Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Motocross Round 9: W ashougal Motocross Park AMAJMAZDA TRUCKS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 125cc MX SERIES (Left) Ricky Carmichael and his mechan ic, Chad Watts, prepare for the start of the second moto. Bad starts provided Carmichael with much act ion while working his way through the pack In both motos to ultimately finish se cond overall. (Below) While Sellards recorded his first-eve r overall win at Washougal , Planet Honda's Jason McCormick s cored hls first-ever moto win by taking the hono rs in the second moto. Here, McCormick, who lives in nearby Vancouver, Washington , rece ives cong rats from his team. en en en ~ 28 lost th e drive n ear th e b eg in n in g . I ro lled the rest and they all go t by." Sell ard s immediatelv inh erited th e lead wit h Ron cada, Fons~a and Rarnsev on his tail. Carmic hael was in 14th and moving forward, but only after finis hing the first lap in 18th. With th e mi x-up of ta len t behi nd him, Sella rds se ttled into a pa ce an d pull ed a lead on the pa ck . Vohland moved into the mix next, and the ba ttle for third became in tense on the two-sec ond lap-time circu it m inute a nd 3D that wound through out the hills. Fonseca, Ramsey, Vohland, Roncad a a nd e ve n McC ormi ck and Brand es swapped posit ions between seco nd and seve n th for seve r a l laps w h ile Ca rmichael was still movin g forwa rd , catching the riders in front of him . At th e halfwa y p oint of th e 30minute plus tw o lap rnot o, Carmichael was up-to fourth but was still som e 20 seconds behind the leader , Sellards. A lap later, Carmichael passed Fonseca for third and moved to the tail of his teammate Ramsey. Carmichae l got by Ramsey next and th en began to clo se the gap be tween h ims e lf a nd race lea d e r Sellards . T h roug hout the next few laps , Ca rmichael closed the gap, loo king over a t Sellards ov er nu merous ju mps and turns, ge tting the crowd to su pport him as' he d id so . Ramsey rode in third for some time w h ile Ron cad a , Vohl a nd , Fonseca, McCormick and Brandes still we re battling beh ind him, in that orde r. Roncada, who had go ne d own in a slippery corner ea rlier, go t by Ram sey for third with around eight minutes left in the mot o. Ca rmichael had closed the gap and was about eigh t seconds from Sellards. McCormick and Vohland di ced positions the final few lap s until McConnick landed off the track in the grass on the big infield tabletop. ri d e, th is time fi nishi ng th ird , wh ile Ramsey and McCo rmick followed. "I was pushin g as hard as I could go and he was still catching me," Sella rds said after the race . "I d on 't know how he was catching me , but he was. I wo n the moto, that's all I care abo ut." '1 didn't ge t a good start an d had to play catch up th e enti re mo to," Carmichael said before the start of the second moto. "That's threeweeks in a row of bad starts. I do n't know.what's going on." "There were so many fas t guys up the re for a while , it was neat ," Ramsey said of the battl es that eve ntua lly earned hi m fourt h. "It was a little slick ou t there and I tried t o s tay with Ricky and Step ha ne when they passed me. It's a little aggravating w he n you are u p ther e and then lose the pos itions, bu t all I can do is learn right now an d th at 's wha t I'm d oing." MOT02 Se llards n a il ed th e s ta rt b ut was