz); 10. Andy Harrington (Yam); 11. Michael Young (Yam); 12. Jeff Hedden (KTM); 13. John Sereika Jr. (Hon); 14. Ronnie Clark (Yam); 15. Donovan Mitchell (Yam); 16. Harold Hageman (Suz); 17. Brad Hagseth (Hon); 18. Cloud Too" (Hon); 19. Johan Andersson (Yam); 20. Travis Elliot (Hon). Time: 5 min., 39.270 sec. 125 HEAT 2 (6 laps, 1-9 transfer to main): 1. Travis Preston (Suz); 2. Ryan Huffman (Hon); 3. Isniah Johnson (Yam); 4. Tyler Evans (Suz); 5. BiJly Payne (Kaw); 6. Ryan Clark (Kaw); 7. Keith johnson (Yam); 8. Gio Tedesco (KTM); 9. Nathan Ramsey (Kaw); 10. Tom Clowers (Suz); 1 J. Erick Vallejo (Kaw); 12. David Ping'rt.'e (Suz); 13. Scott Shca,k (Kiiw); 14. Matt Maximoff (Hon); 15. Jeremy Chaussee (Kaw); 16. Steve Andrich (Yam); 17. Danny Carlson (Yam); 18. Andreu Labrador (Ynm); 19. Daniel Blair (Yam); 20. Tallon Vohlnnd (Hon). Time: 5 min., 39.630 sec. 125 LCQ (4 laps, 1·4 transfer to main): 1. Matt MaxiOloff (I-Ion); 2. David Pingree (Suz); 3. Andy Harrington (Yam); 4. Harold Hageman (Suz); 5. Erick Vallejo (Kaw); 6. Jeremy Chaussee (Kaw); 7. John Sereika Jr. (Hon); 8. Cloud Toda (Hon); 9. Michael Young (Yam); 10. Steve Andrich (Yam); 11. Johan Andersson (Yam); 12. Donovan Mitchell

• Cover