Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Round 1: Glen Helen Raceway Park (Left) Ryan Hughes took advantage of a break in the 250cc GP series to race at Glen Helen. He finished fifth to cap a 1-5 Honda sweep. (Right) Kawasaki's Damon Huffman broke the Honda chain with a 10-4 for sixth overall. It was his first 250cc National of his career. off a downhill jump that preceded a tum. "I flew pretty far," Huffman said. "I jumped a little bit farther than I wanted to, but I had a good line in the jump. I usually stayed lower in the jump, but that time I just launched and gave it a couple of revs. He (Button) probably thought I was going to land on him." It wasn't long after that that Tortelli, who was absolutely £lying, got by both Button (up the long Glen Helen uphill) and Huffman. En route, Tortelli also made a beautiful pass on Lusk. "Sebastien came by me like he was shot out of a cannon," Lusk said. '1 settled into too slow of a pace and Jeremy got me," said the one-time leader, Button. '1t took me a couple of laps to regroup and get my pace back up." By this point, Henry had dropped off the lead pace. "About the third lap, [ ended up getting orne kind of string or nylon wrapped up in the rear brake," Henry said. '1 was riding around with no rear brake. I was a little tentative, because I never really knew it was a rock (that had caused his brake problems) in the first moto, because I never saw it. Then I just rode the brake one time and it seemed like it was coming back, and my mechanic said, 'Burn it', so he must've seen it. So I rode the brake for a while, burned it off, and everything was fine again." Unfortunately for Henry, he had already dropped back to around 14th. Once into second, Tortelli. still had approximately six seconds between himself and the leader, McGrath. Then McGrath developed his clutch problem. "It happened right when Tortelli went into second," McGrath said. "It just happened - all of a sudden. You couldn't pull the clutch in. At one point, I hit the brakes in the sand and stalled it, put it in neutral and kicked it into gear to go." Tortelli quickly caught up to McGrath, passed him and pulled away. Huffman suddenly found himself in second but still had Button on his tail, and LaRocco was on Button's. (McGrath had already dropped back). LaRocco dug deep the last couple of laps, slipping past both Button and Huffman and taking Lusk with him. "I screwed a little too much with Damon Huffman, trying to make some stupid passes on him," Button said. "It ended up costing me time, and Mike and Yogi (Lusk) got me. We were all .going for it pretty good. It's probably going to be like that all year." LaRocco - some six seconds behind winner Tortelli - held Lusk back for second, while Huffman, Button and Hughes crossed the finish in succession. A few seconds later chased Pichon, whose distant seventh in the moto was still good enough for third overall. Emig finished well back in eighth, with Albertyn breathing down his neck. Ward took ·Brieflv~~. SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Nick Wey won the first 125cc qualifier Sunday morning at Glen Helen, then Yamaha of Troy's Ernesto Fonseca won the second 125cc qualifying race. He had a close battle with FMF/Honda's Danny Smith the whole way. Sebastien Tortelli passed Jimmy Button for the lead en route to the first 250cc heat-race win. while Kawasaki's Damon HuHman won the second 250cc heat race. Doug Parsons won the 125cc consolation race. and Donald Upton won the 250cc consolation. The opening round of the AMA Series is traditionally a tough race to' qualify for. Some of those who did not make the show in the first 250cc class included Phil Lawrence. Doug Stone and Jason Frenette. In the 125cc class, some of the casualties included Jason Thomas. Robbie Horton. Kelly Smith and Ryan Clark. Motoworld Yamaha of EI Cajon's .Dustln Nelson was another 250cc nonqualifier. The VZ400 pilot crashed in the middle of one Of the track's down hills and reportedly suffered a dislocated shoulder. . Andy Harrington. for testing against my bike in Europe. We got some good infol1l1ation is enjoying his time in Europe. out of it. - Hughes says that -Everything is going good. - he added_ "I've changed my style a little bit. got my head cleaned cl some stuff. and I'm having fun." Hughes sayS that this will probably be his only National appearance of the year. though there is a chance he might ride at the Unadilla National in New York in July. ne Team Honda's Kevin Windham says his broken collarbone/shoulder is all healed. "The shoulder's good and all systems are go." he said. "I've only had a week ottesting; I'd still like to do some more and get my speed back. I'm tired 'of hitting the ground." Despite 'struggling' throughout the day, Team Yamaha's John Dowd. who was racing. again for the first time since injuring his sboulder at the Daytona Supercross in March. looked at the bright side. "My shoulder is sore right now," Dowd said after the.second· moto. "but thafs the plus side of today'. I don't think I reinjured' it anymore. so that's kind ~f good. I think I'm going forward." Team Su.zuki's Robbie Reynard' was bothered by a sore wrist at Glen Helen. Reynard cased a jump during his heat raCe and jammed the wrist. Reynard still finished fourth in the first 250cc moto but suffered a midpack 'start in the second. He climbed up to 13th for ninth oV.erall.

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