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on the run-up, giving Fonseca the heat
win.
The 'pack fighting for fourth was led
by McCormick, with Excel Motorsports'
Jason Thomas, F&S Suzuki's Davey
Yezek JT., and Smith fast behind.
"Yeah, it was a really good heat
race," Fonseca said. '1 got out in second
at the start, and Brock rode a real good
race. I kind of followed his lines at the
beginning, and then, after that, I passed
him and passed him back and we were
both running at a good pace, and hopefully we're going to keep it gomg in tl)e
main."
The first two riders to transfer to the
main from the last-ehance qualifier were
clearly going to be FMF Honda's Danny
Smith and Skaggs. The only question
was who'd be first, and it wasn't
answered until the final lap. That's
when Skaggs overjumped an obstacle,
rushing too hard into the ensuring berm
and allowing Smith to scoot past for the
win.
The final two transfers were also set
from the first lap, but the order changed
on the second lap, with Protei's Jim.
Neese moving past Banzai Motorsport's
Thomas Hofmaster for third. Hofmaster
finished fourth.
MAIN
Ernesto Fonseca took the holeshot,
with the pack strung out behind him,
but his lead didn't last long. Late on the
opening lap, Nick Wey overshot'a 180degree right turn leading to a set of
whoops and T-boned Fonseca. Wey kept
going, now in the lead, with Fonseca
completing the first lap in seventh.
It took until the fourth lap for Fonseca to move into third, now trailing Wey
and ~llards. Sellards was the one on the
move, dogging Weyand looking for an
opening, which he found on lap six. Sellards took the lead; then Wey took it
back; then Sellards was a t it again, going
up the inside on the east-side jumps and
taking it for good.
"1 wanted to stay behind Nick for a
little bit," Sellards said. "He had a really, really fast pace at the beginning, so
we were riding really fast. When I finally got around him, I just tried to pull a
little and just ride smart and consistently jump the jumps."
"1 saw him coming, and once I got
Brieflv....·
..
out of the lead, I was so nervous, I wanted to get up front so bad," Wey said, but
it wouldn't happen. Instead, it was Sellards celebra ting his first win.
"I've been waiting, waiting, waiting,
waiting," Sellards said.' ow I've finally got that win under my belt, hopefully
I'll be like (Nathan) Ramsey or other
guys in the past: just pick up the pace
and keep winning."
Wey came under pressure from Fonseca on the 10th of 15 laps, losing his
spot when Fonseca went under him in
the final slow two lefts before the finish
jump. Fonseca looked back in midair,
saw Wey there, and then split, leaving
Wey in third.
"I've been working for this so long,
and I guess this is the first step, and
maybe next time I'll be in Brock's
shoes," Wey said, 'Tm feeling a lot better, and the heat race didn't go so good,
and I'm glad I turned it around in the
main and I rode hard, and I'd just like to
carry it on through New Orleans."
Fonseca accepted his second place,
and he moves on to New Orleans with
the chance to put the championship out
of reach.
Joseph OehJhof had a relatively lonely ride in fourth. At the halfway mark,
he was 13.5 seconds behind Fonseca and
well in front of the fight for fifth, which
wouldn't affect him.
Skaggs was in fifth at the crossed
flags, bu t he succumbed to Josh
Demuth's pressure on the 12th lap after
he bobbled in the whoops and Demuth
scooted past to secure fifth.
Skaggs fell one more spot on the final
lap when Robbie Horton went by.
Jiri Dostal was alone in eighth, with
Thomas passing Smith three laps from
the end to take ninth.
_
Pontiac Silverdome
Pontiac, Michigan
Results: April 10, 1999 (Round 5 of 8)
1.25 HEAT 1 (6 laps, 1·9 transfer to main): 1. Jin
Dostal (Suz); 2. Josh Demuth (Yam); 3. Robbie Horton
(Yam); 4. Mark Burkhart (Ya.Q\); 5. Joseph Oehlhof
(KTM); 6. Tyler Evans (Suz); 7. Jell Gibson (Kow); 8.
Nicholas Wey (Kaw); 9. Kevin Crine (Suz); 10. Matt
Walker (Yam); 11. James Povolny Jr. (Yam); 12. Danny
Smith (Hon); 13. Thomas Hofmaste.r (Suz); 14. Doug
DeHaan (Kaw); 15. Chad Sanner (Yam); 16. Jimmy
Wilson (Yam); 17. Bradley Strunk (Suz); 18. Ronnie
Renner (Yam); 19. Aaron Dieter (Suz); 20. Matt Shue
(Suz).
Time: 6 min., 59.570 sec.
US HEAT 2 (6 laps, 1-9 transfer to main): 1.
Emesto Fonseca (Yam); 2. Brock Sellards (Hon); 3. Jason
McCormick (Hon); 4. Jason Thomas (Yam); 5. Davey
.
Mazda/C/laparrallYamaha's Jeremy McGreth survived a burst
o~ turbulence on his flight from Leis Angeles·to D.etroit. But it
wasn't the pla~e that was heaving, it was him: "It was hell."
McGrath said. "It was either some .Mexican food I ate or this
strawbeny smoothie I drank. Maybe I got some bad fruit or some-'
. thing." 'McGrath churidered several times. on ihe five-hour plane
ride ·but recovered well enough to fide Friday's practice and win'
Saturday's race.
. .
Yezek Jr. (Suz); 6. Kelly Smith (J(Th,l)j 7. Ty Wallace
(Yam); 8. Charles Dunaway (Yam); 9. Doug Parsons
(Suz); 10. Robb;e Skoggs (Suz); 11. Barry Carsten (Suz);
12. James Evans (Kaw)j 13. Jacob Martin (Suz); 14.
Thomas Barron (Kaw); 15. Randy V;;alade (Kaw); 16.
Brian Stone (Kaw); 17. Jim eese (Yam); 18. Sam
YanniteUi (Yam); 19. Mike KaHn Jr. (Suz); 20. Eron
Ezerins (Suz).
Time: 6 min. 48.220 sec.
125 LeQ (4 laps, 1-4 transfer to main): I. Danny
Smith (Hon); 2. Robbie Skaggs (Suz); 3. JIm Neese
(Yam); 4. Thomas Hofmaster (Suz); S. Jimmy Wilson
(Yarn); 6. 1l.'IITJ' Carsten (Suz); 7. Doug DeHoan O