Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

The Daytona 200 coming out of the chicane and coming out of the infield to the banking, because how much speed you carry through those sections will determine how much speed you've got at the end of the front straight," DuHamel said. For Muzzy Kawasaki's Yates, the bike should be set up so that it "doesn't burn the tires and you're not spinning too much. That's what I'm working on. Trying to get the bike to do what I want it to do without spinning and sliding too much to where you can run SIs the whole 19 laps between pit stops. If you can do that, I think you can be right there, it looks like. I'd say it's three sprint races with a drink of water between each. If you're racing to win, that's what you've got to do." PIT STOPS Pit stops killed Harley-Davidson's Pascal Picotte last year. The French Canadian veteran was ru.nni.ng near the . front when a series of pit miscues ended his race. DuHamel says you need to "do good pit stops, which our team pretty much guarantees that we'll be able to do." . Every rider echoed DuHamel's comments. And the Jap!'nese factory teams bring the quick-release equipment and air jacks they use at the Suzuka 8 Hours. TRAFFIC ..;N ~ 2 .a 8? 18 Within a few laps, the front of the field is carving through the back of the field and the speed differential makes passing perilous. "Hopefully, when you're out on the track, you don't have any accidents or really getting held up by slower guys," Chandler says. Ca tching backmarkers in the wrong place, like entering the chicane, can cost precious time. SPEED "I'm really happy," DuHamel sai.d of the power of the Honda RC45s during the December tire tests. His teammate Daytona Supercross Notjust another race U nlike the road racing and dirt track series that are just getting under way at Daytona, when the AMA U.S. Supercross Series rolls into Daytona International Speedway, the series will already be eight races old - the bikes will be dialed in, the riders will be loose and warmed up, and their riding skills will be sharp. Throw in what will- at that time - most likely be a welldefined points race on what is undoubtedly one of the toughest tracks on the 16-race supercross circuit and you have the ingredients for one hell of a race. Having been around since 1971, the Daytona Supercross is on'e of the oldest supercross races on the schedule and is still considered by most of the riders to be one of the best. Riders generally like the race for its challenging track, which features higher-thanusual speeds (for a supercross), numerous obstacles, and loamy dirt. And since there is no roof over the Speedway's infield, Mother Nature can play an interesting role if she so desires. In 1987, Rick Ryan became the first and only true privateer to win an AMA Supercross Series main event on what was a wet, rainy and muddy day in central~lorida. The Daytona Supercross is also unique in tMt 30 riders, iustead of the usual 20, are accepted into the main, and the race generally runs approximately 10 minutes longer,·so being in shape does become more of a factor. Many famous motocrossers have won the Daytona Supercross, including five-time 500cc MX World Champion Roger DeCoster, Jimmy Weinert, Marty Tripes, Bob Hannah, Rex Staten, David Bailey, Rick Johnson, Jeff Emig and Jeremy McGrath, to name a few. Others, however, have been dub.bed ''King of Daytona" for their dominance of the track. The king of all kiugs, of course, is Jeff Stanton, who won the Daytona Supercross four times in a row (1989-92), and then there's Mike Kiedrowski, who won the race three times in a row 0993-95). This year, defending supercross champion Jeremy McGrath, on the Mazda/Chaparral/Yamaha YZ250, will be shooting for his seCOnd straight win and the third win of his career at the famed facility, but there are a number of riders out there who can realistically prevent that from happening. The first who comes to mind is Team Honda's Ezra Lusk, who has already pocketed a handful of wins this season, and there is his teammate Sebastien Tortelli. Even though Tortelli has gotten off to a slow start this season, the 1998 250cc World MX Champion should do well on the more "outdoor" styled Daytona track. Team Kawasaki's Jeff Emig, another rider who is struggling early on, usually does well at Daytona - slump or no slump. He won .the event iu 1997. Other potential winners include Suzuki's Larry Ward, Robbie Reynard, and Greg Albertyn, Kawasaki's Ricky Carmicbael and Damon Huffman, Team Yamaha's John Dowd and Jimmy Button, Honda's Michael Pichon and Kevin Windham, and .Chaparral Yamaha's Steve Lamson. And ~n there's veteran Mike LaRocco. The Factory Connection/Jack in the Box/Honda CR250 rider has yet to win at Daytona, but LaRocco's riding style fits this race to a tee. He likes the Florida loam, the deep ruts that usually form in the turns, the high speeds, the overall physical challenge that this tracks presents, and the longer-than-usual duration of the race. When it comes to endurance and late-race charges, there's none better than LaRocco. This one should be good. Kit Palmer

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