(Left) Greg Schnell garnered the final
podium spot, one of his best linislles of
the yellr.
(Above from left to right) Greg Schnell,
Nathan Ramsey and Casey Lytle celebrate
their results in front of the Texas crowd.
his teeth was Team Mex-Cal Kawasaki's
Shaun Perolio, who finished fourth.
MAIN
Once again, Harrington took his YZ
to the front of the pack at the start of the
main event. Holland, too, got another
great start, with Brandes right.on his
rear end. But before the race was two
turns old, Lytle had found his way into
second, behind Brandes, who moved his
RM into the lead just as fast as Harrington had grabbed the holeshot.
As the field began to spread out
toward the end of the opening lap,
Vallejo was in third, followed by HoIland, Harrington, Preston, Ramsey,
Schnell and Payne, but the order did not
stay that way for long, as Lytle pulled
alongside Brandes.
.
"For the main event, I started five
(positions) to the left side of the box,
which was more inside than a lot of people were doing, but I thought it was
good," Lytle said. "I kind of bogged off
the start, but I carne back through, and
by the time everything was settled, I
was second behind Brandes. I passed
him in the whoops."
Ramsey was making a charge of his
own at the same time, but, unfortunately for Lytle, he was the main target.
"I made a couple of good moves on
the first lap, and that put me up there
pretty quick," Ramsey said. "Then I saw
Casey Lytle get out front and I just got
in second. He was riding really good,
but I just ended up catching him a little
bit by little bit. Then, when I caught
him, he tightened up a little bit, and I
was able to pull a little gap; then I could
relax and ride as hard as I wanted to."
Lytle admitted to riding tight, a problem that has haunted him much of the
year.
"I started to try and run away, and I
did for about six or seven laps," Lytle
said. "But I got tight again and Ramsey
started reeling me in. My arms - basically everything ge.ts tight. [ started riding
different from about lap seven on. Once
he passes me, I'm usually pretty tight by
'then, and then I just try to ride as best as
I can and not throw it away, I wouldn't
want to throwaway a second place."
Ramsey made the pass on Lytle over
a jump on the track named "Mount
Bomber," a huge step-up jump designed
by former Supercross champ Mark Barnett.
"Right when I got on him, he came
up short on a triple right before the big
step-up jump:: said Ramsey of his pass
on Lytle. "When he came up short, he
kind of went outside a little bit, and I
just shot right under him. It was a good,
clean pass."
.
While Ramsey was running away
with the win and Lytle was holding
down second comfortably, Schnell was
making his move through the pack,
Schnell went from eighth on lap one to
'B·r·1e'f,I1\'. ,...
· .. y.ii.
125 HEAT 1. (6 laps; 1-9 trilllsfer to main): 1. Casey
Lytle (Yam); 2. David Pingree (Suz); 3. Billy Payne
(Kaw); 4. Andy Harrington (Yam); 5. Josh Demuth
(Yam); 6. Ryan Clark (Kaw); 7. Tyler Evans (Suz); 8.
Travis Preston (Suz); 9. Tom Clowers (Suz); 10. Steve
Andrich .(Yam); 11. Shaun Perolio (Kaw); 12. Michael
Nathan Ramsey (Kaw); 2. Charlie Bogard (Suz); 3.
Isnhlh Johnson (Kaw); 4. Rusty Holland (Hon); 5. Erick
Vallejo (!nces of winning $250.000 via the VMS Triple Ctown of Supercross. amount of,dirt to work with, S9 former .SX c~amp Mark '"The Bomber"
· presented by Mountain Dew and G·Shock..Lus~, won found five in Ana. . Barne~ built a huge step-up ju'!'p that was appropriately 'named· ":Mount
· heim, California. which was the' first event .in the Triple Crown. series. By '!;lomber. ":The jl!mp·was ~he biggest on·the tow thus far,ilOd. resembleq a
:doing so, he set himself up fo'r the' biggest supereross bonus in history. cliff jump. Some riders. were clearing it, and same were n9t.
.
When asked before the raee if he was nervous.·Lusk' replied. "·If it comes Honda was v:..ell"'rep·resented in the.250cc ';'ain. In fact.. n~adY half the
'down to Indianapolis, then that'll be a big race - then rll,b'1 nervous.."
Unfortunately for Lusk, he could not make it happen at Houston, ending field was made .up o( 250cc CRs. There were nine Hondas, four Suzukis..
,.
,
. . ' four Yamahas and three Kawasakis in the final.
'his chances.at the big money. LusK, however, is nottotally out of luck: He
'.
.still has ashot to win the $25,000 reward that goes to the highest-placing There was a scary moment dUring the second 250cc practice session at
'rider in the three Triple Crown rourids. . '
.
Houston. Kawasaki's Jeff Emig had a horrible get-off thai left him lying
on the 'Astrodome floor for a good 10 minlJtes befoie paramedics finally
The Houston Supercross is not the only' race that'the ABC network' will air carried him off the side of the track. Emig came up short on a small triple,
in ihe- 1'999 season. On Sunday, April 25,' ABC Sports will also televise. and he badly bruised both heets. It did not take lorig for Emig and the
the,lnliianapOUe Supercros" from the RCA Dqme.. As always, the team' to realize that making the ,program for the night -was' noi even an
espn2 crew was also on hand at the Astrodome, filming for its expanded issue. Emig was ta~en to a hospital and released just in tim',; to ma~e' it ,
coverage of the event.
back to th'e stadium' on crutches, .. It was.a mistake On mY part," Emig
.said. "It's a 'frustrating misfake, too, because I'feellike I was finally co.mThe Team Yamaha semi was present in Houston, hut team riders ing about this season." It is indefinite as to how long 'Emlg will be out of
John Dowd, Jimmy Button and Doug'HenrY were not. Last week action, but he should be all healed for the opening round of the AMA
at the Daytona SX. Dowd crashed hard and separated his shqulder and Nation~i MX Series in May.
.
broke his arm. According tq Yarryaha team manager Keith McCarty. Dowd
underwent surgery the Tuesday after Dayton~, and screws were used to Kawasakl's Ricky Carmichael also did not race. due to an .injury that
fix the arm. Dowd will be. out of action for a minimum of six weeks. The I)e suffered during the first 250cc, practice session. Carmic~ael was able
. final round in Vegas, on May 1. is a posslbiUty for Dowd, though it IS not to get around without crutches and will most likely be back in action for
likely. Button is still feeling the effects from the crash he suffered in Dal- next ~eek's race in 'Minneapolis.
las two weeks ago, McCarty said that ~utton's 'knee was severely
bruised· in the crash, but he should be ready for action by round 11 in Min: The Women's Motocross League brought two female riders to the
.neapolis.
Astrodome in the hope that they would qualify for a.spot in the evening's
125cc program. where they would:have" the chance of becoming the first
,The track built :by Dirt Wurx was one of the most unique tracks thi~ sea· . women' to qualify for the main. ·Planet Honda·sponsored Nikki Rarris
son. It was wide, witn plerity of room for' passing, .and the dirt was dark and Kawasaki of Mexico's Tania Satchwell. who is the New Zealand
brown in color and provided ample traction, In addition: the whoop section' Women"s Champion, both competed in the day"s preliminaries but failed
'.
,
'
had two lanes divide? by a row of Tuff Blocks,'The 'inside line seemed to 'to transf;>, into the evening's pro~r'am..
.
