Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Round 2: Qualcomm Stadium TOYOTA TRUCKSITHOR/PARTS UNLIMITED AMA REGIONAL 125cc SUPERCROSS SERIES Time: 17 min., SO.59O sec. Margin of victory: 0l.002 sec. 2SOcc TOYOTA TRUCKSrrHORIPARTS UNLlMmD AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES POINT STANDINGS (After 2 of 16 rounds): 1. Ezra Lusk (SO/2 wins); 2. Mike LaRoa:o (40); 3. Midtael Pichon (38); 4. jeremy McGrath (36); 5. john Dowd (27); 6. Davld VuiU.min (26); 7. Kevin Windham (25); 8. Damon Huffman (ZO); 9. mEl Jimmy Button/Sebastien Tortelli (9); 11. (TIE) Jeff Emig/Tim Ferry 98); 13. Ricky Carmichael 14. (TIE) Steve Lamson/Phil Lawrence/Larry Word/Robbie Reynard (16); 18. Brock Sellard (9); 19. (TIEl Greg A1bertyn/ Pedro Gonzalez (6). on; CaseyCasey, • again By Matt Freeman Photos by Kinney Jones SAN DIEGO, CA, JAN. 16 rom Yamaha of Troy's standpoint, things couldn't be better. For the second Saturday night in a row, golden boy Casey Johnson dom.inated a round of the Western Regional 125cc Supercross Series. Making things even sweeter for the team is the fact that Johnson's teammate Casey Lytle took the runner-up position for the second straight week as the serie vi ited San Diego. Sweet for Yamaha of Troy, frustrating for everybody else. This time it wa Johnson who came out of the gate and grabbed the holeshot, but it was Lytle who led the first-lap charge around the track. Johnson passed Lytle just before the end of the first lap and proceeded to pull away from the rest of the 22-man field in a big way, ultimately winning by some seven seconds. Meanwhile, Lytle had his second nall biter of a race in as many attempts but, once aga.in, he got the job done and finished a respectable second. Finishing third was SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Nathan Ramsey, who turned a mix-up at the start into a stirring charge through the pack. Prior to the ma.in event, Ramsey and the rest of the Pro Circuit team showed up at the starting gate a few seconds too late, forcing the entire team to start from the dreade9 outside gate positions. Ramsey found himself in 10th on the first lap, a spot that would not allow him to challenge Lytle for econd place until it was too late. Husqvama/Bell/Alpinestars/Dunlop/Fast By Ferracci-backed Ale sio Chiodi improved his round-one results by one position, finishing fourth in San Diego. Chiodi tangled with a rider in his heat race, forcing the J25cc World Champion to ride in the last-chance qualifier, where he netted second behind Primal Impulse/Suzuki/Bill's Pipes/Shift-sponsored Michael Brandes. In the final, Chiodi put himself into a four-way battle for second place with Lytle, Ramsey and Erick Vallejo. The dogfight for second got hairy at times, but Chiodi held his ground, stayed off the stadium floor and crossed the fini h line one spot off the podium. Brandes followed Ramsey through the pack during the main event, climbing as high as fifth - and that's where the RM rider eventually finished. Sixth place went to new Team Stiffie recruit Charlie Bogard. Yamaha rider Isaiah Johnson, KX125-mounted Ryan Clark, SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki-backed Scott Sheak and Primal Impulse/Suzuki/Bill's Pipes/Shift-sponsored David Pingree rounded out the top 10, respectively. F the fastest lap times on the track, put in a final last-gasp charge, which brought him right up 9n the two French racers. On the last lap, Lusk frantically fought his way through traffic, and McGrath was doing anything he could to pull him in. LaRocco, his sights set on a podium finish, had a fortuitous stroke of good fortune when Vuillemin and Pichon became entangled in their own battle and therefore did not see him coming. A few moments later, it was LaRocco in third. "To be honest with you, I want to stay on the box at all of these California races, because they are not really my style of track," LaRocco sa.id. "If I can do that and get back east to where I ride a little bit better, I think I will be in a position to start winning some races." Pichon, after riding virtually the entire race in fourth place, was now shoved back to fifth. "1 th.ink right now I m.ight have too much power," Pichon sa.id of his Honda. "I think that's why I'm getting arm pump. Uke getting out of t1W turns, the bike is braaaap, so I have to use the dutch a lot to slow it down. We're going to work on that so I can get through the first four or five laps without getting arm pump," At the finish, it was Lusk taking a hard-fought victory over McGrath, LaRocco, Vuillemin and Pichon. Although he still is without a win in the 1999 campa.ign, McGrath is confident about the young season, and he is ready to roll east toward Phoenix, the launch point of his 1998 victory parade. "The track was 100 times better than last week - the track was pretty lousy in Anaheim," sa.id McGrath. "Everything was better about this weekend. I'm feeling pretty confident now and I'm ready for next week." • CIW Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, California Results: January 16, 1999 (Round 2 of 16) 10 250 HEAT 1 (8 laps, 1-4 transfer to main): 1. Ricky Carmichael (Kaw); 2. jeremy McGrath (Yam); 3. jimmy For the second race In a row, Yamaha of Troy's Casey Johnson won the 125cc Main. In San Diego, Johnson held the lead every lap on his way to a seven-second margin of victory. Button (Yam); 4. Robbie Reynard (5uz); 5. Mickael Pichon (Hon); 6. Damon HuIfman (Kaw); 7. Phil Lolwrence (502); 8. Heath Voss (Hon); 9. Mike laRocco (Hon); 10. Takeshi Koikcda (Yam); 11. KeUy Smith (KTM); 12. Ryan Terlecki (Suz); 13. Ted C.,mpbell (Suz); 14. James Povolny Jr. (Yam); 15. Brnd Woolse-y ()(aw); 16. Lance Smail (KTM); 17. Shinichi Kaga (Hon); 18. Tony Amaractio (Yam); 19. T;m Ferry (Yam); 20. Larry Ward (502). Time: 7min .•6.240sec. 250 HEAT 2 (8 laps, 14 transfer to main): 1. Ezra Lusk (Hon); 2. .Kevin Windham (Hon); 3. Greg Albertyn (502); 4. John Dowd (Yam); 5. Sebastien Tortelli (Hon); 6. Jeff Emig (Kaw); 7. Steve Lamson (Yam); 8. David VuiUemin (Yam); 9. Jason McCormick (Hon); 10. Brock Sellards (Hon); 11. Pedro Gon7.aJez (Kaw); 12. Grayson Goodman (Hon); 13. Doug Dubach (Yam); 14. Akira arita (Hon); 15. Dustin Nelson (Yam); 16. Espen Blikstad (Su.z); 17. Pat Foster (Yam); 18. Brian Stone. (Kaw); 19. Travis Hodges (Kaw); 20. Doug Stone ()(aw). Time: 7 min., 6.250 sec. 250 SEMJ 1 (6 laps, 1-5 tunsfer to main): 1. Damon Hul&nan ("aw); 2. Larry Ward (Suz); 3. Mickael Pichon (Hon); 4. Mike LaRocoo (Han); 5. Phil Lawrence

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