Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127989
been spending more and more time in the United States, settling in Murrieta, Caljfornia, an area that is rich in practice tracks and where many riders live. His first target is the 125cc Eastern Regional Championship, wruch he's taken by storm. The first race was in Tampa, on a track like notrung he had ridden before. "Tampa was probably one of the ones I thought I could do it best," Fonseca smd. "I had no pressure. Just go out and ride. I knew I could win in practice; nobody was looking that good. Stephane (Roncada, rus Yamaha of Troy teammate) was lookjng really, really good, but then he was in front of me in the race, but I just kept seeing rum and seeing rum and I started closing on rum, and then after that I knew I could win tlus and then I just gave it 100 percent, and it came out good." As did the next race in Atlanta, wruch he won from wire to wire. "Atlanta, I led the whole race, and it was a little tight and I was getting more confidence," he said. Then came Daytona. Daytona is sometrung of a hybrid: the jumps and obstacles of a supercross, but longer, almost like that of a motocross. Fonseca ilidn't lead the race, preferring to follow rus teammate Roncada until there was an opening. '1t was weird," Fonseca smd. "I kind of like - I was thinkmg about it for a little bit, but tl1en I'm like, Tm just going to settle for second,' and then after tl1at I had a second aU and I felt strong. After half the race, I'm like, 'I feel strong again, so I'll just start charging more.' I'm just happy that everything came out great. I wa n't expecting that Stephane would just give it away that easy." After a three-week break, the series continued in St. Loujs. 'Tve done it three times, why can't I do it a fourth time?" he asked before the race. The answer wa that you can't do it if you fall in the first turn - not.normally. After the first-turn pileup, Fonseca was away in 15th. His progress was steady, and with a few laps to go, it appeared he had a shot. The chance would come on the final lap, in a series of jumps that he Was able to take like the 250cc riders. Landmg after nailing the triple, he came down on KTM's Kelly ntith, knocking rum off rus bike. Fonseca didn't miss a beat, continuing slowly on to victory. He was contrite, but the general opinion was, "That's racing." "It's not like I did it on purpose or nothing," Fonseca told the crowd of nearly 50,000. "It's part of racing, and hopefully it'll never happen again." Now that there's a two-week break until the next round in the Pontiac Silverdome, Fonseca has time to catch up On training and classwork. He's been home-schooling in California, working toward his high school degree. More importantly, he's learning how much he likes the racing environment. "I've been here for four months and I've been to Costa Rica twice," Fonseca says. "I miss it every now and then, but I think every time I'm enjoying Call1ornia more. I'm getting more used to it." What he's also getting used to is the attention. With every win comes a little ore recognition, a little more notoriety. "Every weekend, you get to see it and notice it better," he said. And what else should his fans know about rum? "They just know about me from racing," he says, letting his riding speak for itself. It's worked so far, and there's no reason to believe it won't continue to for a "'ery long time. _ .........c: . . CRAND PR.X Transatlantic Match Raees™ in us for either week or both. Train with Randy Mamola. See World C~mp!o~ racing and also USA vs. England hist~ featuring the legends of ra~ June 13 . 21. D .<;: Q. c( illiMiliilillil 23