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Coming from behind in both motos,
Sebastien Tortelli (44) carves around
teammate Kevin Windh!,m (14) en route to
a fourth-place finish. Again, the defending
World Motocross champ suffered from
poor starts but appeared to be the fastest
man on the track, coming through the
pack to claim a 6-4 score. If Tortelli can
get used to the concrete starting pads of
the U.S. circuit, it may be "lights out" for
everyone else. Windham had starting
problems as well, finishing ninth.
and got up to third, and then I got tired
and crampy. I backed off a little bit and
then I tried to charge back up. This is
definitely one of my favorite tracks. The
fan support is just great. I love coming
here just for them."
Henry was followed across the finish
line by Ferry. The newest addition to the
Mazda/Chaparral-Yamaha team - Ferry
- had a rocky day, finishing 11th overall.
"I was in seventh, behind Larry
Ward, and I made a small mistake· and
lost the front end in the deep sand," said
Ferry. "I went back to 11th and caught
back up to eighth. It could've been
wO.rse, but I've had better days. I've
never done really all that great. I won a
125cc mota here in 1995. Other than
that, I have problems in the sand. It
hasn't treated me too good. I'm from
Florida, but I guess that doesn't help."
Kawasaki's Emig, who is still suffering from bad starts, finished ninth, followed-by his teammate Huffman. Huffman's 7-10 was good enough for eighth,
and Emig's 9-9 netted the two-time
250cc motocross champion 10th.
Jean-Sebastien Roy netted 11th in
mota two, ahead of Windham, who
earned ninth on the day.
"This isn't one of my better tracks,"
said Windham, who won round two in
Sacramento, California, on a much hard- .
er-surfaced track. "It seems like every
year I get a little better and a little better,
but there's so much clay down where I
live, so it's hard for me to come in here
and do good. It's just good to get it over.
inth overall isn't good, but it's not bad
by any stretch of the imagination, considering. I've just got to keep my spirits
high for next weekend, because. it's one
of the tracks I really like. I've been
working hard. I just fought it all day
today, and that's not the way to go fast
or last the whole time. I should just
learn from it and move on."
Dowd seemed very pleased with his
second-overall showing.
"I got really good starts," said Dowd
about his day. "I hooked up great and
Brieflv...
.As part of its continuing "efforts to aid injured motorcyclist~ through the
Clayton Memorial Foundation. U.S. Tobacco has pledged 33 cents for
each spectator attending the 1999'outdoor Nationals, up from 25 cents in
1998. At Southwick. there were 16,122 paying spectators. resulting in a
donation of $5374. U.S. Tobacco has also increased its minimum totalseries pledge in 1999 to a whopping $75.000.
U.S. TobaccolTeam Rooster has established a privateer fund which
awards the top two finishing privateers in each class with a check for
$1000 (highest) and $500 (second-highest>. Kawasaki Team Green's
Wally "Silva took top privateer honors in the 250cc class with his 18-13
rides for 14th overall, while Yamaha of Japan's Takeshl Koikeda
received the runner-up award lor his 16:15, 15tn-overall finish. REP's
Scott Carter, '("ho went 1G-6 for sixth overall, was the top privateer in
the 125cc class, followed by Team Moto Planet's Matt Walker. who fin-.
ishea 3-15 for seventh overall. In addition to the individual race awards,
U.S_ Tobacco will also presenta year-end award of $5000 to the highestplacing privateer in each class. The second·highest-placing privateer in
each crass wm receive an award of $2500.
.
THQ Playstation Championship Motocross Holeshot Awards in the
amount of $500 were'presented to the riders who procured the holeshot
in each of the four' National motos. Ricky Carmichael and Ernesto
Fonseca took home the cash in the .125cc class, while Ezra Lusk and
.I.ohn Dowd were' the 250cc award winners'. THQ's -Championship
Motocross feat~ring Ricky Carmichael- i~ set to be released iri August.
Arid how does the two,time an.d defending '125cc National Champion feel
'ab.out his association with the video-game giant? -They've .been. really
supportive," said Ricky Carmichael.."It's.a really good, company. I'm
stoked.to b~ with .them and have tnen: as a sponsor. - .
