Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

event, McGrath was definitely ready. And, for him, that was a good thing because he had his work cut out for him early in the race. The six-time AMA Supercross Champion didn't quite get the start he was expecting as he was outgunned to the first turn by Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Ricky Carmichael, who quickly jumped out to a commanding lead. But at that point, Carmichael was the least of McGrath's problems, as he had three riders to deal with before he could even think about Carmichael. And those three were no slouches: Kawasaki's Larry Ward, Honda's Kevin Windham and Factory Connection/Amsoil/Jack in the Box's Mike LaRocco. For the first two laps, McGrath stared at LaRocco's rear fender, but when a dicing Ward and Windham rolled the finishline double jump, forcing LaRocco to do the same thing, McGrath flew his Chaparral Yamaha over LaRocco's head, then, later that same lap, triplepassed Ward and moved into the third-place position. Mike LaRocco was nearly as Impressive as McGrath. He put his Factory Connection/Amsoil Honda into second place and wasn't all that far behind the winner. With Lusk sidelined with a dislocated shoulder (see sidebar), McGrath now had the one rider in directly in front of him who many were predicting would give McGrath the biggest challenge going into the main event Kevin Windham, on the factory Honda. But noticeably off his earlierin-the-evening pace, Windham - who would later claim he was feeling "tight" in the main - was no challenge to McGrath, who tripled right past the Honda rider and into second place. At this point - the fourth lap - Carmichael enjoyed roughly a fivesecond lead, but that would quickly dwindle to five feet by the sixth lap. The Kawasaki rider did, however, put up a valiant fight, but the supercross veteran was just too much for the 20year·old Carmichael. On the seventh lap, McGrath cut inside Carmichael and took the lead, but in a surprising move that kept the packed crowd on its feet, Carmichael shot back and actually repassed McGrath for the lead. But before the lap was over, All of the two 250cc heat races, two semis and one last-chance qualifier provided some close racing action, but only one of those battles - in the second 250cc semi· was for the win. Prior to that, Kevin Windham breezed to victory in the first heat race· where only the top four riders transfer directly to the main - over Mike LaRocco, who made a last-lap pass on Damon Huffman. Squeaking into the last transfer was Brock Sellards. Failing to make the cut after blowing a through a berm on the first lap was David Vuillemin. McGrath led from start to finish in the second 250cc heat race, while his teammate Ferry, who appears significantly faster this year, worked his way around Ward to take second. Ward hung on to third, while Carmichael grabbed fourth over Tortelli, Voss, Lawrence and Albertyn - who was a victim of a firstturn pileup. Vuillemin redeemed himself in the first semi, where the top five riders headed straight to the main. Vuillemin blew out of the gate and breezed to victory over Dowd, Michael Brandes, Stephane Roncada and Tyler Evans, who was on the Demarini Suzuki. Fonner world champ Greg A1bertyn (7) leads another fonner world champ The qualifier race of the night came in the second semi, where former 250cc World Motocross Champi: Sebastien Tortelli in the second 250cc semi. ons - Albertyn and Tortelli . went at it for the lead for much of the race. The two riders battled back and Emig's replacement on the new Strategic 3 race team, Phil forth, with A1bertyn coming out on top, thanks to Tortelli's last-sec· ond decision to roll a couple of double jumps while in the heat of Lawrence. Plano Honda's Grayson Goodman took fifth. In the LCQ, where only the top two riders transfer, Jeanbattle. Sebastien Roy, on the Answer/Planet Honda/Dr. Martens-backed "That was fun," Tortelli said of their duel. "It was a good battle. CR250, scored a comfortable win over Voss, who diced early on One time, right after I passed him, I hit neutral and couldn't jump with Moto XXX's Kyle Lewis before Lewis went down. In his last bid one of the doubles, but it was pretty fun." Buying a ticket to the main in third was Button, who was never to make the main, former 500cc World MX Champion Shayne King, really too far behind the AlbertynfTortelU tussle. Fourth went to Jeff on the 520cc four-stroke KTM. crashed in the whoops on the first lap, putting an end to his evening. McGrath was back out front and pulling away. From the eighth lap on, the race was all McGrath's and he was clearly in control. But the one person he wasn't in control of was LaRocco, who arguably put in the surprise ride of the night. While McGrath was busy passing Windham, Ward and Carmichael, so was LaRocco. By the 10th lap, LaRocco had passed Carmichael for second and he stayed remarkably close to McGrath for the rest of the race, never really getting close enough to seriously challenge - but close enough to keep the defending champ honest. LaRocco eventually took the checkered flag well ahead of Windham, who had a comfortable advantage over the battling trio of Sebastien Tortelli, David Vuillemin and Jimmy Button. Finishing seventh was AMA 250cc National Motocross Champion Greg Albertyn with eighth going to Carmichael, who physically ran out of gas about the halfway point EO U EO • e n e _ S • JANUARY 19, 2000 7

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