quickly overtaken by crowd fa vo rit e McCormick. As McCorm ick dropped down to the flatlands for the first time in the lead, the crowd we nt crazy. Sellards, Vohland and Brandes immediately se ttled into second through fourth while Ca r m ichael w a s o nce a ga in pla gu ed wi th a bad start and was in 23rd as they comp leted lap one. " ot only did I get a bad start, but I a lso w ent d o wn o n th e fi rs t lap ," Ca rmichael later ad mitted . Carmi ch a el w a s in fourth and h e worked on Brandes next. On e lap later, Charmichael had again used one of the chicanes for the pass for third. Carmichael now believed that he was in second behind Sella rds wi th the race wi nding down. Unaware of McCormick u p fr on t, Ca rmichael sco ped o u t Se llards and closed in d uri ng the las t few laps. In Carmichael's mi nd , if he passed Sellards, he wou ld be the overall wi nner. In fact, tha i was not tru e, he need ed to pass race leader McCormick for the overall wi n. Carmichael once again closed in on Sellards, but this time he mad e the pass soon after th e white flag ca me out. McC orm ick wa s fa r enoug h out front th at Ca rmichael w a s un a w a re o f his lead , and as the checkers came ou t, it was McCormick who took his first-ever nati onal moto victory . McCormick was swa rmed by team m an a g e r s and p e r s on n el afte r he d ro pped his bike on the midd le of the track and jumped for joy as the cro wd showed their approval. " I was i n a z o ne th a t mote ." McCo rmick said of his rid e. "Once I got into the lead, I was feeling com fortabl e and I just started checking out a little." Ca rmichael crossed ne xt , with h is hand in the air. "I co u ld n' t believe it ," Carmich ael said . "I thou ght Sell ards wa s leadi ng and that I had made the w inn ing pass. If it was like the way they score the- amateur m ot o s, I ' p ro b a b ly wo u ld h a ve won. " Carmichael also ad ded , "I don 't know what my problem was today, they just rode bett er than me." CN Washougal Motocross Park Washougal , Washington Results: August 1, 1999 (Round 9 of 12) "I think I sp rained my wris t when I did that," McCormick later sa id . "Me and Vohland wer e battling and that rut jus t sh ot m e o ff th e face th e wron g way." The tw o-lap b oard ca me ou t and Carmichael was within four seconds of Sellards. Carmichael closed the gap o.n the lap and as the white flag flew a lap later, Carmichael was onlv two seconds behind, and closing, • The crowd rose to th eir feet as the ride rs d rag raced up one of the track's giant uphills . As they came bac k down in to the flatland s, Carm ichael was on ly severa l bike len gt hs behind . The fences were lin ed as th e tw o approache d the final straight. Carmichael bumped Sella rd s as the two entered the w hoo p ·sec tion for the final time. Sellards maintain ed his composure and the two held it wi de ope n thr ou gh the final tum an d to the check ers, where Sellards crossed for his firs teve r moto wi n, ju st inc hes a head of Carmichae l. Ron cada hel d on for another strong McCormick used his knowledge of the track to gain some d istance on Sellards during the early goings as the pack s ta rted to spread out. Roncada came arou nd in 15th on la p two, whil e Ca r michael rod e two beh ind him in 17th. By the fourth circu it, McCormick had a four-second lead over Sellards. Brand es had scoo ted by Vohla nd and was up to third . It took