Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Anaheim. Californl8 . 1-B-OO AMA/EA Sports Supercross Series Round 1 : Edison International Field of Anaheim encouraged by his ride. After all, he's only been seriously practicing on his bike for a few weeks since breaking his collarbone and having it plated. "Yeah, it was a little embarrassing for me to lead for eight laps and fade back to eighth," Carmichael said. "I got a little fatigued for not being on a bike and not having that racing experience. Last year I was on the ground most of the time, so I couldn't really race. 1 think I can run with him [McGrath], I just have to race him like that - when you ride with somebody this good, you get good yourself, and that's what I need to do." As for the race itself, "I had a fun time racing with Jeremy," Carmichael said. "I got out there and I just tried not to think about who I was racing, like I was racing a 125. But when Jeremy got behind me, my arms got tight. " While most of the 45,OOO-plus spectators were focusing on the battle up front, there were two riders who were sneaking up through the pack comfortable. I expected it, maybe everybody else didn't." after running with the afterburners on while charging up front. Rounding out the top 10 were factory Kawasaki riders Ward and John Dowd. But the night belonged to McGrath. Overall, LaRocco was pleased with his ride, but, afterward, one particular moment was eating away at him: "The track suited me pretty good," McGrath said from the Chaparral pits. "It [the track] was pretty technical. I've been sitting at home way too long, and I think all that energy I built up was coming out. "I didn't get such a good start and Ricky [Carmichael] got out there," McGrath said of the race. "I just kept when McGrath passed him on the third lap. "I got screwed up two laps in a row when those guys were monkeying around and weren't jumping the finish line jump," LaRocco said. "He [McGrath] was just far enough behind that he could rip it out and jump it that's where he got by me." my head down and started to ride my After taking over second, LaRocco lines real smooth. The big thing was that I tried to stay calm. I didn't think about him [Carmichael] really. Actually, I wasn't thinking about anybody - I was just riding my own race." But McGrath admitted that his dice with Carmichael made him a little said he just didn't have enough speed left over to reel in McGrath. "I didn't think he [McGrath] was on ~!JD@C!!JDC[k~[l around, I was nervous," he said. "When he passed me again, I thought, 'Okay, calm down, I know I'm faster than him.' I just needed to calm down. So I took some deep breaths and passed him on the back straight. Then I tried to get my flow jitters. If it wasn't for me, he would've won that race for sure." While many might have been sur- he said. "But I wasn't really comfortable going any faster, either." Windham wasn't exactly happy about not being unable to take advantage of a good start. Neither of them, however, gave up, with Tortelli finishing out the night in fourth with Vuillemin on his tail in fifth, a considerable feat when you take into account how tight and technical the track was. bottom line," Windham said. "I was "I'm happy," Tortelli said. "I got a bit tired at the end, but I kept my rhythm. I tried to catch Kevin [Wind- two seconds off my qualifier time, but ham] but it was too late - but every- I've got a lot of races to pick it up." Despite sinking from first to thing is coming together." "I wheelied a bit coming off the eighth, Carmichael was upbeat and line, so 1 had to bring back the clutch, "I was just a little tight, that's the DULPJC!!Jffll "My doctor is here right now," Lusk said, "and he thinks proba· bly a couple, three weeks, maybe. But I think the most important thing right now is taking it day by day and getting all of the swelling out of it and seeing how strong it gets and how quickly it gets strong. I was just talking to [Robbie) Reynard [who also sat out the Anaheim race with a shoulder injury), and he was making sure I wasn't dumb and didn't come back too soon." Lusk was obviously extremely disappointed with the unexpected turn of events. expects me to fizzle away, but my Factory Connection Honda is working great for me this year, and I feel real I instead of just airing everything out," half of the pack after the first lap with Tortelli 10th and Vuillemin 14th. Honda's Ezra Lusk Is helped off the track after Injuring his shoulder during practice. stone. prised by LaRocco's strong ride, the Indianan wasn't one of them. "It goes that way every year," LaRocco said. "I think everybody eye comfortable making choice passes Ezra Lusk's night ended before it even started at Anaheim. During the second practice session earlier in the afternoon, the Team Honda rider was involved in a three-rider incident that left him with a dislocated shoulder. Despite still wanting to suit up for the evening's program, Lusk thought otherwise and sat out the night and he will most likely sit out the next Anaheim race, while his participation in the San Diego Supercross is still up in the air. "There was a pileup and the fJaggers, nobody, were paying attention," a very disappointed Lusk said of the incident. "And people just kept piling into Albee [Greg Albertyn], who went down. I came around and ran into John Dowd. I think he was the only one left standing there, and when I hit him, I fell off to the left side and landed on my shoulder and it popped out. By the time I started to get up, Goose (Mike Gosselaar, Lusk's mechanic) was right there on top of me, and he has had this experjence too before, so he knew what to do. He, with the help of another guy, actually put it [the shoulder) back together for me within 30 seconds of the time I hit the ground." As for how long he'll be out of action. nothing has been set in back. He was riding really good and he'll only get stronger." McGrath was also impressed with laRocco's performance. "Mike kept me honest, for sure," McGrath admitted. "He's definitely strong, he didn't fall to the first-race JANUARY 19, 2000' a pace enough to get away, so I was quite impressively: Vuillemin and Tortelli. Both French riders gated poorly and were mired in the second ~D@)@DDffD@~ [1C!!J~DJ unsettled. "When Ricky and I were fooling 8 Honda's Kevin Windham 114) breezed to victory in the first 250cc heat race. wThere's disappointment for sure," Lusk said. ""Disappointment e n e vv s because I made a stupid mistake? No. Disappointment because 1fell or was riding over my head? No. Disappointment because .it was somebody else's fault? How do you accept that? How do you feel? What do you do? I don't know what to do, brush it off? I've got to come back and I've got to do this again, I've got to race in Supercross and have the same people - AMA officials - taking care of stuff, me and everybody that's doing this, risking their lives. We're going to be in the same position. I wish I could do something about it, but I don't think I could do anything until all the riders come together and take care of it."

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