Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Lusk led a parade of Honda riders across the finish line in an impressive showing of Team Red talent. Lusk took control of the race on lap eight and from that point on showed fellow Honda riders Mickael Pichon, Mike LaRocco and Kevin Windham the fa t way home. The only other Honda rider in the race, World 250cc MX Champion Sebastien Tortelli - the surprise winner of last year's series opener in Los Angeles was left behind following an early-race get-off tha t saw him picking up his bike in last place. He finished 17th. Despite being a favorite to win the race, Lusk was somewhat amazed to be the one leading the pack - which included no less than 16 full-on factory-backed racers - across the finish line.. ''I'm pretty surprised, to be honest with you," Lusk said of his win. "1 didn't expect to win. I hadn't really reached my peak yet. 1 haven't been training as long as 1 did last year, because 1 just came back from the arm injury. 1 just figured to get stronger as the season went. To go out and win the first race, 1 guess I was as strong as everybody else was." If not a little more. The 20-lap main event got off to a hectic and exciting start, with Pichon jumping out to an early lead but soon losing it to Team Suzuki's Larry Ward, who led the way for the next six laps. Starting off third, Lusk soon slipped by teammate Pichon and then took off after Ward and, along with Pidlon, he got by Ward in a long stretch of whoops. From there, Lusk and Pichon broke free of the pack and rode 1-2 to the finish. "Just awesome - I mean I can't feel better than this," Pichon said. "Second place, first race on a Honda - just everything went.great. I'm almost there; starting this way is the best way to do it." Finishing third was the veteran LaRocco on the Factory Connection/ Jack in the Box/O'Neal/Honda CR250. LaRocco, who is now receiving major support from the Honda factory, showed his appreciiltion by making his move early in the race and establishing his spot in third, where he would stay but not too far behind Pichon - for the rest of the way. One of Honda's latest members, ,windham, had an up-and-down ride, starting the race in fifth, then dropping (AbOve) Pichon made his Honda debut a successful one, finishing a close second to teammate Lusk. (Above right) Suzuki's Larry Ward (7), here leading Pichon (5), Lusk (4) and McGrath (1), was found leading the way early in the race but found way in the back when it was all over. (Right) Ricky Carmichael (9), Kevin Windham (14) and Jeremy McGrath (1) mix it up in the main. McGrath later bumped into Carmichael and crashed. He would finish seventh. back to seventh, and finally climbing back up to fourth, where he would finish. The first non-Honda rider to take the checkered flag was Team Yamaha's John Dowd, who spent most of the night dicing with his ex-Yamaha teammate Windham. Dowd, bruised and battered following an earlier hea t-race crash, ignored the pain in the main and rode to a strong fifth-place finish. Sixth went to Kawasaki's 125cc ational MX Champion Ricky Carmichael, who at one point was running as high as fourth before small altercation with another rider left him with a sticking throttle. And then there was defending Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath, who, on the Mazda/Chaparral/No-Fear/ Yamaha-backed YZ250, took the checkered flag in an un-McGrath-like seventh - which was especially surprising as this was Anaheim, where he' has won all seven times that he has raced at this venue. But the defending champ did score an impressive heat-race win and was in con tention in the main before running into trouble - that being Windham and Carmichael. While running sixth, McGra th T-boned Carmichael who was at that time scraping with Windham - in a turn and went down. a McGrath quickly got back up, but not before losing a number of positions. Despite finishing eventh, McGrath was still upbeat after the race. '1 felt really good," McGrath said. "I feel really strong; it was just a little bad luck. My bike is great, everything is great, and I want (next) Saturday to come real quick now." Finishing right behind McGrath was former upercross champ Jeff Emig of Team Kawasaki. Emig rode well but was shaken up a bit in an earlier heatrace crash, in which he had come up short on a triple jump and was landed on by Windham. In the main, Emig rode well, climbing up to eighth after a 12thplace start. Ninth went to Mazda/Chaparral/ Yamalla's newest member, Steve Lamson, while 10th place was filled by :ream Kawasaki's Damon Huffman, who got off to a 19th-place start. Following Huffman across the finish line was Excel Motorsports/Noleen/Yamaha rider Tim Ferry, FMF /Honda's Brock Sellards, FMF /Yamaha's David VuilJemin, and Doug Henry's replacement on the Team Yamaha four-stroke, Jimmy Button. Rounding out the 20-rider field were Moto XXX/Suzuki's Phil Lawrence, Suzuki's Greg Albertyn, Tortelli, Ward, Suzuki's Robbie Reynard, and Yamaha of Troy's Stephane Roncada. HEATS Team Honda had the deck stacked in the first heat race, with three of its four team riders on the line, and it was Lusk who put his red machine into the lead, followed by Ward, Roncada, Pichon, Tortelli, Albertyn, Vuillemin and Huffman. Lusk, Ward, Roilcada and Pichon broke away from the rest of the pack;. then Pimon sliced to the inside of Roncada for third but slid out two laps later, letting Roncada back by him. While Roncada and Pichon were mixing it up, Lusk and Ward separated themselves from everyone and continued their duel to the finish. Although Wa'rd stayed close to Lusk the whole way, he never got close enough to attempt a pass. Lusk went on to win the first 250cc mota of the year, with Ward close behind him. La te in the race, Pimon found more problems when he slammed into a downed lapper and went over the bats and into the semis. Roncada ended up holding down third the whole way, staying clear of a frantic battle involving 250cc World MX Champions Tortelli and Albertyn and 12Sec World GP con- <6 '" ~ ... ... .., :::J C 9

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