several laps for Carmichael to ge t in hi s groove, a nd he was u p to nint h by the sixth lap and was passing an ave rage of thr ee riders a lap . At the 15 minute-mark, Carmichael w as up to sixth, p assin g a tiring Vohland , a nd wa s clos in g in on KTM / Xtreme- backed Lance Smail. Carmichael go t by Smail on one of the large uphills and now had his sights set on his SplitFire / Pro Circuit-teammate Nick Wey. McCormick sligh tly gai ned his lead on Sellar ds wi th around six lap s remain ing. Ca rmic hael and Wey diced for a lap until Carmichael made the pass in one of the many S-tu m chicanes . MO TO 1: 1. Brock Sellards tHon ): 2 . 'Ricky Carmic hael (Kaw ): 3. Stephane Roncad a (Ya m); 4. Na than Ramsey ( Ka w j, 5. Jaso n McConnick (Hon ): 6. Tallon Vohland C n); 7. Michael Brandes (502); 8. Scot Ho Shea k (Kaw): 9. Ernesto Fon seca (Yam ); to . Tr avis Preston (Suz): 11. David Ping ree (Suz); 12. Gn'S Schnell ' (Ya m); 13. Mike Craig (Kaw): 14. Paul Currie (Suz) ; 15. Lance Smail (KTM); 16. Kelly Smit h (KTM); 17. Chris Cossclaa r (Ho n); .18. Brad Ha gse th (Hen): 19. Casey Lvtle (Ya m ); 20. Bu d d y Antu ne z (5 uz ); 21. Jas on Th om a s (Yarn) : 22. Dan n y Sm ith (Ho n ): 23. Isaiah . Johnso n (Yam); 24. Robbie Hor ton (Yam); 25. Nick Wey (Kaw): 26. Jot' Oe hlhof (KTM); 27. Cory Bauder (Yam); 28. Barrv Ca rsten (Suz): 2lf. [ir l Dos tal (Suz ): 30. Levi Reid (Yam) ; 31. Pau l Con ner (Yam); 32. Jason Vienot (Yam); 33. Dtasuki Suzuk i IHon ): 34. Nick Hansen (502); 35. Ro bbie Skaggs (Suz): 36. Banden [esseman (502); 37. . Jerry Alem an (Suz); 38. And y Harrington (Yam); 39. Tho mas Barron IKaw): 40. Matt Walker (Yam ). MOTO 2: 1. Jaso n McCor m ick (Ho n): 2. Ricky Carmi chael (K.1W) ; 3. Brock Sellard s (Hon t; 4. Michael Brandes (So2); 5. Nick Wcy (Kaw j: 6. Stcphane Roncad a (Yam); 7. Lance Smail (KTM); 8. Tallon Vohland (Hon) 9. Sco tt Sheak {Kaw }; 10. David Pingree (Suz ): 11. Ernesto Fonseca (Ya m): 12. Dannv Smi th (H en): 13. Nathan Ramsey {Kaw): 14. Paul Currie (Sul); 15. Greg Schnell (Yam); 16. Travis Preston (502 ); 17. CaS4;;>y Lytle (Yam); 18. Bra nden Iessem a n (Suz): 19. Mik e Craig (Kaw): 20. Isaiah Johnson (Yam) ; 21. Robbie Skaggs (Su z): 22. Jason Thomas (Yam ); 23. Chris Cosselaar (Hon): 24. R.obbie Horton (Ya m); 25. Co ry Baud er (Yam); 26. Jin Dosta l (Suz); 27. Kelly Smit h (K1M); 25. Levi Reid (Yam); 29. Budd y Antuncz (So2); 30. Barry Carsten (Suz ); 31. Paul Con ne r (Ya m); 32. Dia suki Suzuki IH o n): 33. Nick Hansen (Suz ); 34 . Thomas Barron (Ka w ): 35. Jason Vienot (Yam); 36. Joe Oehl hof (KTM); 37. Brad Hagseth (f~on); 38. Jerry Alema n (Suz); 39. Andy Harrin gton (Yam); 40. Matt Walk er(Yam). 125 O / A : 1. Brock Se lta rds (Hen ): 2. Rick y Carmichael (Ka wt: 3. Jaso n McCorm ic k (Han); 4. Steh ane Roncada (Yam); 5. Michael Bran des (5uz) ; 6. Tallon Vohla nd (Ha n); 7. N at ha n Ramsey (Kaw): 8. Seen Sheak (Kaw); 9. Ernesto Fonseca (Yam); 10. David Pin gr ee (5uz) ; 11. Lance Sma il (JaM ); 12. Nick Wey (Kaw ): 13. Travis Presto n (SUl); 14. Greg Schnell (Yam); 15. Paul Currie (5uz); 16. Mike Craig (J(aw); 17. Dann y Smith (Ho nk IS. Casey Lytle (Yam) ; 19. Kelly Smith (KTM); 20. Chris Gosselaar (Hon): 21. Brand en Iessema n (Suz): 22. Brad H agseth (Ho n): 23 . Isa iah Joh nso n (Yam); 24. Budd y Antunez (Suz) . AM AJ MAZDA TR UCKS NATIONAL CHAMPIO N· SHI P 125

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