In order to 'narrow the National fiela to 40 riders in each class, a series of
.qualifiers was run o~ S'unday .morn.ing: in whioh riders out 'of the .toP 10 in
the series polnts·must compete. Moto XXX's Travis ~ston won the
first 125co qualifier, Yamaha .of Troy's Emeno Fonseca took the sec-.
ond 125cc .quallfier ~Ictory. and Primal.lmpuise/Suzuki/Bill's Pipes'
Buddy Antunez was the winner of the 125cc consolation race. In the
250cc Class, .it was Team Yamaha's John Dowd faking the win in quali-
got out of there. I found a lot of good
lines that 1 don't think many people
were taking. I ride good in the sand; you
just have to look close to see the lines.
Ezra rode a pretty good race today and
he didn't make any mistakes. I think
that is what it was about. I just made
more mistakes than he did, but my pace
was right there."
"I really underestimated John Dowd
today," said winner Lusk. "I just want
to go moto by mota. Me fighting every
weekend and trying to do the best every
weekend is alll can do."
Even though Lusk ran away with the
fler one. Kawasaki Team Green/Brockton Cycle-backed Wally Silva
took.the second qualifier win. The 250cc consolation race went to South. ern Supersports Racing's .Iason Fink.
Returning to action at Southwick was Yamaha of Troy's Stephane Roncada, who has sat out most·of the National series with an injured left
wrist. -I'sprained my wrist and injured my tendons, - said the Frenchman.
"It was a really bad sprain. That's why It's taking so long to heal. it's been
three months and it is still not 100 percent yet. It was just a very bad
injury." Roncada captured the holeshot in his Sunday qualifier but crashed
hard just moments later and reaggravated his injury. -In the first race, I
had the holeshot and I crashed on the first straightaway pretty fast. - said
Roncada. - Buddy (Antunez) was right behind me, He missed my back but
ended up crashing into my bike. In the consolation race. I hit some guy in
the air over a jump. It threw us sideways and. when we landed. I crashed
really bad and reinjured my wrist and my back. With a large turnout of strong local talent. the Southwick National is tradiUonally hard to- qualify for. Some of the fast guys who did not qualify at
MX 338 include the aforementioned Roncada. national number 52 Kevin
Crine. national number 64 Kelly Smith and national number 4 Ryan
Clark in the 125cc class. In the 250cc class, it was national number 84
Brad. Woolsey and national number 86 Matt Shue who failed to qualify.
Regional pro'riders always seem to shine at SouthWick: and this year's
race was no different. Last year. Keith Johnson. from nearby Plympton.
Massachusetts, finished 4-9 in the 250cc class for fifth overall. With
Johnson injured and unable to attend·this year. several' other riders
stepped' up to defend N~w'England pride:WaUy Silva.. from Old Ocean
Beach, Maine, won his 250cc heat race over such riders as Heath Voss,
Jean-Sebastien Roy. and Damon Huffman and was awarded top-privateer
hOnOrs for his 14th-ov\>ralt finish. In tbe 125cc class, Manche,ster, .Connecticut's Scott Carter finished sixth overall and received the top-privale~r award f\>r that division.
.
As·reporte.d in a previous 'edition 6( CY91e News,. Team Prima'I'
ImpulseiSuzukl/BiWS Pipes' David Pi.ngree has been sidelined Vfith
injury. Team manager Billy Whitley was on hand at Southwick and willing
to she.d some light on Pingree's current status and,expected return to racing, "David had an AC (acromioclavicular) separation of his collarbone,"'
explained Whitley, "We're going to go up and do Mammoth and then we'll
be back at the Nationals for Red Bud. He's already riding again, but we
found that it was a little too early to come back for Budds Creek..~
win, he knows better than to underestimate Tortelli.
"I'm second in points now, but the
series is long and I'll fight," said Torteill
of Lusk's taking over the points lead. '1
won't let it go."
t:III
Motocross 338
Southwick, Massachusetts
Results: June 13, 1999 (Round 4 of 12)
MOTO 1: 1. Ezra Lusk (Hon); 2. Mike LaRocco
(Hon); 3. John Dowd (Yam); 4. Greg A1bcrtyn (Suz); 5.
Kevin Windham (Hon); 6. Sebastien Tortelli (Hon); 7.
Damon Huffman (Kaw); 8. Larry Ward (Suz); 9. Jeff
Emig (Kaw); 10. Doug Henry (Yam); 11. Steve Lamson
(Yam); 12. Jean·Sebasticn Roy (Hon); 13. Tim Ferry
(Yam); 14. Jimmy Button (Yam); 15. Austin Squires
(Suz); 16. Takcshi Koikeda (Yam); 17. He